Students at Embassy

It is Time to Say 'Goodbye!'

Yes, this is it! Before you even notice, you only have eight days left in the place where you had one of the best times of your entire life.

Five months ago, when I thought about the final days in New Zealand, it always seemed to me such a long time to come. I had this kind of feeling that it would last -, well I can't say forever (it would be childish of me to think like that), but at least it would last more than this. As If I had the power to cheat on time, and make it longer. But, time is the most powerful ever. There is nothing we can do to prevent it. The only thing we can do is enjoy it.

 

And enjoying is something that I can honestly say I did. New Zealand for me was not only a place where I could practice and improve my English. It turned out to be more, way more. 

It was the place where I met the most amazing people (teachers at Embassy included); where I could share and learn more than in any other course in my life, making me more open-minded than before; where I could try all types of food; where I saw the most amazing landscapes ever; and the best and most important of all, where I could mature and learn about myself.

I am even feeling like a different person than five months ago and that was more than I could have hoped for, from this trip.

Study English in New Zealand and have the time of your life

Traveling Around New Zealand - Part Two

Even though the biggest city in New Zealand by far, Auckland is commonly mistaken as the capital of the country. Not everyone is aware of the fact that Wellington is actually the capital of the land of the kiwis.It is a nice and pleasant place and worth a visit if you are around the country.

The city is really different from what I have seen in Auckland. It is not as cosmopolitan and big. Rather than that, Wellington is quite smaller and there aren't many foreigners. However, downtown is bigger than Auckland and you can find more options of things to do and see. As a matter of fact, night-life is better and everything seems livelier.

Go to Cuba Road, and see all the street artists performing live on the street (even whole bands do it). Or if you just want to have something to eat, Wellington is the right place to be if you are in New Zealand. There are more cafés than anywhere in the country, and all of them have something special to offer as a meal (they have that sort of special touch that you can not find in places that are franchised or really big).

Sightseeing is also a good option. Take the old fashioned Cable Car to have a nice view from downtown. Or if you want to have an even better view, you can drive to Mount Victoria. If you only want to enjoy the sea breeze, just walk around the bays (Wellington has many of them).

Finally, if you are a Lord of the Rings fan, there is no better city in the world than Wellington. You can visit Weta Cave and have more insight on how the special effects and make-ups for the movies were made. And you can visit some of the real locations from the trilogy. A unique opportunity if you like Frodo, Gandalf and everything related to the movies that made New Zealand so famous around the world.

by Embassy Auckland student, Andre Campos

Find out how you can learn English in New Zealand

Travelling Around New Zealand

After spending a short period of time in the South Island of New Zealand, I can't find another way to put this. So, I will be completely honest and straight forward: this country is truly beautiful. I mean, you see all these pictures on the internet, brochures and things like that, but not until you are actually in this place do you finally realize how amazing it is.

I don't know about the other English speaking countries where you can study, but I am pretty sure that its very unlikely that you will be able to see such amazing landscapes as the ones you can, here in New Zealand.

The nice views start when you are on the plane from Auckland to Queenstown. You can see all the mountains covered with snow on the top, and there are so many that you lose sight of them. This is because the west part of the South Island is esseantially made of mountains, and reason why the south is less populated than the north. But even as it is, some cities were founded.

One of them is Queenstown, a charming and highly pleasant small town. It is surrounded by mountains, and everywhere you look, you can have a nice view. There is a small downtown filled with many cafés, restaurants, pubs and night clubs. As a matter of fact, the night life is one of the best in New Zealand. You can see many young people walking around, and they are from all over the world.

If you have extra money, Queenstown can be the most exciting place you will ever be. Regarded as the world capital of extreme sports, you can find everything related to it: bungee jumping, skydiving, paragliding, water rafting, etc. If you are more into gentle activities, you can go horse riding, skiing (in the winter season) or you can take the gondola and have the most amazing view of the city from above. Or even if you don't have money, you can just walk around, visit the gardens or take a walk near the huge lake. There is always an option.

 
 However, the most incredible thing of all is the boat cruise in Milford Sound. There aren't enough words to describe the beauty of this place, so I will let the pictures speak for themselves. The view from this gigantic bay surrounded by huge mountains is mind-blowing. And I am not even mentioning the road to Milford Sound, that is the most beautiful one I have ever been, and the national park (Fiordland National Park) you go through before you get there.

Travelling is one the best things when you are an exchange student. Even better if you are a student in New Zealand.

Find out how you can study English in beautiful New Zealand.

Friday Trip to Rangitoto

Every Friday, Auckland Embassy School organizes a school trip. You can choose to go, or to attend a special class, that is usually mixed with another level. This past Friday we went to Rangitoto Island, a very nice place in Auckland.

 

We assembled in the morning in front of the old ferry building, and twenty minutes later we arrived at our destination by ferry. On the boat, you can already have a nice view from the Harbour Bridge and all the boats riding on the bay (Auckland is regarded as the city of sailing and it is true). But nothing compares to the view from the top of Rangitoto.

It was interesting. At least for me, when we arrived at the island, I could finally realize how unique a place Auckland is. Although an island, Rangitoto is actually a volcano. It has been inactive for more than 600 years, and because of that, a lot of plants and trees could grow on the place. Seen by far, it resembles a small forest on an island. It is completely safe to walk on and definitely a must see place if you are visiting Auckland. There are more volcanoes spread around the city (and where you can have a nice view), but Rangitoto is by far the best. The view is breathtaking (as you can see from the pictures).

Friday trips are fun and also important. It is always good to have an activity outside the classroom. It is like a lesson, but it doesn't seem like one. You can learn more about the place where you are currently living. You can meet different people from other classes. You can become closer to your classmates and your teacher. And, finally, you get to practice your English in a different situation.

by Andre Campos

To find out more about studying English in New Zealand, visit the Embassy website.