Kimberly E. O’Leary
WMU-Cooley Law School Professor Kimberly E. O’Leary is directing the law school’s foreign study program in New Zealand and Australia. She and her students will be sharing their experiences throughout the Hilary 2016 semester.
Before beginning the work of the WMU-Cooley “Down Under” program, I took a week-long holiday (as the Kiwis call a vacation) across New Zealand. We took some great photos of our travels!
First, I settled into my apartment, where I will live for the next two months, in Hamilton, New Zealand. There is a beautiful riverwalk behind the apartment in this lovely city!
Then, I took a scenic train ride down the entire North Island from Hamilton to the capital city, Wellington. There, I sipped a Flat White and relaxed into a slower vibe. We had the most amazing view of Wellington Harbour.
Flying to Queenstown next, Lake Wakatipu was sparkling and the town was vibrant with Kiwi tourists on holiday. There, I visited a bird sanctuary and saw real-life kiwis (nocturnal flightless birds), a kia (beautiful parrot), and other native birds. Also learned a lot about conservation concerns.
Finally, I spent three days in Te Anau, a quiet little town on Lake Te Anau, in the Fiordlands National Park. The highlight of that trip was a trek to Milford Sound, with crystal clear water, dolphins abounding, waterfalls many times taller than Niagara Falls, and guided stops in the beautiful national park.
Flying back to Hamilton, I could see the mountains and coast all over this beautiful land, finally settling back into Hamilton, with its green rolling hills.
We are already off to a great program. As they say down here, “no worries, mates!”
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