It’s the end of the trip, and I am not ready to leave! I have learned so much. I love how much this country respects its native species. They put a lot of effort into conserving their lands, including the Maori people, plants, reptiles and birds. I had an amazing culture experience staying in Whakarewarewa village where we learned some of their traditions and what they mean. They even taught us a couple of their dances and how to make poi. It was hard to understand at first, but I think it was a really good culture exchange for everyone. I was also happy to visit several wildlife sanctuaries. They have been really successful in bringing back several bird species and the tuatara (oldest reptile) that have almost gone extinct. It was cool to see some of these animals in their natural habitats. New Zealand really values their few native species and the rest of the world could learn a lot. We owe it all to our heritage and conservation is vital.
-Miranda Lisko
Currently we are on New Zealand’s South Island where the weather is much colder than the North Island that we had to say goodbye to a few days ago. It’s amazing how much we have seen, experienced, and learned our first 21 days on the North Island. I have fallen in love with the Maori culture. They value family and relationships more than any other culture I have come across. From a young age they learn their family genealogy that is passed down orally and most everyone can recite their family history back hundreds of years to early settlement days. Our overnight stay in the Maori village Whakarewarewa was a great experience where we got to see the traditional Haka dance and Poi dances. Us girls were taught a Poi dance and Maori song. Poi are small balls on the end of string that typically women spin around and make beats with against their hands. They make it seem so smooth and easy, but it is definitely not as easy as it looks, and we were even taught a dance that they typically teach their two to four year olds. I think the guide took pity on me for trying so hard but doing so poorly that she let me take a bath in their natural thermal baths! The water was perfectly warm like an all natural hot tub. An experience I will never forget. The whole trip has been more than I could have asked for, the experience of a lifetime.
-Maggie Wilson
It’s been four days since we departed from Wellington on the North Island and travelled down to the South Island. These past few weeks seem to have come and gone so quickly, but I have experienced and learned so many new things since the beginning of the trip. I’ve enjoyed being able to learn about New Zealand from the cultural and physical as well as historical aspects. My favorite experiences of the trip so far have been hiking the Putakura rainforest trail and black water rafting at Waitomo Caves. While we were hiking the Putakura trail, we actually got to walk through old gold mines, where we got to see green “glow worms” for the first time. It was incredible being able to walk through an actual rainforest and discover just how beautiful this country really is, and even though it was pouring down rain on us the entire time it was still one of the greatest things I’ve done. Blackwater rafting was also an unforgettable adventure. The 10 degree Celsius water was almost unbearable, though it made the experience even more memorable! Like the goldmines in the Putakura trail, the caves were lit up by green glow worms, which we learned was caused by the excretion of enzymes, oxygen, and other products in their waste which gets burned up for energy (called bioluminescence) and causes them to glow. Seeing and learning about the caves was a really cool experience. I am so lucky to have been able to come on this trip and learn about another country and its culture; I have enjoyed every experience while in New Zealand and am looking forward to our last few days here!
Alexa Schmitt
