Time: Monday night 11pm - first night of O-Week.
Location: North Dunedin.
As I walked down Hyde St it was hard not to recall some of my previous backpacking trips.
The rubbish-filled streets and glass-strewn footpaths immediately reminded of one of the dingy back-streets in less fortunate parts of the world.
Pulsating techno music blared while groups of students clustered outside houses, shadowy figures darted across the road, and idle strangers sat on porches and outside doorways.
It didn't take long to make friends. A young lad named Jamie told me the week was only going to get crazier. Anything could happen if I played my cards right.
Another student named Fitz compared this with all the craziness he's seen in Europe.
All through the night students - mostly from the North Island - talked about how this just doesn't happen anywhere else in New Zealand.
''In Auckland this would be shut down after a hundred people,'' Ian yelled to anyone within earshot.
I moved over to Pitt St. Hundreds of students filled the road; cars honked their horns trying to get through; a brawny mad-man offered rides on his skateboard down the hill.
Olivia approached me with two of her friends. They offered me a drink out of a plastic bottle.
''What do you want out of your life?'' Olivia asked.
Before I had a chance to speak, she answered her own question.
''It doesn't matter,'' she stated.
''You're in Dunners and you can do whatever you want!''
