The Land of the Kiwis

    I didn’t originally intend to write about my post-program adventures, but seeing as I was fortunate enough to visit two of the most beautiful countries in the world, the words seem to find themselves flying out of my grateful heart and onto this page. After our short-lived but incredibly rich journey to Fiji, we traveled to New Zealand. An isolated country made up of two main islands (north and south), New Zealand owes its great montane beauty to its location on the edge of a tectonic plate. Random geographic luck alone has molded New Zealand into the lush, hilly, and snow-capped land that it is. We decided that the best way to view and experience the land of the kiwis would be to rent a motorhome. Besides the white-knuckle moments spent on one-lane bridges and on the left side of the road rounding cliffs, it was a great decision. The motorhome gave us the freedom to go wherever we wanted whenever we wanted. We could stop along the side of the road to take a short trek to one of the many waterfalls without worrying about making it to the next hotel. Because we were able to spend so much time traveling in New Zealand this way, I decided the best way to describe it would be to give a day-to-day layout of our journey:

Day 1

Fly to Christchurch (south island) from Fiji. Sleep. (don't worry, it will get better)

Day 2

I took a morning jog through Christchurch and was amazed by the simplicity. Even though it is the largest city on the south island, it lacks skyscrapers and over-sized houses. The park in the middle of the city is the perfect playground for dogs, children, and wandering ducks. We eventually pick up our motorhome and start heading south along the coast. One of the first things we notice is the insane amount of sheep in New Zealand. In fact there are 45 million sheep and only 4.5 million people. That's ten sheep for every one person! The sheep graze freely among the thousands of acres of grassland. The entire country is completely green. The rolling hills are like blankets of green velvet, lightly set down on top of the earth. We made our way down to Oamaru where we hoped to see the notorious yellow-eyed penguins. We parked the motorhome and took a 5 minute walk down to the beach where, sure enough, four little penguins were emerging from their work day in the open ocean to rest on the calm beach. They were like four little chubby friends, chasing each other across the rocks. They would dip one toe into the pools, trying to determine their depth, before slipping in (or sometimes tripping in). It was so entertaining to watch these clumsy little birds waddle to and fro.

Day 3

We pulled into the little university town of Dunedin. For my fellow northern Californians, Dunedin reminded me a lot of Petaluma. It had a quaint little town square bejeweled with a fountain. The boutiques had their doors open to strolling pedestrians and there was a crisp aroma in the air that instantly made you feel at home. The older architecture gave the whole town a grandfather feeling. With so much to see, we only briefly passed through Dunedin before carrying on. All along the "highway" which was really just a two-lane road winding through the green hills, were signs to inform tourists of local walks, even detailing the length of the walk. We chose a 15-minute walk to some waterfalls to loosen our stiff car legs. It was such a great example of the surprises that New Zealand has in store for any tourist. Just 15 minutes off the road were two beautiful waterfalls, hidden beneath the canopy of tree ferns. Back in the motorhome, we continued to Curio Bay where we were able to get even closer to the penguins. We walked along the beach and watched our new little friends hop along the rocks, proudly spreading their wings and posing politely for pictures. Paying no attention to us, one walked about 6 feet from us as we stood in awe.

 I had never seen wild penguins before this trip and I can assure you it was quite the treat. They have such cute little personalities, curiously hopping from puddle to puddle like little kids after a rain. If that wasn't cool enough, we learned that the rocks they were hopping over were actually petrified logs, hardened thousands of years ago. New Zealand has it all! We came across a darling little farm-stay campground that evening. I absolutely love farms, so to be able to stay on a farm in New Zealand was just too good to be true. And then the farmer let us bottle feed his little lambs! After the bottle feeding, my dad and I sipped our wine and leaned against the hood of the motorhome, eyes gazing towards the golden sunset. I came to the conclusion that God is absolutely undeniable. I cannot fathom any way that there could be so much beauty on this world other than a good and gracious God. And that He is.

Day 4

just one of the hundreds of waterfalls pouring into the fiords

After another early morning bottle feed, we headed north towards the town of Te Anau. This charming little town was nestled against a brilliant blue lake. We arranged a bus ride to take us down the windy roads to the fiords we had heard so much about. Our informative and jolly bus driver named the types of plants we were seeing outside of the windows and stopped occasionally to let us walk along paths through the ferns and great gorges of rushing water.  At last, we arrived at the fiords. We hopped onto the boat that would take us through the stunning Milford Sound. Instantly, we were overcome by the natural beauty. Milford Sound is a sort of valley that was carved thousands of years ago by a glacier and has since been filled in by water. At its deepest parts, the fiord is about 400 meters deep! The fiord is mostly composed of saltwater from the connecting Tasman Sea, but a 7 meter layer of less dense freshwater sits on top of the seawater, creating an iridescent blue that is home to rare aquatic species such as black corals. Fur seals and penguins also call Milford Sound their home and waved to us from their rocky outcropping beds. We were completely surrounded by huge mountains of granite and gneiss rock, topped with fresh white snow. As the snow melts, water comes tumbling down the cliff faces, creating hundreds of waterfalls in every direction. One of the waterfalls is twice as high as Niagra and we felt the power of it when our ship captain drove right under it, letting the mist wet our awe-struck faces. It was an incredibly powerful and spiritual journey down the Sound. Trees and ferns jutted out from the rocks scaling hundreds of meters. The fog layer was like a secret covering the tops of the mountains. I realized that the sights that I was seeing- the beautiful mountains tickled by falling water- have likely never known the touch of man. This day in age it seems as though man has conquered almost every part of the earth and taken her bounty. But here, on the coast of New Zealand, was a part of the planet that remained untouched. It seemed to be just as at peace as it would have been thousands of years ago prior to its discovery. The essence of this place was complete stillness with a whisper of grandeur. Tears came to my eyes as I realized how incredibly blessed I was to be standing in the presence of something so great. Something that God created just to please us. I leaned over the railing, face up and watched as the waterfalls came crashing down, giving life to any greenery they passed. I really cannot emphasize the beauty of the fiord enough. It is by far one of the most spectacular things I have ever witnessed.

Milford Sound

Just when we thought the day couldn't get any better, we spent the evening in Queenstown. I don't know how else to describe Queenstown other than "so totally cool." Houses dotted the hillside overlooking the lake. The sun lit up the sky as it approached the horizon, sending flashes of pink into the atmosphere. Young hippie kids sipped wine in the grass. A musician rolled out his piano into the square to play for anyone who had a minute to stop and listen. The 'ski fields' nearby rested after a long snowy season filled with skiiers and snowboarders. The bustle of the town spoke of its fun and engaging atmosphere, but still never crept up to even a slight roar. It seemed to be the perfect place for adventure and good times, and I think we all wished we could have spent more time there.

Queenstown

Queenstown musicians

Day 5

Arrowtown

We had driven from the fiords to our next stop in the dark the night before, so it was a sweet little surprise to wake up and see the adorable little gold rush town that had housed us. Arrowtown has retained its old style wild-west buildings and red phonebooths since the mid 1800s. In fact, many of the towns in New Zealand are very historic still. Perhaps it's due to a quainter and more relaxed lifestyle or maybe it's to serve as a tourist attraction, but the old buildings and traditional ways of life added a great deal of character to the already alluring New Zealand. On our way to Haast, we stopped in on Lake Wanaka. A recurring theme, this lake was a deep blue and sat at the base of snow-capped mountains. Armed with our picnic lunches, we sat lakeside and enjoyed the view, free from the worries and stresses of home. The drive to Haast proved to be as stunning as ever with snow all along the bordering mountains. As per recommendation of our Tourism Radio (very cool little gadget that knew where we were using GPS and would tell us about the area we were in, what to do, and where to stay), we pulled over at the Blue Pools. A brief walk across a "swinging bridge" took us to perfectly clear pools with a strong hint of turquoise. We watched as two-foot-long trout waited for their meals to come floating past in the cruising stream. Apparently, the water achieves its brilliant azure color from the melting nearby glaciers. We camped the night in Haast, excited for the day that followed.

Wildflowers along the way

Blue Pools

Day 6

me and my new boo 

Fox glacier

Taking our bulky motorhome around the curvy cliffs, we arrived at Fox Glacier. Along the drive up to the glacier, we passed signs that said "In 1790 the glacier was here" then a little less than a mile later: "in 1905 the glacier was here". As we neared the glacier, we realized how much it has receded in the previous centuries. Although it has been drifting down from the Southern Alps (via gravity) at a rate of 1 meter a week for the past 100 years, the snow melt is so great that it has receded significantly more. We hiked up to the terminal face of the glacier where we read that the whole thing is 13 km long! Although it is nothing more than compacted snow, it was still pretty cool to see a huge chunk of ice tucked in between the mountain, struggling to survive the hot sunshine. The ice was melting so much that a small river had formed from the base of the glacier and was flowing down the valley. After a few pictures with my new boyfriend (my mom thought we would make a great couple) we drove a little further north to Franz Josef glacier. After hearing that we couldn't get nearly as close to this glacier as the last one, we made the decision to fly over it in a helicopter. This is not something we had ever done before- we are a pretty thrifty family I guess you could say, but holy moly was it worth it. Our helicopter had glass windows all around it, even at our feet so we could look down as we sailed on the winds over the glacier. It literally felt like I was flying in a toy. The helicopter pilot turned this way and that, bringing us right next to a waterfall and then just over the deep crevasses. 

We coasted up to the top of the glacier where we landed on a field of snow. It was absolutely stunning from the top. The tips of the mountains were not merely distant peaks anymore but were now sitting humbly on the same level as me. The freshest and cleanest snow I have ever seen became our playground as we ran around, throwing snowballs at each other and making snow angels. Although the snow was so deep we could no longer see the crevasses, we were right on top of the glacier. In fact, I think we were on top of the world. There was absolutely nothing up there with us except the helicopter. No telephone poles, no trash, nothing but our ever-widening smiles and echoing giggles. It was one of the most pristine and pure things I have ever experienced. I swear we were only a few feet from heaven. 

Day 7
After our fun day in the snow it was time to head for the beach. In New Zealand, this means you only have to drive a few hours. After short little stops in the town of Murchison and Motueka to enjoy the local cuisine and inquire about fishing, we arrived in Kaiteriteri. More and more I was stunned by the splendor of this country. The highways are only one lane, there is no trash anywhere, and around every turn is another breath-taking view.


The entire country is completely green, save the golden Scottish broom which has invaded the hillsides with its luster of yellow. Our campground in Kaiteriteri sat right across the street from a bay. Protected from the ocean winds, we enjoyed a homemade meal on the grass right next to the RV. A sunset walk along the beach brought us down to earth as we thrived in the simplicity of life in New Zealand.

Kaiteriteri

Day 8

I woke up in Kaiteriteri and went for a morning stroll along the beach. I discovered a little path which took me up a set up stairs scaling a rocky knoll. At the top I was rewarded with a view of my beloved ocean. A worship song popped into my head: "This is what You do, this is what You do, You make me come alive." If there's one thing I've learned from my journey, it's that God not only loves me but He also loves to wow me with His creation. There is just something about that ever present and completely dynamic ocean that lights a flame within me and makes my heart flutter. And when we are blessed with the opportunity to sit in silence and just be in nature we must remember to always take it. There is nothing more refreshing. Back in the motorhome, we took off towards Nelson, a [somewhat] larger town with a happening food and entertainment scene. We explored the first cathedral built in Nelson. Sitting on top of a hill  as a beacon looking over the city, the cathedral was surrounded by beautiful gardens and shade trees. After enjoying a fresh chocolate-covered strawberry at the farmer's market, we dipped into a local brewery and sampled a few craft beers in honor of my brother (who unfortunately couldn't come to New Zealand because he was busy working at NorthCoast Brewery). We then explored the wine country town of Bleinheim and enjoyed gourmet pizza and a game of life-size chess at a local restaurant before calling it a night.

 

Day 9

The next morning we greeted the morning dew and meandered through the wine country, eventually finding a little fishing spot in St. Arnaud where my dad could just fish and relax (as if we weren't relaxed enough already). I sat among the gravel on the lake's beach and breathed. A series of offset hills formed a valley just beyond the wide lake. They seemed to form a cradle where the sleepy clouds laid to rest. A drizzling rain began to fall creating even more ripples on the broad and stretching lake. Yet another one of those "I am exactly where I'm supposed to be, Life is perfect" moments that have now become so familiar to me. The birds sing a song of contentment and the trees wave their branches along to the tune. When everything comes together in such a landscape, the earth rejoices with the things she has made. The sunlight begs to be let into the scene before me, pushing its way through the cloud cover for a chance to be known. And here I sit, breathing it all in. 

Later that day we did the obligatory wine tasting every winery-owner has to do when travelling (or so my dad, owner of Twin Coyotes winery, believes). New Zealand is especially known for its whites and for having a unique Sauvignon Blanc. I held back as the driver and let my parents enjoy their tastings, so I can't exactly shed light on the flavors and aromas of the wines, but they did buy a white blend we opened later that night which I though was delicious. I was impressed by the number of organic and biodynamic wineries we passed- they seemed to be just as present as those that weren't sustainable. And what's even better, the organic farming seemed to be common sense to them. We departed beautiful Bleinheim and headed for Kaikoura, only to be greeted by gorgeous turquoise ocean water. As I drove the windy coastal road I was stunned by everything I was seeing: in my peripherals were snow-capped mountains, between the mountains and the road I drove were the familiar rainforest plants my teacher John Hall had taught me to recognize, and to my left were seals lounging on the beach. So there you have it, without even turning my head I could see the majestic ocean teeming with marine life and kelp forests, lush rainforest, and dignified mountain peaks. I love New Zealand!

Seals

Day 10

After a morning walk on the beach in Kaikoura, we headed to Christchurch where we dropped off the motorhome and flew to Auckland (north island).

Day 11

photo cred: lifesgreatadventures.com

From Auckland we drove to Waitomo where some of the famous glowworm caves reside. Before heading into the long, dark caves, we made a little pit stop at the Kiwi House. Even though kiwi birds give New Zealanders their affectionate nickname and pride, we had not yet seen any! Inside the kiwi house, which was like a small refuge/zoo, we saw our very fist kiwis. Slightly large than chickens these awkward flightless birds run around using their keen senses of smell to make up for their bad eyesight. With teeny tiny wings that blend right in with their body, they essentially look like old, blind, armless men holding long canes in their mouths and hoping they don't trip over anything. Pretty adorable, if you ask me. I understand why New Zealand has fallen so in love with them. After our kiwi visit we took the long-awaited trip to the caves. Both the glowworm caves and the fiords were my top 2 must-see adventures in New Zealand and both far exceeded my expectations. I hate to make a Disneyland reference, but it was just like walking through the line for Indiana Jones. We were ducking under limestone stalactites and then suddenly looking up at the 14m tall cathedral. The beige rock opened up into large rooms and then spread out into tiny little nooks in every direction. We learned about how the stalactites and stalagmites slowly work their ways towards one another- the stalactites dripping limestone deposits onto the stalagmites, building them one drop at a time over thousands of years. After walking many hundreds of meters through the caves, our lovely tour guide taught us about the life cycle of the glow worms we were about to witness. More like maggots, these fly pupae produce bio-luminescence inside of them. They dangle long lures of mucus-like substance (about 15 long sticky lures per worm!) in order to catch any food floating through the air of the caves. After our quick chat, the guide led us into a rowboat and encouraged us to stay silent to avoid scaring the worms. She pulled us slowly along using a series of ropes suspended to the sides of the cave. We looked up and gasped, it was like there was a little blue galaxy just above our heads. In total darkness, the blue-green lights of the worms filled the ceiling of the cave. There was no way to know how far above our heads they were- it could have been 5 feet or 20 feet. We circled around the cave, drifting along the river that wound through it. I let my head lay back and tried to take a mental photograph of the mystery that hung above me. How could it be that such tiny, gooey little worms could produce such a spectacular sight? It was as if the universe was at my fingertips.

photo cred: justthetravel.com

That evening we drove to Rotorua, known for its geothermal activity. Greeted instantly by the sulfurous smell of rotten-eggs, we enjoyed our private spa in the smell-proof walls of our hotel room.

Day 12

feeling the steam from the underground hot spring

Having adjusted to the smell, we spent the day exploring Rotorua. In typical New Zealand fashion, the lake was big and beautiful. There was a little flea market happening lakeside and we explored some of the local arts and crafts. New Zealand is known for both paua (abalone) shells and jade and many artisans have become experts at utilizing them. Just around the corner we visited our first Maori village. The Maori are the indigenous New Zealand people and were very gracious to let us explore their village. The buildings were donned with wood carvings of tribal faces and symbols and used paua shells as adornment. The thermal springs were very evident here; any little crack in the concrete was steaming and the bubbles of the boiling water beneath us could be easily heard. It felt a bit like walking on a land mine- one little trip and our toes could be plunged into burning water!
One of the Maori women told us that they use the thermal water, piping it straight up to the toilets which are kept in a separate building to prevent the rotten egg smell from bombarding their homes. We took a little drive just south of Rotorua to a secret local spot I had read about. Kerosene Creek is a geothermal hot spring that winds through the forest and is just the right temperature to take a dip in- about 100 degrees Farenheit. We soaked in the mineral water, letting the little waterfalls massage our neck and shoulders while we breathed in the aroma of wild jasmine. A natural hot tub stream in the middle of a forest was a first for me.

Kerosene Creek

Hot water beach

Relaxed and ready for more geothermal adventure, we drove north to the adorable town of Hahei. Situated on a little peninsula, this town is known not only for its great snorkeling but also for its Hot Water Beach. Here, thousands gather each year to dig their own private geothermal hot tubs in the sand right on the beach. This just sounded too good to be true, we had to check it out. Arriving late in the evening and without swimsuits we just walked along the beach and watched in amazement as people from all over the world worked together to create the perfect little bathing pools. With glasses of wine in hand, Germans, British, Japanese, Australians, and seemingly every other nationality laughed and shared in this crazy experience. In just one part of the beach, probably about 50 meters wide, lay an underground hot spring. When you dug even just 4 inches down, you could feel the hot water come seeping up into the sand. In some spots the water was 170 Farenheit, and in others only about 80. It took a little adjusting and digging around to get just the right mixture of water temperatures so that you didn't get burned. We chuckled as we watched a big wave come in and wash out half of the hot tubs and a few lonely towels. The crowd laughed and quickly settled back into their now-cooler oases. My dad was most amused and impressed, saying that it was, "international relations at its finest."

Day 13
This is the day I deemed 'the perfect day'. It began early with a 5am wake-up call to go see the sunrise at the nearby Cathedral Cove. From high on the hill top we watched the sun rise over the water, slowly adjusting the colors of the sky. With giant brushstrokes of orange and gold and fine pink lines grazing the greenish clouds, God showed off his artistic ability. I sat in complete awe and total silence just soaking it all in. Here I was, over 3 months into the trip of a lifetime and I was still being so entirely captivated by the beauty of this planet. I am now a firm believer that we can never see the same thing twice. Every single sunrise is completely different than the day before, and what's more, we are completely different than the day before. Each day we learn and we grow though way may not always acknowledge it. But these bit-by-bit spurts of growth change how we see the world. They change the way we think. So I will never be able to see the same sunrise (or tree or mountain or building for that matter) twice because I will never be exactly the same person twice. By appreciating the way that we cultivate our own understanding of the way this world works I think we can really find the beauty in the place we call home.

Hahei Beach

Later we lounged on what my dad thought was the 'perfect beach.' With almost no one on it, the golden sands of the beach welcomed the slowly approaching tide. A swing dangled from one of the trees. A rocky outcropping protected us from any winds. Relaxing to the sound of the breaking waves, the perfect day began to take form. After our beach time we walked over to the local dive shop and arranged a boat trip to one of the nearby islands where my parents would snorkel and I would dive. We geared up in our wetsuits (the water was about 68 degrees Fahrenheit) and fitted ourselves with mask and snorkel. Our 21-year-old dive guide, Reese, hopped on the tractor and towed us to the beach while we sat in the boat. After a little fiasco of getting the boat into the water and nearly falling over into the creek, our tummies settled from laughing so hard and we floated into the bay. Reese took us to one of his favorite little islands and we eagerly plunged in. I had been dying to dive in New Zealand and was very excited for the adventure. The low-lying kelp created a forest to hide little snails, abalone, and nudibranchs. We saw quite a few large spiny lobsters and moray eels. A giant puffer fish dawdled until we got too close and then it fluttered away. Reese crushed up urchins and let me feed them to the fish. I was extremely excited that I was able to find 2 different species of nudibranchs, it was like Christmas morning! I have never ever seen colors like I did when I was diving there. Odd little turqoise-green and neon orange algaes coated the rocks, the function of their coloring a mystery to me. We swam through crevices, peeking in holes to find eels and other little surprises. Large black butterfly fish and damsels protected their territory, darting at us when we got too near to them. It's a completely different world under the sea. It's as if God took all His leftover colors and shapes and threw them down there, creating an incredibly unique world that looks nothing like what's on the surface. Every plant and animal survives the cold conditions and high pressure in a different way and somehow figures out how to obtain food from the flowing water. The ocean is like a giant puzzle we have yet to put together. It absolutely captivates my imagination and I don't think I could possibly love it any more than I already do.

the clown nudibranch
photo cred: week.divebums.com

Brittle star

Jelly

Feeding an urchin to some fishies

Stoked on the awesome dive but a little chilly we returned to our favorite Hot Water Beach to dig a little hole for ourselves. Armed with shovels, wine, and great big smiles we took to the sand. Within a few minutes we had the perfect hot tub. A little stream connected us to the ocean, allowing its cool water to keep the ever-flowing hot spring from burning us up. We shared our shovels and our stories with fellow travelers, simply happy to just be. And that, my friends, is a perfect day.



Day 14
Sadly, our last day of our great vacation had come. We waved goodbye to beautiful Hahei and cruised our way down the peninsula back to Auckland. We had time for a brief stop in Coromandel to see some old ships but had to keep travelling towards the airport. With about 45 minutes to spare, we ran through the botanical gardens just outside of the airport for one last bit of New Zealand beauty before we boarded our plane.

A complete whirlwind adventure in certainly one of the most beautiful places in the entire world. I am beyond grateful for my experience. As if living and exploring Australia wasn't enough, I was blessed enough to travel to both New Zealand and Fiji where the world as I knew it was completely rocked. There is one thing I know for sure and that is we live in a very big world and I intend to see every single inch of it. There is nowhere that God cannot be, and if God is there, it's got to be beautiful.