Classes got just too overwhelming. But tomorrow is finals and all I have is a final paper that is nearly complete. Last weekend was Sevens which is a huge worldwide Rugby tournament. I have pictures, but I'm too tired to bother. It's crazy though. Everyone dresses up and gets drunk basically (except I stayed sober but I did dress up as a nerd). Besides that it was pouring and cold and I did not do any of the things I planned.
I leave for Australia on Sunday. Though that is exciting, I suddenly feel like I have so much to do here. I have one day left. I think I'll go to the zoo and spend the evening in the botanic garden. I really need to see a kiwi bird. I will probably run some errands in town as well because there are a couple last minute things I wish to buy. But generally, it is very sad watching my room go from an explosion to barren.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Abel Tasman (weekend 4)
This weekend I went to Abel Tasman. We took the 2:30 am ferry which was a horrible experience. Then we got our rental car and drove out to Motueka where our hostel was. The South Island was actually much more beautiful than the North, even only touching the very tip of it.
That first day we went to the beach at Kaeteriteri. I was the only one to go in the water for most of it until Jessica came and joined me. I also climbed a rock and checked out Tide Pools. It was my first beach experience in New Zealand (finally!).
Picton (where the ferry lands)
Fully automated bathroom (from toilet paper to the door to get in)
View as we drove
Kaeteriteri beach
Mara awkwardly ill dressed for the beach in the background...
Rock I climbed
Sun star
Split Apple Rock
From the other side on the water taxi the next day
There are baby sea lions in this picture (they were adorable)
So the next day we took a water taxi to Anchorage in Abel Tasman National Park in order to begin our canyoning expedition. The pictures are taking forever to load so I'll post/comment them later. (They're all on facebook right now anyways). But I did jump off a just over 26 foot waterfall, slide off a waterfall that was at least 15 feet high, zipline for the first time, and abseil. It was exciting.
Yesterday we made bone carving necklaces. Mine turned out completely different from everyone else's. I wanted to make a koru but as it is just a spiral I needed something more to it. The koru is designed to mimic the unfolding of the fern ( a very special plant in New Zealand culture) and it means new beginnings, growth, and unfolding life. I put it on the back of a turtle which apparently don't exist in New Zealand. But it turned out cool. I didn't polish it, but stained it instead so it looks nothing like what you'd find in a store.
Beginnings as a drawing on cow bone. I had to saw it out.
After first grinding
A few grindings later. I lowered the legs and head to make it 3d. My design didn't work with engraving though.
Post engraving
Swimming in tea
Post staining and some sanding. There is so much sanding involved in making bone carvings
That first day we went to the beach at Kaeteriteri. I was the only one to go in the water for most of it until Jessica came and joined me. I also climbed a rock and checked out Tide Pools. It was my first beach experience in New Zealand (finally!).
Yesterday we made bone carving necklaces. Mine turned out completely different from everyone else's. I wanted to make a koru but as it is just a spiral I needed something more to it. The koru is designed to mimic the unfolding of the fern ( a very special plant in New Zealand culture) and it means new beginnings, growth, and unfolding life. I put it on the back of a turtle which apparently don't exist in New Zealand. But it turned out cool. I didn't polish it, but stained it instead so it looks nothing like what you'd find in a store.
Taupo Weekend (which was a week ago)
So last weekend the entire program went on a trip to Taupo. Taupo is this huge lake that was once a mountain. The eruption of that volcano caused a minor ice age in the southern hemisphere and is the largest eruption to have occurred in the last 5,000 years. Looking at the lake its hard to imagine that a mountain stood there.
Our second day in Taupo we went on a hike. It was in Tongariro National Park and World Heritage Site. It's a very special area. Since I'm not in BIO 2100, I hiked Tama Lakes. It was super awesome until I came back. Walking back was painful and humiliating and I hate my knee.
Here are some pictures (I uploaded them all to fb because I have over 100 of them).
Native flowers are white in NZ because they didn't have bees so they needed to be visible at night for the other animals that could pollinate them.
Taranaki falls
No one can use my camera
The vegetation got weird.
Lower Tama Lakes
There were a few moments when I looked out across the landscape and couldn't believe I was there.
No one, even my professor with the same type of camera could use my camera
Mt. Doom from Lord of the Rings
At the top I could remember why I was on this program but seriously coming back was painful. I also ended up with a second degree sunburn on my arm. Luckily it's mostly cleared up now.
The next day was far less painful. I went white water rafting through Tongariro National Park. It was so great. I want to go again. My only complaint was that it didn't go longer. I think I'm ready for bigger rapids.
There are no pictures because I couldn't bring my camera and I wasn't paying for them since I wasn't in any really. But I did jump off a 17 ft waterfall and had chocolate fish dipped in hot chocolate. But the next weekend was more adventurous than 17ft waterfalls.
Our second day in Taupo we went on a hike. It was in Tongariro National Park and World Heritage Site. It's a very special area. Since I'm not in BIO 2100, I hiked Tama Lakes. It was super awesome until I came back. Walking back was painful and humiliating and I hate my knee.
Here are some pictures (I uploaded them all to fb because I have over 100 of them).
I don't remember if that's Ruapehu or Tongariro volcano
At the top I could remember why I was on this program but seriously coming back was painful. I also ended up with a second degree sunburn on my arm. Luckily it's mostly cleared up now.
The next day was far less painful. I went white water rafting through Tongariro National Park. It was so great. I want to go again. My only complaint was that it didn't go longer. I think I'm ready for bigger rapids.
There are no pictures because I couldn't bring my camera and I wasn't paying for them since I wasn't in any really. But I did jump off a 17 ft waterfall and had chocolate fish dipped in hot chocolate. But the next weekend was more adventurous than 17ft waterfalls.
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