Home.

So we now come closer to the two week mark of the end of our trip through Fiji New Zealand, and Australia.  To some of us it might feel like it was all a dream, composed of beautiful landscapes, wonderful scenarios, crazy, and sometimes inappropriate, characters, and of course, fried shapes.  Coming back home can be like waking up from a dream.  Suddenly we realize many of the responsibilities awaiting us, the events of the dreams from the previous night don't seem to relate too much to the current reality, and we could be a little groggy after the transition.  For some, the transition is quite easy and joyful, with relatively little bumps in the road.  Whatever the case may be for each of us individually, we should ask ourselves the following questions: Have I come home feeling more empowered and confident than before I left?  Am I staying present in each moment I do the things I used to do before the trip?  How can I maintain the positive changes that have been made recently?  Are you my nau?  Where's Gabe?

From Momo and Benji, we wish you all the best from here on out.  Hopefully the memories of the trip, the important ones, will stand out more as time goes on and as you become more adjusted to the world you left 3 months ago.  It was a great trip for the both of us, unforgettable- and we mean that in all ways. ;)  So, be sure to keep track of you hat, keep your lips puckered for photographs, remember that 8 spades does NOT beat a misere bid, squirrels can dance, and to never, ever  miss tea time.

We love you Justin Bieber!

Love,
Benji and Momo

Final Entry

It has been a fabulous last week here in beautiful and sunny Cairns. We spent our week getting scuba certified in the classroom for two days and then off onto our overnight live-aboard on the Kangaroo Explorer. During our dives, we spotted much colorful wildlife including clown fish, many types of coral, sea turtles, sharks, manta rays, sting rays, sea cucumbers, and many more. It was a very exciting trip and a great way to end our activities here the South Pacific with a bang.

To conclude our blog, we would like to offer from each member a highlight from the trip as well as a tip for the next Walkabout group from Carpe Diem.

Gabe: Highlight- Clowning around in Fiji
Tip- Bring a good home stay gift, because whatever you have wont feel like enough

Eric: Highlight- Tailing sheep
Tip- You only need to shower once a week and you don't need shampoo or soap

Ross: Highlight- Hunting on the Marae
Tip- Lose weight and get in shape before the trip because you wont lose weight here and bring a pack robe

Hannah: Highlight- Visiting the Chenrezig Institute
Tip - If you have the opportunity to try something new, always take it

Mike: Highlight- Underwater squirrel dance after seeing a manta ray
Tip- Save money for a didgeridoo, here come the toydles

Tate: Highlight- All the time spent outdoors
Tip- Keep a journal, even if you don't have to

Simone: Highlight- Seeing a shark
Tip- Save money by cooking your own meals

Samira: Highlight- Australia
Tip- Don't eat too much cake and don't get too sconed

Ben: Highlight- Exploring beautiful and green New Zealand
Tip- Go exploring on your own

Penrod: Highlight- Connecting with all the people
Tip- Step out your comfort zone more than once

Stephanie: Highlight- Dancing the Meke
Tip- Don't follow the packing list, bring jeans and a full sized pack towel

We have had an incredible time here but now it is time to go home.
Signing off for the last time.
Love, Walkabout Fall '10

Chanrezig

Hello back home,
We sit here in Cairns after our plane ride this morning from Brisbane.  We intended to board a train last night that would have taken 22 hours, but the train was canceled due to flooding.  Instead, we got the whole day to check out the city and find out all the information we needed for our next group activity.  Tomorrow at 9, 7 of the 11 members start their open water dive class.  On of us can not participate due to ear surgery and the others plan to continue the diving classes they have already taken before. 
At Chenrezig, the whole group got the opportunity to take a vow of silence for however long they wanted while at the Monistary.  Some of us lasted quite a while while the others started talking after the first or second day.  While at the monistary, we all got the chance to attend classes in meditation, learning about the mind and teachings on Tibetan Buddhism as a whole.  We all ate vegetarian meals which was tough for some of us, though making the experience more realistic.  On the last day, we got the chance to go to the Australia Zoo where the famous Steve Irwin use to work.  All of us attended a show put on by the trainers with many different species of animals.  With open minds and zen body, we look forward to our next activity, SCUBA!  Only five more days until you all get to see our beautiful faces!! :)
Much Love,
Rike and Moss

Groovy Grape & CVA

    Hey all! We had a great time on the Groovy Grape with our new enthusiastic companion, Steve, (BRILLIANT!). We started off our journey through the Outback by driving over to Uluru a.k.a. "Ayer's Rock", the biggest attraction in the Outback. We spent two days here and on the second night we got to experience a once in a life time opportunity of a thunderstorm over Uluru. The next day we headed over to King's Canyon, where yet again we experienced another thunderstorm this time in the middle of our hike and we had to race back to the van. The next morning we took a drive to Coober Pedy, the opal capital of the world and a town where you felt you were always being watched.  Here, we spent the night in an underground house as 85% of the locals do to escape the heat. When we woke up the next morning, Steve drove us to a near by cave where we got a tour of how opal is mined and prepared for the consumers.  Before leaving Coober Pedy, we got the chance to see kangeroos for our first time in Australia at an orphanage near our cave house.  While we were at the orphanage, three of the guys purchased didgeradoos creating the first band in the group, "Here Come the Turtles". On our last day, we said our goodbyes to Steve and half the group as we parted ways to our seperate projects with CVA, (Conservation Volunteers of Australia).

   With CVA, one half of our group was sent to Leigh Creek in search for kangeroos while the other half went to Brookfield Park to look for wombat burrows.  The Leigh Creek group was up at 4:30 every morning to be out in the bush for primetime kangeroo sighting.  Work finished by 8 AM for this group, giving them much down time which prepared them for the Buddist Monistary.  The group in Brookfield, 5 hours away, was up by 7 every morning working until lunch time. After the five days of Volunteer work, we all made our way safely to the beautiful city of Adelaide.

   When the Brookfield group arrived here to Adelaide today at 3,  the Leigh Creek group that had gotten in the day before had an amazing Thanksgiving spread prepared.  Australian style of course, the dinner consisted of Kangeroo on the barbie along with all traditional Thanksgiving dishes (minus the Turkey).  Reunited, we had a great meal together and talked about our plans to come. 
 
   Below, we have connected the link to our flickr account where you can view some of the pictures that we have taken throughout the trip.  It has been pretty tough to upload pictures down here, so not all pictures are able to be viewed, sorry for the inconvenience.  Until next time, This is Gabe and Michael Signing off on behalf of the FANZ Carpe Diem walkabout group.
CHEERS!!!
http://www.flickr.com/groups/walkaboutcarpediem/

Sydney

G'day Mates!
     Unfortunately after spending a wonderful time at the Maori, it came to say goodbyes.  With tears and laughter, we departed Otoko Pa by taking a four hour bus ride to Wellington.  Once we arrived to Wellington, we as a group decided that we were going to save money and stay the night at the train station to catch an extremely early flight the following morning.  But little did we know that the train station kicks everybody out at midnight.  Thankfully, we were able to take shelter outside in a waiting area provided by the bus service.  After little to no sleep, we were off onto the next leg of our journey, Sydney. 

     After landing from our turbulent flight and sorting out a mess with our shuttle driver we arrived at our hostel in downtown Sydney.  After venturing around the city and getting accustomed to our new surrounding, we spent our well earned money on a nice group meal.  Eric fell in love with our appetizer, wedges dipped in sweet chili sauce and sour cream.  The next day our group went to Bondi Beach.  We spent a couple hours on the beach before a thunderstorm forced us to leave.  The next day, the group split up and toured the city doing whatever they wanted to do.  Many people walked to the Opera House while others went back to the beach.  Our last full day in Sydney the group split up again.  Some of the  boys decided to go golfing along the water front.  The others went to the aquarium and to another local hot spot, Manly Beach. 

     We now are in Alice Springs which is smack dab in the middle of the Australian outback.  We now await our next adventure, the groovy grape.


Until next time,
Walkabout

Yours truly,
Penrod & Gabe.

Rotorua and Maori Restoration Project

Howdy yall!
     We have had a very busy week since you last heard from us.  We started off in Rotorua relaxing before we took off for the Maori restoration project.  During that time we went zorbing.  For those of you that don't know what zorbing is, it's where individuals leap into a giant hampster ball spritzed with water and are pushed down a hill.  Silly boys, Ross and Penrod forced little Hannah "Blueberry" MacMillan into the giant bubble with their half naked bodies.  Hannah experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity...the triple banger!  Zorbing was our Halloween celebration.  We went in costume but received no candy. 

Next stop was Otoko Pa where we lived on the Marae with members of the tribe.  The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand.  The visit started by a greeting from the Maori people called a Hongi, in which you touch noses with each member and say "Kia Ora."  We were able to go on a tour of the land that belongs to Otoko Pa which was a beautiful landscape.  Other activites included painting, weeding, hunting, preparing meals, and cleaning around the Marea.  We also took a day long drive arriving at different Mareas in the surrounding area.  We spent a very relaxing and rejuvenating week learning about their history and culture.  The people were very welcoming and kind.  We came as strangers and left as family. 

Love from Walkabout!

Compliments of Penrod and Hannah

OPC

After a night in the ghostown that was Wellington, we headed off on our 5hour bus ride to the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuit Center.  The week was spent doing some fun and unusual activities. 
The first day we went streaming up a river, knee deep, for some of us short people waist deep, and for others who fell in head deep.  Without too many bumps and bruises, we made it to the waterfall- a sight to behold.  A beautiful rainbow popped out and some were able to capture it.
That night folks, we recieved the most amazing Halloween care package that you could ever, and I mean EVER, imagine. Thanks to Eric's MOM! We spent the night eating chocolate and Halloween candy talking about how awesome you are.  For any other loving parental units who would also like us to think they are awesome, care packages are more than welcome!  Contact the office for details on our location.  Next stop Sydney ;-)

After our feast, we climbed, on full bellies, Mt. Tangariro, also known to Lord of the Rings fans as Mt. Doom.  Now, when I say climb, I really mean climb, not hike.  It was so incredibly steep.  When we reached the top the view was outstanding.  We were then instructed to whip out our ice axe that we luckily had stored in our packs.  With ice axe in tow, we slid, on our bums, down the 2000ft. mountain.  Yes, that is correct. Oh, and did I mention it was covered in snow, a wee little childs DREAM.

Other activities included team building excercises, high ropes course, and a field trip to the thermal pools. 

Last but not least we went caving in Okupata Caves.  This was a challenge for most as the cave was very narrow and there were some difficult squeezes, especially POOH BEARS CRACK.  Yes, that's the real name.
After caving we ventured out on our overnight camping adventure.  Canoeing for almost thirty minutes led us to a private beach island where we all set up our own camp sites from a tarp and sticks that we were given.  The night was very quite and a reflective time for most, spent alone in our tents.

OPC was a great and we did so many things that would have been so expensive to do on our own time.
Thanks to Ken and Pip our leaders at OPC.

Much love back home,

Hannah and Stephenie

Hello friends and family,
Sorry it's taken so long to get our free travel blog out (which seems like forever ago now...) but it is finally here!
After spending two magnificant days in Queenstown exploring the city and eating delicious Fergbergers and Fish &Chips, the group decided to venture out on two different free travel options.
Part of the group- MoMo and the minors (aka Simone, Samira, and Gabe)-decided to rent a camper van and drive around exploring NZ.  They ended up at Milford Sound and went kayaking.  Highlight of their trip? Seeing Penguins!
The other halfish of the group went out to the Caples Track on a three day hiking adventure.  When the driver picked us all up to take us to the trail head, none of us quite knew what we were getting ourselves into. The first day went by without too many incidents.  It took us about seven hours to reach our first hut, where we met Dan, the man, a fellow tramper.  The night was cold and the girls shared girl talk while the boys played cards as usual with Dan.
Now on to the second day....
Which was different than the first...
In the morning, Tate Beers and Ross, weren't quite feeling up to par.  But they persevered through the nine hours of grueling hiking only to see the top of the saddle for 5 minutes because it was too cold to stay up there. Mike suffered through the cold after falling into the water up to his waist on more than one occasion.  The rest of the group was out of breath most of the time after hiking some of the most trecherous domain that any of us have ever seen.  The hut could not come soon enough. 
Though it sounds like we all dispised what we were doing, have no fear we were troopers and really did love every minute.
The last day was a shorter hike to the bus stop where we waited, waited, and waited a wee bit more for the ridiculous tourist bus to pick us up and take us to Milford Sound.  We basically made the entire bus smell and they did not appreciate our tramping-selves on their bus.  After a cruise on Milford Sound through some of the most beautiful water scenery there is on this planet (including dolphins, waterfalls galore, rainbows, and seals), we returned back to Queenstown to meet up with the rest of our group.
Overall free travel was AWESOME.

Made possible by Gabe (we cannot pronounce his last name), who worked effortlessly in planning this free travel for everyone.
Love and Hugs to family and friends back home!
Miss you and love you!
FANZ

Mazol Tov from Marama

Hello Stalkers! Samira and Tate here reporting from Marama Farms!

The group had mixed experiences in the city of Auckland. For most the time was spent exploring the city and even taking time to have a ride on a dolphin at the world famous Sky Tower.


We learned lots of things like: Where to find delicious gelato, kebabs, and burgers. We learned that nothing good happens in a hostel bathroom past midnight. And finally we learned that Ross is actually an advertising model in New Zealand.



While the time in Auckland proved full of adventure and fun for most, unfortunately a couple of members were struck with the dasterdley D and spent most of the time in the hostel bathroom. No worry though, the quickly scraped together what was left of their pride and pulled themselves together to head south. So we said goodbye to one member and good bye to the North Island!


The group was weary and tired, but met with the breathtaking landscapes of Marama Farms all worries were forgotten. Soon our inhibitions, much like Graham's pant legs, were nowhere to be found. The group quickly fell in love with our most gracious hosts and made fast friends with all the other happy inhabitants of the farm. We learned all about food and nutrition and spent long hours toiling away in the kitchen to create the grandest of meals. The work varied and gave the group opportunities to discover new talents. There was painting, fencing, twig throwing, Snow watching, track clearing, and tail clippings along with daily chores and duty.  Thursday night met us with a most unexpected surprise, in the form of Jean Beliveau, the man who is walking around the world for peace and non violence. The group marveled at this great man's tales from the road and his beautiful message of peace.



The time spent here at Marama has been a major highlight for many in the group. Our hearts and stomachs are sad to leave Graham and Giselle's amazing hospitality and their lovely home. While sad to leave, we look forward to the adventures yet to come and keep the lessons we have learned close to our hearts. Until next time!!!!

Moce Fiji, Hello Auckland

Greetings from Auckland,
      We have just arrived in New Zealand after having a wonderful experience at our homestays in Togovere Village. We were wlecomed with a sevu sevu ceremony where we were offered kava and where we met our
Nau's (mothers) and the people of Togovere. The first night we got aquainted with our homestay families and went up the hill to watch an amazing sunset (which we did night after night). The days following we
worked on the driveway and the school. The whole group pitched in and worked hard by shoveling sand, making the cement mixtures, laying the cement and making the wire tracks for the driveway. It was hard working in the hot Fijian sun but the villagers knew how to do it right by aughing and having fun and making sure to make plenty of breaks and having ample time to relax. We also learned about Fiji time which is
basically the opposite of what we do in America. Instead of rushing and trying to get as much done as possible, they take their time and if something doesnt get done, theres always tomorrow. Our Nau's also made sure to feed us well. Everyday at 7:30 we had breakfast which included pie, cookies, pancakes, toast, fried bread, tea, coffee, and raspberry eggplant jam. At 12:00 we would have lunch consisting of soup, fish,
rice, noodles, cassava, mango juice, and sandwiches. Then at 5:00 we would have our favorite meal of the day, tea time. We would have tea, fried bread, pancakes, and the most delicious, addicting scones (some
group members could eat 15+ scones per tea time). Lastly at 7:00 we had dinner consisting of different curries, rice, chop suey, tarot, fish, and noodles. We all gained a few pounds. The food was hard on our
digestive systems at first (nearly everyone got sick) but we eventually were able to adapt to all the carbohydrates. We also took a tour of the Fiji water plant, as well as the elementary school where we sat in on some classes and played games with the kids. Some other highlights of the Togovere trip included learning how to plant cassava, our day trip to the beautiful island of Nanu Ira, and our trip to the village beach where
the Nau's cooked a mean BBQ that literally brought tears of joy to Ross's eyes. The group also went on a rigorous hike up Fiji's 2nd tallest mountain. Our last days in the village were the most fun filled
and our group performed some traditional Fijian dances such as the Meke. Needless to say we were all bummed to leave Togovere but are looking forward to our time in New Zealand.


Eric and Samira

Bula From Fiji

Watch out Fiji, because here comes Carpe Diem. After what seemed like the endless days of traveling, we arrived in Nadi during the wee hours of the morning. While the lack of sleep was prevalent on the faces of all the group members, the Fiji sun rising over the mountaintops and the excitement of reaching our destination pushed us through our first day. The next morning Ben and Simone took the group up to the roof of the hostel for a morning yoga session. We decided to try and incorporate yoga in the mornings as much as possible. During our orientation, the group quickly became a close family of travelers; all eagerly participating in anything and everything that came to hand. We also came to appreciate and enjoy the local food which consists of curry spice dishes as well as Indian influenced cuisine. The group had time to make friends with one another as well as the Nadi locals (who were all very friendly, especially to Ben who got the pleasure of sitting next to the affectionate Bill the cab driver). On the third day the group traveled to beautiful Natandola beach to celebrate the end of our Fiji orientation. Next, we are headed off to the village of Togovera for our homestays and we hope to continue what has been an amazing experience for all of us.

Time to WALKABOUT!

It's officially happened, the Walkabout group is walking now, through security, and onto the great beyond towards FIJI!  The group thankfully didn't experience any difficulty in uniting and if that doesn't bode well for a wonderful semester than I don't know what does!

Walkabout is Walkin' About!

Walkabout, the final Carpe Diem group is all together and ready to ship out to the many challenges and adventures that await!  Look for more from the group itself in a couple of days.  Until then, this is Carpe HQ signing off....

Walkabout FANZ Fall 2010!

Dear Walkabout Fall 2010 team: Ross, Hannah, Samira, Stephenie, Michael. R., Eric, Sam, Kellon, Michael C., Tate, and Gabe!

Benny and Simone here welcoming you to your new and exciting blog!  We hope you have all been enjoying the last bits of summer and are ready to extend the sun and fun right into the South Pacific…woot woot.  We are here in Portland at the Carpe Diem headquarters getting all geared up to finally meet you all and to begin our outrageous adventure together.  If you haven’t already heard from us, you should be getting a call from one of us in the next few days to go over some final details before we all head off. 

Definitely let everybody and anybody know the address to this page so we can keep friends, family, and envious folk all up to date on the ins and outs of our exciting jaunts through Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia!  All of you will have a chance to do the writing here and uploading of photos, so start thinking about creative things you may want to add.  Other than that, enjoy your last week(ish) wherever you may be, and we will see you all at the airport soon!!!

“Kia hora te marino, kia whakapapa pounamu te moana,
Kia tere karohirohi i mua i tou huarahi.” 

May calm be spread around you, may the sea glisten like greenstone and the shimmer of summer dance across your path.

-Maori Blessing

Peace.

Simone and Benny

P.S. – To get you all a little more savvy on Maori and New Zealand culture, here is a video of the New Zealand rugby team the All Blacks performing the Maori Haka, a dance traditionally used to intimidate ones opponents.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdMCAV6Yd0Y