First Week: Te Puia, Waitomo Caves, Mt. Ruapehu

The last few days have been extremely busy but have been a ton of fun. I’ve finally adjusted to the time change here and my head is not quite in the fog that it was in, so hopefully this entry makes a little more sense than my last posting. I’ll be able to post pictures soon but I’ll have to go into town to do that… and I need a few more driving lessons before I can just drive into town :)

My first full day in New Zealand I had the pleasure of spending the day with my Aunt, Cousin, and two family friends that were also visiting New Zealand. We were all interesting in the learning about the culture of NZ. Rotoura is quite a large tourist city and my Aunt and Cousin took us to “Te Puia” which is a museum dedicated to educating the public about NZ and the Maori natives. We also saw the Geothermal Valley and the Pahuta Geyer which erupts two to three times per hour. There was also the Kiwi House where I saw my first Kiwi bird. They are nocturnal birds that are very sensitive to light and sound so I wasn’t able to take any pictures but they were cute little birds. (www.tepuia.com)

The way the Maori people record time is by carving and storytelling. They combine whole sentences or phrases together to help their people remember. An example is “Whakarewarewatanga” which means “The gathering place of the war parties of Wahio.” The Geyer create a pretty nasty sulfur smell that you get a good whiff of every time you head into Rotorua. The geothermal activity has created natural hot pools all around the area. I haven’t been to one yet but I plan on going to one soon.

My second day was mostly busy work. I got my NZ drivers license which I technically didn’t even need to get but just wanted to have. I didn’t have to take any kind of driving exam, all I had to do was show them my US license. Also got my Tax Number (kind of like a Social Security number) so that I’m able to work and set up all of my Bank Accounts. All of this took nearly the whole day but it wasn’t bad, I enjoyed running around and getting everything taken care of at once.

I had heard that the there was an underground river that I had to see so that was our mission for my third day in NZ. My Cousin Jen, Whitney (the other family friend visiting) and myself all went out to see this river and the glowworms that they housed. It took us nearly three hours to make it to the Waitomo Caves. I loved the drive! Saw plenty of lush green farmland of cow, cattle, deer, and sheep farms. Once we made it to the caves we took a tour through one of the 300 limestone caves. Cameras weren’t allowed but I was sneaky and got a few decent pictures :) After walking through the caves we got to take a boat ride through the river to see the glowworms. The larva of the glowworm fly is what glows and it glows to attract insects in the dark caves. The whole idea of looking at worms kind of grosses me out but it was actually quite breath taking. They looked like the night sky full of stars. I really enjoyed the entire day and I’m happy that we made the drive up. (www.waitomo.com)

Yesterday was probably my favorite day so far. I got to go snowboarding in JULY, still a crazy concept for me to grasp hold of. We drove another three hours to Mt. Ruapehu and snowboarded down the Turoa side of the mountain. There is also the Whakapapa (pronounces Fuak-a-Papa) which I’ll probably go to the next time I head up. The mountains here are all volcanoes so there are no trees up near the slopes. The snow was a little icy but after the last snowboarding season I was use to it. There were plenty of runs to take and so many different places to explore around once we were up there. The view was incredible and we went up on a perfect day. It was sunny and clear so you could see for miles. I’m looking forward to traveling down to the South Island to board on a few mountains down there. (www.mtruapehu.com)

I start work on Monday and am oddly looking forward to it. All of the cows here are grass fed and the farm smells fresh and clean. There is no US Dairy farm smell which I am grateful for. It is calving season so I will be plenty busy, I’ll probably have quite a few stories to tell from this experience. I’m already planning out my next journey to see the country. I’m so happy that I am finally here and can’t wait to see more!

Hello New Zealand

I’ve arrived in New Zealand safely and had a very enjoyable flight over. I ended up getting the window seat right by the emergency exit so I had plenty of leg room and had now one sitting next to me and the other passenger who sat in the aisle seat. The flight was smooth and felt like it went by quickly. My Aunt was at the airport to greet me when I finally made it through customs and we were off to her home outside of Auckland. My Aunt and Uncles home overlooks one of the many bays that surrounds Auckland. I walked up their staircase and was greeted by the most beautiful sunrise. Couldn’t have asked for more for my first experience in New Zealand, and I plan on seeing many more sunrises.
After taking a shower and getting freshened up at bit it was time to head down to meet my Cousin’s and to go see the farm. The drive down to Waikite Valley where Bella Ride Farm is located was breathtaking. I spent the time trying to pronounce all of the towns that were on the way and marveling at the rolling mountains that surrounded us. New Zealand actually reminds me a lot of Washington State. It is so green and lush here. We drove along the coast down through the Bay of Plenty and into Rotorua which let us to Waikite Valley. Tomorrow should be a busy day not only site seeing in Rotorua but also getting a few things in order for me to work here on the farm.

The farm that my Cousin’s own is very old and they’ve only lived here for three weeks. The house is quite cold but I have a heating blanket and a space heater which should keep me plenty warm. They have already done so much to the house but they have a ways to go and I’m excited to be here to help them along. I’m happy to finally be here and am still grateful that I’ve been given this opportunity. I look forward to what the next few months will bring.

Almost Time to Leave!

Well my adventure begins in nearly 5 hours. I’ve just arrived to LAX thank you Uncle Matt and Aunt Jenni!!! After seeing my entire family and saying goodbye to everyone I’m actually looking forward to just sitting and waiting for my flight to take off. Its crazy to think that all this time I’ve been waiting for today now I’m just wondering what it will be like once I arrive. I hope I have all of my paperwork ready and that I’ll get through customs without any problems.

I’ll land in Auckland at 5:30am Monday morning. Right now I’m most excited to see the farm that my cousin and her husband own and to get a tour of where I’ll be working for the next few months. I’ve had a lot of people tell me that I’m crazy for quitting my job to go work on a dairy farm. I first referred to it as “ditching out on life” however I’ve changed my mind… I think of it now as “Living life.” I love experiencing new things and can hardly wait to see the places I’ll see and to make new friendships that will last a lifetime.