North on Holiday

Hello, everyone!
Last week we were on holiday, so Alexis and I trekked up to the North Island and had some grand adventures!

Our first stop was Wellington, where we were greeted in the airport by Gandalf swooping overhead on an eagle.  Shortly thereafter we dragged my rolling suitcase all the way to the Weta Caves.  That's where they make all the props for all sorts of movies, including Lord of the Rings.  There were some people still working in the shop when we got our tour.  It was really cool!  They even have a master swordsmith who forges the swords.  And they have to make about four or five of each prop for different uses in the movies,  all to the same level of intense detail.

After that, we got a great bus ride from this very nice bus driver, who took us right to our stop instead of having us catch a connection.  There we met up with our friend Leah, who's studying in Wellington.  She took us around the city, and it looks like a happening place!  We had dinner on Cuba Street, then strolled along the waterfront for their Lux festival of lights.  It was lovely.

 

The next day (Sunday) we were up with the sun.  We ran quickly to church, then sauntered over to the bus stop for our long ride to Tongariro National Park.  The weather was beautiful.  When we arrived, we ran into Becca, our friend from UC!  It was pretty late, so we just bought some wifi time and relaxed.  It's winter and not very busy, so we had our own room at the hostel.

The following morning we headed out to Whakapapa Village and the start of some hiking trails.  It was cold and drizzly, but it actually turned out to be quite pleasant for hiking.  The forest around the base of the volcanoes was great.  It was super green and mossy, and there was a racket of birdsong everywhere we went.  We even saw a type of owl called a morepork.  I kind of freaked out with excitement over all the cool plants.  When we got up into the shrubbier altitudes, the views were so pretty!  Even though it was cloudy, you could see all three volcanoes (including Mt. Doom) clearly.  Between hikes we had a warm meal at the cafe.  It turned out to be a great day.
The next day was sunny and warm again.  Go figure!

Next we bused up to Hamilton.  That was our home base for our next adventure, which was Matamata and Hobbiton!  The Hobbit village was lovely.  It was quaint and comfortable.  The level of detail that went into that entire set was amazing.  They even wired leaves onto the trees so they would look like native English trees rather than NZ flora.  At the end, we got complimentary ginger beer (non-alcoholic, in our case) at the Green Dragon Inn.  It was really good.  We said hello to Pickles, the cat, on our way out, and the entire bus ride back I watched the little knock-kneed lambs that were frolicking in the fields.



Our final adventure was to the Waitomo Glow-worm Caves.  We signed up for a tour, and right away you could tell it was a very nice cave.  It was big and open with lots of cool formations.  The coolest part of all, though, was the glow-worms.  A silent boat ride carried us down the underground river.  The only sound was the echoing drips of water.  Up above, thousands of glow-worms were scattered as little blue points of light across the black cave ceiling.  It was like a dense, bright milky-way of stars arching overhead.  It was so pretty!

Then came a long day in the airport, then some long days of finishing my homework, and here I am, back in the swing of things at Uni.

Kaikoura: Seals, Shells, and Spouts

 Hello!  Spring Break has brought a whole host of adventures!  Halfway through the first week, I left for Kaikoura for a field trip.  It was a lovely place with a beautiful view.  We are studying conservation and the co-management of resources, so we visited the field station and rahui there.  A rahui is a temporary restriction that is often used to allow a resource to replenish itself.  We worked with paua, or abalone, but more on that later.

 Last Wednesday (August 27th) we headed up, and one of the first things we saw was a fluffy cluster of fur seals!  They were supposed to be up a trail by a waterfall, but instead, we found them all curled up on the beach.  Most were snoozing, but some were playing in little pools in the rocks.  They were so cute!

The second day, we tagged paua.  We glued little yellow tags to their shells until we had a layer of superglue over our fingers.  Then we made bags out of kelp, which is the traditional way of releasing the paua.  We turned the kelp inside-out to give the paua some of the nutrients and algae on the outside, then cut slits in the side for them to escape through when they are ready.  We released some of the critters this way, but others we released with the modern method:  we set them on rocks and allowed them to crawl underneath on their own time.

 On the third day we got up early to to whale watching while the other half of the class hiked around to see a Hutton's shearwater colony.  It wasn't too eventful as far as whale watches go, but it was still really cool!  We saw albatross and a lot of fur seals, but the highlight of the trip was a sperm whale that surfaced twice during the tour.

In short, the field trip was lots of fun.  There was great food and lots of fun activities.  I've only mentioned a few of the highlights here, but it was definitely a great experience all around.

The View from (almost) Heaven

On Saturday I joined the Verso L'alto Catholic Tramping Club for a hike up Mt. Richardson.  I was super excited to finally get out into the snow-capped peaks I had only glimpsed from the library windows.  (Seriously, how can you work with a view like that?)



We drove to the base of the mountain and started up the track.  Fr. Clement lead the way.  The trail was quite steep in places, and the wet ground was rather slick, but the weather was beautiful for hiking.  Along the way we heard a great variety of birds, perhaps most notably the tui. A black fungus covered many of the trees, and this was a stark contrast with the pale greens of their leaves and a flowing moss that clung to their branches like cotton.  Soon we reached the snowy top of the mountain, though the weather was still warm and sunny.  With the shorter summit trees, it had the look of an enchanted corridor.  Father started throwing snowballs, but we pressed on until we came out at the very top, above the trees.


 I forgot my camera, so thanks to Becca for the pictures!  The view was breathtaking.  For a long time I just stood in the snow and stared at the snowy peaks around me, smiling into the sunshine.  I took a couple of tiny pictures with my little NZ phone--one is my new background--but mainly I just looked out over the mountains.
We waited for the rest of the group to climb up.  It was really nice, since we had a wide range of tramping skill levels.  Everyone climbed at different rates, and often people moved forward or backward within the group, so I got to chat with almost everyone who came.


 When everyone had gathered we had Mass in the snow at the top of the mountain.  It was heavenly.  Father's homily discussed the purity of the snow on the peak, and how it reflects the sun back even brighter.  In the same way, a pure heart reflects God's light.  It was a wonderful gift to celebrate in the clean air above the world.



After Mass we had lunch (doesn't food always taste better outside?), then hiked along the ridge for a bit.  Father Clement went wild throwing snowballs and singing.  I was pretty caught up in the Lord of the Rings-like scenery all around me!  Hiking through the melting snow, soon my shoes were soaked through, but everything else was so great that I didn't mind at all.  Some of the smaller mountains we hiked around reminded me a bit of the Berkshires.  I only wish I knew more of the trees and birds.  Hopefully I'll acquire that knowledge as I go along!



In short, it was a great day out for a tramp!  I'm really glad I finally got out to see those snow-capped mountains that enchant me from my window!  It was truly a blessing to spend time with the club, and I can't wait for our next outing!

The Art of Maori Bone Carving

On Saturday Alexis and I visited the Bone Dude to learn Maori bone carving.  We picked out our designs, got a quick starter tutorial, and started filing away at a little chunk of bone.  Once we had gotten it down to the right shape, we rounded the edges, then the Bone Dude helped with the finer detail.

We sanded the carving down with finer and finer sandpaper until it was smooth all around.  Then it was polished and we were done!  It was definitely enjoyable to make and the bone was pretty nice to work with, though I got a bit of a tickle in my throat from the bone dust while we were filing!

There's a lot of symbolism in Maori carving.  My design has a little bit of a fish hook, which is a sign of prosperity.  The Koru, or curl, is modeled after an unfurling fern frond, and it symbolizes new life or rebirth.  There are plenty of other symbols as well.  A whale tale symbolizes strength or protection, and a dolphin represents friendship.  A twisted design indicates eternity, and a double or triple twist is two people growing together in love or friendship.

It was definitely a little different from my soap carving last January, but I really enjoyed bone carving and wouldn't mind doing it again some time!

A Hike into the Hills

Weekend Update!  On Saturday Alexis and I caught the bus down to the Sign of the Takahe for a hike.  It was a beautiful spring day, with clear skies and a friendly breeze.  We hopped off the bus ready to go, then realized that we didn't know where we were going.  After a moment's deliberation, we struck off uphill.  I was practically bounding with excitement.  You know how much I love a good hike!  We walked for quite some time before reaching the trail head and a map.  The map showed one meandering hiking trail amid a tangle of mountain bike paths that braided their way down the mountain, all meeting in one place and interlacing as they radiated out from the start of the trail.  Five options were arrayed before us.  We chose the middle one, looking over our shoulders at every noise in an effort to avoid falling victim to speeding mountain bike tires.  However, we had nothing to fear, as we were soon assured when we came upon a set of stairs.

The views on the way up the trail were amazing.  It didn't feel like we were gaining that much elevation, but each break in the trees revealed that we were climbing higher and higher.  The trail was nice and clear, with little underbrush.  Naturally I was excited by everything I saw, and now my camera is full of pictures of trees.  But I guess that's not all that unusual!

We reached our goal, the Sign of the Kiwi, more quickly than we had expected.  Of course I insisted that we continue up Sugarloaf Reserve, which was the crest of the nearest hill and the highest point in the vicinity.  That walk was definitely more tiring than our earlier hike, mainly because there was nothing between you and the sun.  There were no trees, only tussock grasses.  All that openness paid off however, as there was nothing to get in the way of the phenomenal views at the top! 

  

The view to the South

Christchurch with the Southern Alps in the distance.

Once we were on Sugarloaf we walked around a bit to make sure we had seen all there was to see.  We felt like quite the adventurers!

A Word on Birds

On the hike back (after a brief snack) we took the flatter trail that followed the road.  It seemed to be the more frequently used way.  On the way down we couldn't help but notice how vocal the birds were!  Their songs were loud and quite pretty.  I captured one of the unique songs in the video below.  We also were excited to meet a couple of fat wood pigeons along the road.  Sunday morning I heard another bird that actually produced a pretty catchy tune, but I couldn't get my camera out before it flew off!  Perhaps in another post I'll have more to tell you about that!

Quick Update

Hello, everyone!  Things are definitely picking up here, so I'll try to give you a brief overview of what I've been up to!

Class has been great.  Some projects have started up already.  I'm still working on my transition from "summer mode," though, to keep up on homework!

Tuesday was Clubs Day.  Alexis and I visited the Foundry, picking up free stuff and perusing the tables of clubs and societies.  After ducking into the photo booth, I signed up for BioSoc, CathSoc, Pro-Life Canterbury, and the Tramping Club.  Between all of that I managed to pick up magnets, chocolate, a stress ball, mini-doughnuts, and a hot chocolate.  I would say the afternoon was definitely worth our while!

On Wednesday we also visited the Staff Club for the BioSoc pizza party.  Then there was a Tramping (Hiking) Club meeting.  After that, we found free pancakes at the common room and made some new friends there!  New Friend Leslie invited us to a Christmas party on the 25th.  Everyone in the group seemed very nice, and the pancakes were excellent.  All in all, it was a productive and social evening.

Friday was the Christmas party.  It was lots of fun!  Leslie and her friends decorated their house with a tree, paper snowflakes, and Christmas decorations.  There were even plenty of delicious Christmas cookies.  It was very relaxed; we socialized with lots of people and sang a few Christmas carols.  It was really a lot of fun.

Today Alexis and I went to the Christchurch city center and walked around the container mall.  I think I mentioned it before.  It's a shopping mall made out of brightly painted shipping containers.  It was a chilly day, so we didn't stay too long; we came back for lunch and made a nice warm meal of spaghetti and meatballs.

That was a quick summary of what I've been up to, just to keep you all in the loop.  I have to run now, but thanks for following my adventures, and don't forget to keep in touch!

Week One Down!

Hello, again.

I just finished my first week of classes, and they have me really looking forward to the next semester.  The topics are intriguing, and I feel like I'll be learning some practical skills as well.  All of my lecturers seem really nice, which is a bonus.  The workload appears to be quite manageable, and I already know when all of my assignments and exams are.  There are a lot of group projects.  I still need to scope out the best study spots.  I've been finding my way around campus just fine, but I'm hoping to map out some shortcuts for rainy days like today.

I'm taking four courses at UC this semester.  SCIM 101 is about Indigenous Knowledge and Science and its place in the world today.  That class will have a lot of guest speakers, so I'll be able to see plenty of perspectives and really explore the scope of the relationship between modern and indigenous science.  My English class is New Zealand Literature.  I got a crash course in New Zealand's literary history, and now we will start exploring the influences and motifs that pervade the literature, as well as prominent authors.  I'm taking two biology courses.  Animal Behavior is very interesting, as we have been looking at case studies.  It's really cool to see the concepts in action in the natural world.  I'm also very excited for New Zealand Biodiversity and Biosecurity.  So far, we have been discussing the geological history of New Zealand and its relationships to the surrounding land masses (since Pangaea and Gondwanaland), and how the geological experiences of Zealandia shaped the flora and fauna found here.  Right now we're looking at a lot more of the flora.  Like I said, all of the classes look to be very interesting and exciting.  If anyone wants to know about the topics, I'd be happy to tell you more, but don't worry, I won't go on and on about them here (because you should all know what happens once you ask me to talk about plants!).

The flat is lively, as ever.  There have been a lot of parties in the group of apartments, which confuses me slightly.  I didn't realize that Wednesday and Thursday nights were big party nights!  I suspect that it may have something to do with Winterlude, the second semester re-orientation events going on around now, before anyone has too much homework.  Alexis and I had a "party" yesterday--we got (excellent) burgers at a local spot called Velvet Burger, then worked on a tub of ice cream while watching New Zealand soap operas.  It was a nice way to relax after the first week of class.

We were hoping to get out this weekend, but it looks a little rainy, so we'll see how things go!