Party Limo!

Aloha world!
Today we wanted to go to the beach. The closest beaches are about a 20 minute drive from Dunedin, so a group of us decided to take the bus. According to the all knowing Google, the time it would take to get to the beach should be roughly an hour by bus, and lucky for us, the stop was right next to our flat.
We waited and waited at the stop, but to no avail. At one point, a limo with strobe lights, custom speakers, and a trail of balloons came by and waved at us. Well, they more of danced at us. This limo had been spotted the night before driving from party to party and looked to be quite fun. As it drove past a second time five minutes later, I stuck my thumb out to see if they'd stop. Living up to the friendly Kiwi reputation, they pulled over. I asked if they would be willing to give us a ride to Tunnel Beach and they kindly obliged. With  their green light, we piled 11 people into the back of the limo. This was no stretch limo mind you, it was really only meant to hold a maximum of six in the back at most. However, being the desperate, car-less college students we are, we managed to cram in. Once in the limo, we were all offered some sort of drink (in a bottle and sealed, mom) that reminded me of vitamin water and taken to the beach.
The looks we received from onlookers on the way were priceless. Many parents were moving their first year kids into the dorms today. As we drove past in an overstuffed limo decked out with lights, balloons, and party music blaring from a big ol' subwoofer, many a jaw dropped as parents second guessed their decision to send their kids away to school. We even saw the cops at one point...and they simply kept on driving right on past us!
Once we finally got to the beach, the locals came down with us and we enjoyed scenic New Zealand together. Rocks were climbed, sea lions were seen, and many a picture were taken. What a beaut! 

Pics of the limo to come!

Introduction to Castle Street

Today I arrived in Dunedin on a giant bus and was dropped of at my new home (or should I say flat?). Our first stop in the drop off was on the "party street” for the school and boy was it evident. Lucky for us, the first person out had a key that didn’t function properly. So as we waited, a drunk student whose leg was bleeding profusely named Hugo talked/forced his way onto the bus and welcomed us international students, a kid came up to the window with a scale and a few baggies and yelled that he was selling, a girl flashed the bus, and massive crowds of students walked past with juice bottles filled to the brim with liquids whose color did not match the label as well as bottles of bear, wine, and hard liquor. The street was filled with broken glass and battered lighters while the houses were a strange combination of what could be drug dens and nice little flats with white picket fences. Of course we international students were dropped off in the nice houses; who’d have thunk it. The party houses were easily identified by signs hanging in front of the doorway adorned with names such as Beaver, The Jungle, and Refrigerator. I was told that the drinking culture is big in New Zealand, but that seems like an understatement after this experience. Oh, and did I mention that this scene took place in broad daylight?