The Five Senses in New Zealand: Emily

Submitted February 28, 2020

Dear Readers,
Kia ora! For those of you just tuning in, I am studying abroad for the calendar year at Massey
University. Massey is located in Palmerston North, which is located in the southern portion of
the north island of New Zealand.

Palm Trees in New Zealand
A little slice of paradise
Cattle Grazing
Cattle Grazing

When asked, “What were your first impressions,” all I could think was WOW! Words can’t
begin to describe the beauty that comes with New Zealand! Saying that, I am probably partially
biased. I left Wisconsin with 8 inches of snow and a very cold temperature gauge. Entering New
Zealand when they were experiencing sunny and 75-degree weather was definitely an eye
opener. I feel the summer atmosphere made everything a little brighter and more colorful.
The area that I am staying in is quite beautiful as well. There are tons of parks and trails, and
mountains to explore. And there are farms everywhere you look. Turns out that New Zealand has
a ton of cows on top of having a ton of sheep. So, there is a little reminder slice of Wisconsin
every which way I look.

Clock Tower in the Square
Clock Tower in the Square

The Massey campus is a quite a bit smaller than UW Madison. I am literally 5 to 10 minutes
from any class no matter where on campus I am at. And the class sizes are a lot smaller too.
Lecture halls usually have approximately 40-50 students at a maximum with maybe the
exception being some core science classes like chemistry or physics (I will have a better idea of
that next semester when I take physics). That is a huge difference in comparison to Madison
where you could have 100-200 students per lecture hall—700 if you take Music 113 into
account. I don’t mind this difference though, as it gives you a more one on one relationship with
your professor, and the opportunity to ask more questions.

Riverside View
Riverside View
Hills in New Zealand
The Hills Go on For Miles

Well, that’s about it. First impressions are not the easiest to describe. I will, however, leave you
guys with some pictures of my first days. To me, a picture means more than a thousand words.
May them bring you happiness or at least some help in describing what I have saw. For now, this
is Emily signing off.

Sculpture