Blog #1:
I always knew New Zealand was gorgeous but there is so much more to the beauty, behind the beauty, creating the beauty that amazed me during my time there.
First of all, the history of the native life of New Zealand is very different from anywhere else. New Zealand separated from Gondwanaland relatively early (before mammals made it to NZ) leaving the bird population, especially, to thrive and evolve into many different species. The Kiwi, of course, is one of the main icons of NZ and there are many different places that are focused on Kiwi conservation and rebuilding the population. One place specifically that really impressed me in the way they are trying to rebuild the Kiwi population (as well as the Tuatara, a native reptile--and very cool animal--to New Zealand that is nearly absent from the mainland because of the introduction of mice that came along with human settlement) is the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is a 600+ acre patch of native bush and wildlife fenced off (with possum—not O-possum—and mice proofing qualities) about ten minutes away from Wellington (the capital city). They actually just recently found some baby tuatara in the sanctuary—a big deal because the mainland population has been in danger. They also have a small Kiwi population thriving within the fence, which is exciting because: 1.) They are the cutest bird in the world, and 2.) They are one of the most interesting animals. Their bones have marrow, their feathers are downy, their eggs are 15-20% of their body weight, and they actually have one of the shortest beaks because of the way the term “beak” is defined.
The efforts Karori goes to in order to protect and replenish the wildlife populations (not only the animals but the plants as well) is astounding as well as inspiring. The only thing that confused me during our visit there was the short video in the indoor exhibit. I couldn’t tell what message I was to glean from it…was human settlement of New Zealand a good or bad thing? Yes, we introduced the threats to the native life of NZ but now we are the ones saving those native species from extinction.
--Destiny Davis

Blog #2:
I left New Zealand three days ago and even though I had a brilliant time I was happy to get home (missing my family, and REAL ketchup, got to me a little bit). The first thing I did when we landed in Los Angeles was go to McDonalds and get some fries (not chips) and ketchup (not Tom sauce). Then a day later I was greeted by the humidity and heat of Arkansas. Now I’m all settled in (pretty much) and have plenty of time to reflect upon the trip.
Hahei was my favorite place--which is saying something because every place in New Zealand is absolutely breathtaking. I remember the feeling I had during the first few days whenever we were driving in the bus through the countryside. Everywhere you looked was a beautiful landscape—just there, on the side of the road, no searching out little gorgeous secret spots, every place was worthy of poetry. The variation of the landscape surprised me. One day we would be driving through the temperate rainforest thick with tree ferns and pine (one of the introduced trees for the timber trade), then we would be surround by steep rolling hills of grassy farmland dotted with sheep, and then eventually (near the end of the trip), we drove through a desert covered with sandy colored grass patches (with “Mount Doom” in the background…just had to mention it). All the while, we were reminded of the volcanic history of New Zealand-- either with calderas staring at us from just a few miles away, steam clouds rising from the side of the road from a patch of hot ground (heated by hot water), exposed layers of soil and ash, or bubbling mud pools speaking of a day when humans were not there.
One especially cool experience was the day we visited the Waiwera hot pools. It was raining lightly that day and I wrote in my journal “there is nothing better than sitting in a pool heated by the earth with cool misty rain washing over your face with a lush green mountain as a backdrop.” I can see why the Maori are closely tied with nature. In a place like New Zealand it’s difficult not to feel some sort of spirit around you. The steam fields (created by the hot water close to the Earth’s surface) surrounding the healing hot pools bordered by thick green bush is a common scene.

In just over twenty days, I learned about the geological history of New Zealand by simply being there. The effects of humans (and everything they brought with them) as well as volcanoes/geothermal forces is evident just in experiencing the landscape by walking, hiking, and driving through the country. Of course, the sprinkling of JD’s descriptions and explanations of what we were seeing also helped put the timeline of NZ’s life together. The trip was full of many different experiences; everyday was a different landscape or aspect of the same landscape. I only wish my pictures had captured the brilliance of the place.
--Destiny Davis