Week 7 already!!

Hey all,

 

After departing our unforgettable time at OPC (thank you again to Mark and Ken,) we returned to the Extreme Backpackers Hostel for the night. Many of us chose to do laundry, connect with family and friends on the internet, watch episodes of friends, roam around Turangi, play Bananagrams (a variation of scrabble,) and make dinner in the hostels kitchen. Not surprisingly, we were all fairly worn out from our 2 day excursion, so it was a relatively early night and subsequently early morning.

 

Our bus picked us up a short distance from the hostel around 10:45 for a 6 hour ride to Wellington. A few short stops were made along the way, and once we neared the city a breathtaking view of the ocean popped up out of nowhere, and just like that we arrived in Wellington. While we waited for our transportation- which was 30 minutes late- Lucy tirelessly tried to find out what was going on and I managed to scrape up my thighs from climbing in the trees like a small child. Finally, our second bus arrived and Lucy was able to get us 30 dollars off the original price! And that ain't easy with the taxi drivers here, props to Lucy for that. The hostel we were staying at was quite lovely. Internet was cheap, fun energy with all the international travelers, right in the dead center of the city, and friendly staff. The only downside was the beds, where the braces underneath the mattress moved as you tried to find your perfect sleeping postition. On another note, Sunday evening we had our weekly group meeting (Debrief of each of our roles, and FGAA's [Feelings, Goals, Accomplishments, Affirmations.]) Much of our feelings and accomplishments as you may imagine were focused on hiking two difficult summits in 3 days. With that, we headed off to bed and prepared to make the most out of our 3 days in beautiful Wellington.

 

Having only 2 full days for ourselves, the group branched off and visited the Te Papa museum (New Zealands national museum,) explored the local cafes and restaurants, walked along the waterfront, went to movies at the renowned Wellington cinemas, went on Lord of the Rings tours, mountain biked through the Makara peak trails, and had more one-on-ones with eachother. And with that, a few of the group members favorite part of Wellington is as follows:

 

Lucy- She most enjoyed her mint chocolate chip gelato with Christine& chinese takeout on the waterfront with Hannah.

Gordon- He really enjoyed the overall vibe from the city. Some much needed shopping was accomplished, followed by a fresh cut, and lunch in the afternoon. Next, he and Hannah were able to sneak dinner into a movie, followed by a sprint home to make curfew.

Dylan- I really enjoyed browsing the local restaurants, and my mountain biking experience at the Makara peaks made me really miss biking. Oh yes and jumping in the freezing bay with a few guys I met on the boardwalk 

David- Having been to many places in New Zealand already, David found himself most at home and comfortable in Wellington. A place where he could see himself appreciating and taking advantage of everything it has to offer. And of course, the sushi.

Emily- Of all things, a stingray popped up right in front of her eyes in the shallow waters of the bay. Additionally, talking to mom and dad for the first time in almost 2 months felt very good

Karen- Karen enjoyed walking along the coastline of the city center; people watching the healthy buzz of runners, visiting the Wellington Art Gallery, and hiking the Redrocks Caost with Cliff

Cliff- With his forte of rock climbing, he enjoyed the reachy rock gyms, dingy basement bar-games that are a healthy reminder of why we don't drink on this trip, the rugged coastline, Malaysian food which is a new cuisine for him, and his old favorite- medicore movies

 

The rest will follow once I post another update after our Routeburn Track expedition! Many photos and fun stories will follow

 

Sincerely,

Dylan Stokes

Hello Family and Friends,

 

Hope everything back in the U.S. is thriving. We Kiwis have just returned from a life changing 5 days at the Sir Edmund Hilary Outdoor Pursuits Center.  To say tour time there was epic would be an understatement, to say our time there was tough would be an understatement, to say that we reached the summit of Mt.  Doom in 3 hours would be dead on. 

 

Our time at OPC was primarily spent trying to push our comfort zones and doing challenges that would help us grow as a team.  Our first few days were spent on the grounds of OPC, which is a huge facility.  On our first day we had a number of challenges given to us by our two leaders Mark and Ken.  Some of these challenges involved jump roping, picking up a bucket surrounded by flaming hot lava a.k.a bricks, and traveling as a group from one island to another over shark and crocodile infested waters using a swinging rope.  Each was difficult but in the end we just about accomplished each task.  We also did some trust exercises and this all built up to one of our biggest challenges of the week the trapeze.  This involved us climbing up a wobbly pole, we were on billet of course, as we reached the top we had to stand on top the pole and balance ourselves.  When we were prepared we had to jump for a bar that was about 4 or 5 feet in front of us.  We all had difficulties with the task, some more then others, but in the end we all made it to the top and each of us made the jump.  Only Dylan, Cliff, and I were able to grab and hang onto the bar, but everyone gave it there best effort and certainly conquered some fears in the process.

 

The next part of our day got pretty interesting.  Our leader Mark was in a good way...a bit of a wacko, let's just say he had some interesting ways to work on our team bonding.  The next challenge that he gave us involved three buckets, one was more of a barrel full of tiny little holes and the other two were regular buckets.  Our task was to use the two buckets to fill the barrel with the freezing cold water from the river we were next to.  The team deliberated and we decided the easiest way to complete the task would be to stick our two smallest people in the barrel to that we could take up more space inside.  So as the troopers that they are Lucy and Christine hopped on in and took on the bitterly cold water as the rest of us either plugged the other holes or poured the water.  It was rough, but they stuck it out and we dominated the challenge.  Thinking our time at the river was over our spirits were high, but of course Mark decided to take it a step further.  At the part in the river where a road runs through it he had us lay down and as a team we had to role across each other until we reached the other side of the road.  It was pretty brutal and painful, but like roly polys we got through it and slowly embraced it.  Feeling alive after the refreshing wake-up we were all pumped to move onto our next endeavor which was what Mark likes to call "Urban Caving."  He led us to believe that we would basically be walking through underground passages, but of course he tricked us and it was more like we crawled through a body sized tunnel with a cool stream of water flowing through it.  It was a little terrifying, but most of us jumped right into it and crawled the 20 yards of tunnel.  Our first day ended with Mark tying us all together with rope and having us walk the mile and a half back to OPC, while talking about how our day went.

 

The next day was just as awesome.  We woke up early to make breakfast for ourselves and the other two groups that were at the OPC during our stay.  It was fun and we got to work with our Fijian cook Joyti.  After breakfast Mark and Ken took us caving.  We all were extremely excited for the experience and it didn't disappoint.  For about 2 hours we walked,ducked, crawled, and squeezed through the dark caves.  We stopped here and there to look at glow worms that lit the cave walls as Ryan said it looked like something out of Avatar.  Our main challenge in the cave was at the end when for the last 500 feet or so we had to find our way to daylight without flashlights.  So we all held hands or whatever we could grab onto and walked as one following the glow worms until we finally found our exit.  It was certainly a beautiful journey and something that we will never forget.  After caving we returned back to OPC's main campus where we actually had to split up for a while.  Emily and Lucy had some business to take care of concerning our transportation and living situation in Wellington.  So while they did that the rest of us headed over to the high ropes course.  When we were all back together we all got prepared for the Big Swing.  The Big Swing is a contraption set-up at the top of the climbing wall of the high ropes course, I'd say it was about 50 feet high.  It was a bit intimidating since we weren't exactly sure what to expect until we got up there.  I got up to the top first and Ken began to strap me into a harness and different ropes all of which were connected to a wire out ahead of me.  He then had me step out onto a platform an on the count of three I was told to just step off.  It was nerve-racking, but like everyone else I did it and it was incredible.  It was basically like flying, the only hard part was getting yourself mentally prepared to step off...and maybe the pain that us guys had to endure.  It was a big moment for of us as we had to face some fears and encourage/support everyone else in the group.  That ended day two as we had to go back to our chalets in order to get ready for our double overnighter that waited for us the next day. 

 

The adventure that we set out on on Thursday was a bit of an unknown to us.  We knew where we were going and where we wanted to end up, but other then that we weren't exactly sure what to expect.  We loaded up after breakfast each of us caring as little personal gear as possible and tons of water, food, and equipment for the group.  Mark and Ken then drove us to our starting spot in Tongariro National Park right between Mt. Tongariro (our first summit) and Mt. Doom (our second summit).  We set out excited and ready to face all obstacles that came upon us.  Ryan who has been our captain this week to the lead and found a nice path for us to take up Tongariro which gets steeper and steeper the more you climb.  It was rough going at times we had to make quite a few stops, but after about 5 hours of hiking we reached the summit.  It was a beautiful sight looking over the entire national park and for all of you Lord of the Rings fans we saw the true land of Mordor.  It was a great accomplishment and extremely exhausting, but we were still ready for more.  On our descent we passed by some amazing scenary.  First was the Red Crater which like its name is a humongous crater that has a red tint, we hiked around it and on the other side we saw the Emerald Lakes.  Which are also pretty self explanatory.  They are mini lakes with a deep green hue.  Both were sights to be hold and we took our time to really soak it all in.  As we continued on the sun was slowly beginning to set and it was gradually getting cooler and cooler.  We still had to get to our camp site which was located a third of the way up Mt. Doom.  Looking up at the mountain is quite frightening as it is just a massive object covered with black rocks and very little life.  We made it to our campsite with very little daylight left and as quickly as we could some of us set up our tents as me, Kelsey, and Hannah made dinner.  After stuffing ourselves with beef stew and mashed potatoes we went to bed.  Sleep was hard to come by for most, but we were able to keep warm with lot's of cuddling.

 

Our ascent of Mt. Doom began at 10:00 A.M. on Friday.  As a group we decided that we would keep the pace slow so that we would stick together and so no one would get tired to quickly.  Ryan once again took the lead with me right behind.  I was followed by Christine, then Kelsey, Emily, Kareem, Lucy, Hannah, Karen, Dylan, Gordon, Cliff, and Willem; as Mark and Ken kept a watchful eye from behind.  Mt. Doom is ridiculously steep so to keep a nice pace and everyone together is rough.  However we figured out that if Ryan and I dug out foot holes for those behind us as we climbed it would make for better footing and thus an easier climb.  It worked like a charm, our pace was much quicker and after 2 hours of climbing through the clouds we could finally see the top.  We had reached a rock ledge that would take us right up to the summit.  It took some navigating and patience after another hour we finally reached the top.  As exhausted as we were, smiles were all you saw on our faces.  The view was un explainable.  On one side was the crater of Mt. Doom and on the other was the vastness of the land below and the clouds that we were looking down upon.  We enjoyed a quick lunch at the top and then began our walk around the crater until we reached our descent point.  Looking back I think most of us would agree that the descent of Mt. Doom was much harder then the ascent.  Getting down involved something called Scree Running, which in a sense in skiing down the gravel that covers Mt. Doom's surface.  Mark gave us tips on how to do it, but we all took tumbles on our bums here and there.  Slowly but surely however we reached the bottom and looked up at what we had conquered.  A team meeting had to be called however to decide what our ext plan of action was.  We were supposed to reach the top of another small mountain by nightfall, but Doom had taken its toll on quite a few of us, so as a team we decided it would be better for us to just head to the campsite.  

 

We spent out last night in the shadow of Doom, still in awe of what we had just accomplished.  We feasted on all of the food we had left, beef casserole, mac and cheese, Raman noodles, and delicious cake, and candy.  It was a great way to end the day and we all went to bed proud of the job we had done.  The morning was wet and we were all sore, but we finished up the last mile of our hike in no time and got to our bus excited to get out of the rain and back to OPC where warm showers awaited.

 

Our week was all in all the experience of a life time.  We accomplished something that people only dream of doing.  We did it as a team and we all grew leaps and bounds.  Our team which I already considered strong is now even stronger.  I know personally this week has taught me many things about myself and I think everyone has similar feelings.  But now we head to Wellington this morning as our free week is about to begin.  Hope all is well, until next time.

 

-David Horwitz

 

This is our group photo in front of the Maori house we stayed in all week and David and Ryan with their prom proposal

Here's the girls trying to spin the poi and some of us playing on a playground at a marae we stopped at along the Wanganui river drive

Kia Ora!

 

We left the marae (spelled it wrong before) this morning and are spending the night here in Tanganui at the Extreme Backpackers hostel, which includes a climbing wall that Cliff and Karen have been enjoying. Today has been nice down time for us all to do some laundry  or catch up on e-mail. Emily was very excited because she finally got her long lusted after Kinder egg. Tonight we're having a makeshift prom thanks to Hannah for organizing it so today has included some interesting prom proposals. David and Ryan ambushed me with a dance performance and a yes or no check box written on their chest. Kareem asked Karen on one knee while she was mid-air descending from her climb. We've all been having fun with it and are going for a classy dinner out at the finest of restaurants (aka BK) of course after tons of awkward prom pictures.

 

So last I left off it was Thursday and we had travelled to town to see the Maori museum. We had a guided tour through the museum and were overwhelmed by the rich cultural history of everything from war canoes to musical instruments. After the museum we stopped at a very elaborate playground for lunch and felt like 8 year olds again as we bounced on the see-saw or climbed a giant whale. We departed to drive along the windy roads of the historic Wanganui river, which we learned more about later in the week from Kareem's stimulating historical presentation.

 

On Friday we celebrated the Incredible Mr. Cliff's birthday. Some of us went for a hike to try to find the legendary bottomless lake. We were halted by a gnarly patch of blackberry bushes but enjoyed venturing through the hills and Christine and I found a pretty sweet walking stick bug and gave it to Cliff for his birthday. Cliff also got to whip an exploding mushroom at Ryans white t-shirt for his birthday. Kelsey, Ryan, and Dylan branched off to do some hunting and at the end of the night we all enjoyed delicious caramel pecan pie made from scratch by Kelsey and Karen.

 

On Saturday we rejoiced over the birthday of that tall cup of tea that is David Horwitz. We were able to see a traditional haka performed by a Maori group. Their costumes and songs were beautiful and we all enjoyed watching their dances. The girls were encouraged to go up and we attempted to learn how to dance while spinning a Maori poi. Afterwards the performers sat and chatted with us over tea and sent us well wishes on our travels. For our last night we ate food cooked in a hongi, which was like a dug out oven in the earth that the boys helped build. Ryan and Dylan also came back from hunting with a goat slung over each of their backs.

 

During the week some of us found what we referred to as Jack Johnson tree (because it looked just like the cover of his in between dreams album) and visited it frequently.  Overall it was a week full of birthdays, culture, hiking, and hunting and we all said our goodbye to the marae. We head out tomorrow for the Outdoor Pursuits Center and word has it we will be surrendering all technology so I'm not sure when the next blog will be, but know that youre loved ones are healthy, happy, and psyched on our next adventure!

-Lucy

 

 

Up close and personal of the captured eel

Here's a picture of the mountain ranges we hiked around on our first day!

special shout out to dylan for lending me his memory card to upload pics

Hello again!

 

Lucy here, by the way, forgot to sign my name on my last blog. We have been enjoying our time on the Marai so far. We arrived late Monday night and met the members of the Marai who have been so welcoming and generous. On Tuesday we hiked through the magnificent mountain ranges surrounding our new home to go down to the river. We stopped among a forest to play like monkeys on the vines and picked up abandon peacock feathers as we went. After our hike a Maori women Ameria taught us how to weave flax. We all made little woven fish and boxes. We've been spending a lot of time enjoying the people and the surroundings and doing some hiking, journaling, and playing games.

 

Yesterday Willem, Gordon, Ryan, and I hiked the hills across the road and took some epic shots of Gordon in his Blazers jersey for the Portland Wear in the World contest. We also went eel hunting yesterday morning with some of the men from the Marai. We trekked through the river slipping our hands under rocks to feel for eels. We all enjoyed hopping along the rocks on the beautiful sunny day and some of us rested on the river banks to read and journal. After many bends in the river Gordon, Dylan, and the two Maori men finally caught our prized eel. Today we are going to check out the Maori exhibit in the local museum and drive along the Whanganui river.  Everyone sends their love back home and I'm hoping to get some personalized bits and pictures on here soon!

Hello All!

 

Writing to you from the beautiful lake town of Taupo. We have begun our journey to the Maori village and stopped here yesterday for one night. We're all very grateful for the immense amount of work Emily put in to set up our transportation. We've been taking responsibility in our roles and supporting each other to develop the skills of a traveler so major kudos for Emily's dedication on this one. We have all enjoyed exploring Taupo. Some of us snagged some treasures in souvenir shops for our loved ones back home while others took solo walks along the water front or explored the natural hot springs just down the road from our hostel. We are headed out very soon to complete the final leg to the Maori. We are not really sure what to expect but have prepared a Maori song as an offering for the tribe and are very excited to be immersed in their culture. Ill try to keep you updated on our Maori experiences later in the week, but for now here are the lyrics to the song we will all be attempting to sing today. (hopefully we dont offend the tribe with our botched pronunciation)

 

Ka Waiata

 

Kia Maria

 

Hine i whakai

 

Whaka mea tea mai

 

Te whare tanga ta

 

Hine purotu

 

Hine Ngakau

 

Hine Rangi Marie

 

Kote whaea kote whaea

 

O te ao

 

Kote whae kote whaea

 

O te ao

aaaand pictures.

This is a shot of what Highfield Farm looks like from a distance but doesn't nearly do it justice. That white house way out there is the place where we've been staying.

 

Sorry about the delay of photos... and if this last one turns out sideways, but I hope you enjoy the few I've managed to get on here!

 

Sincerely,

      Ryan Gasdia

Pictures...

Just a couple o' guys shooting pool at the Farm. Cliff and Dylan.

Pictures!!!

Auckland skyline from Kelly Tarlton's.

Picture!!

The natural waterfall/waterslide and some of the crew in Fiji.

Picture!

The Victory Picture after completion of the footpath in Fiji!

Bugga.

Well, as you can see from the below blog post, there are no pictures. I have failed you! But i have not yet given up. It's pushing 2 am now, but I refuse to leave you - our family and friends - without a single picture! I will try to make sure that before we leave today at 515 am that you will have at least one solid picture!

The Last Night At Highfield Farm

Well hello there! The days have flown by since my last posting. I'm not sure if it's the work schedule or the regular hikes through the hills, but time here has certainly taken an agressive pace.

 

It seems like it was just earlier today when we were getting the stuff out of our bags but now, as I write even, we are all working on cleaning and packing our bags once more.

 

We have accomplished a load of work in our short time here at Highfield Farm. We have repaired all majorly damaged fenceposts and prepared the rest of the fencing for new wiring. We've dug trenches, stapled fences, weeded more than any human should ever weed in a lifetime, picked berries, peaches, apples, grapes and more, and even herded cattle. Sheila (proper spelling this time) said that we have done a solid job and is pleased with the work. She has been patient and kind with each and every one of us, and I'm sure that we've all learned a lot from her. From the kitchen to the cow pies, she taught us how to get done what needed to be done.

 

Tonight is our last night here. The day was spent with a morning of work, followed by a trip to a swimming hole for a peaceful picnic lunch. The day was concluded with a campfire, where we roasted kebabs (sp?), marshmallows, and dampers. Sheila even made us hot cocoa. It was a perfect ending to an awesome experience here on Highfield Farm. Tomorrow morning, before the sun rises, we will be departing for the next chapter of this adventure and leaving the Farm. We will quickly be ushered into the next phase of our trip, but I am sure that we will one day look back and remember the times we've shared here.

 

 

Now, getting on with it! I've promised you all back home several things. The first would be Shout Outs, which will be shortly following. The second was pictures, which I will also attach to this email. I would love to put captions under the pictures and tag your loved ones in them, but in all honesty, I haven't the slightest idea as to where these pictures will show up on the blog once I've attached them. So, I hope you enjoy the Shout Outs, and hopefully you will be able to pick out your kid/friend/etc. from the random assortment of pictures (some will be from Fiji, others from here in New Zealand).

 

 

SHOUT OUTS

 

I'm doing the Naranjo Boogalooo.

Emily

 

I'm really enjoying working on the Highfield Farm. Haven't showered in a week but... long hur don't cur.

Hannah

 

I love... us.

David

 

Kelsey is having fun on the farm!

Kelsey

 

I'm loving life on the farm, killer I represented team tollbrick 2 well, Bec I got to ride in a mini on the other side of the road. Jealous? Fam I miss you all especially Nemo. Love,

Christine

 

Being here begs the question, where is Old Zealand? Mom, zoom in on Google maps, if you look close you can see me. Go Celtics! Jo - love you. Squeeze Gabe for me.

Cliff

 

Happy Birthday Mom! I miss your hugs and face! -"'smoko'- knock off time, seats of lights!?" It's great to be back here in New Zealand and have VegieMite at my fingertips : ) <3

Karen

 

Happy Birthday Dad! Mom, I hope you're doing well and keeping my furry friends busy! Cooper and Emma, I miss both of you lots! Hayley. have fun in Ireland I hope it's all Irelandy and stuff! Love and miss you all! Go BLAZERS!

Gordon

 

Hey Mom and Pop. How's spring training? How are the twins looking. Say hi to Eve, Ingrid, Lucy, and Lizard. Love,

Willem

 

Mom, Dad, Anja, Tucker, Stella, and maybe Coon. I miss you all, but I'm sure you're doing fine. Dad maybe you got your tattoos? I'm thinking of Anja and Grace on the wwoof farm, it's sweet. Cheers,

Dylan

 

I'm loving every day travelling and send well wishes to the people back home. Happy Birthday Hannah! Thanks mom for the package. And to my 5 sistas --> I ought to see the man Mulcahey.

Lucy

 

Auckland City Hospital was nice, although the service was a bit lax... The menu does offer a decent variety. My surgery went off without a hitch on the bright side the knee is still stiff.

Kareem

 

Hey family! I hope all is well and you're able to keep pops from finding new ways to hurt himself. Say hello to bizzy and maggs for me. I sent a bunch of people postcards from Fiji, so hopefully you get them soon! love,

Ryan

 

 

 

Post Script - The above Shout Outs were read from chicken scratch off of a piece of paper and translated to the best of my ability. Hopefully I didn't botch too much of it.

 

I would also like you all to know that the pictures featured on this blog post are largely in part of Christine, who has helped me along this dastardly adventure of transferring pictures. It's after midnight now, and we are waking up in 4 hours, so thank you Christine!

 

Many thanks for reading, and well wishes to all of you.

 

Ryan Gasdia

Organic Farm Week

Hello friends and family!

 

I'm writing you from a very pleasant cow farm a few hours drive north of Auckland, New Zealand. In fact, I'm writing this blog with the soothing voice of Willem in the background, reading off the prologue to Star Wars II (We are all jazzed about the plasma screen that this nice house is sporting).

 

We arrived just a few short days ago and have spent our time getting to know our host (Shiela), working on the farm, and contributing to the upkeep of the home with rotating chores. Work on the farm includes (but not limited to) pulling rotted fenceposts (Christine, David, Cliff, and myself (Ryan) have all helped), stapling fencing to new fenceposts (this has been mostly Willem, Christine, and Gordon), digging trenches for electric fencing (props to Gordon and Dylan), naming cows (Hannah and Christine were in charge of naming a cow and chose "Precious"only to find out it was a male cow. fail.), weeding (more like deforestation from the size of the weeds), and picking ripening fruits from the orchard. Most of the group has chipped in on the weeding at some point or another, and it's definitely already showing. We all give our best effort and it's clear in how smoothly things are running.

 

We've all been thrilled with the food here. Gladly enough, New Zealanders also have four meals a day. What a happy place! So if you were worried about your loved one on this trip shrinking away, DON'T. We've been chowing down on some lovely Cowbell, which is the name of the cow that we have been slowly working on.

 

The rolling hills surrounding the farm have natural terraces and varying types of trees and plains, which several of our group members have begun to explore. We're all just happy, to put it plainly, and trying to take it all in - we're starting to see how fast time is rolling by and want to make the most of each day. Already 1/3 through the trip!

 

This will post will be accompanied by another in just a few days, with a short shout-out from each group member and a more detailed list of what's been going on and what we've accomplished. With any luck, we'll tag a few photos to my second posting as well.

 

Until next time, know that your loved ones are happy and healthy, and learning more about the world and themselves every day.

 

        Ryan Gasdia

Hello from Auckland!

Our group has spent the past three days in Auckland New Zealand which has been pretty sweet. It is a drastic change from the village life we are used to but everyone is adjusting and having loads of fun. 

There are so many things to do in Auckland and as a group we took advantage of this.

On Friday a group of us (Me, Lucy, Kelsey, Hannah, David and Ryan) headed over to Victoria street after walking around the city for a while to go to the Sky Tower. The Sky Tower in Auckland is the largest structure in the Southern Hemisphere and we got to climb up to 220m to get a panoramic view of the city. There were even glass panels replacing some of the floor which allowed you to feel like you were walking on air...it was pretty scary. We had a great view of the city and the surrounding islands.

After that the same group minus Kelsey decided to take a shark bus (yes it was a bus that looked like a shark how cool) to Kelly Tarltons Underwater Aquarium where we unleashed our inner five year olds. It seemed like everyones favorite part of Underwater World was our Snowcat tour through the penguin area or walking through the shark tunnels.

While we were off being tourists the rest of the group was navigating their way through the city. Kareem and Dylan did some shopping, while Gordon and Willem were checking out some nice local resturants, Emily tried to tour through as much of the city as possible and take in the great sights and Cliff and Karen took some time to climb a local mountain.

Last night we joined up again as a big family for some group bonding at a bowling alley. While we were waiting for our lanes we found a sweet invention...bumper car laser tag! The teams were Me and Emily vs. David and Gordon vs. Ryan and Willem, it was an awesome six minutes of fun. Once we hit the lanes bowling shoes laced up and nicknames entered into the monitor we bowled all night. Gordon was the king of the group beating us all with no one close behind.

After bowling we split up into two groups to get our last tastes of Auckland. Half of the group danced the night away while the other half went on a search for ice cream after realizing all of the movie theatres were closed at 10.

We had a great three days in Auckland and we are all anxiously awaiting our next step in our journey WWOOFing aka working on an organic cattle farm, we are all looking foreword to it.

Cheers from Auckland,

Christine Natoli

Bula!!!

 

Our last week in Nananu was AWESOME we had so many fun activities and time with the villagers and our new families.

 

On Tuesday of last week we took a group hike to a natural water spring where Nananu gets their water supply. Following the Fijians we found the beautiful spring with waterfalls and all went swimming and most of us even climbed it at one point. On the way back from the spring we all learned about Guavas...and let me say picking a fresh Guava off a tree and eating it whole is one of the best things ever...we found the Guavas to be one of our favorite foods in the village.

 

During the last week we took a couple of field trips outside of the village to explore what Fiji has to offer. Last Wednesday we went to the Fiji Water Plant (yes the plant that sells the bottled water in the square bottles), we learned all about the company and got to see the production line in work. The water is  from a stream right near the village we stayed at. That night we had a discussion facilitated by Kareem about the Economics of Fiji Water to work on his PSU credits. It was a lively and intellectual discussion.

 

On Wednesday and Friday of that same week we went to Voli Voli beach which is a nice beach resort near the village. This was the most beautiful beach I have ever seen in my life, clear water surrounded by flourishing green mountains. it was truly breathtaking. During our time there me, Ryan, Dylan and Lucy enjoyed some snorkeling where we saw some amazing electric blue starfish. There was also alot of Volleyball time (one of the Fijians favorite past times), and many people went out kayaking exploring the sea and the surrounding islands. Ryan and Emily will tell you all that they are super proud that they found their own private Castaway Island and even cracked open their own fresh coconuts.

 

One of everyones favorite activities was our horseback ride. We all were on horseback either solo or with a Fijian guide and took a long horse ride through the mountains and valleys to a waterfall with a natural water slide. We all showed some of our wild sides sliding down the water slide and jumping off the rocks into the deep pool at the bottom. Unfortunately we were shown up by the Fijians and their crazy fearless jumps and dives. We then galloped off into the sunset...holding hands.

 

Sadly our time at Nananu had to come to an end. On our last day in the village we had a day filled with fun, family and our favorite village activities. Some of our favorite memories of the village were swimming in the river, hiking the near by mountains (Ryan hiked everyone within distance), eating four meals a day (most of them consisting of cake), playing volleyball in the rain, spending time playing with all the children, spending time with our families (yeah UNO with my brother Patteia and sister Alesie), laying down in the coool nights  watching the stars and emerging ourselves into the Fijian community including Sunday morning church with our families with vast knowledge provided by Lucy in an engaging Religion talk. We enjoyed our time working on the footpath and completing our section to help the village out with their muddy area.

 

On our last night we had a parting celebration starting with a Fijian feast with the chief where we were all dressed in our Fijian best (chambas and homemade Fijian shirts), followed by a Kava celebration where the village gave us thanks for all of our hard work. Kava is a traditional drink made from a Kava root which in the Fijian culture helps to welcome us into their community. We then had a long night of dancing and enjoying our time with the locals before a sad parting in the village the next morning with many laughs, tears and hugs.

 

I on behalf of the group would like to share our praise and appreciation for the people of Nananu, they are some of the nicest, most caring people that you will ever find in your life. They opened up their homes,and their families and allowed us to become a part of them.We will all miss Nananu but a piece will always stay in our hearts.

 

We had a great time in Fiji and now are safely in Auckland waiting for our second part of our adventure to begin.

 

Sending my love to my family and friends from New Zealand!

 

Christine Natoli

 

P.s. A big shoutout to Lucy for help with my spelling and grammar.