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Milford Sound & Australia

Published on by MolayMediaLeave a comment

The Milford Sound is one of the most visited tourist towns in New Zealand. It is an extremely small village that is in the North-East region of Fiordland National Park and connects to the Tasman Sea. Fiordland National Park is known for having many fiords, which are super steep mountainous areas with deep valleys that were carved out by glaciers. Seeing these formations in person can best be described as standing between incredibly steep valleys which require you to move your entire head and neck to see the top of. It was stunning and was easily the most incomprehensible place I have visited in this country. The main attraction is taking a 90 minute boat tour through these valleys and turning around halfway through once you leave the country’s “border” and start traveling into the sea. Another aspect that is important to note before describing the boat tour itself is the drive to get to Milford Sound.

THE STRUGGLES

I was able to do the Milford Sound cruise with two other friends that I have met since being here, however these two other friends and myself happened to be the only remaining exchange students that I knew of that had not done this tour. This is because our tour on October 25th was my third attempt. It is quite the effort to get to the Milford Sound. It requires roughly 2-3 days to comfortably complete the tour. It is a 5-6 hour drive from campus. The distance, far in-advance scheduling, and financial commitment it requires is just the beginning. Weather has been the determining factor in my struggles. The incredibly scenic drive on SH94 is the only way to get to Milford Sound. The road navigates through dangerous avalanche territory and can be closed by the NZ Transport Agency. The road is closed on average eight days out of the year. It just so happens that the two weekends we picked to travel were each closed the day before, the day of, and the day after, which accounts for 3/4th of the total average road closures. Planning to go with a different group each time, we were each lucky enough (or unlucky) to pick random weekends for the road to get closed. Considering that this boat cruise is one of the only things I was determined to have completed before leaving the country, it was indeed demoralizing.

THE STRUGGLES PAY OFF

With my third and final group we had decided to go October 25th, and this was the last chance I had to make it happen. Given my past traumas with this event I was constantly checking weather forecast and radars the weeks leading up to our planned date. My friends were quick to judge my attentiveness to the predicted weather as it understandably would not change anything no matter how many times I checked. New Zealand received one of the biggest rain storms of the winter on October 23rd and 24th, and with rain means snow at the elevated regions. This new snow significantly increased avalanche risk, especially on SH94. The road was yet again closed both on the 23rd and 24th. The group thought it would be canceled yet again for the THIRD TIME. We made phone calls to the transportation agency to see if we could to perhaps receive some sort of insight on the road’s opening on the 25th. We drove from the nearest town, which is 90 min away from Milford Sound, to the point at which the road closes. We have been here before, both times let down because the road stayed closed all day. We rounded the corner, and the road had just opened up, it felt like a miracle had just unfolded before our eyes. Myself and my friend Devon, (the only two that had gotten the tour canceled twice before) screamed and produced noises that I didn’t know were possible. We made it.

THE TOUR

Now that all of the anticipation had finally come to fruition, it was time for the actual event. To begin, the drive into Milford Sound was one of the most beautiful drives I have ever experienced. Given the rainstorm the day prior, the fiords that surrounded us were impeccable. Hundreds of waterfalls, daunting slabs of rock walls, snow capped peaks, and a low-ish fog to solidify the unique environment.

We arrived to the parking lot and ran for the tour boat. We got to the top deck and could not believe we were not only about to embark on one of the most scenic experiences in the world, but also simply that we had finally made it. The tour was filled with an ambient narration from the tour guide of the myriad of fascinating structures and formations, but I was honestly too engulfed in the scenery around me to care. This was one of those experiences that no photo or video can properly serve the environment it’s proper portrayal. Again, I have never experienced such dramatic walls of mountains before, all whilst being surrounded by waterfalls. The boat turned around once we got to the sea and we got to experience the same tour but in reverse. I am not sure that I will ever be able to accurately articulate the emotions that such an experience can invoke, and for that reason I will be forever grateful for being able to experience it in person. Core memory!

(We were unable to see penguins or dolphins of which the tour is also known for being one of the better ways to experience them)

AUSTRALIA!

I was fortunate enough to squeeze in a quick trip to Australia in the middle of my final examination period. I flew into Sydney and was immediately greeted with a public transportation system that was undoubtedly way better than anything New Zealand has to offer. I couldn’t fathom being able to so easily get on a train and go a significant distance, that process is something that is laughably absent in NZ.

I have a few friends who were studying in Newcastle which is just an hour drive north of Sydney which allowed me to have free tour guides for Sydney and Newcastle, (the only cities I was able to go to). The weather was noticeably warmer, and better, than NZ. This is something I appreciated especially when packing for the trip given that every NZ trip I’d been on required packing my heaviest clothes.

Seeing the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Opera House in person was quite incredible. Just like any sight, photos never do it justice unless you are able to see them in person. I was so impressed by these sights, and one of the more special parts of viewing them was from the ferry. Using the ferries to navigate the town was something that became one of my favorite parts. Seeing the entire city from the water was super unique for me.

We were able to go to the Tangaroo Zoo and see some new animals, which were namely Koala Bears, Kangaroos, Wallaby, Red Pandas, and more. I specifically enjoyed all of the food we ate, whether it was breakfast for dinner, a ginger ale accompanying every meal, or discovering Malatang, a Chinese cuisine that is basically hot pot but is much quicker in preparation. I was in the biggest Lego and Apple store that I’ve ever been in, both companies that I am a nerd for.

I had the privilege of being able to attend my friend’s end-of-year ball which came with meeting new people, free drinks and food, and a fun night out afterwards. I truly enjoyed getting to experience my friend’s lifestyles in their new home and learning everything that I could about Australian culture in the short time that I was there. Woohoo!

Photos and videos linked below!

Listen to Your Locals!

Published on by Mattie EmbreyLeave a comment

Independence and self-reliance are two qualities I’ve valued for as long as I can remember. Today, I like to consider myself to have a decent amount of both. I was raised by a mom who always encouraged me to make my own decisions and gave me the responsibility of acting on them. With her careful guidance in discovering my own judgment, I feel very secure in the choices I make and the person I am today. However, as a side-effect, I suffer from a severe case of “I can do it myself” syndrome. This isn’t usually a problem and is enjoyable in most cases– such as picking up new hobbies. I’ve taught myself to crochet, skateboard, paint, and right now I’m trying to figure out the guitar. I like it this way and it’s always worked out– but that changed the moment I emerged from the Casablanca airport, and falsely gave my capabilities more credit than they deserved. My self-reliance has always been defined by American standards, and the fact that I wasn’t living in the U.S. anymore changed that definition.

The first moment of realization came when we were planning a weekend trip to Chefchaouen. Known as the Blue City, it’s nestled within the Atlas Mountains and awkwardly situated away from major roads, rail stations, or convenient bus routes. My roommates—Anna, Jaci, and I (Hi!! They read my blog)—took charge of planning transportation, organizing tickets and transfers, and getting everything under control.

Some pictures from our excursion to Rabat!

Luckily, we hadn’t made any purchases before mentioning our plans to one of our program directors, Oussama. His reaction was not what we expected: “Are you joking?!” he asked, disbelief plastered on his face.

…Not exactly the response we wanted. But this also meant Oussama had a simple, not-complicated-at-all solution to our problem, right? Wow! We were silly for not seeing it sooner!

Wrong. As it turned out, the best way to get to Chefchaouen from Meknes was also complex—and something we couldn’t have figured out on our own: a series of public taxis from one station to another. And then another. We had dismissed the idea of taxis early on, assuming they were too expensive based on pre-booked private taxi prices. But by following Oussama’s advice, we reached our destination without breaking the bank.

Transportation became another hot topic of discussion during my voyage from Meknes to Madrid. I love living in Meknes, and my only issue with the city is that we don’t have an airport. If we want to fly, we must take a train to another city: one hour to Fes, two hours to Rabat, or four to Tanger. So, here I was, on the train to the Rabat airport when I got a text from Jaci: “I don’t know what your plan is, but Hamid (our Arabic professor) says you should get off at Salé Ville (Rabat’s sister city across the river) because it’s closer to the airport than going all the way to Rabat.” Unsurprisingly, Hamid did me a huge favor. Not only are Rabat taxis more expensive in general, but Salé was, in fact, significantly closer to the airport. I ended up paying 30 Moroccan Dirhams (~$3 USD) rather than 100-150, solely because I got off the train one stop earlier. Once again, I would never have thought to stop at Salé to get to the Rabat airport– but a Moroccan would!

I finally learned my lesson while trying to plan my weekend solo-trip to Essaouira (which I intend to write about shortly). Traveling by myself was a new idea to me, and I was excited by the independence and spontaneity that it proposed. I was going to choose what I wanted to do without any input from anyone else, because isn’t that what solo-travel is all about? I searched through blogs, articles, and AI-generated lists for the perfect Essaouira itinerary, but what I found was obsolete to me. Every option was either a.) an activity common to all Moroccan cities:

Madrid recap– I’d love to go back and see more of the museums, architecture and beauty that it’s known for!
  • Walk around the medina
  • Go to a traditional Moroccan hammam
  • Eat Moroccan foods

 or b.) expensive:

  • Book a camel ride
  • Take surfing or kite-surfing lessons
  • Wine-tasting at the Val d’Argan vineyard
  • Join a guided tour

While I love exploring the medinas, souks, and markets of different cities, I really wanted to experience everything unique to THIS city. I did cave and pay for a surfing lesson, but that occupied a significant percentage of my budget. I became frustrated because I knew why these were the only options showing up: I was searching in English and reading American/European blogs. They were directed at tourists only visiting one or two Moroccan cities on vacation, not for a student who’d been here for nearly three months. These itineraries are created to represent, not just the city, but Morocco as a whole. This is when I remembered that Essaouira is one of Oussama’s absolute favorite places, so I resolved to ask him. He was more than happy to help, and sent me a list of his favorite sights, live music, restaurants, and places to watch the sunset. I am incredibly thankful for his advice, and that I’d thought to ask for it.

I keep having to remind myself that independence doesn’t mean refusing help. Of course I knew that– its a lesson we’ve all been taught since elementary school– but tangible applications have made that lesson a lot more real. I’ve found that my values as an individual conflict heavily with the main purpose of studying abroad. I can’t fully embrace a different culture while ignoring the wisdom of those most familiar with it. Not only have I learned a lot about Morocco through this realization, but I’ve also learned about myself. Recognizing when I need help is another form of self-reliance, one I now aspire to cultivate. Even when I return to the U.S., where I’m more comfortable and knowledgeable, I want to keep pushing my ego aside and accepting help when needed. If you know me, you’re probably laughing at this because you know how much I struggle with it. But the truth is, asking for help doesn’t mean I’m losing my independence—it means I’m human.