Tour of Kaimai Cheese Company
Over the weekends we organised a trip for our students to visit a well-known local cheese manufacturer – the Kaimai Cheese Company. During the factory visit in Waharoa, our students were shown the process of cheese making and tasted freshly made cheese. More importantly, this factory visit demonstrated the quality and hygiene standards expected in New Zealand’s food industry. Here at VIE, we believe there’s more to learning than just classes and English courses. Industrial visits similar to this trip help prepare our students for the future job market by showing them how local businesses and manufacturing processes work.
Day trip to local beach – Mission Bay
We organised a day trip to a popular beach named Mission Bay which is about 30 minutes drive from Auckland city. Strolling along the beach is a great way to relax and appreciate the casual lifestyle of New Zealanders. Aside from sunshine and sand, one can enjoy the ice creams from nearby stores while gazing across Pacific Ocean and Rangitoto Island.
Dinner feast at Auckland Sky Tower
This weekend we took our students out for dinner in the Sky Tower. Measuring 328m in height (4m higher than the Eiffel Tower), the sky tower is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere and is an icon of New Zealand. The viewing deck from Sky Tower allows a complete 360o view of Auckland city. In order to learn and have fun at the same time, we asked all the students to order their own meals in English. And while enjoying our meals, we also taught them the Western dining etiquettes.
Hobbiton Lord of the Rings
On one weekend we visited the legendary hobbit village from Lord of the Rings. Hobbiton is situated in Matamata, it is the filming spot for the Lord of the Rings trilogy and resembles the look of Middle-earth and its natural surroundings. The movie director Peter Jackson said: “New Zealand is the best place to film the Lord of the Rings trilogy as it gives a feeling of Europe in the Middle Ages but it also generates a mystical ambience.” Furthermore, 99% of the actors in these movies are kiwis from Wellington. At Hobbiton there are professional tour guides who will accompany you during the tour. You can even enjoy a sheep shearing show there and hand feed lambs and other cuddly farm animals.
Trip to Piha Beach
December is the peak of summer in New Zealand. We took this opportunity to organize a picnic trip to Piha Beach. The beach was well worth the 1 hour drive; with its clear waves and the black sands, Piha Beach is a paradise for surfers.
Mt Ruapehu Ski Trip
In the weekends we organised a ski trip to Mt Ruapehu near Taupo. Mt Ruapehu is a popular ski resort in the North Island and has two of the largest ski areas in New Zealand. For many of our students who came from tropical countries, this ski trip is a new and unique experience for them. At the ski field there is a customer centre which provides ski equipment and garment for hire. You can also book in for a one on one instructor session. We were accompanied by some of our Kiwi friends during this trip who kindly taught us some skiing techniques. During the night, we did several group activities to bond with our students and made the trip more meaningful and fun
Ohinemutu Maori Village Cultural Experience
In the second day of the trip we visited the Ohinemutu Maori Village in Rotorua. Aside from the mud pools, the hot springs and the redwood forest, the Maori cultural show is not to be missed. Rotorua is a major Maori settlement area with over 30 tribes living here. At VIE, we want our students to gain more from the trip than just a good time, we want our students to learn values such as teamwork, caring for each other and respecting the cultural differences. We sincerely invite all students to join us experience the cultural wonders which New Zealand has to offer.
Participation of local event in NZ – the 2012 Taiwan film festival
At VIE, we encourage all students to participate in the local events in addition to their language courses. Being involved in these local events creates valuable memories for our students They provide opportunity to make new friends, experience different cultures and learn team coordination. Many Taiwanese youths contributed to the 2012 Taiwan Film Festival in NZ either backstage or led the opening performaces of the drumming and the traditional Lotus Prince dance. They demonstrated the culture of Taiwan through their determination and passion.
Birthday celebration
Here at VIE we are one big family. Regardless of our student’s ethnicity and age, all our students are cared for as part of the family. On special days and occasions we make sure our students experience the warmth of family despite being away from home.
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Language Learning, Education Counseling, Physical and Psychological Care, Cultural and Human Experience, are VIE five school of direction, each direction are equally important.
