February-June, 2014 Still Very Much Alive!

Dear Loyal Readers (Mom),

My sincerest apologies for the long break since my previous entry! The last four months I’ve been busy living life and just been too lazy to write about it. Instead of doing my usual lengthy, detailed story time about it, I’m relating the events in a fashion only someone with a degree in teaching can do: with a few bullet points and a lot of pictures. Enjoy!

FEBRUARY

• Chinese Lantern Festival
• Hiked Rangitoto – the volcano is the Auckland harbor’s iconic figure; it was a long, muggy climb (I was with 2 fast-paced English girls), mostly with misty views, but the cover cleared for a bit while we were at the top
• Rangitoto alternate course swim – due to severe winds it was a 3.5k race in the protected Judges and Hobson Bays (instead of a 4.6km race from the volcano across the harbor to a beach); but since they still handed out medals for the Rangi swim, if my grandkids ever find mine and ask about it, I totally did the real thing while escorted by a pod of dolphins

MARCH

• Snorkeling at Goat Island – fantastic! Went with Kelcee and Gina (2 fellow American au pairs), it’s a nature reserve, so the water is clear and the fish are plentiful—we even spotted a ray hiding among the seaweed
• Paihia sailing – an au pair pal befriended a cheerful Kiwi captain, and he sailed us around the Bay of Islands near Paihia
• Mt.Maunganui/Tauranga – went for a “sand to surf” swim race, and thanks to rough weather, ended up doing another alternate course in protected little harbor around boats. That was very disappointing, but I still spent that afternoon and the next morning playing in the huge waves at the beach next to the mount

• Cheltanham swim – entered a short, local race at the last minute, and ended up winning the women’s competition (and the $100 prize!) wearing a regular swim suit whereas everyone else wore buoyant wetsuits
• Blues vs. Highlanders game – finally went to a rugby game! The Blues (an Auckland team) beat the Highlanders (from Dunedin), and even though the game itself was exciting, my favorite part was the over-the-top pyrotechnics that blazed every time the home team scored
• Met a nice Kiwi bloke, James

APRIL

• King of Bays swim – another local swim, but a HUGE event (with around 1600 swimmers); my time was OK, but I didn’t place that well
• Round the Rock swim – challenging but fantastic 2k race in freezing water at a beach in Whangaparoa: the first half was calm but on the return the chop threw me around, I triumphantly sprinted to the finish, passing two male competitors (including my training pal, Frank) and ended as the second-place female (third overall) and claimed the prize of a box of Easter chocolates
• Warriors game – a rugby league (different from rugby union) team—great fun!
• MOTAT (Museum of Transport and Technology) and art museum
• ANZAC Day – it originally commemorated the Australian and NZ Army Corps from WWI (which suffered tremendous casualties at Gallipoli), but now serves as NZ’s memorial day and veterans day all in one
• Rotorua – a town with geothermal activity (and a strong sulfuric aroma) that has long been a tourist destination: I did ZORBing (going down a hill in a giant plastic ball), luging, and disc golfing, and I visited the museum, waterfront, a night market, and Kiwi Valley (an animal sanctuary where visitors can feed animals like llamas and wallabies, and where there are daily opportunities to pet lion cubs)
• Martha’s Backyard – an American store that I visited with Kelsey (a girl from my hometown who now lives with her husband across the harbor from me); I never thought I’d get so excited over Wheat Thins

MAY

• My 24^th birthday – got Mexican food, which tastes more like home than anything else I can find in NZ

JUNE (so far)

• Wellington weekend – I went with Gina and saw all the sights I wanted to see: Te Papa (National Museum, where there’s the body of giant squid and an earthquake room that shakes around), underground market, waterfront, Cuba St (boutiques and a night market), Old St. Paul’s Cathedral, Parliament (A.K.A. The Beehive), Mt. Victoria Lookout
• Queen’s Birthday – national holiday, but few other Commonwealth nations celebrate it
• Sky Tower – I finally went! Amazing views, of course 
  
• All Blacks game – the first of their 3 test matches against England, it was a low-scoring game with a last-minute victory (20-15). Only one try (comparable to a touchdown) was scored the whole game, the rest of the points came from penalty kicks. However, watching the haka (and some of the very attractive players) made up for the game’s lack of excitement
• Cathedral Cove – A “hole in the rock” on the Coromandel Peninsula. Beautiful!

And that, folks, is why I haven't had the time to write anything for months. I can't believe I only have a few more weeks living in NZ, but I think I've spent my time here wisely. I plan to savor all my remaining time in this fantastic country!

—Lenora 

February 9, 2014 Tongariro Crossing

I recently had a 4-day weekend, thanks to Waitangi Day (NZ’s closest thing to Independence Day—I wrote about it here when I visited the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in December), so I decided to face the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. This 19.4km (12mi) hike snakes through Tongariro National Park, which features three volcanoes (two of which are still active) and ascends from 1100m to 1900m before descending down to 750m. The Crossing holds high rankings on top hiking lists within NZ and internationally, so when I found a coupon for accommodation, meals, and transport for the trip, I jumped at the chance.

The park is in the middle of nowhere, so stayed in a nearby town called Owhango, which I reached after spending half a day riding a bus south from Auckland. When I first arrived in mid-afternoon at the B&B where I had accommodation, no one but the owner was around, so when I heard that she owned the blueberry orchard across the street, I volunteered to help and spent a couple hours picking delicious berries (which I later sampled in baked goods). The bed and breakfast where I stayed was quite comfortable, and only a few people were around, so I really enjoyed spending time with the handful of workers and the two guests besides me who were there at the time.

Not surprisingly, the most noteworthy part of the trip was the crossing itself (photos). We embarked early in the morning, and as our rickety bus bounced along the route to the trail, I watched the sun rise behind the mountains. That stunning sight really made me excited to begin my journey, which I began bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 7:23am and completed blistered and aching at 3:00pm. In between that I climbed up and down hundreds of stairs, I scrambled up rocks and slid down slopes, and I saw for miles when it was clear and saw only a few meters around me when it was misty. At times the wind whipped around and blew dust into my eyes, making me shiver and squeeze my eyes shut and wish I’d never left Auckland, and for much of the latter half of the trek my feet and knees protested over my decision to attempt twelve miles in one go, not to mention that I chose to do that distance over a mountain. However, I must say that no matter how much I may gripe at the physical discomfort of my journey, I’m incredibly proud of myself for even entertaining the idea of attempting such a feat, much less completing it. Needless to say I slept well that night.

The following day I spent the morning with the couple who were staying at the B&B with me: we drove down the road to see the Whakapapa River (which was lovely and noisy) and then lunched at what I assume is the only café in the bustling metropolis of Owhango. They then, most generously, made sure I was set for my bus to pick me up for my return to Auckland, and they even drove me to the bus stop twenty minutes down the road. Meeting folks like them—who go well out of their way to ensure that a stranger can find her way home—certainly restores my faith in humanity. Thanks to them I had plenty of time before my bus arrived, and I spent the entire evening bouncing along the winding highway back to Auckland.

The trip really pushed me physically, and certainly held its own challenges as I was traveling on my own once more, but because of that it’s one trip I think I’ll never forget.

February 2, 2014 A Busy New Year

Whew—what a busy month! I’ve started off the New Year with heaps of delightful adventures.

First up was a tour around the harbor I took with a few friends I met on the South Island trip. We hired a boat and spent a few hours one evening motoring around the harbor, anchoring a few times and jumping in to cool off from a warm summer day. The city lights up at night, and taking in the colorful CBD from my vantage point in the calm water is the best view I’ve ever beheld of the Auckland skyline. I’m so glad I got to see another beautiful side to the city!

Scuba diving was the next undertaking I tackled. I signed up for a PADI open water course with my friend Gina (a fellow au pair from America), and we had a great time in the various classroom, pool, and lake sessions over a two-week period. The course went very smoothly from start to finish—just kidding, I almost died. During my first lake descent, a loose fin spun me into a primal panic. One moment I was a couple meters from the bottom of the lake, the next moment I was choking on water and couldn’t see anything, and then after I realized I was breathing again, I suddenly found myself on the lake’s surface with no fins or mask.

I’m not exactly sure what happened, but I do know that I sort of owe my instructor my life since he’s the one who realized I dropped my regulator (that really important thing that gets air to your mouth) and got it working again. Hey, at least he’s got a great story to tell future students who uneasy about diving, which begins with, “Well, there’s no way you’ll have as terrible a dive as this one girl…” (You’re welcome, pal). Other than that brief moment of idiocy, I actually did do well and enjoy the course: I aced my written exam, felt very comfortable during the pool dives, and had a blast in the murky depths of a local lake. Since there are apparently loads of great diving spots in NZ, I’m already looking into a handful of nearby spots to plan an open water scuba adventure—with diving buddies who will keep a close eye on me.

Staying at the water’s surface seems to be a safer aquatic adventure for me, and I completed two more open water swims with my swim pal, Frank. The 3.2km Bean Rock Lighthouse swim came first, where we competitors entered and exited in Mission Bay but swam out to an old lighthouse (located on Bean Rock, go figure) in the harbor. I got fourth in the women’s competition, although the results were not split into those who wore wetsuits and those who, like me, did not—so while I’m not exactly sure how I fared, I say officially that I think I did pretty darn well. The next day I swam a whopping 3.78km from St. Heliers Bay across Mission Bay, and I came second in the women’s non-wetsuit competition. At the end of it all I was exhausted, but it always eases the suffering when I’m in beautiful surroundings. (photos) I’m gearing up for a few more races—and one of them is even longer!

I have spent a little time out of the water, though, and I’ve encountered some lovely folks from home and from NZ. A longtime friend and fellow swimmer, Kelsey, recently married a Kiwi and just moved to Auckland, so we met up for a coffee close to her new home that’s a mere nine miles from my current address. Seeing such a familiar face in such a foreign place was truly bizarre, but catching up with her and exchanging stories about our experiences in this country certainly made my day. I also met another girl from my home state: at a restaurant I heard our waitress’s North American accent and inquired about her origins, and my jaw hit the floor when I discovered she came from north Georgia and attended the same university as me at the same time I did. Sometimes it really does feel like the farther you go from home, the smaller the world gets.

The most recent adventure of late was a live poetry performance. While I had never previously attended such a function, I can only imagine that this one was better than any live poetry that’s ever been on a stage in America. The man on the bill was Sam Hunt, whom a few friends had conveyed as being some fantastic, legendary Kiwi poet. I bought my ticket with the attitude that even if the show was no good, I could at least get a taste of some NZ culture—and the show pleasantly surprised me. Hunt, a lively and very Kiwi man in his sixties performed for an hour, making the audience laugh, applaud, and quietly reflect. A vibrant but down-to-earth performer, Hunt told stories about his experiences and about people he had known, and while he obviously performed some poems that he had written, he also recited poetry from other writers that held meaning for him and shaped the works he created. I truly enjoyed the evening listening to him, and I think when I return home and people ask me about the life and culture in NZ, I’ll have to include Sam Hunt in order to explain fully what I found here.

January 5, 2014 S. Island V: Across the Southern Alps

The final leg of the tour stretched north along the western coast to Greymouth. On the way, we stopped for lunch in Hokitika, a small town that grew in the 1860s gold rush era and has recently gained notoriety as the setting of The Luminaries (the latest Man Booker prize award winner, which was a big deal in NZ since the author is a Kiwi). Other than a clock tower, it didn’t have too much going for it.

In Greymouth we boarded a KiwiRail Tranzalpine train that would take us all the way to Christchurch. The train seemed to crawl for most of the journey, but that was ideal since the ride was more comfortable than the bus we’d ridden in for over a week and since the scenery really was worth it. However, as the end of the tour, it was a trip tinged with sadness, both at leaving our now close-knit bunch and at having to start work in a couple of days.

Once in Christchurch, most of the group I’d stuck with had a last supper together, and then another girl and I took a brief stroll through part of the city. We passed parks and some lovely old buildings, but we also saw sections that seemed to be the same as they were after the earthquake almost three years ago. The following morning I didn’t have time to visit any more areas in the city before my flight back to Auckland, which means I’ll just have to make another trip to Christchurch to find the parts of the city that have recovered.

I struggle to sum up the tremendous journey I took. In less than ten days, I travelled almost two thousand kilometers around the South Island and visited a dozen towns. I saw stunning places and felt alive. I felt grateful to be alive and felt cursed to be under so much rain. I made friends and at times made a fool of myself. I experienced many new things and went to whereabouts that I’ll probably never go again, and I did my best to let go of worry and live for the time and place wherever I found myself. To record everything I encountered would take far too long (and would never quite capture my experience anyway), so I’ll close by saying that this trip was one of the most enriching and enjoyable times of my life. There—now go travel someplace you’ve dreamt of going!

January 4, 2014 S. Island IV: Wanaka and Franz Josef

Happy New Year! My tour group found a lively restaurant where we claimed a prime vantage spot on the balcony to see the fireworks set off near Queenstown’s beach. The location and company made for one of the best New Year’s Eves of my life, and as I watched and listened to the show, I wondered if 2014 will bring as many unexpected turns as 2013 did. I can’t wait to find out!

At midday we journeyed north to Wanaka, a town known for its mountain biking and winter sports—none of which I have much experience with, so I wasn’t that interested in staying there. However, our tour manager surprised us with a short trip (due to the rain) to a disc golf course, which turned out to be a blast! The sun finally came out for us to take a walk through the town, and the following day another girl and I climbed a nearby peak, Mt. Iron. Although the sides were steep and the sky occasionally rained on us, the views on the town, on Lake Wanaka, and to the other nearby mountains was certainly worth it. Pictures here. 

After the exhausting climb, our group continued northward to Franz Josef on the west coast. The route to our destination crossed the Southern Alps, which was breathtaking not only because of the scenery but also due to the treacherous roads. The bus wound up and down through the mountains, and multiple areas were lined with traffic cones to mark the sides of the road where falling rocks had smattered across the road previously. Our guide also felt the moment appropriate to tell us about a camper van that had been swept away by rocks a few months prior, which filled us with more confidence that we would emerge from the mountains in one piece. My favorite leg of the journey came when we passed a sign that read, “The Gate of Haast,” which sounded like the title of an Edgar Allan Poe story that ended very badly for a group of au pairs. Oh, and did I mention it was raining the whole time?

We did arrive in Franz Josef alive, albeit in more rain. We celebrated our surviving the hazardous trip by taking over a section of a restaurant with karaoke; other people joined in, which turned the whole thing into a competition, and we spent over an hour battling until our group emerged the victors. Highlights from the evening included a dozen of us bellowing “Living on a Prayer,” and an interesting conversation with a Dutch gentleman who had emigrated to Singapore and who emphatically articulated to me that life is too short, “So make the most of it! Really! Make the most of it!” Words to live by.

The following day we got to be outside (all pictures here), and I got to partake in the activity I’d looked forward to all this time: kayaking. It really is something I enjoy because I find it one of the most pleasant ways to take in scenery, and I longed to redeem my steering record from Paihia, so I excitedly pulled on my gear and climbed into a double kayak once our guides had prepared everything on the shore of Lake Mapourika. Naturally, it rained for most of the kayak tour, and my steering was still pretty dodgy. Despite that (and the hideous jackets we were provided), I still enjoyed the scenery, part of which was in a protected kiwi sanctuary.

The other outdoor activity was a visit to the Franz Josef glacier. It has retreated a great deal in the past 70 or so years, but this means we got to walk through the valley it carved out over thousands of years. The evidence of the glacier—particularly the ice blocks floating down the stream rushing from its base and the sides of the canyon that had been scraped smooth—and not the icy mass itself impressed this traveler most. We passed numerous waterfalls and colorful rocks (gray and white stone covered with red and green growths) that amplified the awesome but surreal atmosphere of the area.

I think I would have had a delightful stay in Franz Josef if the rain hadn’t pounded us for much of our time there, but I still enjoyed taking in the unique scenery, and the snow-topped mountains of the Southern Alps that watched us on the drive out the following morning were an incredible sight to behold.