Thanks for the Write Up Matt!

Matt has shared his experiences from this summer with UF students through a well written piece for the Alligator!  Thanks Matt!  We are so pleased that you got so much from the experience! - m&m

Financial worries should not deter students from studying abroad

Posted: Tuesday, September 13, 2011 12:43 am

Matt Caesar, Guest Columnist 

If paying for tuition, fees, rent, textbooks, food and personal expenses wasn't enough, I'd like to add another task to the typical college student's challenges: studying abroad.

It's not the most popular bullet on a financially challenged student's things-to-do list, but it is a truly enriching opportunity that should be experienced.

This past summer, I studied in New Zealand with Dr. Mark Hostetler. Unfortunately, the options at UF are very limited when it comes to engineering programs abroad.

Regardless, I was determined to experience life outside of the United States and decided on a program that interested me. It didn't matter whether it contributed to my degree or not.

The program, "New Zealand Biodiversity and Conservation," was completely unrelated to my mechanical engineering major.

The six-week period I spent on the other side of the planet was one of the most memorable times of my life.

The beautiful mountains, forests, plains, farms and beaches of New Zealand's south island were my classrooms, and nature hikes were a primary component of the learning experience.

Nothing here at UF has ever compared to the learning experience I had abroad.

This subject of study, which I had only a vague idea about when I applied, turned out to be an extremely important and interesting subject that had never even manifested itself as a conscious thought in my mind prior to this experience.

The combination of this new way of learning about such an alien topic of study and soaking up this new culture and lifestyle was an invaluable adventure.

Honestly, it helped open my eyes to the whole world.

I realized there is more to life than just being born, growing old and dying in the United States.

It made me hungry for more.

I now want to intern abroad, and I want to get my master's degree abroad.

I may want to call a new country my home in the future.

The bubble of the American lifestyle I'd been raised in my entire life had been popped, and an incredibly vast number of options and opportunities were revealed.

Now the hard part: money.

I know firsthand how terrifying the thought of gathering up thousands of dollars over a long period of time can be.

It's especially terrifying knowing you're just going to spend it all in as little as six weeks.

I was prepared to use the money I had saved from working and possibly to take out my first loan(s) to ensure I would not miss out on this opportunity.

But, as it turned out, I was extremely fortunate in this department.

I was awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, giving me enough to cover all of the tuition and housing fees for my program.

It was an enormous burden lifted off my shoulders.

It is also not impossible for you.

Hunting down scholarships and grants to come up with the money to study abroad is completely worthwhile.

I hope my fellow Gators will be inspired to take advantage of the wonderful opportunities we have at UF to study abroad and that the Gilman scholarship will come to the aid of many other Gators as well.

Matt Caesar is a mechanical engineering senior at UF.

P.S.S. Solid Gold!

Just in case you are missing those hits of the 1960s and 70's, here is the link for Solid Gold FM so that you can hear those familiar Gatorwaka sounds via live streaming. Enjoy!

P.S. Survey Answers

WHAT IS THE HUMAN POPULATION OF NEW ZEALAND'S SOUTH ISLAND?

There are one million people living on the South Island of New Zealand.

HOW MANY SHEEP ARE ON THE SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND?

There are 14 million sheep on the South Island of New Zealand.  

The most abundant mammal on the South Island of New Zealand is the brush tail possum (70 million possums).  The only mammals native to New Zealand are a few bat species.

In contrast, 18 Million people live in the State of Florida.

Thursday, August 4th - Safe Travels!

Our class left this afternoon for the long flights back to Florida with a few stopping off in Australia before making their way across the Pacific.  May all the journeys home be safe and not too tiring!  


Scott, let us know if your Hillyer's pie made it. ; )

Of note, the Gatorwaka (our 12-seater van) traversed 3,560 kilometers across the South Island of New Zealand.  This translates into 2,207 miles in just under five weeks before being returned this afternoon.  Whew!

August 4 - Special Pictures from Tupelo

Tupelo wanted our students to have her drawings of what she observed you doing when you had your first "class" together over here doing low ropes exercises together:

Students in the "Traffic Jam"

Students in the Gordian Knot 

"Congratulations!  You are a star!" Students got out of the Gordian Knot 

And, P.S.  Jamm reminds you to listen to the "Plant Song" that he made for you that it is at the end of the slideshow.  Enjoy!

Thursday, August 4th - The Journey Home and Beyond

Our Iwi

Kia Ora.  Having been immersed in Kiwi and Maori culture for the past five weeks will make the journey back to American culture another adventure.  Our students will take with them lasting memories of the challenges and opportunities of what not only New Zealand faces, but what the rest of the world faces as well.  Preserving biological diversity, conserving resources, and maintaining a balance between natural and human built environments are key to a sustainable future.  And, it will take all of us with our diverse backgrounds to come together in many different ways to help make lasting change for a bright future.

Dear students, we hope that what you have experienced with us in New Zealand will help shape the decisions you make for our future in exciting and positive ways.  We thank you for giving of yourselves openly with your hearts and minds so that our time together could be such a special learning opportunity for us all.  We have really enjoyed being with all of you, touring the wop-wops, and sharing a daily cuppa. Sweet As!

From the land of the long white cloud, safe and happy travels!  See you in the land of the flowers (La Florida).  With a Hongi and hug to each of you, m&m

Wednesday, August 2 - A time of celebration and good memories

While it was a free day, much of it was spent finishing course journals and the slide show and preparing for the last get together at night in nearby Prebbleton.  We gathered together the students, lecturers, and friends - all essential in making our adventures successful and fun!  With thanks, we celebrated our time together and enjoyed the slide show of our New Zealand experience.  Collectively, we took over 10,000 photos in the past few weeks.  Some of us took over 1,000 in just one day.  Needless to say, creating a slideshow that captured the essence of our special time together is daunting.  We chose to go with basics and a few good laughs (like warm up exercises, reminders of killer-attack Weta, salt and pepper shakers, etc.) sprinkled in. And, we had an extra special glipse of a place few humans ever see/set foot -- Campbell Island.  Colin brought along a slide show of his remarkable summer adventure on this farthest south island of NZ.  Campbell Island is also the inspiration for the artwork on the Kiwi $5 bill.  You can learn more and see some of the wondrous plants and animals of this place (including the New Zealand Snipe) here.

Not wanting to think about going home, we relived memorable times together over the last five weeks.  Again, special thanks to our students for diving into our adventures with great enthusiasm, our guest lecturers for sharing their time and expertise, and our friends and families for their support.  Thanks also to our students for the special Koha treasures - very thoughtful and special.  Our time together, will be cherished.

Monday, August 1 - Hanging out with the Kiwis (finally!)

X-ray of Kiwi with egg inside.

Monday afternoon we experienced Willowbank Reserve.  Willowbank cares for New Zealand wildlife that occurs both naturally in the country as well as species that are part of the country's history (i.e., species that were introduced by colonists over time).  Some of these species are domestic such as chickens and horses, others have become pest species such as wallabies and possums.  The park seeks to educate residents and visitors as to the heritage and challenges New Zealand's animal species bring to the table.  Our tour also included native New Zealand species where we saw our first Tuatara, Kiwi, Takahe, and Morepork. 

Tuatara

Takahe

 (Here is what Henry, a 111-year old Tuatara that lives in Invercargill, looks like:)

We also got to size up the extinct animals of New Zealand that roamed this wondrous place not too long ago.

Katie and Emily with an "actual size" Moa sillhouette.  These were hunted to extinction in relatively recent history.

An additional tour was to experience Ko Tane - a Maori cultural performance.  Matt got to be our chief and made sure to let the Maori Village know that we came in peace by accepting their offering and performing a proper Hongi.

We all had a wonderful time, and our gals got to give Poi a go and 

our guys got to give the haka a go as part of the show.  

Experiencing the strong and beautiful singing voices of the women and men, watching them twirl poi and throw sticks, and seeing a true Haka were, again, amazing experiences.  

Following our tours we had dinner at a new restaurant in Lincoln, No. 6, and had a chance to thank Colin, Tupelo, Jamm and Meryl for their assistance with the course, and of course, the students for their enthusiasm and sense of adventure for making the course a success!

Colin, our honorary Gator! 

Monday, August 1 - Day trip to Kaikoura

It is a pity that our trip to the Marae in Kaikoura had to be cancelled because of the flights being cancelled out of Queenstown last weekend.  Despite this schedule change, a day trip to Kaikoura, located on the Pacific coast three and a half hours north of Christchurch, was on tap for today. One word that could be used for what we did get to see today? Magical...


We stopped in Chevoit for tea and then went on to search for honey dew honey in the beech forests along the roadside.  


After, we visited the Ohua seal colony.  Then a surprise for the students --  a short hike just 10 minutes inland to a waterfall we know is used as a safe place for the baby seals this time of year.  Needless to  say we are all captivated by their antics.  The New Zealand Fur Seals are a protected species.

The afternoon was spent sampling whitebait and on a hike on the spit near the bay.  There we learned of the Hutton's shearwater project where a predator-free colony is being established to help ensure survival of this bird species that has only two breeding locations left in all of New Zealand.

We had dinner out in Kaikoura and then headed back to Lincoln.  On the way back we stopped at the forest again to look at the stars and we were lucky, we actually heard a Morepork.


Cheers, Mark

Saturday, July 30th - Baby sheep with solar technology to gardens in the not-so-warm sun

This morning we visited a non-so typical NZ farm.  Graham's farm of fruit trees sports all the latest high-tech, energy-wise gadgets from the U.S.A. - solar panels that power his home, led lighting, a windmill in the works, Stirling Engine fan on the wood stove in the kitchen, etc. He even collects rainwater for all his home water use (i.e., drinking, flushing toilet, and showering).  We enjoyed our lesson that there is much we can all be doing in our own country to be oil independent and low impact on our environment.  We also really enjoyed seeing a little lamb born just two days earlier, and having tea with Graham and his wife, Karen.  Special thanks to both for their warm hospitality and for Karen's amazing and delicious spread of baked goods.

In the afternoon we braved a sunny, but cold day in the Christchurch Botanical Gardens with Colin Meurk as our expert guide of the Gardening with Indigenous Vegetation section.  It was fun to see that these native plants with so much texture can be used in not so formal as well as formal gardening with spectacular results.

Tomorrow we have a day of rest before setting off to Kaikoura for a day trip on Monday.


Cheers, Mark

Friday, July 29 Mt. Cook Trip - Day 3

The highlight of our travels back to Lincoln on Friday was a stop at the Mt. John Observatory (Check out the 360 link toward the bottom of the linked page and more general info here).  Had we had clear weather at night, the appreciation for the dark sky in the area and the views of the heavens would have been punctuated, but just seeing the 360-degree view during daylight hours certainly made an impression.  It was super cool that one of the workers there told me that he got to not only see the space station pass over head just a week or so ago, but also Space Shuttle Atlantis on its last mission.

Even through things are starting to wind down with the course over here, there are still more adventures to come. Stay tuned, Meryl

Thursday, July 28 Mt. Cook Trip - Day 2

The next morning was cool and bright and we met up with a Department of Conservation Naturalist, Aki, who guided us on an 80-minute hike on the Governors (alpine forest) track at Mt. Cook.  Although Mt. Cook was still not willing to reveal itself, we still had beautiful views of the Southern Alps from our hike. 

We then had some time to explore the beautiful iSite and take a break before facing the elements for an afternoon hike to Kea Point.  As Mark says, “We tried it.  It was pretty hilarious.  The wind had picked up to 75 kph gusts, and we lost the trail in deep snow so we had to head back.”  

So we warmed up at the main hotel and Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Center (nice fire place at the entryway), and spent the afternoon watching a 3-D movie about Mt. Cook (Maori legend of how it was formed as well as stunning views from a plane flying around it) and planetarium shows.

We hope that the fact that Sir Edmund Hillary used Mt. Cook as just a part of his training ground for his assent to Mt. Everest helps inspire our students and deepens even further our appreciation for the enthusiasm for the out-of-doors that most kiwis possess.

That night we once again had a communal dinner and then played cards.

Wednesday, July 27 Mt. Cook Trip - Day 1

After having to shift our trip schedules on account of weather during our course, we had to take on our Mt. Cook trip, rain or shine. So we set out on our trip to Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park with not the best of weather conditions forecast for Mt. Cook proper; however, as a meteorologist friend of ours here says, “the mountains have more character with a bit of weather about.”

The day was gorgeous and sunny, and on the way there, we had several fun stops planned to break up the drive time.  First a stop at the Ashburton Domain (i.e., community playground and sport fields) to wake up with a zip line ride on a super high flying fox that was gifted from the Ashburton Kiwanis Club and is famous with the locals. 

Next up, a short hike through a beautiful forest remnant in Geraldine.  Like Riccarton Bush, the Talbot Forest Scenic Reserve is in the heart of the city and serves as an important reminder of the extensive broadleaf/podocarp forests that once covered large areas of Canterbury. It is managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and has a dedicated group of locals that helps to keep after it.  Unlike Riccarton Bush, it is more vulnerable to predators having no predator fence.

The views from The Hilltop Café showed us the transition views from the Canterbury plains and lush green hills and the drier alpine environment of Mackenzie Country. 

When we stopped again at Lake Tekapo a short time later, the snow-covered mountaintops of the Southern Alps were almost completely 360 around us and the lake was sparkling with its glacial blue water. The waters of Lake Tekapo are also used to generate electricity through the Tekapo Canal.

The Church of the Good Shepherd built in 1935 to the glory of God as a memorial to the pioneers of the Mackenzie Country. Congregations of the three main faiths worship regularly in the Church, which offers awe inspiring views of the lake and mountains through the altar window.

When we finally arrived at the turnoff for Mt. Cook, we could see blue skies all around us except for the direction where we are headed.  I mentioned that Mt. Cook is the tallest mountain in New Zealand at 12,316 feet and seems to create its own weather, and Max observed that it was like Denali in Alaska.  The area does indeed conjure images of Alaska in the fall with a dry, harsher environment.

That night we settled into our fun backpackers with the potential for Mt. Cook right outside our window and set about making our dinner in the communal kitchen before getting a good night’s rest.  During the night we were serenaded by 95 kilometer per hour (kph) wind gusts howling at our windows.

Queenstown, ADRENALINE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

At last, it was our three-day weekend off. There was one destination that appealed to us, and our adrenal glands: Queenstown. Nestled in Southwest New Zealand, the small town hosts a variety of activities that would open our eyes and amp up our courage. For the first day, we traveled early in the morning from Christchurch to Queenstown by air. The landing was one of the most interesting landings I've ever had, where the plane flew over the mountains and landed rapidly onto a very bumpy landing strip. We had our first interesting sight right after we landed.

Interesting plane decorations in Queenstown airport

On the first day, we split up into several groups to pursue our interests. Matt, Emily, and I went skiing for a half day at Coronet Peak. Matt was an experienced snowboarder, but Emily and I were two novices when it came to skiing. While Emily adjusted quickly, I had my hands full for the day, where I had 34 falls learning how to ski on the bunny slopes. Jane, Ally, Kinsley, and Katie went horseback riding in the beautiful country around Queenstown. The remainder of our group, Scott, Max, and Alexis, went to visit the amazing sites used to film various segments of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Emily and Matt at Coronet Peak

Alexis, Max, and Scott en route to the set of LOTR

 Despite a few mishaps, it was a great day. At night, we had dinner in the city that also opened our eyes as well as our pockets. Our stay at the Black Sheep Backpackers was also an interesting one. While others probably had pretty nice rest, the five of us (Alexis, Max, Matt, Scott, and I) definitely had a loud night with a sick roommate. Nevertheless, we were off to another day of adventure the next day. Five of us ( Alexis, Max, Emily, Katie, and I) journeyed to Milford Sound in the Fiordland National Park. Scott and Matt took on skiing at the Remarkables, and Ally, Jane, and Kinsley took to shopping in Queenstown.

At the peak of the Remarkables

Commercial district of Queenstown

Milford Sound

On our last day, we took to packing and shopping around Queenstown. While several of us have already tried the famous Ferg burgers, it was my first attempt. Matt and I finished these big  burgers with some difficulty.

Eating big burgers

Snowy Queenstown

Unfortunately, we did not make it out of Queenstown. The flights were canceled due to weather. Nonetheless, our airline gave us very nice accommodations and a long coach ride back to Christchurch.

Delayed at the airport

Passing through New Zealand - coach ride

We passed through the Mt. Cook area on our way back to Christchurch, and it gave us a little preview to our next trip to hike the mountains and Lake Tekapo. This concludes our time in Queenstown. 

 Reporting from the snowy south

 Peter Zhang