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Rugby has long been New Zealand’s national game with many New Zealanders saying it is an integral part of the country’s culture. During the rugby season most Saturdays involve playing for or cheering on the local team followed by watching a Super 15 or ITM Cup game in the evening with ‘mates’ and if the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national…
Continue readingOur Director of Academic Affairs, Dr. Lee Stoner, has recently come across an interesting read – “A Traveller’s History of New Zealand and the South Pacific” by John Chambers. This book gives a condensed overview of life in the South Pacific, starting with Polynesian colonization, then progressing to European colonization and the ramifications of this cultural exchange. Focus then shifts…
Continue readingNew Zealand is a country of breathtaking scenery and rich culture. In three weeks, I traveled all around the South Island visiting places that were all so dramatically different allowing us to truly experience New Zealand. I hiked the base of the tallest mountain in Australasia, learned Maori tribal dances, hiked a glacier and ate a Fergburger in Queenstown. While it…
Continue readingIt’s cold (or actually freezing) in much of the U.S. right now. So, why not day dream of being somewhere warmer? These kayaks in Fiji definitely have your name all over them and are just waiting to be drug into the water for use! Apply for the Fiji program at one of our partner institutions to have the chance to…
Continue readingAntarctica truly is a dramatic and pristine environment unlike any other landscape on earth. I spent days sailing in open ocean before discovering land like an early explorer. I heard gentoo penguins as they inspected my campsite and massive whales as they surfaced alongside my zodiac. I enjoyed the Drake Lake and survived the Drake Shake. Each daily expedition provided…
Continue reading5, 584. That’s how many miles Eleanor drove in under three months last fall making campus visits. And that was only in her car. If you calculate all the rental car miles, Eleanor probably clocked 8,000 miles. Curious what is one of Eleanor’s biggest dilemmas for road travel? Read her account: “Sure, the long drives are tiring. Sure, they can…
Continue readingThe Legatum Prosperity Index are ratings that have been published by Britain’s Legatum Institute which is attempting to produce different kinds of indices to mainstream economic scales. The Prosperity Index ranks 110 nations and includes both material wealth and quality of life for each country. New Zealand received its number one ranking due to high enrollment rates in primary, secondary…
Continue readingReady for a weekend getaway? Need a hotel suggestion for a city you’ve never visited? Lucky you because the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Chioce 2011 top hotels list has been released. With categories broken down such as bargain, trendiest and best service, you can customize your search for your travel style. We aren’t familiar with many hotels on this year’s list, so…
Continue readingThis year AUIP staff celebrated the festive season and the end to a fantastic year with a highly enjoyable afternoon of lawn bowls followed by a delicious dinner at Kevin’s house. It was team logistics (Donna, Sara and Sheena) vs the ‘others’ (Laura, Marty and Noel) in the bowls and to begin with, it looked like team logistics were going…
Continue readingWith the University of Montana, Virginia Tech and Texas A&M University Wintermester programs starting in under two weeks, students will be pleased to hear that a moderate to strong La Niña is well-established in the South Pacific. La Niña and the opposite El Niño, refer to extremes of the Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, when major changes in the Pacific atmospheric…
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