The most Secret Valley Ever!

This past week was probabaly my favorite week here so far! It started with a one day break. Katie, Althea, Steph and I all decided to make the 2 hour treck to the best local climbing destination! so Friday night we packed up the rental car and I drove as all to Wherapapa. Driving on the left side of the road took some getting use to...and we got a bit lost along the way and I somehow smiled my way out of a speeding ticket. BUT Finally, we made it! pitched the tent it the pitch blackness and went to sleep.

In the morning, we awoke super early to try to find a climbing area called secret valley. The guide book told us it was on private property and that you needed to as either ask guru at the first house or joe at the second house. The first house looked less intimidating, so katie and I made our way to the front door and gave it 3 good knocks. no answer. so we tried agian...this time we were answered with some hacking coughs that sounded like the poor old man was going to die. still no answer so we turned to go and he saw us through the open window and came out. apparently his hearing wasn't so good! he hobbles to the front door and says "what did I do to deserve 2 lovely american girls first thing in the morning?" haha he was delighted to talk to us, but had no idea what in the world secret valley was. With a loud whistle guru calls joe over from across the field and joe zips over on his motor bike. Joe was Guru's son and told us he would show us the way to secret valley! yes finally! so we follow joe on his little dirt bike with his pack of dogs chasing happily behind him, along this dirt road. The rental car was so low and kept bottoming out every 10 seconds....I was starting to think we would never make it. after crossing two more fields and going through 3 fences he finally stops. We made it! wait... now we are in the middle of now where and the crazy morning starts to sink in. we have a good laugh and then decide to explore the valley.

(this is us completely lost with secret valley in the background)

so we waunder....and wander and there was not a bolt in sight. so after all that we leave with some hope of finding some climbing. Luckily we did!

(Althea did her first lead climb!!!)

(and katie did her first climb outside!)

so we booked it back to EcoQuest aka "the quest" with enough time to pack up for the next week at Goat Island Marine reserve! so stay tuned, that will be up soon I hope! O wait and I forgot that while we were climbing there were cows mating all around us. It was quite the day.

before I go to bed, dad and adam I took this picture just for you! poor fish.

Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach

This Past week I spent at the Wharakawa Estuary studing various vegetation communities. There was an incredible beach, just a 10 minute walk from the hostel where we stayed with gigantic waves and water so clear that you could see straight down to your feet.

The room I stayed in had 12 beds! it was so cool! Auntie Wendy this picture is just or you! ;-)



On the first day, we went on a hike up to the top of a Pa site, which is a large hill used as a fort for native people. It had terraces cut into the side, giving it a step like appearance. The trail was scattered with shells, which were remnants from the shell fish that were brought to the top to eat where they were protected form enemies.

Next, we did Kayak training and practiced flipping/rescuing. To get back into the kayak someone pulls your boat onto their own in order to get the water out. next, they steady it so you can scramble on from the back of the kayak. It was hysterical watching people flop their way back onto the kayak like seals.

while we were there, we went for an evening kayak to get a closer look at the vegetation communities. The sunsets were amazing!



A 4 ft long eel swam under my kayak, and we saw sting rays as big as large pizzas!

I gave 2 oral presentations this week!! One on the Ruru (a kind of owl) and the other on mangroves. I was really nervous, but they both went really well!

after a long week, a group of 17 of us went onto explore some of the beaches here on the north Island! First we went to hot water beach, where you can dig maybe 6 inches and you will find natural hot springs! it was insane. We laid in the steaming pool gazing up into the stars until the wee hours of the night!

Then we went to cathedral cove, which was the most beautiful beach I have ever been to! This picture is taken from underneath a large sweaping rock archway. We spent the day jumping off rocks and exploring caves along the waters edge.

climbing at last!

This weekend was bound to be an adventure! Emily, steve and I decided to go on a climbing trip this weekend to Wharepapa. so the journey started out with the sweetest rental car...haha


so luckily I didn't drive because driving standard is one thing...but driving standard on the left side of the road probabaly would not have ended very well hehe. so we had directions but go lost quite a bit, we learned very quickly that streets are not labeled the best here in New Zealand. so we drove the 2 hours to Wharepapa and got there around 10 pm. we planed to stay at Bryce's a climbing shop that is run by climbers for climbers. sooo the camping is in back of this school house and here was no one capming there... we wandered around and all of the sudden I looked up and saw glowing eyes starting through the darkness! at first then I heard a familiar sound "moooo". it was a field of cows with glowing mutant eyes floating in the pitch blackness. so freaky.

so we set up the tent, passed out and woke up really early to start our climbing adventure! we drove up a long winding dirt road and saw rocks every where amongst the lush green field! the climbing had lots of little pockets!!! it was awesome and absolutely beautiful!





after climbing, We drove to Rotorua and visited Kiwi encountors, a sancutary for breeding an raising kiwi. kiwi have become indangered due to the increase in mamalian predators when the european settlers arrived in the 1800s. They lay the largest egg in proportion to their body size and have terrible eye sight, but a keen sense of smell! they stick their long beak in the dirt and you can hear them snorting in order to get the dirt out of their nostrils.



so we alternate kitchen duty and about once a week I have to prepare means and wash dishes!


look i can cook :-)

Next week I am going to the coromandal penninsula to study estuaries so I will be back monday

Maori

The climbing wall is so sick....haha it will do i suppose.



a panoramic view of campus where I live. The big white building in the center is the bathroom/laundry/showers. Off to the left, the little blue buildings are dorms and so are the ones to the right. The garden in the front is where we grow most of our veggies!!! you cant see it, but on the left of the drive way is our classroom/eating area.


so most recently, we got the opportunity to observe a Marae Funeral. A Marae is a meeting place for the native people of New Zealand, or Maori. Before entering a Marae you must first be welcomed through a ceremony where songs are exchanged between the two groups (Maori and new comers). Our group of students learned a song called Te aroha which goes alittle something like this:


Te aroha
Te whakapono
Me te rangimarie
Tatou tatou e

Translates as..
Love,
Faith,
And peace
Be amongst us all

after we were formally greeted, we shared a meal together in the Wharekai (wh is pronounced as the "f" sound) (dining hall). We also were given a tour of the carvings on the wharenui, which is the building where the the ceremony was held.We were not allowed to take pictures, but the carvings were incredible and tell stories of past ancestors. The Maori believe that when you enter the wharenui you bring all of your ancestors and people who have supported you with you.

Being able to observe the funeral practices of the Maori was such a unique experience! The man who passed had not been living on the Marae, but wished to return to his homeland when he died. The family stays in the wharenui with the person until the burial, because they believe the person is still present even though their body is no longer functioning.

This weekend I'm planning my frist climbing trip to wharepapa!!!! I can't wait :-)