kraley717

I can't believe it's already June 1st!! Time is going by much too quickly. I have lots to catch y'all up on, so, here's the last of the South Island blogs. From Te Anau we went to Milford Sound, about a two hour drive. We didn't have any plans, only to figure it out when we got there. So that's what we did. Went into the i-site, got information and recommendations on cruises, booked a cruise, and got on a boat about 30 minutes later. It wasn't perfect weather, but it wasn't raining, either. Apparently it rains most of the year on the West Coast - 7 meters of rain, if you can believe it (that's roughly 21 feet - a whole heck of a lot of rain). We did a smaller cruise that makes a ... read more

Hooray! So, Friday morning (April 21), Daddy and I got on a plane headed for Christchurch. We arrived a little after 9, and got a rental car. We hadn't made any plans before we got there really, so when we got the car we got out the travel books and figured out where we wanted to go. We started out in Cathedral Square, the site of a massive cathedral and the center of town. There was a giant chess board set up in the square, and we had fun watching a couple of guys play that for a while and judging their moves. Then we went into the cathedral - it was very ornate. They had a sign up saying that the privilege of taking pictures cost $2 - we ignored it, as did all the ... read more

Wow! I know it's been a while, but the wait was worth it, I promise! Daddy and I just got back from an amazing, whirlwind trip to the South Island. Before that I was working on an organic farm over Easter weekend, so there's lots to tell! I'll start with the farm. It was through a program called Wwoof - Willing Workers on Organic Farms. Basically farms become a part of it so that they can get extra help in exchange for room and board and a great experience. I worked on Castle Craig Farm, owned by a family, the parents, Colin and Dorothy, living in one house and their daughter and her husband, Christabel and Guy, living in another house they had moved onto the property. They all moved over from England in 2001, where ... read more

Hey everyone! I’m done with classes for the next two and a half weeks! Hooray! Tomorrow morning I’m going down to Waitomo Caves area to work on an organic farm for a little less than a week. : ) It’s through a program called Wwoof - Willing workers on organic farms. www.wwoof.co.nz Someone recommended it to me (thanks, Shelly!), and I thought it’d be a great way to experience a little of the culture and the agricultural community that is so important to New Zealand. I actually think that the people I’m staying with are English instead of New Zealanders. Oh well, they’ve lived here for long enough. I’ll tell you all about my experience when I get back Tuesday. The next exciting event of break - my dad’s coming Wednesday! Exactly a week from now. ... read more

Kia ora! No one ever really uses that greeting. The Maoris do I guess, but not just when you see them on the street usually. But it’s still fun to say. : ) This past weekend I participated in a Volunteer Conservation project on the Coromandel peninsula. It was wonderful! Six of us from AustraLearn, the study abroad program I came through, stayed at a woman’s house in the middle of the bush to help her eradicate introduced plant and animal species so that the native species would be able to grow. Dell, the woman whose land we were on, has owned the land for roughly 20 years, and has just recently built a house on it. She has a covenant on her land, which says that it has to remain how it is now - ... read more

Hello again! It’s been a while, and I have heaps to tell you about! It’s Monday here, and I just took my first test for my Maori studies class. I think it went pretty well, especially since I didn’t spend a lot of time studying this weekend… Instead, Erin and I rented a car and toured the East coast. Erin drove (of course), and did a great job staying on the left side of the road and figuring out the roundabouts. We left Friday morning and drove East to Whakatane, where we stopped and shopped a bit, then continued on the scenic highway of the East Cape. It was beautiful - the pictures don’t even begin to describe it. We stopped a couple of times to admire the view, and once went down a little trail ... read more