I am super excited to have the opportunity to teach this class and meet all of you.  New Zealand is paradise of fantastic geology.   You don't need to take my word for it, even the United Nations has designated an area north of Dunedin as the Waitaki Whitestone UNESCO Global Geopark.  In addition to covering the basics of Earth Science, a goal of this class is to increase your interest and awareness of the geology as you explore New Zealand.