Hey guys!!
It's the 9th week since I've been here and I just got back from the south island for spring break and it was the most amazing experience of my life. I'll include some pictures at the end of this post.
So this week I want to talk about the different places here for all types of shopping and getting what you need. When I first got here I had no idea what the grocery stores or malls would be like (let alone where they are and how to get to them). Now I feel like it's so easy for me to navigate and go where I need to go.
The Malls
So there's three main malls in Hamilton that I frequently visit: The Base, Centre City, and
Chartwell. Chartwell is the most convenient to get to because it's just a short 20 minutes bus ride away. The Base is about 45 minutes of a bus ride, and Centre City is about a half hour bus ride. Chartwell has a bunch of clothing and shoe stores along with a food court and a grocery store inside of it. The Base is much bigger than Chartwell, it's more of an outside mall with a bunch of different shops and outlets along with food places as well. Centre City is right next to the transport centre, and I only go there when I want good food because their food court is really extensive. You can go to any of these shopping centers for a haircut, general shopping, and even catching a movie at the theaters.
The Warehouse
The Warehouse as I mentioned in a previous post is like the Walmart or Target of New Zealand. They have everything. That's where I go for random things like toothpaste, shampoo, snacks, cheap clothing, and miscellaneous items for my room. There's a Warehouse within walking distance from campus and a Super Warehouse at The Base. They also have a technology section so that's where I got my NZ phone here. The Warehouse is probably my favorite place to go just because they have everything I'm looking for at a cheap price.
Grocery Stores
The grocery stores here are pretty similar to a Weis back at home. However, there's only two main grocery stores which are Countdown and Pak and Save. Countdown's are everywhere, I think there's about 5 just in Hamilton alone. There's only one Pak and Save here and that's more like a Sam's Club where you can buy bulk items, and there's a lot more options than at Countdown. At all of the grocery stores here you can also buy alcohol such as beer and wine at the checkout, but no liquor. Just remember your passport because they will always ask for it!
The buses take you right to both of these grocery stores. Another thing to point out is you have to bring your own reusable bags here or else you'll have to buy one.
K Mart
There is also a K Mart right next to the transport centre here which is about a 30 minute bus ride. I've only been here once, and it's just like the ones back home. For me though I think it's more convenient to go to the Warehouse for random items that you might need.
Here are some photos of the south island if you're interested in visiting! (highly recommend)
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