Aotearoa!: Back from the glorious South Island

Hello! It was been weeks since I've blogged last, and for this I apologize. I have been traveling around the South Island without a laptop or internet. It was utterly beautiful down there! Our journey began with a 10 hour van right down to the bottom tip of the North Island. From there, we took a 3 hour ferry across the Cook Strait to Picton. It was an 8-level ferry, and had a movie theater and bars.

Our first destination was Kaikoura, a town famous for eco-tourism and whale-watching. We stayed at the local marae for four nights, and the 29 of us (including staff) slept together in the Wharenui. We could not take any pictures inside the Wharenui because they are considered sacred. Basically, it was a large room with several panels of wooden sculptures and paintings. It was quite special to sleep in such a spiritual place for four nights! We all seemed to enjoy sleeping together, and we bonded quite a bit. We learned about the "zero-waste" initiative in New Zealand, and how they are trying to completely reduce their waste by 2020. The residents are encouraged to recycle for free and every time they bring a trash bag to the landfill, they have to pay a fee.

One of the most thrilling parts of this entire trip was swimming with wild dolphins. Our leaders surprised us the night before, and told us that if we woke up at 4:30, we'd have the opportunity to swim with hundreds of Dusky dolphins! It was so incredible, and I had an uncontrollable giggle-fit while watching the dolphins swim under me. We weren't supposed to touch them, because our oils are not good for their skin, but many of them bumped into us! They were very acrobatic, and leaped out of the water. It was amazing to be surrounded by hundreds of dolphins swimming around you in every direction. Unfortunately, the seas were really rough and many of us got seasick. The motion of bobbing up and down in meter-high swells set me off, and I was sick for the remainder of the boat ride. Everyone was really kind by bringing me blankets and rubbing my back :)

During our stay in Kaikoura, we had to analyze whether or not eco-tourism was sustainable. For this, we wandered around the town and read brochures. Some of the activites included llama trekking, whale-watching by helicopter, hunting tours, kayaking, and hang gliding. On the beaches of Kaikoura, many of us found giant paoa (abalone) shells. What beautiful colors! I bought a pair of paoa earrings at an art gallery downtown.

From there, we had time off in Christchurch. My group didn't actually spend any time in Christchurch, but chose to go to Arthur's Pass instead. On our way, we stopped at Castle Hill, a dreamscape for all those who climb. The rock formations WERE incredible, even for those of us who didn't. On our way out, we realized that the battery of our van was dead. Since it was a manual, we attempted to start it by pushing it around the parking lot and it worked! Just like in Little Miss Sunshine! The next day, we hiked this incredible trek called "Avalanche Peak Trail." It ended up being around an 8 hour hike, but mostly because the ascent was a very steep, rocky path. I was on all fours for 80% of it! It was completely worth it once we reached the peak, since we were surrounded by incredible views of the Southern Alps.

Back on program time, we drove to Craigieburn. Our focus was to study alpine ecology. We stayed at a rustic Conservation Centre with no heat. It was our first time experiencing cold weather in New Zealand! We wore our thermals for most of our stay. We weren't allowed to leave our belongings outside, out of fear that the Kea would steal it. Kea are large, mountain parrots who are very intelligent and inquisitive birds. They were green in color, and had red patches under their wings. One of our leaders, Ria told us many stories about Kea, since she studied them in her past. We also visited the "Wilderness Lodge Arthur's Pass" which was a luxurious building. We heard from the owner, Gerry McSweeney, who's an active conservationist. As a part of his guests stay, he encourages them to hike around the area and become involved in his conservation projects. We helped him eradicate around 10,000 douglass fir sapplings! It is important to remove these invasive conifers, because they are taking over the native forests at a rapid rate. We also were able to feed his sheep. In fact, the wool of his merino sheep is used in SmartWool products! Back at the Centre, we had a week's worth of oral presentations, quizzes, and lectures.

At the end of our South Island trip, we had time off in Nelson. All of us stayed in Nelson the first night to celebrate Bryan's 21st. We danced for much of the night and ate lamb shwarmas! The next day, my group drove up to Abel Tasman which had beautiful beaches and native bush. We did a short waterfall trek, visited Pupu Springs (some of the clearest water in the world), and relaxed at Tata beach. The next day we ate at the amazingly delicious Wholemean cafe, where I indulged in salmon pesto pasta. We then drove up towards Farewell Spit and stayed the night at a quiet holiday park. Early the next morning, we drove to Wharariki Beach that had incredible, vast sand dunes, caves and baby seals! We watched the babies from only a few feet away, until the angry mama seal found out. That beach was probably my favorite beach in all of New Zealand. We also drove up to the windy Cape Farewell, the most northern point of the South Island. Then we drove to Blenheim, aka wine country. We had such a fun time on our wine tour via bikes! We stopped at five wineries in four hours (5-6 tastings at each stop) and biked quite a bit too. They were all quite delicious, especially the pinot noir which the area is famous for. Luckily, there were no injuries - just a happy wine buzz! Eventually, we drove back to Nelson and stayed at a popular hostel called "Paradiso."

All in all, the South Island was a very memorable trip, but I was ready to go back to the Quest. Since Friday, we've been working on papers, more presentations, and preparing for a debate. We only have roughly five weeks left, for which I have mixed emotions.

the Interislander ferry: