Robert (New Zealand) - School's Out

Well, the inaugural run of the Earlham College New Zealand Semester is over. About half of the students have left the country already. I'm moving out of my home stay tomorrow morning.

The culminating event of the program was a seven day kayaking/hiking trip in Abel Tasman National Park in the north of the South Island. We drove up to Nelson and spent two nights at a campsite next to a soon to be "mainland island". I mentioned a while ago the strategy of eradicating mammalian pests (rats, stoats, possums, etc.) on offshore islands to protect native bird species. Another strategy is to install predator proof fencing around a section of forest on the mainland, kill all the pests inside, and then have a fenced in sanctuary. We'd visited a few before, but it was cool to see one that was in the process of being created. Back at the campground we celebrated the faculty leaders' daughter Ellie's 4th birthday, played balloon volleyball, and hung out with an sketchy/offensive drunk Kiwi man who looked like Bert Reynolds.

Like the Routeburn trip we split into two groups for the back country. My group got the ocean section first, paddling south along the coast in two person sea kayaks. It was very laid back, only a couple hours of paddling each day, then hours to spend lounging on the beech, although the wind off the ocean could be cold at times. At night the moon was bright enough to light up the whole ocean. The nights were cold and in morning when the sun hit the ocean it would steam.
Our second campsite, at the fortunately misnamed Mosquito Bay, was a great place. At high tide the campsite was surrounded on three sides by a tidal lagoon, but at low tide it was all a sandy beach that extended out to a small island. At night our campground was invaded by possums which aside from being a nuisances are really a blight on native wildlife, so there was nothing to do but go on a nocturnal possum hunt. Shane ended up bludgeoning one after everyone else had given up. One down, 70 million to go.
The switchover point for the trip was a two night stay at a hut in a large bay called The Anchorage. We played a game of capture the flag, pitting the two brigades against each other. It was a hard fought battle but we were victorious. In the end it came down to a daring amphibious assault with a kayak by Julia and myself which served as a diversion while our teammates stole the flag. We also built a massive sand castle/city which we named Panui (Maori for "big fort"), and then watched it get swallowed by the tide.
We traded our kayaks for hiking packs and set off on the Inland Track. The first day was crazy hot and the landscape felt oddly like the American southwest. I got to learn all sorts of things about Jay (one of our faculty leaders) on the hike, including an apocalyptic story of family drama around his step-sister's wedding in Turkey. The huts on the track were small and simple. We shared the space with good people, both Kiwis and internationals from as far away as Wales. We had some of the best stars of the trip the last night before the moon rose. The Southern Cross with the Milky Way spiraling out behind it.
The other group apparently had far more luck with ocean wildlife than we did, with dolphins swimming along side them and baby seals jumping onto the kayaks as they paddled.
After the tramp we wrapped up the program in a campground on the beach in a small town called Pohara Just west of Abel Tasman. We ate a delicious final meal at a local restaurant, filled out massive program evaluation forms, and did a last group check in. Pohara is a beautiful spot. The sunsets were astounding. The last morning we got up early in the rain and fog and standing on the beach felt like the edge of the world.

Back in Christchurch it's become full-blown fall. The air is filled with falling leaves. The weather reports say we might get a dusting of snow in a day or two. Still, the last few days have been pleasantly warm.

We had a farewell potluck with all the host families, which was predictably awkward. It was also kind of a weird way to end the program, with so many strangers around. Some students are decidedly happy to leave their home stays. Mine has been good though, even if living in suburbia drives me a bit nuts sometimes.

Yesterday a few of us who are sticking around for some extra time got together for drinks at the Bush Inn, a favorite meeting place near the university. I really don't know why we congregate there so much. It's a room full of people over 60 pouring their money into slot machines and watching horse racing. Kind of depressing actually. However, beer is cheap, it's a convenient location, and it has a nice outside seating area. Ashley, one of the guides from the Whanganui River trip back at the start of the program was down for a few days visiting us and staying with relatives. I ended up going a cookout at his family's place. Amazingly friendly people. I showed up, a total stranger, and they welcomed me in, hongied me (traditional Maori greeting where you press noses and/or foreheads for a second), and we ate and jammed on guitar for about an hour. After that it was off to the pubs where Susan and I toasted to things we were thankful for every time we drank. I don't know how many pitchers we went through.

Right now my host brother and his friends are booby trapping every door in the house. I'll need to tread lightly to get out of here. Tomorrow Susan, Bryan, Liz and I head down to Dunedin.


Things I have been appreciating:

-The phrase 'Gorsed' meaning "I've been stabbed by gorse, oh god, oh god, look at all the bood." Gorse is an invasive plant that devotes more than half of its biomass to various sharp and pointy protrusions. Touching it results in getting 'gorsed'. I've also been appreciating the mental image of Elliot levetated aboves the ground where he had just sat down screaming "It's Gorse!"
-Bellbirds. Walking through the woods with these little guys singing all around is something I will miss a lot.
-Slapping the sack.
-Dub Dub Dub Internet cafe. Just a really good place.
-Sea-salt stains on cloths and skin.