Digital Travel Journal New Zealand

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Blog 15: Post-New Zealand

Now that I am back in the United States and the new semester here at Miami University is now underway, this will sadly be my last blog. In the days of travel back home, I have had a lot of time to reflect on my journey in New Zealand. One of the ways I have been reflecting is reviewing my first blog post, the pre-departure entry. 

The first thing I discussed in my pre-departure entry is what excited me most before arriving in New Zealand. I said that I was very much excited for the game against the New Zealand Breakers. The reality of that game more than surpassed my original expectations, as I thought I was only going to attend the game from average seats, seeing RJ Hampton from afar. As you know from one of my previous blog posts, I had the unique opportunity to volunteer and work as a crew member for the game. I was courtside the entire time and was extremely interactive with the entire operation. I never thought I’d be launching merchandise into the crowds, stuffing t-shirt guns, and walking around the court at half time. This experience was unlike any I’ve ever had before and even though I was right to be excited for the game, it was so much better than I expected or even thought possible. I bet Hunter would say something similar.

I also talked about what I was nervous about. I said that even though I wanted to skydive and bungee jump, there was a very small chance I would get myself to do it. As it turns out, I was absolutely right. I told myself I was going to do it but when the time came, I backed out and did not give it a second thought. I will conquer heights later in my life, and I hope Queenstown is the place I do it. #redemption

I ended the pre-departure post by discussing what I hoped to learn from the program and my personal development goals. I said that I wanted to depart New Zealand with a greater knowledge of the countries culture and a greater appreciation for it. I think I accomplished both of these goals, without a doubt. I learned so much in my time there, not only about sport culture specifically, but New Zealand culture as a whole. As our group’s professors said, we are probably the most academically informed group in the program’s 5 year history. The academic component has definitely left its mark and I believe this knowledge will benefit me moving forward as a young business professional. I also know that my appreciation for New Zealand sport has increased tremendously. I won’t lie to you, I still probably won’t watch too many netball games moving forward, but my appreciation for it is true. I do, on the other hand, believe I have become a fan of rugby and will tune in to test matches and Olympic rugby moving forward. I’m genuinely fascinated by and enjoy the sport, especially now that I understand how its played, its history, and significance. This program has done that for me, and I am very grateful for that. 

In conclusion, my time in New Zealand with this group was one of the greatest things I’ve done in this life and is an experience I’ll hold with me for the rest of it. If anyone has the opportunity to go, I implore you, and I hope my blog may serve as a good starting point to discover the many amazing things New Zealand has to offer. Thank you to the readers who have been keeping up with this blog, a big thank you to my parents for affording me this opportunity, and a huge thank you to Dr. Beissel, Dr. Morris, and Dr. Grainger for all that they’ve done. Kia Ora!  Signing off.

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Blog 14: Writer’s Choice 4 - ESports Debate

For my fourth and final writer’s choice blog, I have decided to give my two cents on the ESports debate, which is not only a hot topic of discussion in New Zealand, but the world. This question genuinely interests me because I myself played my fair share of video games as a kid. As my parents know, I was a big fan of the Call of Duty games, and played them religiously throughout childhood, and not to toot my own horn, but I was pretty damn good. Specifically, Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops 1 & 2 were my games. I digress. Even despite this I’m going to go ahead and say I don’t think they’re a sport and I’ll give my reasoning why later in this blog. 

I can understand both sides to this argument and see both sides. On the side that I’ll call “pro-sport,” it’s undeniable how huge video games have become in today’s society, particularly competitive video games. They’re also a huge market and often draw just as many viewers as most sporting events. They also argue that ESports is largely a mental test rather than a physical test. (So by that logic does that make checkers a sport? Does that make blackjack a sport? Where is the line drawn that distinguishes a game and a sport? Is there even a line anymore?) When we were lectured at Sport New Zealand, our speaker said that the anti-sport people are probably going to be on the wrong side of history, specifically saying that “the market is the market.” I understand and agree with what he’s saying. I think ESports will soon be widely accepted as a sport, even though I think many people will never accept them as sport.

On the other hand, “anti-sport” arguers claim that there’s no innate ability to ESports, which I personally think is true. I think that if most people dedicate the time and energy into being good at video games or a particular video game, they can be, but most people, no matter how hard they try, simply are not capable of being an NBA athlete for example. I mean I’m sure a pro gamer would disagree with that, but I probably wouldn’t be persuaded by their arguments, which I believe is probably true for most people. 

Essentially, I think this argument is centralized on how you define sport. If you define sport as simply, “a marketable, competition based activity,” then yes I think ESports qualify. However, I simply don’t think video games and athletics are one in the same. I think ESports are a hugely popular and profitable industry, and should be treated as such, but I don’t think they should be considered as much of a sport as basketball, football, soccer, etc.

I’ll end by asking a question... Tyler “Ninja” Blevins is one of the greatest video game players in the world and is probably the best Fortnite player. LeBron James is the GOAT and the best basketball player to ever step on the hardwood (sorry Mike but its true). Sure they’re both monumentally popular around the world and make insane amounts of money, but does that mean Ninja is a world class athlete like LeBron? Is Ninja one of the biggest sports stars in the world? Is his sporting achievement comparable to LeBron’s?

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Blog 13: Writer’s Choice 3 - ASB Classic, Serena Williams, Women in Sport

For my third writer’s choice blog entry, I have chosen to discuss my time at the ASB Classic on both January 6th and January 10th. On the 6th, a group of friends and I elected to go in our free time, rather than on the 10th where we went as a group. I saw Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki play TWICE. This was without a doubt one of the most incredible live sports experiences I’ve ever had (and I’m a Chicago sports fan so I’m pretty fortunate when it comes to successful sports). I was truly star struck, particularly by Serena Williams. I mean how could you not. She’s literally the GOAT of women’s tennis and in my opinion (most people probably share this opinion), she’s the greatest female athlete of all time and one of the greatest athletes ever. I think it’d be hard to argue that. Watching her in person was incredible. She ended up winning the ASB Classic, her first victory in over 3 years and her first since having a child. Seeing her was so amazing. The ASB Classic was very fun and an incredible experience. 

In addition to her success on the court, her contributions off of the court can be seen as equally important. Serena has broken barriers for women in sport all over the world. She’s one of the biggest role models to young women and girls who aspire to be world class athletes. In my podcast, I compared her to New Zealand olympian Valerie Adams, who’s “one of New Zealand's most successful and celebrated Olympic and Commonwealth Games athletes. Dame Valerie has competed at four editions of the Olympic Games, winning an impressive two golds and one silver medal in shot put. At Commonwealth Games she has claimed a staggering three gold and two silver medals since her debut at Manchester in 2002. Dame Valerie has been the dominant women's shot putter in the world since 2006, unbeaten in major world events during 2006 – 2014 and having an unprecedented winning streak of 107 competitions during that period (http://www.olympic.org.nz/athletes/valerie-adams/).” Like Serena Williams, Valerie Adams has broken massive barriers for women in New Zealand Sport. 

Going back to the ASB Classic, I actually got within a few feet of both Serena and Wozniacki, asking each for a high five. Serena looked me in the eyes and went back to the locker room. Caroline, however, agreed and gave me a high five. I got it on camera. The photo is attached below. 

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Blog 12: The Conversation

During my time in New Zealand, I had multiple conversations with locals. Most conversations took place at restaurants or bars in the heart of activity areas of the cities we visited. The topic of every conversation I had was either regarding New Zealand sport and not surprisingly, President Donald Trump and American politics. In this blog I will briefly touch on a few of the discussions that took place over these past few weeks.

The first conversation I will get into took place in Auckland with a man (his name was Roger if memory serves) I assume to be in his forties or fifties. We were sitting at a counter, and I ordered water because I was exhausted after a long day of activities and walking around Auckland. I believe this was the day we did the Viaduct sailing. We were sitting there watching a rugby game on the TV. The conversation actually started by him giving me a hard time because I had chosen to only drink water, rather than a pint of beer, such as himself. However, we went on to introduce ourselves. It was pretty obvious to him that I was American and he asked why we were here in Auckland. That segwayed into the topic of sport and specifically rugby. As we watched it on the TV, he talked to me about his beliefs on rugby league to rugby union, even comparing the sport to American football. He said the NFL is softer league because they wear helmets and equipment. He went on to talk about the Auckland Warriors and how he’s been a fan for some time now. He also talked about how he, and now his son play rugby. The sense of pride he felt talking about his son in rugby was not easy to miss. Though the conversation was only 5-10 minutes, I really enjoyed talking to him. This talk actually made me really excited for our trip to the New Zealand Warriors facility, which I did very much enjoy, as you can see in one of my previous blogs specifically about that trip.

Another conversation I had took place with a security guard at Cumberland College in Dunedin and other students staying there from Australia. Not surprisingly, the students were very critical of President Trump, but actually knew very little about American politics, global politics, or principles of basic policy when I pressed them to support their positions with logical arguments and statistical data. They could not. To be clear, I am not suggesting or indicating any of my personal beliefs or positions, but rather thought that if a group of people from Australia were going to criticize my country and my countries President, they better be able to support their positions and prove that they actually know a thing or two. The security guard on the other hand, was very pleasant and rather was interested in what we had to say. He was not critical but rather took a very relaxed approach in which he asked us questions about American politics. He seemed like he was genuinely interested in learning about them and hearing opinions from actual Americans. I personally have been very enthused about politics from a young age and dedicate significant time into being informed and educated. It was clear the group of Australian students do not. These political conversations were never malicious, and I very much enjoyed them.

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Blog 11: Writer’s Choice 2 - Waiheke Island

On our free day in Auckland on January 11, some friends and I decided to spend our day on Waiheke Island. For those of you who are not familiar with the island, it is about a 30 minute fairy ride off the coast of Auckland. Waiheke is New Zealand’s largest island, comprised of nearly 9,000 year round residents and an estimated 3,400 seasonal residents. Local industry is predominantly comprised of wine-making, olive production, tourism, outdoor activities, and arts and crafts. Not to mention that it is one of the most picturesque and eventful places New Zealand has to offer. Waiheke Island is comprised of farmland, forests, beaches, vineyards and olive groves. Island activities include sightseeing, mountain biking, sea kayaking, a relaxed vineyard tour, shopping, and indulging in local cuisine. “Waiheke is also home to many award-winning wines produced at the island’s many wineries (http://visitwaiheke.org.nz/history-of-waiheke/).”

As you now know, the island has a lot to offer and I was extremely excited to spend a day there. This was hands down my favorite day of the entire trip. A few friends and I found a more secluded beach on the island and pretty much stayed there all day. We didn’t have the time to partake in anywhere near all of what the island offers, and we were all pretty set on spending the day at the beach. I don’t regret this decision in the slightest. Every minute was worth it. I spent my time on the beach laying out, listening to music, swimming, climbing the rock formations, swimming, and I even caught a fish with my hands (it was promptly released unharmed after photographed). My day on Waiheke Island is one of the best days I’ve ever had and it is certainly a day I will never forget. Waiheke Island was an incredible experience and something I will cherish for the rest of my life.

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Blog 10: The Nation

Reflecting upon my time in New Zealand and considering everything I’ve learned and experienced, I aim to tell you all what I think it means to be a New Zealander. I will do my best to describe and characterize a New Zealand national identity, although I feel as if it's impossible to completely capture it for you in such a short time here. However, I will do my best and reiterate some common themes of the trip. 

To begin, I think it’s important to recognize symbols, ideas, and dominant cultural practices that makes one a New Zealander. In New Zealand, the kiwi bird and the silver fern are probably the most significant symbols of their culture. New Zealanders have the nickname “kiwis” because of this native bird. “Kiwis are a symbol for the uniqueness of New Zealand wildlife and the value of our natural heritage. The bird itself is a taonga (treasure) to Maori, who have strong cultural, spiritual and historic associations with kiwi (https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/kiwi/facts/).” The kiwi is perhaps the most significant and beloved animal of the nation and has been woven deep into the nartion’s history and cultural identity. Perhaps even more so than the kiwi, the silver fern is probably the most significant and treasured symbol of New Zealand. “The silver fern has been accepted as a symbol of New Zealand’s national identity since the 1880s. To Māori, the elegant shape of the fronds stood for strength, stubborn resistance, and enduring power. To Pākehā (New Zealanders of non-Māori descent), the fern symbolizes their sense of attachment to their homeland (https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/discover-collections/read-watch-play/maori/significance-silver-fern).” The silver fern can be seen on every national sports jersey, the most well-known being the jersey of the All Blacks rugby team. 

From my experiences in New Zealand, characterizing ideas and I guess pillars of New Zealand society can be summarized as honorable, brotherhood, respectful, humility, hard-working, and proud. Everyone is extremely kind here and there hasn’t been a moment at any point of the trip where one really felt unsafe, which says a lot about a people and place when you’re a foreign student who’s halfway around the world in an entirely new atmosphere. Even in Auckland there was never a point where I felt uneasy or concerned. I can’t even say that about my home city of Chicago. That feeling I think says a lot about who New Zealanders are and their ideas about community and society.

I would say that the most dominant cultural practice is sports participation, particularly in rugby, cricket, and netball. We have heard time and time again that sport is fundamental to New Zealand culture and national identity. New Zealanders, being a nation of a mere 4.5 million, have said to me something along the lines of, “we’re a small nation that’s not good at very much in comparison to the world, but sport, particularly in those sports, is where we thrive and make our mark in the world.” The haka is also unique to New Zealand sport and specifically the Maori. This blog post is long enough as it is and I don’t think I could capture the essence and significance of the haka to you in a few sentences, so I’ve decided to just attach a few links to articles that further explains what the haka is, and immense importance it is to New Zealand culture. (https://www.newzealand.com/ca/feature/haka/) (https://media.newzealand.com/en/story-ideas/history-of-the-all-black-haka/)

I would say that there isn’t much that distinctly identifies New Zealanders at face value, considering kiwis are an extremely diverse and inclusive community. In other words, I don’t think there is a specific trait that excludes one from being a kiwi. I would say that the only obvious distinction of a kiwi is their accent, which is very unique. They also have a unique vocabulary. For example, they call a cooler a “chilly bin.” On the other hand, it is said that kiwis are very quick at distinguishing Americans from natives based on more than how they speak. The reputation of Americans in New Zealand is basically loud, obnoxious, and arrogant. From my experiences with my study abroad group in New Zealand, I guess I could agree with the loud part. However, I don’t think we were obnoxious or arrogant in our time here, but who knows what people thought. 

In conclusion, it’s been an extreme privilege of mine being able to learn about and embrace New Zealand culture. I have nothing but great things to say about New Zealand and its people. I think I’ve learned a lot about what it means to be a New Zealander and hope that I’ve given a sufficient overview of New Zealand’s identity.

I have attached photos of All Black jerseys that feature the silver fern and the kiwi.

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Blog 9: The Imagined Space

For this blog entry, I aim to discuss the role of a particular New Zealand sport stadium in the construction of meaning and culture. Reflecting on all of the amazing facilities we’ve visited over our duration in New Zealand, I think the space that really stood out in this aspect was Mt Smart Stadium. Mt Smart Stadium is the home arena of National Rugby League team, the New Zealand Warriors, in Auckland. On January 10th, my group and I visited the grounds, toured the facilities, and even watched the team practice and partake in some weight training. In my opinion, this was the most interesting facility tour of the trip and an atmosphere unlike any of the others. I credit this belief to multiple things. The community, from management to coaches to the players, was very evident. Watching the team and staff work together in practice and watching them together was the first time I’d witnessed the aspect of brotherhood and the distinct characteristics of New Zealand rugby that we had been learning so much about. In addition, these guys were monsters of men. I mean complete beef sticks. It was astonishing how massive most of these guys were. They did not fail to live up to that aspect of their sports identity. Relating this aspect to the facility, I would say that this was most evident in the weight/training room of the facility. These guys were throwing around weights in a way that almost seemed unnatural. When we moved on from watching the team, we were taken to the grounds of the field. Looking around the empty stadium, I was a bit in awe. Our tour guide described the atmosphere during games and it came alive in my head unlike any other facility we visited. She pointed out different sections, explaining what typically goes on there and who usually fills the specific areas. I remember her talking about one huge section that was considered lower priced seating, similar to bleachers, that sat in the sun and was typically occupied by more youthful attendants who are there to drink some beers and have a good time. This specifically resonated with me in the sense that it really gave me a picture of how New Zealanders enjoy the sport and love to have a good time watching their nation’s favorite sport. The ambiance was surreal and I could picture myself really enjoying a game. Touring Mt Smart Stadium really gave me a personal view into rugby culture in New Zealand.

In addition, things such as the team colors, evident throughout the stadium, the jerseys, one of which I bought, and hearing about the Haka that they perform were also huge practices and pillars of the Warrior’s rugby culture, which I think also speaks to a greater identity. This experience truly brought to life the imagined sense of culture and community in New Zealand rugby. This was without a doubt one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Pictured below is myself, Will, Parker, and Hunter with Warriors player Tohu Harris. He was a really nice guy. The bleacher section I talked about is also pictured in addition to one side of the arena’s standard seating.

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Blog 8: Writer’s Choice - Currency and Sir Edmund Hillary

When I first got to New Zealand one of the first things I did was exchanging currency. I took out 5, 10, 20, and 50 dollar New Zealand bills. I noticed that they are very unlike United States currency. Some very basic observations I made include the obvious colour differences (there is no color variation between United States Bills), material differences (I believe New Zealand bills to be much more plastic based than United States bills), and also size differences (New Zealand bills are smaller and vary in size based on value). I continued my observations of New Zealand bills by looking at the people featured on them. In particular, the 5 dollar bill caught my eye.

The New Zealand five dollar bill features Sir Edmund Hillary. Unlike Queen Elizabeth who is featured on the 20 dollar bill, I had never heard of Sir Edmund Hillary before and was curious as to why he was graced with being on the 5 dollar bill. Personal curiosity caused me to do further research on him and he is actually someone of great historical significance to not only New Zealand, but the world. Edmund Hillary was born in 1919 and grew up in Auckland, New Zealand, where he began a life of climbing, exploring, and adventure. Sir Edmund Hillary, along with Nepalese climber Tenzing Norgay, was the first person to ever reach the summit of Mount Everest, which is the highest point on Earth at approximately 29,028 feet above sea level. The two accomplished this legendary feat on the morning of May 29, 1953. When he returned from the summit he was asked what happened and he replied: "We knocked the bastard off." He died on January 11th, 2008.

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Blog 7: The Queenstown Entry

During my time in Queenstown, our group’s involvement with the action sport tourism industry was significant. In my case specifically, I enjoyed ATV-ing the most during my free time. In addition to ATV-ing, I participated in activities such as the luge and the shotover jet, and spent significant time walking around the town and relaxing on the beaches. I chose these activities because I am a very outdoors and adventurous type of person, but did not have the stomach to bungee jump, paraglide, or skydive, unfortunately. I was hoping to test my fear of heights, but regrettably that will have to come at some point in the future. However, it was still very clear to me the great significance of the action sport tourism industry to Queenstown and the community. Virtually anywhere you looked in Queenstown there was some form of sport tourism in sight. It seemed that half of the retail section of town was various sport tourism opportunities. They were also advertised throughout the town in the form of brochures, posters, signs, vehicles, word-of-mouth and more. For example, paragliders could be seen in the sky throughout the day with very distinctive orange gliders with large black print reading “NZGFORCE.COM.” In this case, the activity itself served as its own advertisement, which I thought was clever and interesting. It was not possible to miss the various and abundant advertisements for sports tourism activities. 

Known as the adventure capital of the world, sports tourism is “now a major drawcard for people from around the world as they head to Queenstown for blood-curdling thrills and glorious scenery (Forbes, 2001).” Home to roughly 100 different sports tourism operations, Queenstown provides travelers with an unparalleled combination of raw natural beauty and adrenaline pumping activities. It is clear that sports tourism is the most essential industry for the small town and a huge part of their identity as a community. I wish we spent more than 2-3 days in Queenstown because it’s simply impossible to partake in anywhere close to all the town has to offer in sports tourism activities. Queenstown is without a doubt the most beautiful and exciting place I have ever been in my life and I am certain that I will be back at some point, hopefully ready to take on the height-related activities I avoided.

If you would like to read more about the significance of sports tourism in Queenstown, I have included the link to the NZHerald article I referenced here: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=227831

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Blog 6: The Historical Marker

Throughout our time in New Zealand, we have come across numerous historical markers, monuments, and symbols that commemorate specific individuals, groups, events, and locations of great significance to New Zealand’s history. I have elected to briefly discuss two monuments of similar purpose and of great significance to New Zealand’s past. I have chosen to discuss the Monument at Signal Hill, located in Dunedin, and the William Wakefield Memorial, located in Wellington.

While in Dunedin on January 16, we took a trip up to Signal Hill. At an elevation of 1289 feet (393m), Signal Hill provides breathtaking views overlooking Otago Harbour, the city of Dunedin, and the surrounding landscape. In addition to the incredible views, Signal Hill is home to a large stone monument, erected at the instruction of Dunedin’s former mayor, Andrew Henson Allen, on February 21st 1940. The monument was constructed to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the city’s colonization and to commemorate those first Europeans settlers who arrived in 1840. “The first European settlers were members of Lay Association of the Free Church of Scotland, who were led by Edinburgh-born Captain William Cargill and the Reverend Thomas Burns (https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle-2-15039/dunedin-edinburgh-of-the-south-1-2240765).” The Scottish origins of the first settlers, specifically being from Edinburgh, is the reason that the city was named Dunedin in 1948, which is the Gaelich word for Edinburgh (Dùn Èideann). A plaque at the base of the monument reads: “at the beginning of the dominions second century this monument is dedicated to the memory of the pioneers who braved the first.”

While in Wellington on January 22nd, we toured the Basin Reserve cricket facility. This facility is incredibly famous in New Zealand and has served as a spot for test cricket for nearly 150 years. It is also the location of one of Wellington’s most significant monuments, the William Wakefield Memorial. Placed on the eastern side of the Basin Reserve in 1882, it is meant to commemorate the life and achievements of Colonel Willliam Wakefield. “William Wakefield (1803-1848) was the first leader of the Wellington settlement in 1840, a key official in the New Zealand Company, and a significant figure in the European colonisation of Wellington and New Zealand (http://www.wellingtoncityheritage.org.nz/buildings/objects/11-wakefield-memorial).”

Both of these monuments are of great historical significance, recognizing the origins of their respective cities and the people who were critical in the development of these settlements.

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Blog 5: The Food Entry

Food is one of the most important aspects of culture and traditional cuisine often distinguishes itself as part of a cultural identity. In New Zealand specifically, seafood and lamb are considered a specialty in comparison to other locations around the world. Knowing this, I made a point of eating as much seafood and lamb as possible at critically acclaimed restaurants and cities throughout New Zealand. Some of the best food I had on the trip was in Auckland and Queenstown. 

In Auckland on January 6th, I had lunch at ‘Good George’ on the North Wharf, where I ate ‘Chargrilled King Prawns.’ I was at first taken aback by how… complete… the prawns were, specifically seeing the inedible parts such as the eyes and legs. It took some work to get to the good part of the prawns and it was definitely messier than anticipated, but the meal as a whole was very good. It had great flavor and was noticeably fresh. 

In Auckland on January 8th, I had dinner at ‘Soul Bar & Bistro’, where I ate ‘Roasted Hapuku with Crayfish Raviolo.’ Both were delicious and the freshness was also very noticeable. I also tried ‘te matuku’ oysters from Waiheke Island (right off the coast of Auckland), which I surprisingly really enjoyed. I say surprisingly because this was a more adventurous try for me because I haven’t had an oyster in roughly 10 years due to a bad experience I had as a kid in South Carolina, which can be summarized by promptly throwing up over the dock into the ocean. The restaurant, located on the Wharf in the same general area as ‘Good George,’ gave a great view of the harbour and provided a very elegant atmosphere. This was my favorite meal in Auckland, and was definitely the most expensive meal of the trip (very worth it in my opinion). 

In Auckland on January 11, I had an early dinner at ‘Kushi Japanese Kitchen & Bar’ after returning from a day on the beach on Waiheke Island, where I ate a ‘Nigiri Sushi Plate.’ The sushi was superb and probably some of the best I’ve ever had. I think the photo I took, displayed below, says more than I could in words. 

In Queenstown on January 15, I had lunch at ‘Pog Mahones Irish Pub & Restaurant’, where I ordered ‘Seafood Chowder’ and ‘Lamb Rump.’ The chowder was great and there was plenty of great-tasting seafood in it, including a piece of raw salmon on top, which was something I’d never seen on chowder before. The rump was probably the best lamb I’ve ever had. It was cooked perfectly and the sauce was amazing. I sat on the second floor patio of the restaurant, which overlooked the beach, lake, and mountainous background. This was  probably my favorite and by far the most scenic meal of the entire trip. 

In summary, New Zealand offered some of the best cuisine I’ve ever had and I highly recommend the four restaurants I listed above.

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Blog 4: The Museum

The other day while in Dunedin, our group visited the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. This was a very cool experience that offered plenty of insight on New Zealand sports history and culture. A specific artifact that caught my attention was a very large statue of David Gallaher. David Gallaher played for New Zealand in the country’s first rugby test against Australia in 1903. He captained the All Blacks on their first international tour in North America (California), the United Kingdom, and Europe (France) in 1905-06. Upon returning to New Zealand, he enlisted in the army and served in Europe during the First World War. Although Gallaher was thought to be too old to enlist, he was determined to serve after learning of his younger brother’s death (KIA) overseas and even lied about his age (saying he was 3 years younger than he was) to ensure acceptance. He was shot in battle and died on October 4, 1917. He is one of thirteen All Blacks to die while on active service in the First World War. To Kiwis, Gallaher is not only seen as a legendary rugby player, but also a very inspirational and admirable person of great character and respect. Several All Black teams have visited his grave in Belgium, the most recent being in 2000. RIP.

I have attached a photo of the statue of David Gallaher that stands in the museum. 

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Blog 3: The Sports Event

On Sunday, January 12, our group had tickets to attend the New Zealand Breakers basketball game at home in Auckland against the Brisbane Bullets. Hunter and I were given a great opportunity to volunteer as arena crew for pre-game preparations as well as mid-game tasks. Before the game, I was assigned to work the basketball hoop outside the front gates. My job entailed monitoring the kids shooting around before the game, making sure the ball wasn’t stolen, and collecting donations for the fires in Australia. During the game we were given multiple tasks throughout, including tossing free merchandise into the crowd, assisting with the halftime show, working the T-shirt cannons, and assisting the managers with other tasks. My position as a volunteer allowed me to get a greater perspective of the staging and operations of the Breakers.

In comparison to commercial basketball events in the United States, you can see many similarities and differences. From what I’ve learned through lectures, guest speakers, and my first hand experience with the Breakers organization, many of the differences can be credited to a much smaller market in New Zealand. The first obvious tell for this market size difference is the stadium. Though Spark Arena is a very nice facility, the seating capacity is a mere 8,000. The attendance at the Breakers-Bullets game on Sunday was 5,500. The NBA and NCAA basketball in the United States almost always gets this level of attendance, if not far more. The difference in the market size for basketball between these two countries can be explained by both population (roughly 4m compared to 250m) and the concept of priority, or “main” sports. Basketball, in addition to football, baseball, and ice hockey are the largest sports in the United States, while rugby, cricket, and netball are New Zealand’s priority sports. In addition, there appeared to be a much smaller staff with the Breakers. This was even more evident when I volunteered. I noticed that their General Manager was on the floor, using the microphone and very present throughout the game. This differs from the United States because the General Manager is almost always in a box seat or behind the scenes with other executives or doing other work. 

On the other hand, some similarities I noticed was that the Breakers make the games as entertaining and appealing to broad ranges of people, specifically targeting families. Just like in the United States, the Breakers had fun events set up outside of the arena, such as a basketball hoop, a bounce house, and a few game booths that offered prizes. When I worked at the basketball hoop for an hour and a half before the game, kids would crowd around and flock to the hoop. In the arena we gave out free hair clips/ties, t-shirts, beats headphones, among other prizes. They also had things like kiss cams and a kids relay race on the court at halftime. Essentially, they are appealing to their fans by using prizes and entertainment. The appeal to families and kids is very evident. I feel like New Zealand has begun following this route first taken by the largest sports leagues/markets in the world, which are predominantly in the United States. Lastly, I like how the Breakers and the league as a whole has started to recruit global stars, such as RJ Hampton who is a projected top 3 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Kia Ora 

[davidklaukedtjnz]

Blog 2: The Current Event

January 6th marks our second day in New Zealand and the first day of the program. We spent a lot of our day in downtown Auckland. We got lunch at Auckland harbour, overlooked the city from atop the Auckland Sky Tower, enjoyed cones at the famous Giapo Ice Cream, and finished the day with dinner at Mezze Bar. After dinner we spent time walking around the city, slowly making our way back to our accommodation. It was during this time that the sky in Auckland turned a vibrant orange, unlike anything I can say I’ve ever seen before. The sky looked beautiful, yet somewhat ominous. At first, we assumed it was just a normal New Zealand sunset. After doing some research, I found that the local news had been crediting the sky to the ongoing fires in Australia. Reading this was extremely disappointing, because this is a sign of how massive, destructive, and devastating the fires have been and continue to be. I have attached the link to the article I read from the New Zealand Herald regarding the sky and the bushfires: (https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=12298349). I have also attached photos of the sky in Auckland that I took on my own. The first (harbour picture) was taken only a few hours before the other, which demonstrates the change of color in the sky as a result of the bushfires.

[davidklaukedtjnz]

Blog 1: Pre-Departure Entry

In my first blog entry I would first like to welcome my family and friends. The purpose of this blog is to share my experiences and discuss them in the context of sport and the global marketplace as I travel New Zealand as a part of the Sport Leadership and Management study abroad program. As I sit here at Los Angeles International Airport waiting for my flight in a few hours, I’ve had a lot of time to think about the trip and reflect upon my expectations. I first began by thinking about all the things I’m excited about. One activity that I’m extremely excited for is going to the NZ Breakers game vs. Cairns at Spark Arena on January 12th. On the contrary, one thing that I am somewhat nervous and uncertain about is the possibility of skydiving and/or bungee jumping while in Queenstown from the 13th through the 15th. These will be game-time decisions and even though I want to do them, I doubt I will. I hope to depart New Zealand with a greater knowledge of New Zealand culture. Specifically, I hope the program’s focus on learning about New Zealand’s popular sports, such as rugby, will expand my appreciation for them. My personal goal of this study abroad program is to develop a greater perspective/understanding of New Zealand culture and the associated business practices. Kia Ora!