As I sit to write this column, I'm very aware that the current relationship between university students and the Dunedin public may be in a delicate state.
For months, Dunedin has been slumbering student-free. She now awakes with a jolt, as her boisterous seasonal population returns.
Did she miss us? I'm not sure if Orientation Week is our best reintroduction.
Then again, those who live further than the parameters of North Dunedin might not even know that we're here. This is because many students spend years at the University of Otago, without bothering to have a proper look around Dunedin.
It can be difficult to find the energy to explore when you're new to university and everything that this entails.
How does one begin to get to know Dunedin? Well, open your front door, step outside, and go from there. There's plenty to see.
Let's begin with an easy destination - somewhere within walking distance of campus - like the Botanic Gardens. Unless you're from Christchurch, you probably haven't experienced such picturesque grounds or such approachable ducks.
The pathway through the Rose Garden is well-worn for good reason. If you go there soon, you'll be lucky enough to see flowers. If you wait too much longer, well ... Unlike humans, roses are beheaded when they reach the uglier stages of life.
I wince as I watch the gardener perform this dirty deed. It's saddening to see so many youthful roses die along with the elderly, as victims of their awkward age.
Not far from the gardens is the Ross Creek reservoir, New Zealand's oldest reservoir still in use, or at least it was until recently.
During daylight, fantails follow your footsteps as they search for kicked-up insects. In the evenings, creek-banks glitter with glow-worm stars. The tracks from the reservoir are numerous and lengthy. It'll take you days to begin to decipher them all.
Have you hiked up Mt Cargill? The view is spectacular, but it's never as impressive if you drive to the top. I've mentioned this before - the proportional relationship between pain of ascent and wonderment of view (as the former increases, so does the latter). Don't be lazy; walk it.
Furthermore, have you run up Baldwin St? Seen the monument on Signal Hill? Walked a dog from the SPCA? Visited the new Unipol Rec Centre? Figured out the one-way system? And we haven't even left North Dunedin yet.
There are few cities in New Zealand with such aesthetic appeal as little Dunedin. On any given day the air is cold, the sun is low, and the clouds are lower.
The harbour is just over there - you can hear the seagulls cry.
The flats are postcard picture material: Front doors open right on to the footpath, and windows open into neighbours' sections. It's never too cold for ice cream.
It's important to appreciate our pretty city for the relatively short time that we're here (unless you're a local student, in which case, take your time).
Perhaps we can even attempt to give a little back to the place which so tolerantly puts up with us.
Ah, that's the next phase after appreciating: becoming involved! Just get yourself to the gardens first (even if it's only to go to the supermarket on the other side). Let's take this one step at a time.
- Katie Kenny studies English at the University of Otago.
