Roadtrip!! - Kaitaia, cont'd

The next morning in Kaitaia dawned nice and rainy, of course, but we had plans, and weren't to be derailed. Lee took us into town for breakfast at the restaurant, and then we packed a picnic lunch (OK, we each grabbed a sandwich) and were on our way. First stop was Shipwreck Bay, a bay so named because there is an old battleship shipwrecked there. (Did I already mention a certain lack of creativity in naming practices here?) Generally, all you can see is the boiler pipe sticking out of the sand, but Lee said that once in her lifetime the sands had shifted enough to reveal the boat itself. And then, of course, bury it again.

Second stop was a showroom for carved Kauri trees. Apparently, the Kauri trees are like America's redwoods, giant and now protected. However, there are thousands of tons of felled Kauri that were buried under farmland for thousands of years, after some uncertain cataclysmic event. These trees have been perfectly preserved, and as they're already dead, aren't subject to the conservation efforts. Some farmer eventually realized that the trees might actually be a better source of income than corn (or whatever he was planning on growing), and the thriving ancientKauri income stream was born. The showroom had some cool carvings - apparently, they have chainsaw speed carving competitions - and there was a giantKauri converted into a staircase in the middle of the building, but really it was just a tourist trap, and we bought our hokey souvenirs and were off.

Our goal was to drive up to Cape Reinga, the northernmost point in the country, to take in the views. Then, we were going to return via the Ninety Mile Beach*, hopefully close enough to low tide to catch ourselves somepipis (some sort of clam, or clam-like shellfish) for dinner. The drive to the Cape was beautiful, but still rainy, and of course, when we reached the Cape, it was socked in by a thick, thick fog. I still insisted on walking down the path to the lighthouse/sign that marked the northernmost point, and once we arrived, we could see a bit better. If we squinted hard enough, we were even able to see the waves crashing together where the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea meet, which was kind of cool.

As we headed back from the Cape (thankful for Lee the entire way - there was NO CHANCE our van could have made the drive), the weather started to clear a bit, and by the time we reached the sand dunes near the start of the Ninety Mile Beach, it was sunny, if still painfully windy. We girls climbed the dunes (which were giant, and looked like a lot of fun - tourists were sliding down on boogie boards), took a picture, and then quickly ran back down. Lee, the smart one, relaxed in the car and ate her sandwich. Wind and sand are quite a painful combination!

And then, to the beach! Lee was temporarily afraid we'd arrived a bit too late for the pipis, but fortunately she was wrong. We stood calf-deep in the water and twisted our feet around, digging in the sand for little groups of the buggers. The trick is that, once you find one, you can't lift your foot, or it'll burrow away. Of course, this meant bending down to pick them up in concert with incoming waves ... I was soon soaked through, and gave up any semblance of dignity, tucking my skirt around my neck for easiermaneuvering . (Yes, mom, I was wearing my bathing suit.) A couple of tour buses drove by, no doubt amused by the spectacle (Lydia was in the same state of disarray), but at the end, we wound up with quite a catch.

On the way back to Kaitaia, Lee gave each of us a chance behind the wheel. I've never done beach driving before - isn't that illegal in most parts of the US? - so it was kind of an adventure, but I didn't get us killed, and only ran over one rock. (And in my defense, it was after Lydia had parked the car like a foot away, so I never saw it.)

Back in Kaitaia, we stopped for dinner at a fish and chip shop - place your order at the window, it comes back out to you, freshly fried and wrapped in butcher paper. Apparently, the traditional Kiwi method of eating fish in chips requires you to butter a piece of white bread, put the fish and chips inside and fold it into a sandwich. I could pretty much feel my arteries clogging, but I have to admit it was delicious!

And then, it was time for our girls' night out on the town. Lee had promised to take us on a pub crawl showing us all the night spots. First up, of course, was her own restaurant/bar, where there was a rowdy group of men watching a rugby game. We had a drink or two there, and then moved on to a bar one or two doors over, that was totally empty except for the bartender, who was her nephew. (Small towns are STRANGE.) After that, we went to a place called Nero (I think), which is apparently a front for all sorts of drug running operations, but also apparently the place to be on a Friday night. There were maybe 15-20 people in there when we arrived, which forKaitaia I took to be a good turnout. We chatted with a couple of people, including someone that Lee later warned us about ("He's harmless, but, well, kind of a shark."), and then Dave showed up to take us to the final bar. Yes, the final bar - there are four. After a drink there, they made arrangements for us to get home, dropped us back of at Nero, and called it a night.

We stayed out until about 1, when our taxi showed up. Both Lee AND Dave had called him to make the arrangements, and we were his last fare of the night. They'd also arranged with the Nero staff to collect us when it was time to go, so that we didn't make thecabbie wait. The driver knew exactly where to go (which was good, as none of us knew the address), and when we arrived wouldn't let us pay, as it'd already been taken care of. Small town nightlife maybe isn't so exciting as here in the city, but the three of us sure had a good time!

*Interesting fact: New Zealand is of course on the metric system, but apparently that's a fairly recent change - like, within the last 40 years or so. Thus, the older generation still thinks in feet and miles, and there are still remnants of the old system to be found.

Roadtrip!! - Kaitaia

So the next morning, at exactly 8 AM, Kate's alarm goes off. We'd set it so that we could call the sky-diving company and try to make a booking for that day. But, of course, it was raining - and didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon. Now, maybe it's possible to skydive in the rain ... but who would want to?? So instead, we all rolled over (figuratively, of course - there was NOT room enough in that van for anyone to actually roll) and went back to sleep.

About 10, we tried again to wake up. And this time managed, if only because we had to check out of the campsite before 11 or risk getting charged for an extra day. Time for a strategy session. Everything we'd planned for the Bay of Islands was pretty weather dependent, so we could either wait around and hope things cleared up, or move on. We decided to head towards the Cape, the northernmost point in New Zealand, in the hopes that maybe the storm was moving south. So after a breakfast of bread and peanut butter, and a quick stop at the grocery store for provisions for dinner that night, we were off!

We stopped at a couple of beaches on the way, which are supposed to be gorgeous in good weather, and had a coffee break in a nice little seaside town. Lydia suggested we head to Kaitaia, a town at the base of the 90 Mile Beach, for dinner. An old camp friend of hers was from there, and his parents have a restaurant there. Although she'd only met them once, when her friend found out she'd be traveling the north island, he suggested she look them up.

When we arrived, Lydia thought she recognized the owners immediately, but a bout of shyness kept her from saying anything until after our meal. Finally, though, she worked up her courage - and thank goodness she did! Lee and Dave invited us to stay the night with them, and Lee said she'd take the next day, Friday, off and take us up to the Cape herself!

After we wandered around the town for a bit, Lee was ready head out and we followed her out to her house. It was quite the drive, if only because Lee is a bit of a speeder, and our poor van has trouble topping 80 kph. Fortunately, we made it to her nice house outside of town, maybe a minute or two from the nearest beach. (Not that it was even kind of beach weather.)

Lee made us all dinner while we relaxed a bit with her grandaughter, and then we had a nice meal outside and a couple glasses of wine. When Dave made it home, after the restaurant closed, he and Lee updated Lydia on her camp friend's life and whereabouts, and we all made plans for the following day. And then, happily, we climbed into actual beds to go to sleep. It's amazing how grateful we were after only one day of sleeping in a van ...

Roadtrip!! - Paihia

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Auckland Domain - the Duck Ponds

Maybe three minutes walk from my accommodation is the Auckland Domain, a park with sports-fields, forest walks, a museum, and duck ponds. I haven't had a chance to fully explore the place just yet, but I did take a detour through the Domain today on my way to do some very important shopping, passing by the duck ponds. Here are a few of the better photos I took today, with more to come as I get more time.

Muriwai Beach

In my host counselor's ongoing attempts to welcome me to Auckland, he and Jan invited me to join their walking group this Sunday for their first walk of the season. It was a walk charted out by Jan, a leisurely loop in the bush above Muriwai beach, and then a stop to check out the gannet colonies. Their friends welcomed me with open arms, and I had a lovely few hours. After the walk, it was a picnic lunch packed by Jan, including a delicious bran loaf that I must get the recipe for, and then back to the city. It was good to get out of the city (less than an hour away, although on the opposite coast!), and great to get a bit of exercise. And, of course, the scenery was beautiful!

Thank you, Rotary!

As a Rotary scholar, I'm lucky to have an automatic support system built into my destination country, including a host counselor. The duties of a host counselor are varied and, as far as I can tell, entirely optional. Luckily, I seem to have gotten a good one. (Although maybe not the best - I found out another Rotary scholar, from Japan, will be living in the same Uni accommodation as I am, and her counselor has already picked up her keys, set up her room, and stocked her fridge in anticipation of her arrival! John, maybe you should take notes for next time.)

John picked me up at the airport, loaded my luggage into the car, and took me to freshen up. After setting up my bank account, and a failed attempt at shopping for sheets and other dorm room necessities - I spent ten minutes staring at a wall of pillows without being able to make any sort of decision - we went up Mount Wellington, a dormant volcano (I think) in the Auckland suburbs. As we walked around the crater, John tried valiantly to help me orient myself in the city. The views were lovely, but I'm not sure I have the city down pat just yet.

That evening, John's wife Jan made a lovely meal and we all spent some time getting to know each other. John and Jan are a wonderful couple, VERY hospitable, and I'm well aware of how lucky I am to be let into their world so quickly.

The next day, Friday, John and I ran a few errands, did a bit of sightseeing from another volcano, Mount Eden, and then headed into the city to pick up my keys and start setting up my dorm room. I'm living in Uni housing about a 15 minute walk from the campus (and probably a 25 minute walk from the law school). I think the building used to be a motel, so each room is both a bedroom and a bathroom. We also have our own fridges, but cooking is to be done in a shared kitchen/lounge area. My room is reasonably sized, although I can't really say the same for the closet, and the people that I've met here so far seem very friendly.

That evening, I took John and Jan up on their offer to stay over one final night. For dinner, they took me out to a lovely restaurant on the beach, after a nice drive to show me a bit more of the area. We had outside seating, some good wine and great food, and a brief walk "to feel the sand between my toes," as Jan said.

Saturday was both Valentine's Day and John and Jan's wedding anniversary, so we all agreed I should get out of their hair as quickly as possible. After a nice breakfast, prepared by John, my luggage and I were shuttled back into the city, and I set to the task of unpacking and settling in. I've done fairly well, I think, although there are some bare walls and shelves that I should attend to. Meanwhile, John has arranged to have me attend his Rotary club meeting on Monday evening - I can only hope that everyone in Rotary is half as generous and hospitable as John and Jan have turned out to be!

Teale in Transit

Amazing what a difference only a few days can make. This time last week, I was getting beat in a game of cribbage by my father (who, I swear, cheats). And now, I'm nice and cozy in my Uni accommodation in Auckland, New Zealand, clothes unpacked, fridge stocked, and settling in nicely.

Where to start? Tuesday, I guess. Tuesday morning, I rolled out of bed, finished my packing, and tried to get in some last-minute quality time with my cat, Athena. (Who was having none of that, as anyone with a cat could have predicted.) Had one last lunch with my parents, and then it was off to the airport. Thank goodness for the Boise airport - there was not one person in line before me at check-in, and maybe three other people in the security area. No threat of missing my flight there! Once I verified that the Alaska Airlines agent was sending my luggage to New Zealand (there was a bit of confusion when she started rattling off Australia immigration requirements), my parents and I said our goodbyes and I was off!

Well, off to the other side of security, where I grabbed a bite to eat and listened to some Harry Potter on my iPod. The first leg of my trip, BOI to LAX, was fine, if uneventful. Once I arrived in LAX, an airport I've never been to before, things got a bit more interesting. No signs in the terminal indicated that my flight (or any international flights) existed, nor was there a map indicating an international terminal. Finally I asked a security guard, who directed me to exit the building and go to the next terminal to the right. I had to go through security a second time - and a third and fourth, since I tried to go through the metal detector with electronics in my pockets, and then they discovered the full water bottle in my bag - and then trek down to my gate. The place was packed, food choices were pathetic, and there wasn't a Starbucks in sight - NOT a good sign for the 11 hour flight ahead.

I tend to request window seats when I travel long distances, as I find it slightly easier to sleep if I can lean against something, but at the last minute I requested an aisle instead. A VERY fortuitous choice, as this meant I was seated in the small upstairs economy section, with only 11 rows of seats - 6 of which were empty! A flight attendant told me they were expecting a full flight, as they'd overbooked for 430 passengers on a plane that will accommodate 400, but apparently a connecting flight didn't make it into LAX in time, and all of those passengers had been seated in my section. Sad for them and their vacation plans, of course, but it did mean I had a very quiet flight, and an entire row of seats to myself!

We arrived in the Fiji airport at about 5:30 in the morning, a good three hours before my flight to Auckland was departing. There was yet another layer of security, but while standing in line, I struck up a conversation with a girl from LA. As it turns out, she was also headed to Auckland to study at the University! A good companion to pass a few hours, anyway, and we have plans to do some shopping tomorrow morning.

The last three hours, from Fiji to Auckland, felt very long, but finally we landed and I was in New Zealand! Immigration moved shockingly quickly, baggage claim less so, and customs was the slowest of all. (New Zealand is VERY cautious about what gets into the country.) John, my Rotary host counselor, was waiting for me with a sign on the other side of the exit, and there I was - heading out into the humid Auckland summer!

Almost time!!!

So we've made it - the final countdown begins. Yesterday was my final day at work, and I fly out next Tuesday - so four days to make all the arrangements I need to make, pack my clothes, etc. I'm sure I'll get everything done in plenty of time, but at the moment I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. Still, though, ready to go.

This week I finally met up with one of District 5400's former Ambassadorial Scholars. Marc and I have been trying to get together for over a month now, but it's only now that our schedules have lined up. Marc spent his year in Chile, and had some great insights into the program and what I might expect in the next few weeks/months, while I'm still settling in. He engaged pretty extensively with his local Rotary clubs, so he was also something of an inspiration on how to get involved in giving back to the Auckland community while I'm in country.

I've also visited my final Rotary club here in Boise, the Centennial club. (ANOTHER club that meets at 7:00AM, which I still have trouble understanding!) Marc and I were both asked to talk a bit about the Scholarship - just to give an idea of the process we went through to get selected, and (for Marc) what the experience of being a Scholar is like. Ken and Terry, my two local counselors (Ken formally, Terry informally), were both at the meeting as well, and so was Ken's wife Nancy. It was great to get a chance to say goodbye to them as well, and to pass on my thanks one last time.

And now, to packing. I honestly don't know one person can accumulate so many clothes - when I left Boston in August, I donated three full garbage bags of clothes and shoes, and I've definitely got at least two more going out the doors now. I've managed to cut my shoe collection down to 14 pairs, which feels insufficient. I guess I'll have to find some good New Zealand boutique stores once I settle in! :)

My next message will be posted from Auckland, New Zealand - until then, wish me luck!!