Visual Update: Queenstown and Dunedin

A few pics of Queenstown (above) and Dunedin (below).






I just moved into my flat so I've added pics of it as well.


Before you say it looks like a prison cell, pause. First, I have windows, with garden views. Second, the grey bedspread is the underside of my sleeping bag (I liked it better than the cobalt blue) and I am only using it temporarily. As soon as I submit this post I will be out buying pillows. The room came with bedding, but the idea of using it just made my skin crawl. Luckily, I had packed a set of damask high (enough) thread count sheets that I used in the PBP house. It's starting to feel like home already. The kitchen and bathroom are near my room and are communal, though only 2 other people live on my floor (3 floors total). There is even a deck and "wee" veg garden!

The wireless here is more reliable than my portable USB modem, however I have yet to do the ultimate test with Skype. I think it was my first post that I said I wanted to simplify my life...and NZ is great for that. My internet surfing has been curtailed to only ONE window at a time. Back home I have been known to view 7 or more at once. And forget about leaving them open for days on end. Hm, I also need to see how this service handles downloading music or watching episodes of the Office. Not that I kept up with the Office back in the States, but I could use some entertainment. Oh wait, doesn't MTV post episodes online?! A guilty pleasure I've been missing has been tuning into the Hills and all things post-Laguna Beach. Don't get me started on the Real Housewives either. I digress...

My lease for this place is until the end of December. I love the location of this place (so far) as it is right between the Uni and the suburbs without being too close in either direction. Depending on my job status I may or may not move closer, father, or even to another NZ area. I have a meeting with the professor at the University tomorrow so wish me luck! I am quite looking forward to the much shorter walk, though the uphill climbs I've been doing have been a great intro to the massive workout plan I am constructing. Dunedin seems to have a strong fitness community and I am looking into joining a running club ASAP.

Which reminds me, the name of this blog may need to be adjusted. It seems instead of swapping seasons I have fast forwarded to winter-like weather :( Currently it is about 50 degrees F here in Dunedin, which is NOT like Summer (or even Spring) in the slightest. There appears to be "a bit of a cold snap" which is "very unusual" for this time of year. The super southern location of Dunedin does make it chiller than Auckland, for example, but apparently it does get rather hot around here and without humidity (YAY!). I guess the warmth is taking its time to arrive, but the locals have assured me that November is much better. Here's hoping!