2012USU ExpEriEncE

SEmEStEr 1

programmenEw ZEaland

STUDENTS’ASSOCIATION

AT UNITEC

usuSearch StudentS at unitec

For morE inFormation aboUt thESE EvEntS, contact philippa , the USU International Programme Coordinator at USU Reception, Bldg. 180, in The Hub at Mt. Albert campus.EMAIL: usuinternational@unitec.ac.nzPHONE: 815 4321 ext. 7932WEB: www.usu.co.nz/international-student-experience join us on FACEBOOK. Search ‘Students at Unitec’

whEthEr yoU’rE an intErnational StUdEnt or yoU call nEw ZEaland homE, thE USU ExpEriEncE nEw ZEaland programmE iS a grEat way to makE FriEndS hErE at UnitEc whilE Exploring thiS bEaUtiFUl coUntry.The USU Experience NZ Programme is designed to showcase some of the best locations, adventures and scenery that New Zealand has to offer, all with a student-sized price tag. Each trip is accompanied by New Zealand guides who can show you the local well kept secrets that will make your New Zealand experience unique.

kia oraand

hEllo!

02 EXPERIENCE NZ

If you live at The Village (student accommodation, B310 and 1510) come along and introduce yourself to your neighbours! Located on the fields across the road from B310, there will be music, free food, beer and non-alcoholic drinks, plus games to be played with prizes to be won. Don’t miss out! Free BBQ and drinks!

Start off your kiwi-experience by exploring the city you are living in! This is a great opportunity to get out and see some of what Auckland has to offer and to introduce yourself to other students from all over the world.

We will start the day by being welcomed onto the Unitec Marae. First, we’ll have a workshop on Maori culture to understand the customs that take place during the powhiri (welcome). Inside the marae, we will be given a tour of this amazing hand-carved building, and learn the about the history and traditions that inspired the interior’s unique design.

After a yummy morning tea, it’s time to board our double-decker bus. We’ll visit the summit of Auckland’s tallest volcano; we’ll cross the harbour bridge to explore the defence tunnels and cannons on the North Shore, have fish and chips for lunch on the waterfront, and spend the afternoon at one of Auckland’s best beaches. There’ll be plenty of photo opportunities along the way and our route will take us along some of Auckland’s main streets and shopping districts to help get you get orientated in the city.

We’ll arrive back at Unitec in time for a free BBQ and welcome party put on by the International Office.

USU oriEntation aUckland bUS toUr & maraE viSit

rUgby match Friday 24th FEbrUary

USU villagE party

Friday 24th FEbrUary 8am-4pm

monday 27th FEbrUary From 4pm

Cost: $15 for Unitec students; $20 for everyone else Includes lunch! Meet 8am in the Hub – just outside USU and the International Office.Want to come to the marae, but can’t make the bus trip? No problem. Just come along and meet up with the rest of us in the Hub at 8am, and at about 10am we’ll go our separate ways. There is no cost if you come to the marae only.

rEgiStEr at thE intErnational oriEntation cErEmony, at USU rEcEption, or Email USUintErnational@UnitEc.ac.nZ by 4pm thUrSday 23rd FEbrUary.

The Auckland Blues take on the Crusaders at 7.35pm at Eden Park in the 2012 Super Rugby competition. Students can purchase tickets for just $15 from Carrington’s Pump House (Bldg 33 on the Mt Albert Campus)

03EXPERIENCE NZ

VISIT US AT

PLUS Exclusive cheap flights for students

Hot package dealsGroup trips

Flexible travel

Working holidays

www.statravel.co.nz facebook.com/STAtravel.NZ BEFORE YOU HIT 35

COME AND SEE US FOR:

With the Waitakere Ranges just out west, there are some really great hiking tracks right here in Auckland. The regional park spans more than 16,000ha of native rainforest and coastline, and on this hike we’ll see some of the best of it - think waterfalls, birdlife and rugged black-sand beaches!

You can expect to be walking for about 3 hours, 30+ minutes of which will be steadily uphill, so you do have to be reasonably fit for this trip. If this sounds like you, put on your walking shoes, fill a day pack with lunch,

water and your camera, and let’s go for a tramp!

Cost: $5 for Unitec students; $10 for everyone else This trip is weather dependant; if the weather

isn’t suitable, we’ll go another day instead.

intErnational Food day

waitakErE bUSh walk

thUrSday 8th march & thUrSday 17th may

SUnday 11th march 10am-5pm

Represent your country and sell your delicious cooking at International Food Day, held in The Hub (Bldg. 180) at the Mt. Albert campus. This is your chance to showcase your nation’s local delicacies to your friends, teachers and other Unitec students. It’s free to run a stall, and any profit you make is yours to keep.

For morE inFormation and to rEgiStEr yoUr Stall, Email USUintErnational@UnitEc.ac.nZ

05EXPERIENCE NZ

rEgiStEr at USU rEcEption or Email USUintErnational@UnitEc.ac.nZ by 4pm wEdnESday 7th march.

The far north is the birthplace of the nation, where both the first Maori and the first Europeans set foot on NZ soil. Rich in history, this sub-tropical region is also famous for its beautiful beaches and marine wildlife. This trip combines adventure and scenery, with fun activities based in some of the country’s most beautiful locations. Highlights include a close-up encounter with native birds, sand-surfing on the dunes and swimming in a kiwi-style hot spring. You also have the option to go sailing out to one of the Bay’s 144 islands – if we’re lucky, we might see dolphins!

On the drive north (Friday), stops will include an idyllic east coast beach and the Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre where you’ll get to know some of New Zealand’s native wildlife. We’ll be staying in Paihia, in the Bay of Islands. Our dorm-room accommodation has a kitchen, a swimming pool and a spa and is a 2 minute walk from the beach and the most popular bars in town.

Over the next two days you will get the chance to go sand-surfing on the massive Hokianga sand dunes. We’ll have a picnic lunch, visit the mighty 2000-year-old Tane Mahuta, New Zealand’s largest kauri tree, and stop at some unique Kiwi-style natural hot springs on the way back to Paihia. You can also sign up for a day sailing trip, where we’ll set sail for one of the bay’s many uninhabited islands. Lunch is included, as well as the opportunity to go snorkelling, exploring on the island and get some sailing tips from the crew. At the end of the cruise you can choose to hop off at Russell, where you can discover the history of New Zealand’s first capital, and catch a ferry ($5) back to Pahia later in the evening.

Cost: $175 for Unitec students; $200 for everyone else Includes transport, accommodation, sand-surfing, Waipoua forest, Ngawha Hot Springs, the native bird recovery centre, breakfast on Saturday and Sun-day and at least one lunch (2 if you sign up for sailing).+ $80 (optional) 6hr sailing adventure. Includes lunch. The best way to see the Bay is by boat, and I really recommend the sailing trip, especially at this price, but if you choose to have a free day in Paihia, there’s always the beach, plus we’ve got plenty of other options up our sleeves to make sure you have a great day.

rEgiStEr at USU rEcEption or Email USUintErnational@UnitEc.ac.nZ by 4pm wEdnESday 14th march.

bay oF iSlandS wEEkEnd Friday 23rd march-SUnday 25th march - dEpart 10am Friday

06 EXPERIENCE NZ06 EXPERIENCE NZ

You’ll have a swell time learning to surf with USU. On this full day beach trip, our experienced surfing instructors will have you standing up and surfing like a pro in no time. There will be staggered lessons throughout the day, with other fun beach activities on offer as well. The location won’t be decided till the night before so that we can be sure to pick the best surfing spot for the day. Hang ten, dudes.

SUrFing day trip SatUrday 31St march - 9am-6.30pm Cost: $70 Includes transport, surfing lesson (plus wetsuit and surfboard) and a BBQ lunch.

rEgiStEr at USU rEcEption or Email USUintErnational@UnitEc.ac.nZ by 4pm Friday 23rd march.

07EXPERIENCE NZ

08 EXPERIENCE NZ

Rotorua is an active volcanic zone and home to New Zealand’s world-famous boiling mud pools and geysers. On this trip you will have a fantastic opportunity to witness these natural wonders, learn about the local Maori culture and eat a hangi lunch. Another highlight of the weekend will be relaxing at the local well kept secret – Kerosene Creek, a 100% natural hot spring that features a hot waterfall surrounded by native forest. We’ll also do a bit of a tiki-tour around town to take in some of Rotorua’s best sights. Our dorm-room accommodation has a geo-thermally heated swimming pool and an awesome location within easy walking distance of the night-life hub, a free geothermal park and Lake Rotorua.

This trip has been organised to be as affordable as possible. We have awesome discounts for the optional activities for those of you who want to do it all, but if you would rather just come along for the ride and do your own thing in Rotorua, that’s fine too.

Cost: $175 for Unitec students; $200 for everyone else. Includes transport, accommodation, lunch every day (Sunday is a hangi), breakfast on Sat and Sun, BBQ dinner on Satur-day, sightseeing in Rotorua and at Blue Lake, swimming at Kerosene Creek and entrance to Te Puia at Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley (Sunday).

rotorUa wEEkEnd Friday 27th april-SUnday 29th april - dEpart 10am Friday

06 EXPERIENCE NZ

OptiOnal aCtivities: For more details about these activities, go to the USU website www.usu.co.nz or ask at reception.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON (choose 1 only)

• Hobbiton Movie Set Tour: $83.50. A behind the scenes tour of the Lord of the Rings set.

• Rotorua Zorb: $25. Roll down a hill inside a giant water-filled hamster ball!

• Rotorua Luge: $12.25 for the gondola + $6 per luge ride. There’s no ice involved in kiwi-style luging, just you, your friends, gravity-powered go-carts and a concrete track. So much fun!

SATURDAY

• Kaituna River White Water Rafting: $65. Enjoy paddling down this scenic waterway punctuated by raging, thundering white water, including the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall.

• Other: For those who choose not to go white water rafting, you could go mountain biking, to a wildlife park, or see more of Rotorua’s thermal wonders.

SUNDAY

• Agroventures: $25 per activity, or $65 for a bungy. More “only in New Zealand” extreme activities that involve hurtling at speed through the air, along the water, or around a pedal-powered monorail.

rEgiStEr at USU rEcEption or Email USUintErnational@UnitEc.ac.nZ by 4pm Friday 20th april.

09EXPERIENCE NZ

Football world cUp

tErtiary challEngE

Friday 4th may - 10am-4pm

Friday 10th aUgUSt - 9am-4pm

This 7-a-side tournament is held down on the Unitec fields. Round up some friends, pick a country to represent and register your team. Then all you have to do is pick your team costume… The Football WC is always a great day out in the sun with prizes for the winning teams. Everyone is welcome to enter a team to compete for the championship cup and bragging rights for the semester!Cost: $50 per team. Register at USU Reception .

Still around at the start of semester two? Tertiary Challenge is one of the biggest sports events of the NZ tertiary calendar, and this year it’s being held right here at Unitec. Compete against students from other universities and polytechs around the country in touch, 7-a-side football, 3-on-3 basketball, netball and volleyball. Training starts on the 7th and 8th March but late entries are welcome. GO TEAM UNITEC! Cost: $20 Register at USU Reception.

USU Sport Come to USU Reception and visit Ray,

the USU Sports co-ordinator to find out more about teams and tournaments here at Unitec. ususport@unitec.ac.nz

StUdEnt mEdia and on-campUS EvEntS

Ask at USU reception how you can get involved with events and student media here at Unitec, and contribute to our student magazine, Script. Follow USU at Unitec on Facebook for the latest news on upcoming events.

Warfare was a big part of traditional Maori life, and one form of tribal defence was a pa, or fortified refuge, built to protect the village from enemy tribes. A wall of spiked logs surrounded the village and had platforms where armed sentries kept watch. On this day trip, we’ll visit a life-size model pa site and 17th Century Maori village in Te Hana (about an hour north of Auckland), where you can experience and learn about pre-European Maori life in an authentic setting.

Cost: $25 for Unitec students; $30 for everyone else Includes transport, marae visit, morning tea, cultural performance and guided tour.

rEgiStEr at USU rEcEption or Email USUintErnational@UnitEc.ac.nZ by 4pm Friday 11th may.

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Rangitoto is a beautifully symmetrical island volcano that dominates the view out in Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. Only 700 years old, Rangitoto is Auckland’s youngest volcano, having emerged from the sea in a series of volcanic eruptions. The route we’ll be walking will take about 5 hours including stops. Points of interest en route include a pohutukawa forest, lava caves, the coastline, the crater, the summit and the view from the top – and, of course, the ferry ride. Make sure you bring plenty of food, water and warm layers.

Cost: $25 for Unitec students; $30 for everyone else Includes transport and ferry. Bring your own lunch and snacks.

rEgiStEr at USU rEcEption or Email USUintErnational@UnitEc.ac.nZ by 4pm wEdnESday 9th may.

rangitoto iSland SUmmit hikE

tE hana maori villagE

SatUrday 12th may - 8.15am-5pm

SatUrday 19th may - 9am-2pm

to makE a booking, or For morE inFormation, viSit USU rEcEption or Email USUintErnational@UnitEc.ac.nZ

11EXPERIENCE NZ

The Pinnacles Track is located in the Kauaeranga Valley, near Thames on the Coromandel Peninsula. The area used to be filled with huge native kauri trees, but kauri timber was big business in NZ, and from the 1870s to 1920s the valley was extensively logged. The Pinnacles trail follows an old pack horse track that was used by kauri loggers as an access and supply route. The track has been maintained to resemble what it would have looked like at the start of last century, with the added bonus along the way of breathtaking views over the valleys and across to the eastern coast of the peninsula.

You must be fit to take part in this hike. We will be hiking uphill for 3hrs on the Saturday. We’ll stay overnight in the Pinnacles Hut or campground (you’ll need your own backpack and sleeping bag), and on Sunday morning, we’ll head up to the summit (40mins) and then back down to the carpark via the Billy Goat Trail (3-4hrs).

Cost: $20 for Unitec students; $25 for everyone else. Includes transport, hut/camping fees and dinner. You must provide your own lunches and snacks.

rEgiStEr at USU rEcEption or Email USUintErnational@UnitEc.ac.nZ by 4pm Friday 18th may.

pinnaclES ovErnight hikE SatUrday 26th may - SUnday 27th may - dEpart 10am SatUrday

rEnt a tEnt From USU Going away for the weekend? Need

somewhere to stay? Why not maximise your kiwi-experience and camp out! USU now has three 3-4 person tents and some foam mattresses available for rent. There are so many great camping spots around the country – ask the team at USU for suggestions and directions.

Cost: $10 a day, plus $150 bond per tent (you get the bond back when we get the tent back in good shape). You can book the tents in advance to make sure they’re available when you need them.

USU ExpEriEncE nEw ZEaland programmE tErmS and conditionS, and rEFUnd policy:1. USU reserves the right to alter prices, itinerary components and if need be, to postpone or cancel

events.

2. You must be at least 18 years old to participate in any event or trip in the USU Experience New

Zealand Programme, unless prior approval is obtained from the programme coordinator.

3. Friends and family of Unitec students are welcome to participate in a USU trip, so long as they

meet age restrictions for the particular trip or activity, but they will have to pay the non-unitec price.

Please contact the programme coordinator if you have any questions.

4. Events may be limited to a certain number of participants and your place will only be confirmed

once full payment has been made.

5. All prices are quoted in NZ dollars ($NZ).

6. Your place on any trip or activity is only confirmed once payment has been made.

7. Payment options are EFTPOS, credit card and cash, and are to be made at USU reception in The

Hub (Bldg. 180). If you can’t make it in to the Hub, it is possible to pay by direct deposit to our bank

account – email the programme coordinator for details. Payments by direct deposit must be made

before the registration deadline.

8. A $5 transaction fee will be added on to all credit card payments. This amount corresponds to fees

that USU is charged per transaction for credit card payments.

9. For trips that cost over $50, you have the option of paying in a maximum of two 50% instalments.

The full ticket price must be paid prior to departure for the trip or activity.

10. USU will accept no responsibility for loss of possessions, and we recommend students get

adequate insurance for this scenario.

rEFUnd policy:1. If you decide to pull out of an event after the registration deadline, 25% of the full ticket price is

non-refundable. (Check the USU Experience NZ Programme booklet or the USU website for deadline

dates).

2. Please notify the programme coordinator if you decide to pull out of a trip. If you simply do not

show up on the day of the trip, 100% of the trip cost is non-refundable.

3. If an activity or trip is postponed/rescheduled, a new deadline will be set for you to confirm your

participation on the new date. If you pull out of the rescheduled event before the new deadline you

can get a full refund. If you pull out after the new deadline, 25% of the full ticket price is non-refund-

able. You will be notified of the new date and new deadline by email.

4. Refunds will be given in the form of a personal cheque if you have an NZ bank account, or a cash

cheque if you don’t. Refunds will be processed in the week after an event/activity/trip takes place,

and will usually be ready by the end of that week. You will be notified by email when your refund is

ready to collect from USU Reception.

contact dEtailS For philippa, thE USU intErnational programmE co-ordinator:ph: (09) 815 4321 ext: 7932m: 021 807 433e: usuinternational@unitec.ac.nzJoin ‘students at Unitec’ on FaCeBOOK or visit www.usu.co.nz