Upside Down In The Land Down Under

Today the guy at the student information desk told me "You're down under now, mate". No matter that he, along with everyone else I've met here, thought I was from Canada, he is right. This marks the second time in the last year that I have crossed the equator into the southern hemisphere, this time to New Zealand, known to the Maori as Aotearoa, "land of the long white cloud", or, as I call it, land of the flightless birds.

New Zealand evolved with no large mammals - they call their rugby team the All Blacks for lack of a scarier mascot - and the fauna and flora have developed accordingly. The kiwi, New Zealand's national icon, is nocturnal and flightless, as is the kakapo and several other birds. The introduced opossum is one of the greatest threats to native plants, so much so that there is an entire clothing industry based on opossum fur. It is actually quite warm and fuzzy - I may bring home a sweater or two. However, the best part of New Zealand's evolutionary isolation is the absence of snakes. I can explore the wilderness without the fear of something long and slithery biting me at the ankles or crawling into my bed in the middle of the night.

I knew the kiwis (referring to the people now, not the bird) and I were off to a great start when I saw Air New Zealand's safety video with Richard Simmons. I don't know if it prepared me for an emergency landing, but it definitely entertained me. They have also filmed one with the All Blacks. Once again, I doubt if any women knew where to find their life vests after watching it, but it definitely turned me into an avid fan of New Zealand Rugby. Fortunately, my stay overlaps with the Rugby World Cup. I will be attending.

At first I had doubts about flying to Auckland on a one-way ticket, aside from the fact that it was illegal and I had to buy a temporary ticket to Australia to prove I was not staying here forever... not that I was planning on it or anything. I left my family, friends, and warm summer weather for a rainy city on the other side of the world. However, in only four days I have peered over the edge of a (dormant) volcano, hiked among giant kauri trees in the Waitakere Ranges, visited the windblown and wild west coast, and shared some fun memories with new friends. Not to mention I get to use great phrases like "go bush!" (translation: go wild, adventure!), "put it in the rubbish" (trash), and my favorite, "I'm mad keen about tramping" (I like hiking).

While I have been exploring my new home, I have of course never lost sight of my real purpose: designing a 6-week research project through the University of Auckland. My advisor sent me home with a large stack of scientific articles today - my task for the week is to narrow down my project to something feasible in a short amount of time. It feels good to be in school again.

One thing perplexes me - if I am standing upside down in the southern hemisphere, do I see the moon upside down?

Cheers!