Packing in my room in Redlands. Somehow it all fit in to one big suitcase, a backpack, and a labtop case. Woo hoo! On line to depart at LAX. Farewell! The arrivals in Auckland. On the right is Ivan O'Reilly and on the left is a UC dude. My first walk out and about. This is the War Memorial Museum in the Auckland Domain. The Sky Tower as seen from the Auckland Domain. It is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere! Walking down Queen Street with a UC group. Courtney (another math major from UCSC) and I enjoy our first Hoki Poki ice cream. Delicious! A typical Auckland City scene. The clocktower, the University of Auckland's landmark. A Maori performance inside the War Memorial Museum. It's Waitangi Day in New Zealand and many people come out to the Auckland Domain to enjoy shopping and a concert. These aren't outhouses, they're... (click to get the big picture) The view from my room in Grafton Hall (minus the flash from my camera.) TIRITIRI: On Tiritiri Matangi Island, where some of the most rare and endangered species thrive. However, I think this is just a duck that visited us. TIRITIRI: This Takahe is quite assertive! It walked around us while we were sitting on the beach. It was thought to be extinct by the early 20th century, but then was rediscovered. Now there are about 200 known. TIRITIRI: The sand/rock/sell composition on Tiritiri Matangi's beaches. Nothing like SoCal! TIRITIRI: These next pictures show some of the amazing vegetation and beauty of New Zealand. TIRITIRI: This is called the Silver Fern. Notice the silver underside? It is New Zealand's trademark. You'll often see it on NZ logos. TIRITIRI: Cool shot, eh? TIRITIRI: Lydia, Kelly, and I pose for a shot before our long trek on the eastern side of Tiritiri Mantangi. TIRITIRI: An arch. TIRITIRI: More scenery! TIRITIRI: and more! TIRITIRI: Seriously, I felt like I was in a jungle. On the way back from Tiritiri Mantangi. This is Ivan amongst his rascal UC kids. Auckland from the ferry. A nighttime lantern festival in Albert Park near the University in order to celebrate Chinese New Year. Again, another event were almost the whole city shows up for entertainment and food. The last night of orientation. All 48 UC students and NZ staff get together for picture before enjoying a dinner atop Mt. Eden, which has some stunning views of Auckland. Okay I just had to include these next three pictures. Here my buddies watch me blow out my 21 candles on top of Hoki Poki ice cream! First dibs! Diet Coke rules! ;o)