Of mud and watercolour landscapes

After our beautiful night out under the stars, Mary-Ellen, Geoff, and I woke to a slightly misty morning on the lake. We packed away the tent into the car and some oatmeal into ourselves with the lakeside as our backdrop and the numerous song birds and waterfowl serenading us.

We met back up with the rest of the family and headed shortly down the highway to the Wai-O-Tapu thermal wonderland. As with our own experience here, we began with the mud pools, where gases deep within the earth force their way up through this pool of mud, creating spectacular shows of bubbles, spitting, and miniature eruptions of the grey kaolin clay. This was also the first major experience with the strong sulphuric smells that would be persistent throughout the park. Fortunate for several members of the family, a cold was inhibiting much of their sense of smell.

Quickly purchasing our tickets, we backtracked to the geyser to make sure were got good seats for the show. Our announcer also seemed to be suffering from a cold, but managed to get through his piece before dropping in the surfactant that releases the pressure and sends the geyser going on command. It took its merry-ole time starting up but to our delight, it erupted in all its steaming glory!

So with two geothermal experiences crossed off, we headed into the thermal wonderland to see what other unique formations could be found. I will not go into too much detail, given that I have written about this before. For the next hour and a half, we wandered across great gaseous caverns, bubbling pits of mud and graphite, sulphur spurring from the ground, and the persistent smell of rotten eggs.

 The most remarkable thing for everyone was the colours. Unlike when Mary-Ellen and I had gone, the sky was clear and beautiful making the colours even more vibrant. With one area, known rightfully so, as the artists pallet, whose waters ranged from turquoise blues, to kiwi green, to sunflower yellow, and even a rusty orange.

Another thing that differed greatly between this venture and the one Mary-Ellen and I did almost a year ago now was that we were able to see significantly farther which added some depth to the extent of the park and painted a greater picture across the landscape. This was not only true for the many lookout spots where we previously had simply walked past, but when we were walking the boardwalks across the small geysers and bubbling waters.

Wildlife was also much more visible, with small flies around the many waterways and several pied stilts (wading bird) wandering through the rivers snapping at small creatures. Although they were not shy to people, they did seem to avoid positions that would provide the greatest photo opportunities! This one in particular refused to go close enough that the bubbling sulphur could be seen in the same shot.

The one thing that Mary-Ellen and I didn't do was the green lake, a lookout at the extent of the park. It was fortunate then that we returned, as this gorgeous body of water was worth a second tour. The emerald green waters, fed by a water fall mirrored the green foliage on its perimeter but unlike most lakes was far from a reflection of the blue sky. The contrast to our preconceived idea of a lake was stunning.

Getting tired of the walking and with the increasing cloud rolling in we headed back to finish up the tour with the champagne lake. Unlike last time, there again was a greater visibility and the extent of steam coming off the lake was easier to see. The orange ring of archaebacteria among the bubbling greenish water is a sight few people get to see, and hopefully people realize they are seeing a form of life unlike any we are used to seeing, something few people can say they have actually seen.

Though, the favourite of many of the family was the Devil's bath, in all it's green splendor. It was here that we got our family photo taken and in return Dad reciprocated. Before we could leave though, Dad ended up getting asked to do so for another family from somewhere in the Asian Orient. As we left, the man kept asking Dad something, although he didn't understand. We heard correctly though and indicated to him that the man was asking if he was a Cameraman. With a big smile he responded, no only an amateur. We finished up, headed to Rotorua, got a feed of Burger Fuel and retired to the hotel. Given the rain that had started and would throughout the night, we opted to stay at the hotel rather than risk drenching. With lots of family pestering and goofy antics, we shared our memories of the last days adventures and headed to bed before our trip to Taupo.

Rotorua

After a decent night's rest, we packed up the cars and headed down the road to the tourism hotspot of Rotorua. Through yet more farmers fields and this time several fields of kiwi plants, we coasted onward across New Zealand. As we approached the town of Rotorua, we started to see the many lakes that dot the countryside. We were fortunate enough to come across one with a pair of black swans close to the bank. Mom being on bird patrol, was captivated by these majestic creatures, pruning in the shallows.

Once we arrived in town, we immediately detoured to the redwoods. Getting out and stretching our legs, we trodded off into the underbrush with the ancient redwood trees towering around us. In the shade of the canopy, we enjoyed the numerous ferns and jokingly hummed the theme to Jurassic park. This of course brought up one advantage to wandering through the forest in New Zealand to that of Canada, being that there are no carnivorous mammals such as bears or coyotes to worry about. 

With an increased sense of adventure, we wandered into Rotorua to find our next great adventure. New Zealand is well known for its outdoor extreme activities and sports, and although we would be forgoing the bungee jumping and sky diving, we decided to participate in the downhill luge. So we all scrambled into our gondola and headed up the mountainside. The view over Rotorua was well worth the trip up alone, with forests and hills framing the lake and small town.

Now first of all, I do not have any pictures of the luge to which I apologize. We were so gung-ho to go riding down the mountain on these essentially go-kart style sleds that I forgot to just take some generic pictures, so I will just describe the situation. The cement tracks that the sleds traversed weaved around each other much like the New Zealand roads and people were sliding all over the place at variable speeds to their skill and comfort. Geoff and I were the first to go, but found ourselves quickly overtaken by Mom, Derek, and Dad who came screaming down the track terrorizing any and all other drivers on their way down, several of who blocked Geoff and I far behind our group. This was followed by a ski-lift venture back up the mountain, which was by far my least favourite part given my aversion to heights. Everyone enjoyed the sledding so much though that we were tempted to go again, but were under schedule to get back to the bottom to see some Kiwi's. Before heading down, we stopped in a Jelly-Belly shop which was adorned with art recreated using only jellybeans. Mary-Ellen thoroughly enjoyed these remarkable pieces of art and took a bit of crafting material to go.

Once again we headed down in the for more secure gondolas and reconvened in the parking lot for a trunk buffet of peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Conveniently located adjacent to the gondolas was the Rainbow Springs Park, who run a kiwi rehabilitation centre. For Mary-Ellen and I, we have yet to see a kiwi and were quite excited to hopefully see one up close.

Unfortunately for everyone else, photography was not allowed so you will have to go once again on my description. From the first viewing room, we were able to see multiple incubators turning and heating the roughly 12 cm eggs that had been retrieved from radio tagged kiwis. These eggs are carefully monitored for growth and will hatch in the little incubators with a little miniature kiwi emerging. These kiwis are moved to larger pens where they remain until release. The upside of this program is that the baby kiwis do not imprint on the human handlers, and as such, when released into the wild they retain their natural instincts to avoid humans. One of the downsides is that they have to be hand fed at this point to make sure they get a healthy diet. We were fortunate to have someone there feeding a kiwi, and got to see our first glimpses of this iconic creature. When she pulled it out, there was a small fuzy brown creature squirming and shaking its head in defiance. The almost fur like quality of the feathers was apparent through the glass as the handler sat in a chair and pulled up the dish of pureed material. Unlike the wriggling insects and worms this small creature is instinctively looking to eat, the special diet containing insects, important vitamins, and minerals in the form of small little uncooked meatballs did not move and thus was unappetizing to the young kiwi. Instincts in this case were quite troublesome, as the small kiwi refused to open his beak to eat even when the handler moved it around in her fingers to simulate wriggling. In the end she had to open the beak with her fingers and put the food between his beak where the little kiwi quickly gobbled it down.

Awestruck at this mysterious inhabitant of these mystical isles, we reluctantly moved on to see some adult kiwis in their enclosures. First walking in, it was the similar dark and low lit enclosures I remembered from the zoo. Unlike the zoo however, these kiwis were indeed out and about, probing the ground and digging. These creatures seemed almost alien to someone from North America, where a flightless bird, even though nocturnal, would likely have a hard time surviving the numerous nocturnal mammalian carnivores. It is only in the isolated isles of New Zealand, limited in its terrestrial predators, could such an animal survive. It gives one a new perspective on introduced species when you see these amazing animals and think that one of their greatest threats to survival are possums, ferrets, rats, stoats, cats, and dogs, all of which are non-native.

We were all pretty pleased to have had the opportunity to partake in this encounter, but found our energy levels dropping quickly. We wandered through the rest of the park, admiring other local birds, reptiles, and the enormous trout in every waterway. We also got a glimpse of some very old animals, one of which is believed to be the closest living relative to some of the great dinosaur species, the tuatara. This lizard is reasonably unique for the third eye it has at birth which quickly is enveloped in skin. We also got to see a statue of one of New Zealand's extinct flightless birds, the Moa, which would have towered well above even Derek.

The park finished and some dinner in us after a lovely meal on eat street in Rotorua, some of us went to the hotel, the rest to one of my favorite spots, the Department of Conservation campsite out on lake Rerewhakaaitu, which I still have no idea how to pronounce (though, neither did the locals). We set up the tent and then enjoyed a leisurely sunset on the lakeside before getting a well deserved rest.

Being so far out of town, we were also treated to a beautiful starlit sky when we all finally had to get up to use the washroom. Our old friend, Orion was unfortunately the only constellation we recognized. With a renewed comfort and a beautiful view we drifted off once again, to regain our strength and energy for our walk through the geothermal lands of Wai-O-Tapu.

Into the mountains and to the sea

Our first day on the road began early in the morning mists of Auckland as we started south, thankfully against the growing morning traffic. We ventured across the flat farmlands, through to Thames, and finally into the mountains. The family got their first taste of the winding roads that meander across the rugged landscape of New Zealand. The second thing that became quickly apparent was the lack of shoulders to the roads as we found ourselves looking for places to pull over and take pictures of the emerging landscape. As we descended out of the clouds and through more farmland overrun with swollen rivers, we were greeted by a vivid rainbow. Venturing now into the sunlight, we arrived on the coastline for a much needed pit stop before more mountains and winding roads. The view however had shifted from clouded jungle mountain to rocky cliffs and endless sea. Our weary travelers were much relieved to have arrived at our first big road trip destination, Cathedral Cove. With tired eyes and an energy fueled by pure excitement, we trekked over rocky paths and through lush green jungle to the beautiful coastal scenery filled with rock formations formed by the constant attack of the rolling waves.

The namesake of this area is a great cathedral cavern carved through the rock wall, framing the white shores and monolithic rock outcroppings. Naturally, Dad thoroughly enjoyed taking pictures of everything, so many pictures that it seemed that at the rate he was taking them, he might easily surpass the kilometres traveled in number of pictures. In all fairness though, even the huge number of photos will only be able to capture a small bit of the trip and the rugged beauty of New Zealand.

The beaches were spectacular with their soft white sand and monolithic structures topped by an assortment of very hardy plants. These structures highlighted well the relentless power of the ocean, with the bases being undercut by erosion. Fortunately, we didn't have to rely on Derek supporting the rock above him.

We also, not at all to our surprise, found we were not the first of our Countrymen to visit this picturesque part of the coastline. Among the many names and countries carved into the wall of the rock, we found Canada, etched into the stone cliff as a long-lasting, but far from permanent reminder given the high erosion of the area.

Tired and weary still, we took a moment to pause and rest in our own ways, some taking pictures, some just stretching their legs, while others took any excuse to climb something as they always have.

Once rested we headed down the road to attempt to reach hot water beach. Unfortunately the tide was well on it's way in now  and the expanse of flats that normally would allow one to easily dig down to the warm waters flowing up and out of the ground were currently under the rolling waves. This however would be the first of many pit stops for lunch, breaking out the bread, peanut butter, and jam that the whole family would surpass their yearly quota of before the trip was through. Getting latter into the afternoon we headed towards our accommodations in Tauranga, but before arriving, we decided we needed to get out and stretch our legs again, perhaps wake up a bit for those that had recently arrived. We pulled into yet another beach, in a place called Onemana. This far more beige coloured sandy beach was littered with shells and home to the endangered New Zealand dotterel. These birds did not show too much fear, coming almost right up to us for some great photo shoots. We relaxed in the cool ocean breeze, before hitting the road once again on the last leg of this day's venture.

As we sat around the hotel room, having pet the local dog and eaten lots of well earned pasta, we reflected on the first traveling day. We had learned the hard way that sunscreen is a must in New Zealand, as the family spent a good deal of time rubbing the Aloe on all the red surfaces. Everyone was still in awe of the unique views from Cathedral Cove, which had set a precedent for the rest of the trip. Tired and happy we headed off to bed with images of a day of beaches and thinking of the day to come in the volcanic valley! 

The Aquarium

Our first big jump into New Zealand tourism was a trip to the local aquarium, Kelly Tarlton's. Mary-Ellen and I had visited it before, much earlier in the year and were excited to share the experience with the family. So, jet-lagged and full of excitement, we packed into the cars and headed to the Mission Bay area. The weather was far from ideal for sightseeing, but none-the-less we did manage to come across a traditional Maori sailing vessel, known as a Waka, hauled up on the beach. The beautiful vessel was adorned with paintings and carvings that echoed to a time when these vessels were used for long ocean journeys.

Once into the small aquarium, there was much to enjoy, and it is always fun seeing it through someone else's eyes. The resident penguins had the whole family captivated for quite a while as they swam past windows, waddled around their enclosure and fed small chicks hiding in the corners.

A personal favourite of mine, the rays, were large as life wandering around their enormous tank with their 1.5 metre wingspan.

One of the major highlights was of course the large tube and conveyor belt walkway. While standing on the moving floor, we were transported through two large aquaria, that ran around us creating a tube. Ancient looking sharks and majestic eagle rays swam around us as we journeyed through. Dad of course had a blast taking pictures of the numerous creatures that swam by.

One of Mom's favourites was the sea horse exhibit, which although hard to compare to the breeding facility she went to in Florida, was still an amazing viewing of some rather unusual and interesting variations on the sea horse body form.

Tired and ready for a nap, we concluded our first real adventure in New Zealand, returning home for some well deserved supper and to look through the pictures we took. It was clear at this point that the family would be in for a long presentation when Dad got home, showing off this and the many more adventures we would have on their visit!

A Family Reunites!

2:30 am - woken up with the same excitement one experiences on Christmas Eve as a 6 year old, the tossing and turning started

6:30 am - finally rolled out of bed to get ready to head to the airport

7:30 am - watching youtube videos in an attempt to distract ourselves as it was STILL too early to go to the airport

8:00 am - running to the car to head to the airport

8:02 am - in the car, seat belts buckled and car started

8:04 am - the plane from LA landed at the Auckland Airport

8:40 am - arrive at airport and park

9:15 am -  4 sleepy people walk through the gates to start what will be an awesome amount of New Zealand sight seeing.

9:30 am - in the cars  and now on the way to the house to drop off luggage, change and start the day!

10:30 am - one of the best kiwi breakfasts at Bolaven  - a little tucked away yummy restaurant that serves brioche french toast, free range eggs, happy bacon and sausages and perfect toast

11:30 am - off for a tour of Mount Eden which included a stop at the butchers, the produce market, the fish mongers. the chemist and a few little shops along the way to pick up some fresh food for the next few days

Overall  a super successful first morning with lots of sight seeing around Fiddlehead Flat. The weather was nice and overcast allowing the winterized Canadians a chance to acclimatize to the warmer weather without too much rain.

We spent the afternoon hanging out, chatting, catching up and eating lots of yummy fruit. It was glorious.

School's out for Summer!

Where-oh-where did the last 9 weeks go!?!?! This term FLEW by with sound barrier breaking speed. Things were chaotic, hilarious, full of warm heart fuzzies and I wouldn't change it in any way.

This term held final exams for the Year 9 students and one last NZQA standard for the Year 10 students. Outside of testing, we had a blast. The whole term focused on Algebra, which lets you get into some really fun real word applications - such as speed dating. I used this a few times in my classes with great success, it was so easy to do and it got so many kids talking to classmates that they would not normally have talked to as they were solving problems.

We also played "Algebra Survivor"  - a game from a website called coolmath.com. We had some great online and in class games played where teams could earn survivor points that were then tabulated for the grandest prize of classroom history - CHOCOLATE!

All of the learning aside, I absolutely LOVED the last day of school - and not just because it was the last day of school. The kids I taught all year did some AMAZING things. There was a Christmas concert in the first part of the morning - man, can these kids SING! Their voices are clear, powerful and full of passion and love. All of the instruments were played by the kids and the choir was fantastic. It was a chill inducing morning with all of the talent in the room and all the LOVE the audience gave to their peers. There were kids rushing the stage after each performance to shower their classmates and friends love with hugs and kisses, high fives and general congratulations. It was a beautiful show of love, support and the recognition of the courage it took some of these kids to get up and share their talents.

After the concert, we had prize giving which was another ceremony that looks somewhat like it does at home, but again the love and recognition by the students for their friends was overwhelming. After each section of awards, when photos were being taken, friends and families would again rush the stage with big messages of congratulations, hugs, kisses and candy leis. I have not seen this before, and didn't take any photos of the leis (I should have!), but I did find something similar online.

The awards ceremony ended with one of the coolest things I have ever seen a school do for a student. There is a boy, Soape, (who I was lucky enough to teach this year - not only talented with music, but also academically and a very likable kid) who posted one of his music assignments to youtube (see it here). It was seen by Agnes Tupou (who the song was written about - by her husband) and the music department was able to arrange to have STKS (the guy who wrote the song) come in and perform with Soape to close out the awards ceremony. You can see the video of this performance here. How the music department kept this a secret from the students and almost all the staff was amazing.

I'm off for a few weeks now - until January 22nd -  and we have a BIG vacation planned with Mark's family (parents and brothers) arriving in the next few days. I'm already looking forward to the next Polyfest (music/dance/cultural competitions), but not wishing my summer away.

On their way

Well, it has been quite some time since we last blogged, and much has happened. A school year has ended, field experiments have been set up, and summer students have been trained. We have been busy bringing all of responsibilities to a close in order to be free to enjoy the upcoming adventures with the Wilcox family. At this moment they are twiddling their thumbs waiting to board the long plane from LA to Auckland. Mary-Ellen and I are doing some last minute cleaning and preparing to do some Christmas baking for our weary travelers who will be arriving bright and early tomorrow morning. We will be on the road for much of the visit but I will try to keep it updated as best as possible.