> Ikaia Chu < After watching the Lord of the Rings and seeing the shire scenes, I just expected all of New Zealand to look that way. Flying into New Zealand, I expected to see lots of grassy hills and lush valleys. Well, when I got to the hotel and this was my view, it was safe to say I was a bit disappointed. Today, however, we were lucky enough to go explore the New Zealand I expected to see. Our day started with a early morning subway ride from Auckland to Henderson. Once there, we were picked up by Aunty Megan, our guide, who was a parent of two kids at Waiorea (the school we visited). After stopping to watch some local netball (similar to basketball, but without the backboard), we drove up to a small museum at the top of the nearby mountain. From there, you could see all the way down to the shore. It was really relaxing to finally escape into nature after being stuck in the heart of the city for most of the week. Then, after stopping for a picnic lunch, because we were short on time, we were forced to decide whether to go shopping for pounamu (carved stone necklaces) or to go to the beach. Although we collectively decided to get pounamu, we were surprised when they decided to take us to the beach as well. Now, living in Hawaii, I have seen many beautiful beaches, but this one was something I have never quite seen before. And although I was dressed like a complete tourist in jeans and shoes, I decided to make the most of my time by running around and playing in the sand and water. You see that mountain to the right of the pictures above? Well, after we were through playing in the sand, we actually discovered a stairs leading to the top of the mountain. Of course, being the adventurous kids we are, we climbed it to get a better view. After literally being dragged away from the beach, we were taken to Aunty Megan's friend's house where we could buy pounamu. Unfotunately, upon arrival everyone took the nice pounamu, leaving me with the leftovers. I decided to wait to buy a nicer one later. Following that, we picked up our guides' kids for a nice dinner together.
All in all, it was a really good day (one of the most fun and relaxing, in fact). After so many days of working hard on the wa'a (I'm not complaining, but we did have to work quite hard for 8 hours a day), it was nice to have a full day for the sole purpose of exploring New Zealand. Today really brought my trip together and made it feel complete because now I can say that I truly got to see the New Zealand I came to see.
1 Comment
Cindy Chu
3/30/2015 03:18:45 am
Awesome Ikaia! We are all so proud of you and the wonderful experience you've been blessed with! Can't wait to hear all about it!! Miss you Bubbs!
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May 2015
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