They're back - students setting up for year

Fourth-year student sisters Gayla (23, left) and Natasha (21) Bonham-Carter shop for groceries...
Fourth-year student sisters Gayla (23, left) and Natasha (21) Bonham-Carter shop for groceries for their flat on Monday. Photo by Gregor Richardson.
Student Molly Flanagan (19) moves into her Castle St flat on Sunday with help from fellow student...
Student Molly Flanagan (19) moves into her Castle St flat on Sunday with help from fellow student Michael Fox (19). Photo by Peter McIntosh.
Carrington College house tutors Jess Gordon (22), of Wellington, and Ben Nistor (22), of Nelson,...
Carrington College house tutors Jess Gordon (22), of Wellington, and Ben Nistor (22), of Nelson, prepare the Stuart House barbecue for the arrival of students next week. Photo by Gregor Richardson.

Scarfies have begun the annual pilgrimage into the heart of studentville.

Students have been setting up flats, buying groceries and preparing for the year's study in Dunedin during the past week.

Otago Property Investors Association president Wendy Bowman said student flat landlords were pleased with the level of occupancy.

''It's tracking really well.

''I don't see too many [for rent] signs around, but there's still quite a few six-bedroom flats.

''I think there's ... less vacancies than the last few years.''

Landlords had been helped by summer school enrolments and those saving money by staying in town over the holidays.

''Some students didn't go away over the Christmas-New Year break,'' she said.

''There's quite a noticeable increase in students ... staying in Dunedin.''

Landlords had built a healthy relationship with students and expected good behaviour to continue this year, she said.

University of Otago accommodation services director James Lindsay said residential colleges were preparing for the return of students.

''First-year residential college students will be moving in en masse next weekend,'' he said.

''Currently we have a small number of vacancies. There has been an increase in the number of international single-semester students occupying our university flats this year.''

Among them is Gabriel Chevalier, of Ashfield, Massachusetts.

The 21-year-old American arrived in Dunedin on Sunday and was looking forward to the Otago experience.

''I chose to come to New Zealand in general because I'm studying geology and one of the places to go and must see in terms of geology is New Zealand,'' Ms Chevalier said.

She chose the University of Otago because it mixed city living with an open environment nearby.

''I'm very geared towards outdoor adventures and being somewhere like Auckland would be too much for me,'' she said.

She was not aware of Dunedin's reputation for student life, but was looking forward to learning more.

''I do not know anything about it,'' she said.

''I'm not sure really what to expect. It will be interesting living in such a large community of students.''

Fellow students Gayla (23) and Natasha Bonham-Carter (21) know all about student life as fourth-year University of Otago students.

The Nelson sisters also enjoyed the intimacy of Dunedin compared with other campuses around the country.

When asked what appealed about student life in Dunedin, Natasha said: ''The size of Dunedin''.

''It's a good size, it's not too big or too small and the lifestyle like the party side of it.''

Gayla had a simpler rationale: ''I love Dunedin''.

Otago University Students' Association Orientation Week begins on February 16 and runs until February 21.

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