I have to be fair though… the city (more like small town) is probably one of the least attractive ones you’ll come across, but the boarding school I was studying at is one of the oldest and most beautiful ones in NZ. Also the surrounding area is extremely pictureque. I’ve had the honor to visit ranches and homestead as well as visit the black sand beaches in the area. I love going where few have been, and I loved the places I got to see. Geography fields trips couldn’t be more interesting. The city sits on a major fault line though, but nobody really seems worried. I myself have encountered a lower-medium intensity earthquake while I was there.