Well not quite, but close enough. I will soon be hitting the halfway point of my journey here in New Zealand and to say it has been a journey would be quite an understatement. I've seen a lot already, but also have a lot more to see. In about 40 hours I will depart on my greatest trek yet; a tour of the South Island, beginning with a two day stop in wine country, and ending with an All Blacks game in Wellington. I expect it to be exhausting, but at the same time I also expect it to be the pinnacle of my journey here.
The last week and a half have been spent here in Hamilton, and I must say that I do not know how the others in my group do it. While traveling has worn me out, Hamilton proved to be a quite boring place if you don't want to milk cows or go to the bars. Granted I would like to go to the bars, but I'm also trying to save money for spring break (wine tours, Queenstown, glacier walks, All Blacks etc.). And while traveling has made the experience more than worth it, I have to admit that being on campus for an extended period of time has made me a bit homesick. The consistently rainy weather doesn't help either; I have been forced inside a lot, which means a lot of sitting on my computer seeing what my friends at home are up to. It bugs me that it's been like this, as I would much rather have my own adventure than live vicariously through my friends at home. In fact, being so connected to home was something that I DIDN'T want to do here. But that's life here in Hamilton, and Ive only been here for a week and a half. New Zealand is a pretty dull place in the winter (as dull as a place this exciting and beautiful can be at least), especially Hamilton, and the locals will admit that. So I think that as winter turns to spring-and it seems to be right around the corner-Hamilton will get at least a little bit more exciting. All in all though, its "sweet as," as they say here, the time off has given me time to recharge my batteries and spend a lot of time in the gym. Needless to say that "spring" break really cannot get here fast enough though.
But maybe this is exactly what I needed. Maybe I needed to struggle through seeing everyone go back so that I could appreciate what I have at Furman a lot more. A greater appreciation of Furman was certainly a goal of this trip. Maybe I needed time away from my usual antics and behavior to recharge, not burn myself out, and reflect on the first half of my time in college. We learn more from losing than winning, we learn more from adversity than we do from normality. In the end, I know that God has a plan for me, and always has. God meant for me to go to New Zealand, he meant for me to come to Hamilton, and he will lead me through the rest of my journey too.
I know that this post sounds a lot more bleak than my previous ones. But admittedly it has been tougher than expected seeing all of my friends move back into school, and having to watch, bored from the other side of the world.
Halfway through, its tough to be reflective. I don't think that I will really understand the magnitude of this experience until I am on my way home, at home, or back at school.
But if there is one thing that this country has taught me, its that there is a rainbow at the end of every storm.
Ill be back in three weeks, with new stories and plenty to write about. Until then, Kia Ora!
-Wilson
Monday, August 20, 2012
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Wellcome to Wellington
Before we begin, I just want to thank you all for your continued support of this blog. I'd be happy if it was just a way for me to remember it all but with over 2,000 page views, Im glad that you guys like it too.
-Wilson
This weekend's travels brought us to the capital city of New Zealand, Wellington. Now, I had heard a lot about Wellington from friends that had visited and I was really excited about what lay ahead of me. So after getting some work done early (I am clearly no longer in the states), I headed off.
Upon the end of my nine hour journey I was promptly scooped up by Walker and whisked away to a bar for trivia night with his friends. Because there is nothing better than breaking a mental sweat with a few beers after sitting on a bus for nine hours right? None the less, it was a nice end to a long day.
The next day, we woke up before sun rise and hurried up the local mountain (more like a hill but felt like climbing a mountain), Mt. Victoria, for the sunrise. We were a little late, but still got a spectacular view.
We then headed down and caught a bus out to Island Bay (different from the aforementioned Bay of Islands). This began our long trek to the red rocks and fur seal point. We ended up hiking somewhere between 10-13 miles. After having improper water footwear last week at Taupo, I decided to do something about it and went out to get a pair of chacos last week (sorry Drew). They were doing fine until the sand and pebbles started grinding with my feet. I ended up with about 8 blisters for the day but that did not stop me from continuing to climb (with sneakers for the trek back) and check out the stunning views that are becoming the norm of my weekend excursions. The seals were pretty cool too, although they don't really do much besides sleep outside of the water. With that said, they were peaceful enough that you could get to within a body length without scaring them. Here are a few more pictures.
Saturday was consumed by a visit to New Zealand Parliament. It being a Saturday it was pretty quiet, but it was interesting to see the different styles of architecture in the building, as well as all that they have done to help prevent it from crumbling in one of Wellington's famous earthquakes. They also have done a beautiful job preserving the Maori tradition within the buildings. We then walked around a little bit more to check out one of New Zealand's oldest churches. The church actually had major ties to the US as well, and was not afraid to show them. Small world. For the first time in a while, we had beautiful weather as well.
That did not last long and by Sunday the weather had turned. It was pouring when we went to the farmers market, but I had a blast anyways. Walker had to buy all of his produce for the week, but I was just hungry for a good meal. Enter food trucks. Finally, an opportunity to dive into some of the New Zealand food culture that budgeting had eliminated (and at a reasonable price too). I ended up trying a New Zealand mussel fritter (with aoli, a little lemon and cracked pepper divine) and a venison (there are a ton of deer here) sandwich, called a bambi sandwich with carmys and a little cranberry mayo. Awesome. Divine. Excellent. Did I say divine? Just what I was looking for. I was pumped to finally have a crack at some real New Zealand food culture. We then stepped next door to Te Papa, the national museum of New Zealand. I can now understand why its considered one of the ten greatest museums in the world. No detail sparred. I headed home later that night.
So things are going well. I turned in my first paper, had my first test (make that two) and have been traveling a ton. I have a week and a half before I depart again (for my biggest journey yet!), but I'm definitely looking forward to a little R&R and homework for a change of pace.
Needless to say I'm definitely not homesick. But a part of me does wish that I was moving back into Furman with all my comrades this week. Can I be two places at once? Its definitely settling in that I won't be at Furman this fall. I have avoided the thought for a while now, but its reached the point of being inevitable. With that said, I have been blessed to have this opportunity and plan to continue making the most of it, knowing full well that I will be refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to return to Furman in full force when I get back. So to all my Furman friends out there, I am thinking of you guys and cant wait to be back second semester. To all of my many friends going abroad in the coming weeks, get ready for the time of your life (I can say that now). And make sure you keep a journal (or blog like this one, Ill give you a follow). Because these are the memories that you will never want to forget (corny I know but true).
And don't stop #tweetinacrossamerica! It makes me feel right at home.
Love you all,
-Wilson
-Wilson
This weekend's travels brought us to the capital city of New Zealand, Wellington. Now, I had heard a lot about Wellington from friends that had visited and I was really excited about what lay ahead of me. So after getting some work done early (I am clearly no longer in the states), I headed off.
Upon the end of my nine hour journey I was promptly scooped up by Walker and whisked away to a bar for trivia night with his friends. Because there is nothing better than breaking a mental sweat with a few beers after sitting on a bus for nine hours right? None the less, it was a nice end to a long day.
The next day, we woke up before sun rise and hurried up the local mountain (more like a hill but felt like climbing a mountain), Mt. Victoria, for the sunrise. We were a little late, but still got a spectacular view.
Saturday was consumed by a visit to New Zealand Parliament. It being a Saturday it was pretty quiet, but it was interesting to see the different styles of architecture in the building, as well as all that they have done to help prevent it from crumbling in one of Wellington's famous earthquakes. They also have done a beautiful job preserving the Maori tradition within the buildings. We then walked around a little bit more to check out one of New Zealand's oldest churches. The church actually had major ties to the US as well, and was not afraid to show them. Small world. For the first time in a while, we had beautiful weather as well.
That did not last long and by Sunday the weather had turned. It was pouring when we went to the farmers market, but I had a blast anyways. Walker had to buy all of his produce for the week, but I was just hungry for a good meal. Enter food trucks. Finally, an opportunity to dive into some of the New Zealand food culture that budgeting had eliminated (and at a reasonable price too). I ended up trying a New Zealand mussel fritter (with aoli, a little lemon and cracked pepper divine) and a venison (there are a ton of deer here) sandwich, called a bambi sandwich with carmys and a little cranberry mayo. Awesome. Divine. Excellent. Did I say divine? Just what I was looking for. I was pumped to finally have a crack at some real New Zealand food culture. We then stepped next door to Te Papa, the national museum of New Zealand. I can now understand why its considered one of the ten greatest museums in the world. No detail sparred. I headed home later that night.
So things are going well. I turned in my first paper, had my first test (make that two) and have been traveling a ton. I have a week and a half before I depart again (for my biggest journey yet!), but I'm definitely looking forward to a little R&R and homework for a change of pace.
Needless to say I'm definitely not homesick. But a part of me does wish that I was moving back into Furman with all my comrades this week. Can I be two places at once? Its definitely settling in that I won't be at Furman this fall. I have avoided the thought for a while now, but its reached the point of being inevitable. With that said, I have been blessed to have this opportunity and plan to continue making the most of it, knowing full well that I will be refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to return to Furman in full force when I get back. So to all my Furman friends out there, I am thinking of you guys and cant wait to be back second semester. To all of my many friends going abroad in the coming weeks, get ready for the time of your life (I can say that now). And make sure you keep a journal (or blog like this one, Ill give you a follow). Because these are the memories that you will never want to forget (corny I know but true).
And don't stop #tweetinacrossamerica! It makes me feel right at home.
Love you all,
-Wilson
Sunday, August 5, 2012
A Weekend of Bathing
My weekend travels brought me to Lake Taupo this weekend, the biggest lake in New Zealand and the lake that separates the geothermally active Rotorua/Taupo region for the Tongariro Mountains (Think Mt. Doom). My traveling companions for the weekend were a few of my globalinks friends; one of whom goes to school with me and two that are studying in Auckland. We headed up to Taupo not really knowing what to expect, but I figured that it would be a little bit less expensive and a bit more relaxing than my previous weekend's trip to the Bay of Islands.
Upon arrival, Jeff, one of the guys from Auckland, had expressed some interest in checking out the hot springs in the area. This had not even crossed my mind, but sounded good to me. So we set out to check out the local hot springs scene. This would end up consuming us for the next couple of days. We ended up renting a car to go check out hotsprings all over Taupo and its outskirts. We even got up before the sun one morning for a little sunrise bath.
Much of the rest of the weekend was spent simply admiring the great Lake Taupo. It has some of the clearest water that I have ever seen, as well as some of the bluest. No wonder it is world famous for the trout that swim in it!
All in all, it was a pretty relaxing weekend. It is really fun getting to travel and see a lot of new places. But it is definitely exhausting too (hence the brief post!). Here are a few more Taupo pictures.
Huka Falls-Look how blue the water is
Looking across the lake at the menacing Tongariro Mountains
Sunrise over the fields-No wonder they call it the Land of the Long White Cloud
Geothermal pond
On another note, I figured that I would let you guys know that I'm not completely out of the loop as far as US news. I just registered for my absentee ballot in fact.
But one issue caught my attention and I think I finally have an opinion on it. Boston needs Chick Fil A. I don't think that Chick Fil A was wrong to say what they said, nor do I believe that Mayor Menino was wrong to fight back. But one thing that I do know is that Chick Fil A needs to come to Boston. And the video of the 2 hour line at the Burlington Mall shows that I'm not alone. This is America, Chick Fil A can say whatever they want to. They may not like the PR results, but that is their decision. You have to respect them for being firm in their beliefs. So somebody get Menino a chicken biscuit. We need Chick Fil A.
Upon arrival, Jeff, one of the guys from Auckland, had expressed some interest in checking out the hot springs in the area. This had not even crossed my mind, but sounded good to me. So we set out to check out the local hot springs scene. This would end up consuming us for the next couple of days. We ended up renting a car to go check out hotsprings all over Taupo and its outskirts. We even got up before the sun one morning for a little sunrise bath.
Much of the rest of the weekend was spent simply admiring the great Lake Taupo. It has some of the clearest water that I have ever seen, as well as some of the bluest. No wonder it is world famous for the trout that swim in it!
All in all, it was a pretty relaxing weekend. It is really fun getting to travel and see a lot of new places. But it is definitely exhausting too (hence the brief post!). Here are a few more Taupo pictures.
On another note, I figured that I would let you guys know that I'm not completely out of the loop as far as US news. I just registered for my absentee ballot in fact.
But one issue caught my attention and I think I finally have an opinion on it. Boston needs Chick Fil A. I don't think that Chick Fil A was wrong to say what they said, nor do I believe that Mayor Menino was wrong to fight back. But one thing that I do know is that Chick Fil A needs to come to Boston. And the video of the 2 hour line at the Burlington Mall shows that I'm not alone. This is America, Chick Fil A can say whatever they want to. They may not like the PR results, but that is their decision. You have to respect them for being firm in their beliefs. So somebody get Menino a chicken biscuit. We need Chick Fil A.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The REAL Fun Begins
I think that we have finally reached the fun of the adventure.
My trip to Paihia and Auckland was nothing short of spectacular. Regardless, I was definitely ready to pack up and head home by the end of it. I got back Monday morning and am now making a quick turnaround to head to Taupo, one of New Zealand's biggest lakes, tomorrow. More on that later.
I spent much of last Thursday busing up to Paihia in the Bay of Islands. Firstly, there is a reason that it is called the Bay of Islands. When the British explorers first came to New Zealand, it was the Bay of Islands that they first settled. The treaty of Waitangi, the initial British-Maori peace treaty, was signed in Paihia. They (and it might have even been the famous James Cook) counted the islands in the bay area around Paihia and Russel, and there are 144. So the explorers decided to fittingly call the area, "The Bay of Islands."
Paihia, where we spent our two nights, is a more bustling town then Russel, which is on the other side of the bay, although that really is not saying much. For a comparison, think about visiting Nantucket or the cape in the winter time and you will have a pretty good comparison for our visit to the bay. But that was just fine by Walker and I. Hostile prices were down, and we did not have to worry about tourists everywhere. For the most part, we were able to run the tourist scene.
After throwing our stuff in the hostile, we ran off to try and get a quick hike in before it got dark. We were able to make it up a pretty annoying little hill to a beautiful overlook of the bay.
We then hustled back down to beat the darkness, made some dinner at the hostile, and went to bed. It had been a long day of traveling.
Knowing that we had no set plan for day two, we woke up with the birds and went to seek out our options. Luckily for us the bus for Cape Reinga had not yet departed. So by 730 we were on the bus and headed off on a three hour journey north to the northern most point of New Zealand, where the great Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea. I was really interested in the sand boarding segment of the trip though (don't know sand boarding? Don't worry, we will get to it). Little did I know that I would see so much more.
The trip started off with a journey into the Kaori forest. The Kaori is a giant redwood like tree that is found throughout the South Pacific. It is said that if you hug a Kaori tree, you will be completely cleansed by the next morning. Our quirky bus driver told us that this should be our excuse to go on a bender that evening.
We then headed to the 90 mile beach. Now, normally I would not get that excited about driving a bus down the beach. But what makes this beach unique is that it is so long, without any hint of settlement. You just don't see that anymore with today's demands for prime real estate. In fact 90 mile beach is not actually 90 miles (they believe its really about 64). The best guess as to how it became called 90 mile beach is that when the cattle drivers used to bring their cows from one end to the other, it would take them three days. They figured they were going about 30 miles a day, so they figured it was about 90 miles. I guess in reality they were only going about 21 a day. Regardless, its a pretty spectacular beach, and we even got to drive right up to a seal pup.
As you look away from the water, you see the giant sand dunes behind the beach (see the hills in the way back of that picture? Yea, all sand), which could only mean one thing: it was time to sand board.
Going into the sand boarding, I didn't know what to expect. Well, when we pulled up in front of the dunes it was pretty clear that this was not a sport for wimps. The driver told us that we could be going as fast as forty mph. On a boogie board. Down a sand dune. But I was ready. I had already psyched myself up for this. Perhaps the most daunting task, however, was the climb to the top of the dune. I told Walker that, "now I know how Moses felt." Every time you would take a step up, you would slide half a step down. That's just how tall these monster dunes are. Even this picture does not do it justice.
But oh man was the ride down sweet. I could not believe how fast you could cruise down on those boards. The end result looks something like this (thanks to my great photographer, Walker). And yes, in case you were wondering I did end up with a mouth full of sand after the picture below was taken...
I had a blast but it was Walker that stole the show. He was cruising the fastest and farthest of anybody, including the bus driver. We then loaded up the bus and headed to Cape Reinga.
Cape Reinga is known as one of the more spiritual spots in New Zealand, mostly because its beauty takes most peoples breath away. On our way to the cape, our bus driver told us about this aspect of our next stop. He told us the story of how his son died and how he was not able to get over the tragedy until he came up to Cape Reinga. It is a place where people come to say their final words to lost loved ones and release their burden of grief. It was at that point that I had a realization of my own.
One of the reasons I decided to come to New Zealand was because of the rugby culture. Few places in the world have a rugby culture like New Zealand's. European countries have soccer, Australia has footie; perhaps the only place that can compare is South Africa. But secretly, I wanted to come to this rugby mecca to pay tribute to my high school rugby coach, Iain Ryrie. For those of you who do not know, Coach Ryrie died last year after a battle with cancer. When he passed, I had not just lost a coach, but I had lost a mentor and friend. Now, I don't know if Coach Ryrie ever came to New Zealand, but I'm sure he would have loved it. Not only is rugby so much a part of the culture here, but the arts are as well. He would have loved it. I realized that my trip to Cape Reinga was to honor Coach Ryrie. So as I sat out on the end of the cape, I silently said some final words to my coach and threw some sand into the wind. I finally felt some closure on his passing.
On a lighter note, Cape Reinga has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is pretty cool watching the Tasman Sea meet and collide with the Pacific Ocean, creating a deep turquoise sea. We also happened to have fabulous weather, which is always a bonus in this country.
After leaving Cape Reinga, I think it was pretty safe to say that we were all pretty exhausted. As I am sure that you can tell, we had already done a lot for one day. But the day was still very young. On the way home, we stopped for an early dinner at the Mangonui Fish Market, for some of their world famous fish and chips.
What makes fish and chips here better from anywhere else? Well for one the fish that we were eating at five had been caught that afternoon. It was easily some of the freshest fish I had ever had. Fry it to a crisp golden brown and splash some vinegar and lemon on top (and a Tui on the side), and these fish and chips were damn hard to beat. It was tough to eat on the bus, but they were still delicious. For me, though, the mark of freshness had to be the presentation. Our meal was wrapped in parchment paper, as if we had just gotten some raw fish from the market to prepare ourselves. I love that.
We were back at the hostile by quarter of six, ready to shower up and watch some rugby. It was a big night for rugby, as the Waikato Chiefs (based in Hamilton), were playing the Christchurch Crusaders. The Chiefs were favored, but the Crusaders made a classic out of it. In the end, the Chiefs won 20-17, catapulting themselves into the Super 15's league final this Friday in Hamilton. Unfortunately, I had already planned trips for both weekends so I will be unable to go to either. But I will make it to a rugby game! The amount of parody among the rugby teams here is amazing. I have yet to see a bad game.
After a long Friday, we weren't really sure what Saturday would bring. So we woke up early again, checked out of the hostile, and headed to watch the opening ceremonies. We were also trying to wait out the rainstorm that was looming overhead. After the ceremonies, we had about 5 hours to do something before our bus came to pick us up. That unfortunately meant that we wouldn't be able to do the longer Piahia hike that goes past where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed and heads up to a gorgeous waterfall. Instead we took a ferry across the bay to Russel. Walker and I both agreed that Russel got us a little homesick. It reminded me a lot of Nantucket. Very old, quaint little town, right on the water, with old whaling roots. We walked around a bit, there wasn't too much to do there, before coming across an old French Missionary Museum. There we were able to see how French missionaries were able to print and distribute Maori christian documents throughout New Zealand, in order to convert the Maori. We also stopped by a church that had bullet holes in the side of it from when the Maori had fought there. But more surprising was that in the back of the graveyard was a tombstone for an old Nantucket whaler who had made his way over to New Zealand. Interesting coincidence.
I think we decided that we needed one more day in Piahia. For all my New Zealand friends out there, if you go to the Bay of Islands, make sure you have 2.5-3 days there.
That night we headed back down to Auckland to meet up with my buddy Mike Baranowsky who was stopping through New Zealand on his way back to the states from a month and a half in Austalia. We went out and did the college boy thing for the evening. We sent Sunday exploring Auckland, heading to the Antarctic Aquarium for a good part of the day, and then watched the Olympics that evening. We were all pretty exhausted.
I headed back to Hamilton Monday morning for three days of classes, followed by a quick turnaround for Taupo. I leave in a few hours.
It certainly is busy over here, and I think I understand the life of a businessman a little bit better now. The traveling life is a lot of fun, but it is exhausting. I think I will appreciate not living in hostiles for four nights a week after this weekend.
Ill talk to you guys after Taupo, have a great weekend!
Wilson
My trip to Paihia and Auckland was nothing short of spectacular. Regardless, I was definitely ready to pack up and head home by the end of it. I got back Monday morning and am now making a quick turnaround to head to Taupo, one of New Zealand's biggest lakes, tomorrow. More on that later.
I spent much of last Thursday busing up to Paihia in the Bay of Islands. Firstly, there is a reason that it is called the Bay of Islands. When the British explorers first came to New Zealand, it was the Bay of Islands that they first settled. The treaty of Waitangi, the initial British-Maori peace treaty, was signed in Paihia. They (and it might have even been the famous James Cook) counted the islands in the bay area around Paihia and Russel, and there are 144. So the explorers decided to fittingly call the area, "The Bay of Islands."
Paihia, where we spent our two nights, is a more bustling town then Russel, which is on the other side of the bay, although that really is not saying much. For a comparison, think about visiting Nantucket or the cape in the winter time and you will have a pretty good comparison for our visit to the bay. But that was just fine by Walker and I. Hostile prices were down, and we did not have to worry about tourists everywhere. For the most part, we were able to run the tourist scene.
After throwing our stuff in the hostile, we ran off to try and get a quick hike in before it got dark. We were able to make it up a pretty annoying little hill to a beautiful overlook of the bay.
Knowing that we had no set plan for day two, we woke up with the birds and went to seek out our options. Luckily for us the bus for Cape Reinga had not yet departed. So by 730 we were on the bus and headed off on a three hour journey north to the northern most point of New Zealand, where the great Pacific Ocean meets the Tasman Sea. I was really interested in the sand boarding segment of the trip though (don't know sand boarding? Don't worry, we will get to it). Little did I know that I would see so much more.
The trip started off with a journey into the Kaori forest. The Kaori is a giant redwood like tree that is found throughout the South Pacific. It is said that if you hug a Kaori tree, you will be completely cleansed by the next morning. Our quirky bus driver told us that this should be our excuse to go on a bender that evening.
Going into the sand boarding, I didn't know what to expect. Well, when we pulled up in front of the dunes it was pretty clear that this was not a sport for wimps. The driver told us that we could be going as fast as forty mph. On a boogie board. Down a sand dune. But I was ready. I had already psyched myself up for this. Perhaps the most daunting task, however, was the climb to the top of the dune. I told Walker that, "now I know how Moses felt." Every time you would take a step up, you would slide half a step down. That's just how tall these monster dunes are. Even this picture does not do it justice.
But oh man was the ride down sweet. I could not believe how fast you could cruise down on those boards. The end result looks something like this (thanks to my great photographer, Walker). And yes, in case you were wondering I did end up with a mouth full of sand after the picture below was taken...
I had a blast but it was Walker that stole the show. He was cruising the fastest and farthest of anybody, including the bus driver. We then loaded up the bus and headed to Cape Reinga.
Cape Reinga is known as one of the more spiritual spots in New Zealand, mostly because its beauty takes most peoples breath away. On our way to the cape, our bus driver told us about this aspect of our next stop. He told us the story of how his son died and how he was not able to get over the tragedy until he came up to Cape Reinga. It is a place where people come to say their final words to lost loved ones and release their burden of grief. It was at that point that I had a realization of my own.
One of the reasons I decided to come to New Zealand was because of the rugby culture. Few places in the world have a rugby culture like New Zealand's. European countries have soccer, Australia has footie; perhaps the only place that can compare is South Africa. But secretly, I wanted to come to this rugby mecca to pay tribute to my high school rugby coach, Iain Ryrie. For those of you who do not know, Coach Ryrie died last year after a battle with cancer. When he passed, I had not just lost a coach, but I had lost a mentor and friend. Now, I don't know if Coach Ryrie ever came to New Zealand, but I'm sure he would have loved it. Not only is rugby so much a part of the culture here, but the arts are as well. He would have loved it. I realized that my trip to Cape Reinga was to honor Coach Ryrie. So as I sat out on the end of the cape, I silently said some final words to my coach and threw some sand into the wind. I finally felt some closure on his passing.
On a lighter note, Cape Reinga has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is pretty cool watching the Tasman Sea meet and collide with the Pacific Ocean, creating a deep turquoise sea. We also happened to have fabulous weather, which is always a bonus in this country.
After leaving Cape Reinga, I think it was pretty safe to say that we were all pretty exhausted. As I am sure that you can tell, we had already done a lot for one day. But the day was still very young. On the way home, we stopped for an early dinner at the Mangonui Fish Market, for some of their world famous fish and chips.
We were back at the hostile by quarter of six, ready to shower up and watch some rugby. It was a big night for rugby, as the Waikato Chiefs (based in Hamilton), were playing the Christchurch Crusaders. The Chiefs were favored, but the Crusaders made a classic out of it. In the end, the Chiefs won 20-17, catapulting themselves into the Super 15's league final this Friday in Hamilton. Unfortunately, I had already planned trips for both weekends so I will be unable to go to either. But I will make it to a rugby game! The amount of parody among the rugby teams here is amazing. I have yet to see a bad game.
After a long Friday, we weren't really sure what Saturday would bring. So we woke up early again, checked out of the hostile, and headed to watch the opening ceremonies. We were also trying to wait out the rainstorm that was looming overhead. After the ceremonies, we had about 5 hours to do something before our bus came to pick us up. That unfortunately meant that we wouldn't be able to do the longer Piahia hike that goes past where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed and heads up to a gorgeous waterfall. Instead we took a ferry across the bay to Russel. Walker and I both agreed that Russel got us a little homesick. It reminded me a lot of Nantucket. Very old, quaint little town, right on the water, with old whaling roots. We walked around a bit, there wasn't too much to do there, before coming across an old French Missionary Museum. There we were able to see how French missionaries were able to print and distribute Maori christian documents throughout New Zealand, in order to convert the Maori. We also stopped by a church that had bullet holes in the side of it from when the Maori had fought there. But more surprising was that in the back of the graveyard was a tombstone for an old Nantucket whaler who had made his way over to New Zealand. Interesting coincidence.
I think we decided that we needed one more day in Piahia. For all my New Zealand friends out there, if you go to the Bay of Islands, make sure you have 2.5-3 days there.
That night we headed back down to Auckland to meet up with my buddy Mike Baranowsky who was stopping through New Zealand on his way back to the states from a month and a half in Austalia. We went out and did the college boy thing for the evening. We sent Sunday exploring Auckland, heading to the Antarctic Aquarium for a good part of the day, and then watched the Olympics that evening. We were all pretty exhausted.
I headed back to Hamilton Monday morning for three days of classes, followed by a quick turnaround for Taupo. I leave in a few hours.
It certainly is busy over here, and I think I understand the life of a businessman a little bit better now. The traveling life is a lot of fun, but it is exhausting. I think I will appreciate not living in hostiles for four nights a week after this weekend.
Ill talk to you guys after Taupo, have a great weekend!
Wilson
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