[Fomenter]

Hi,

I'm a student from Toronto Canada, and am considering doing an exchange down at the University of Otago. I was wondering if anybody might be able to help me out and give me a feel of what Dunedin is like? How temperate is it between Feburary and June, what is the culture of the area, is it a relatively good school? Having never been to New Zealand, or the south hemisphere for that matter, this is all pretty new to me, it is like walking in the dark. So if anybody could give me any first hand honest advice (as you can only learn so much from reading guides) as to what I may expect that would be hugely appreciated.


Cheers

[astroursa]

Hi Fomenter,
As a Dunedinite and ex alumni of the University of Otago I cannot recommend it highly enough.
The university campus is located within easy walking distance of the city centre and as such is very important to the city's economy. It has a large international student population many of whom come to study at the Medical, Dental, Pharmacy and Business Schools. The architecture is a mix of late 18th century stone buildings and the very modern making it an interesting place to study.
As to the climate, February is towards the end of our summer and so can be warm. However Dunedin, being as close as it is to Antarctica is well known for its fickle weather and it is not unheard of to have a number of seasons in one day. The winters can be very cold with some snow, but nothing like you experience in Toronto.
Dunedin itself was settled by the Scots and has a distinct Scottish feel about it. The people on the whole are extremely friendly and I am sure that you would be made to feel very welcome. The city is built on and is surrounding by hills, with a beautiful harbor and the Pacific Ocean easily accessible.
I hope this helps and if you have any other questions or just want to correspond with a rather biased Dunedinite you could email me at astroursa@gmail.com

[GaryH]

Hi, can anyone help me trace an old friend, I am looking for Mike Cunningham used to be in Dunedin and i think he is teaching or lecturing now