Just warning you...... this is gonna be a long one. Split into two.
I don’t really have any idea where to start. Culture and adventure week was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had. Day 1 started in Auckland with an introduction to Kiwi lingo and laws and ended with a ferry ride to Devonport that provided us with the most breathtaking view of the city scape from the top of an inactive volcano. With dinner and introductions in between, I found some of the most interesting people that were on this trip with our group.
Day 2 began with breakfast and a bus ride to Rotorua where we would stay for the next week in a backpackers stop called “Kiwi Paka.” On the way to Kiwi Paka we stopped in Matamata or “Hobbiton.” Once we arrived there and got loaded into our tiny but workable rooms, we had another information session about setting goals while we were studying in New Zealand. After that we set out to a backfield to learn the “haka”, a Maori warrior dance. Learning the haka gave the group a real taste of what the Maori were all about and the things that were really important in their culture. After rehearsing and learning all the words and actions to the haka, it was time to dress in traditional Maori clothing and prepare to have an actual “battle” with each other. It was hilarious to see the men dressed in just beaver loin cloths with traditional Maori art painted onto their faces. After performing, a group of us went to go do “bombs” into a hot spring creek. Everyone had so much fun taking turns showing their best “bomb”. After that it was time to get ready to go into town to see what kind of food we could eat. We chose an Indian restaurant that was a best nominated restaurant in New Zealand. I opted for the mango curry chicken with white rice and a naan. The night ended with our group taking our food and eating by one of the most gorgeous lakes as the sun set right behind it.
Day 3 was our adventure day that we were supposed to pre-book tours to go on. There was a group of 5 of us who hadn’t book anything so we decided to rent bikes, get some food to grill, and bike through the Redwood Forest to the Blue Lake to take a swim and eat some good food. We got our bikes and headed out on what we thought was going to just be a quick hour long bike ride to the lake, but it ended up taking us about 4 hours to get there. We biked through the forest which was uphill the entire way. One of the hills was about 3 miles and every time you thought it was going to end, it just kept going and going. When we finally reached the top it was smooth sailing to the bottom just to go up another hill. After going down our last hill and seeing the lake in the distance all of a us were yelling because we were so excited that we had finally made it to the lake. While there we took incredible pictures and went swimming in the bluest cleanest lake I’ve ever been in. It was so clear that you could see the bottom as you were swimming around. After swimming a bit we decided to grill the food that we had brought that consisted of garlic and herb chicken sausages, lamb chops, potatoes, and tomatoes. While cooking we met a Kiwi man who just fell in love with all of us. He had family visiting from Bristol, England and he said that if we ever needed anything to give him a call. The afternoon was filled with swimming, good food, and great company. He taught us about a lot of local hot spots to travel to that only the locals knew about and he offered to lend us his car if we ever needed it. When we were getting ready to leave he invited us over to his house to have dinner with him and his family. We all accepted thinking that it would be an incredible way to network in New Zealand and because he offered so many times that we couldn’t refuse. Shortly after that we had to depart to make it back to the bike shop before closing time at 5:30. We flew down the giant hill and avoided the Redwood Forest and made it back to the bike shop with 15 minutes to spare. After conquering the giant mountains and having one of the most incredible days in my life, we sat at the bar and had a beer in order to cool off and reminisce about the day that we just had. We got back to the kiwi paka and got ready to go to dinner. We had steak, potatoes, salad, and rolls for dinner followed by fried pineapple and peanut butter ice cream for dessert. The night was full of good conversation, good food, good wine and ended with experiencing a day that most people would be jealous of.
Day 4 consisted of giving back to the community. We hopped on a bus early in the morning and arrived at the Rotorua Rail Trust just a couple miles down the road. When we got there we found out that half of us would be playing children from the nearb consisted of giving back to the community. We hopped on a bus early in the morning and arrived at the Rotorua Rail Trust just a couple miles down the road. When we got there we found out that half of us would be playing children from the nearby primary schools and the other half would be doing hands on dirty work, then halfway through we would switch jobs. I was in the group that got to play with the children for the first couple of hours. My friend Taylor and I were assigned to the moon bounce. The kids absolutely loved it and took turns showing us their best bombs. Halfway through, we switched to weeding and mulching a garden. After lunch we all took a walk along the creek that the rail trust was renovating and picking up trash around. It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! The end of the night was filled with another session looking back on the importance of a community day. We were given a few hours of free time before leaving for Tamaki Village just outside of Rotorua for a traditional Maori “hangi.” The food was absolutely incredible as it is cooked beneath the ground for several hours before being served. It was just so tender and smokey. It was also really incredible to see a haka performed in person. How fierce the men and women are when they perform it still astonishes me every. It was also really incredible to see a haka performed in person. How fierce the men and women are when they perform it still astonishes me every, single time.
Day 5 was the caving day. It was absolutely out of this world!!! We started by putting on full wet suits and golashes and then took off on our days’ excursion. We walked across a sheep field before arriving at this hole in the ground with a ladder that descended. We had to shimmy down this ladder one at a time in order to gain access to the cave itself. Once inside we had to twist and turn around all these stalagmites and were forced to smear mud on each others’ faces in order to protect us from the basilisk that protects the cave. Shortly after, we were looking at the glowworms that were covering the ceiling. They are one of the strangest creatures on this earth because the glow they put off is from their poop and once they hatch, they die because they have no mouth to feed through. After that we were climbing a cliff to jump into our tubes from. It was one of the most adventurous moments I’ve had here so far. After floating town the cave river with the headlamps out taking in all the light from the glowworms it was time to climb and squeeze through another portion of the cave. All the different parts of the cave were absolutely gorgeous and our cave guides were awesome people. Not only did they take us through the cave but they taught us so much at the same time. The tour ended with some more floating and finally a hike up tons of stairs to get back to home base. After riding the bus back to kiwi paka for a free evening, a bunch of us decided to go into town to get some food and do some last minute exploring before we left the next day. We got some fish and chips and they decided to head to the Lava Bar for a great last night with some friends. It was $4 dollar drafts and I think that I found a beer that I’m absolutely in love with. The night ended quickly for me because I drank too much and was too tired to let it last any longer. The walk back was unbelievable because the moon was shining so bright and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
The day of departure from the Kiwi Paka was a rough one. Some of my good friends that I had met during the week were heading out to Wellington which is in the southern part of the North Island. I’m already planning on visiting at some point in the semester and they are also planning a trip to Auckland some time too. The week was full of incredible experiences and absolutely amazing people. Meeting those people made it very easy to transition to life in New Zealand and I’m hoping that things continue to go as well as they did that week.
Once the Auckland kids departed back to the city, all I could think about was when I was going to get to see Becca. We knew that we were going to be in the same building but we had no idea what rooms we were going to be in. When I arrived in the city and got my luggage from the bus to go into Wellesley to pick up my key, I hear “Dakota” being screamed. I turn around and all I can see is Becca running towards me smiling. She asked what room I was going to be in so I told her and she yells, “We’re going to be living together.” I absolutely could not believe it! After an hour of catching up and talking about the previous week, I headed to the grocery store to pick up some food for the week. It was a long trek there and it’s going to be something that I dread doing every week. So far, I absolutely love the people that I’m living with and I think that the semester is getting off to a great start!
