Well, ok,ok... we have been here four whole days and no one has posted. But hey, we are doing well and man have we seen some stuff! Here is the first installment! To be honest I am just glad I got 32 people from Central AR to Auckland without 1) loosing anyone 2) all of their luggage arrived! Anyway here we are, in Hahei Coro. enjoy! JD
So here we are at day 4 of our Kiwi expedition. We’ve just been too busy having fun to keep our friends at home posted on our experiences, so I’ll give you a quick run-down of the trip so far. Monday didn’t exist for us, so our journey really started on Tuesday. After the epic plane ride, we hit the ground running when our awesome bus driver, Peter, drove us to the top of Mt. Eden to look out over the glory of Auckland. We saw the crater of the extinct volcano as well as some old Maori ruins. It was breathtaking, but the sites only got better from there. The next day we went to Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World and got up close and personal with some penguins, fish, and sharks before we went to the Waiwera hot pools. On Thursday we took a ferry to Rangitoto. It really was the climb of a life time to get to the top, but the view was amazing. Standing in the clouds, you could see all of Auckland and the surrounding harbor, so it was well worth the pain and stumbling that many of us endured along the way up the steep, rocky slopes. Perhaps the most amazing part of the hike was the prehistoric-looking forests full of tree ferns like nothing I’ve ever seen and the native fantail birds we encountered at the top. The drive to Hahei after the hike was equally as breathtaking, though much more tame— endless views of rolling, farm-covered hills. Hahei has been great thus far. We walked down to the beach on our first night to see the Southern Cross and countless other stars. Today, Friday, several of us woke up early to see the sunrise over the beach before we drove to Cathedral Cove for an amazing hike. The cove was gorgeous, and we all enjoyed a morning at the beach like non we had ever experienced before. The waves were huge and the surrounding cliffs and rocks were full of life. We also ventured to Hot Water Beach today before returning to Hahei and making a quick hike to Te Pare Point. The highlight of the afternoon was seeing my first blooming New Zealand Christmas tree— the blooms are absolutely amazing! In fact, everything we’ve done so far has been amazing, and I can’t wait for our next stops tomorrow.
Hayley Sebourn
Wow, where to start regarding our safari through the amazing country of New Zealand. We began our trip out of Little Rock, flew to Denver, then to Los Angeles. From L.A., we made a 13 hour flight to Auckland. Jet lag is a pain! Straight out of the airport, we got to experience some of New Zealand’s finest cuisine: the meat pie. This little pastry is a must try when visiting the country. From here, we travelled by bus to Mt. Eden and then to Base, the hostel we would be staying at for two nights. The rest of that day was just to relax and take in the sights. I went with a group of friends and toured the city of Auckland. Later that night, Dr. Swanson (hereby known to us as JD) took us to a pub he knew, as well as the best burger place in town. We probably walked about 3 km to get to this place, when in fact, there was one just up the street from Base. On May 12th (day 3), the group travelled to the port and observed some of the native species of fish that are caught and sold. It was also here that I ate a tuna kabab, which was delicious. From the fish market, we made our way to Savage Memorial. Afterward, we went to Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World. It was here that we were able to observe some of the native fauna that inhabited the country. Among these were King Penguins, Seven-Gilled Shark, and Stingrays. Next on the agenda for the day was comprised of studying the geological phenomena of the land. Some of these hot pools reached temperatures up to 48°C. That’s hot! We went back to Base, where JD cooked another one of New Zealand’s famous foods: Spaghetti. On May 13th (day 4), we loaded up all our luggage and hit the road. Our first stop consisted of taking a ferry to Rangitoto and climbing the volcano. On the way, I experienced the beautiful calls of some of the native birds, but visibility of poor and I was not able to discern their location. Flora was abundant, and I am almost certain I never saw the same species twice. One of the more memorable plants was a Silver Fern, named for the silver colouring on the underside of the plant leaves. The view from the top of the volcano was spectacular; I was able to see for miles, I mean, kilometers. After returning to the mainland, we hopped on the bus and began our transit to Hahei. On our way, we stopped at a local fish and chips place, which was again delicious. The food over here is definitely better. We continued on and made it to our destination around nightfall. As soon as we got there, the lot of us followed JD to the nearby beach, where I experienced some of the naturally fluorescing seaweed found in these waters. May 14th (day 5) came early for me. I awoke at 6:30am and did yoga with JD on the beach. After that the group made a trek to Cathedral Cove. Along the way, we saw some of the introduced species of fauna, such as sheep and cows. The beach was breathtaking. After this beach, we travelled to another geothermal hotspot, where we encountered hot sand beaches. The last part of the day’s trip, we made our way to an old Maori Pa. It was here that we were able to experience the true power of the ocean. Huge coves were carved out of the mountain. Something equally impressive were some of the trees growing out of the side of the cliff, one was which was a grand Pohutukawa. The trip so far has only lasted four days, but the encounters we have experienced will last forever. New Zealand is really a land of magic.
Shawn Caudle
Friday, May 14th, 2010
Day #2 in Hahei! I woke up this morning at 6am and reluctantly crawled out of bed hoping that my first sunrise over the ocean would be worth it. We made the trip to the beach in the dark and sat in the sand as the sky grew pinker and the water bluer. Last night I was happy to visit the seaside in the dark, thinking that sight would only build boundaries around an ocean whose parameters were seemingly endless in the black. But the daylight proved only to reaffirm what my senses alluded to last night- the Pacific Ocean (at least from Hahei’s point of view) really is endless.
The morning continued with yoga on the beach…..YOGA on the BEACH! Where else, I mean, who actually gets to do that!? Inhale – exhale- it was hard to even breathe, let alone control it with a view that was literally taking my breath away.
By 9:30, I was swimming. I’ve never been swimming in the ocean and I’m not sure I will again. I just don’t think anything could ever top Cathedral Cove. “Cathedral” Cove. At the time the name didn’t at all seem appropriate. Nothing on that beach in any way resembled a “cathedral” but, I suppose more accurately- cathedrals in no way (try as they may) compare to the stone arches and stained glass skies that towered over me on that beach. By the end, I was covered with salt, sand, and sun. I probably carried a gallon of sea water back in my suit, towel, hair, and shoes but I left behind my land-locked ignorance. I will never again question why people endure hurricanes, screeching seagulls, and sand on every surface to live near the ocean- because after that swim, I’d do anything to be one of them.
Brixey Schimmel
