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| That's right! It's a photo!!! Of the mainland from Motutapu Island. |
Sunrise over the Coromandel Peninsula, across the Firth of Thames
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
PICTURES! OMG!
A few days ago we went to volunteer on the island of Motutapu in the Hauraki Gulf, a bit offshore from Auckland. The island has a long history of cattle and sheep ranching, so they're trying to restore about a third of it back to native bush. The other two thirds have cool archeological and historical sites on it from Maori settlements and early European occupation. So we planted about 400 native plants -- that's a lot of holes. But the ground was nice and soft because it has rained Every. Single. Day. we've been here so far (except 2, to be fair). So there was of course a nice little downpour in the middle of planting, but for the most part, it looked like this:
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Opoutere
When I walked outside my room this morning the first thing I saw was a huge rainbow over the Hunua mountains... it was a good day. It was the first really chill day we've had... I made a kite (we're in the midst of a VERY large storm... last night the power went out (we all played cards by the light of our headlamps) and there has been some pretty intense winds. It was nice today, but we're due for more weather this evening and tomorrow).
We're back at EcoQuest after spending the week on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in a little town called Opoutere. Basically, I went from field work meaning sitting in the middle of the desert in the dust measuring rock track depths to field work meaning sitting in the middle of tidal flats in the estuary in mud up to my ankles counting shellfish. It was awesome... we were helping in a shellfish monitoring program across the Haukuri Gulf region (Northern NZ), so we went out at low tide three days in a row to record how many cockles, wedge shells and welks were present across the estuary. The first day was windy, the second morning was pouring rain and super cold, and the last day was just the most perfect weather ever.
We also got to explore a little bit... we hiked up to the top of a hill near the hostel we were staying at. It was the site of an old Maori Pa, or fortress, and you could tell why the tribe had chosen to build it there: we could see for miles (it seemed) and had a really nice overlook of the whole harbour and valley, and it was kind of steep climb up. There wasn't much left of the settlement -- just shell middens. They ate a lot of shellfish! Not so surprising, really...
Tomorrow we are going to an island called Motutapu near Auckland to help out with a community restoration day... should be fun, especial with the wind. It might get canceled because of the weather, which would be a bummer. but so far so good.
smiles!
We're back at EcoQuest after spending the week on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in a little town called Opoutere. Basically, I went from field work meaning sitting in the middle of the desert in the dust measuring rock track depths to field work meaning sitting in the middle of tidal flats in the estuary in mud up to my ankles counting shellfish. It was awesome... we were helping in a shellfish monitoring program across the Haukuri Gulf region (Northern NZ), so we went out at low tide three days in a row to record how many cockles, wedge shells and welks were present across the estuary. The first day was windy, the second morning was pouring rain and super cold, and the last day was just the most perfect weather ever.
We also got to explore a little bit... we hiked up to the top of a hill near the hostel we were staying at. It was the site of an old Maori Pa, or fortress, and you could tell why the tribe had chosen to build it there: we could see for miles (it seemed) and had a really nice overlook of the whole harbour and valley, and it was kind of steep climb up. There wasn't much left of the settlement -- just shell middens. They ate a lot of shellfish! Not so surprising, really...
Tomorrow we are going to an island called Motutapu near Auckland to help out with a community restoration day... should be fun, especial with the wind. It might get canceled because of the weather, which would be a bummer. but so far so good.
smiles!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The Pinnacles
So, I love my hiking boots. I moaned a lot about having to get them in the first place, but they are basically the best thing ever. Context:
Twelve of us went on an overnight backpacking jaunt this weekend up to a lovely spot called "The Pinnacles" on Coromandel Peninsula (which is right across the bay from EcoQuest). It's a three/four hour hike up to the top, where there is a REALLY snazzy backpacker hut and some tent-pitch spots, and then another half hour or so up to the peak. We planned to hike up to the hut on Saturday, pitch camp (who needs a roof and bunks when you have tents and sleeping bags), and climb up to the top for sunrise on Sunday.
The hike up was lovely... lots of treeferns, crazy jungle scenery, picturesque springs along the path, rain... wait, what was that last thing? Oh yeah, Pinnacles happens to be the second wettest spot in New Zealand. So it started drizzling as soon as we started up the track, and started pouring as soon as we went to set up camp, and continued all night long and well into the morning. We cooked dinner in the hut, where they had gas stoves and solar lighting, and talked with a bunch of New Zealand hikers. They looked at us like we were absolutely nuts as we started packing up to head back down to our tents.
The night really wasn't that bad... the tent I was in did a really good job keeping out the water out. The rain was just super loud. Anyway, we got up at 5 anyway to head up to the Pinnacle... didn't end up leaving until 6, but the semi-dawn was very useful, since the ascent involved vertical ladders, steel pegs driven into sheer stone slabs, and some pretty fun scrambles. I loved it. The views stayed a little mysterious behind the clouds, but huge stone pillars and dramatic cliffs would loom through the mist when the wind changed.
Anyway, back to my boots: the trail down was a stream. Literally. The entire mountainside just poured water out of every possible nook and cranny. So those waterfalls that were so pretty the day before were even more amazing. And my feet stayed dry, since it was generally pretty shallow and/or I could avoid deep parts. So yeah, hiking boots + New Zealand = good idea.
On an unrelated note, we are going Opoutere (pronounced Ah-po-tear-ee) on tuesday for a week to study the Wharekawa Estuary and participate in a community driven shell-fish monitoring program. We'll be back on Friday, and then have a week back here before we leave for the South Island for a month-ish. I wont take my computer when we travel, so I probably wont post anything during the trips... you'll just have to wait to hear about it. and pictures... I'm working on that. I know that everyone is on the edge of their seats in anticipation. right.
smiles!
Twelve of us went on an overnight backpacking jaunt this weekend up to a lovely spot called "The Pinnacles" on Coromandel Peninsula (which is right across the bay from EcoQuest). It's a three/four hour hike up to the top, where there is a REALLY snazzy backpacker hut and some tent-pitch spots, and then another half hour or so up to the peak. We planned to hike up to the hut on Saturday, pitch camp (who needs a roof and bunks when you have tents and sleeping bags), and climb up to the top for sunrise on Sunday.
The hike up was lovely... lots of treeferns, crazy jungle scenery, picturesque springs along the path, rain... wait, what was that last thing? Oh yeah, Pinnacles happens to be the second wettest spot in New Zealand. So it started drizzling as soon as we started up the track, and started pouring as soon as we went to set up camp, and continued all night long and well into the morning. We cooked dinner in the hut, where they had gas stoves and solar lighting, and talked with a bunch of New Zealand hikers. They looked at us like we were absolutely nuts as we started packing up to head back down to our tents.
The night really wasn't that bad... the tent I was in did a really good job keeping out the water out. The rain was just super loud. Anyway, we got up at 5 anyway to head up to the Pinnacle... didn't end up leaving until 6, but the semi-dawn was very useful, since the ascent involved vertical ladders, steel pegs driven into sheer stone slabs, and some pretty fun scrambles. I loved it. The views stayed a little mysterious behind the clouds, but huge stone pillars and dramatic cliffs would loom through the mist when the wind changed.
Anyway, back to my boots: the trail down was a stream. Literally. The entire mountainside just poured water out of every possible nook and cranny. So those waterfalls that were so pretty the day before were even more amazing. And my feet stayed dry, since it was generally pretty shallow and/or I could avoid deep parts. So yeah, hiking boots + New Zealand = good idea.
On an unrelated note, we are going Opoutere (pronounced Ah-po-tear-ee) on tuesday for a week to study the Wharekawa Estuary and participate in a community driven shell-fish monitoring program. We'll be back on Friday, and then have a week back here before we leave for the South Island for a month-ish. I wont take my computer when we travel, so I probably wont post anything during the trips... you'll just have to wait to hear about it. and pictures... I'm working on that. I know that everyone is on the edge of their seats in anticipation. right.
smiles!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Te Ao Maori (the World of the Maori)
Today we were officially welcomed by the local Maori Iwi (tribe) with a Powhiri (Poe-fi-dee: welcoming ceremony... for future reference, "wh"="f") at the nearby Marae (MAR-eye: Maori meeting house/church/ancestral home place). We've been learning about Maori culture, language, beliefs and history for the past few days, so it was really interesting to actually participate in their way of life. The Maori place a lot of emphasis on ancestry and ancestral honour, so the powhiri is basically a meeting of our ancestors and their ancestors, carried out though us, the living. Before this meeting, we (us EcoQuesters new to the area) are strangers and potential threats, but once we have "exchanged breath" during the ceremony, we become "people of the land" -- honorary members of the tribe. [An aside: the exchanging of breath is a pretty important part of Maori greeting. The Hongi (hong-ee) is basically like the french cheek kiss (except closer): when two people meet, you shake hands and press your forehead and nose together. It definitely emphasizes the differences between cultures' personal space bubbles... it feels really strange to be that close to someone's face the moment you meet them! ]
The ceremony started with us waiting nervously outside the gate to the Marae... apparently, time moves a little differently on a Marae, so things take as long as they take. So we weren't all that sure how long we would be there. But, they didn't keep us waiting too long; we soon heard the call/chant that signaled it was time to start. We walked across the courtyard, women in front (as a sign of good faith... visitors put the most vulnerable party members first with the warriors behind them) and then filed into our seats inside the Wharenui (far-eh-new-ee: the ancestor's house). We were met by 6 elder members of local tribe. Most of the members have spread out to Aukland and elsewhere, so there isn't a very big presence locally. The highest elder gave us a welcoming speech, which was followed by a song, and then our director thanked them and we sang (in Maori... I think I may actually be fairly competent in the language at the end of this... at least with nouns). The songs are meant to support the speaker and add to their honour and status. Then we hongi-ed, and then shared food (tea and crumpets... a testament to the Englishy-ness of New Zealand), and are now officially welcome on the land. Yay!
The relations between Maori traditions and the modern world is actually pretty interesting. Maori culture is going through a renaissance after being pretty beaten down in typical colonial fashion. However, New Zealand is making a pretty concerted effort to honor a treaty drafted between the Maori and the English and redress past wrongdoings. It is, of course, a controversial issue, but it's kind of neat to think about, especially in terms of the US's policies regarding our First People. What rights to they have as the original inhabitants of the land, and what responsibilities to modern nations to respect at least the spirit of their culture?
Anyway, it's 9pm, which means it's bedtime. I've been going to sleep ridiculously early... but pretty much everyone else is also in bed by 9:30. We haven't quite figured out why a group of 25 college students is asleep by 10 and gets up around 6, but what-the-hey. Sunrises are beautiful.
smiles!
The ceremony started with us waiting nervously outside the gate to the Marae... apparently, time moves a little differently on a Marae, so things take as long as they take. So we weren't all that sure how long we would be there. But, they didn't keep us waiting too long; we soon heard the call/chant that signaled it was time to start. We walked across the courtyard, women in front (as a sign of good faith... visitors put the most vulnerable party members first with the warriors behind them) and then filed into our seats inside the Wharenui (far-eh-new-ee: the ancestor's house). We were met by 6 elder members of local tribe. Most of the members have spread out to Aukland and elsewhere, so there isn't a very big presence locally. The highest elder gave us a welcoming speech, which was followed by a song, and then our director thanked them and we sang (in Maori... I think I may actually be fairly competent in the language at the end of this... at least with nouns). The songs are meant to support the speaker and add to their honour and status. Then we hongi-ed, and then shared food (tea and crumpets... a testament to the Englishy-ness of New Zealand), and are now officially welcome on the land. Yay!
The relations between Maori traditions and the modern world is actually pretty interesting. Maori culture is going through a renaissance after being pretty beaten down in typical colonial fashion. However, New Zealand is making a pretty concerted effort to honor a treaty drafted between the Maori and the English and redress past wrongdoings. It is, of course, a controversial issue, but it's kind of neat to think about, especially in terms of the US's policies regarding our First People. What rights to they have as the original inhabitants of the land, and what responsibilities to modern nations to respect at least the spirit of their culture?
Anyway, it's 9pm, which means it's bedtime. I've been going to sleep ridiculously early... but pretty much everyone else is also in bed by 9:30. We haven't quite figured out why a group of 25 college students is asleep by 10 and gets up around 6, but what-the-hey. Sunrises are beautiful.
smiles!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Tena Tatou Katoa! Welcome!
Kia Ora (keyor-A)! Gidday!
So this is a two-fold adventure... one into sustainability and ecological responsibility in New Zealand, and the second into posting things on the inter-webs. It'll be great. There is so much to share...
This semester, I am participating in a program called EcoQuest, and am taking classes in the Ecology and Bio-geography of New Zealand, Environmental Policy, and Resource Management. For the most part, I'm situated on the North Island, about an hour southwest of Aukland City, on the Firth of Thames in a little tiny village called Whakatiwai (pronounced Fauk-a-TEA-why). There are 25 of us, and it looks like we're going from friends to family pretty quickly. The main campus is three acres right near the bay, and is covered in fruit trees, herbs, and vegetable gardens. It's early springtime, so the plum trees are flowering, there are lambs everywhere, and we're getting tastes of New Zealand summer between the cold fronts and the rain.
We went on our first tramp (aka hike) yesterday in the Hunua mountain range. It was lovely. Kiwis (New Zealanders) seem to be much more waterproof than Americans, but they're acclimating us nicely... we forged a knee-deep stream right off the bat (the rest of the hike was like having our own private puddles to squish through... it really wasn't bad because the water warmed up). We saw tons of native plants and trees, including tree ferns that grow to be 10 m high millions of climbing vines. In the evening, after we got back and we're trying to warm up a bit, we got to go soak in a nearby geothermally heated pool... talk about a wonderful end to a day! (I thought it was particularly poignant due to the pretty major Earthquake down on the South Island. We weren't affected at all here, and so far it seems that damage is limited to things, not people. It's a reminder that New Zealand geology is pretty active.. and that we make the most of it.)
So we'll see how good I am about keeping this updated... there's a lot to share, so it's only a matter of time and internet connections. I'll do my best!
smiles, Valerie
So this is a two-fold adventure... one into sustainability and ecological responsibility in New Zealand, and the second into posting things on the inter-webs. It'll be great. There is so much to share...
This semester, I am participating in a program called EcoQuest, and am taking classes in the Ecology and Bio-geography of New Zealand, Environmental Policy, and Resource Management. For the most part, I'm situated on the North Island, about an hour southwest of Aukland City, on the Firth of Thames in a little tiny village called Whakatiwai (pronounced Fauk-a-TEA-why). There are 25 of us, and it looks like we're going from friends to family pretty quickly. The main campus is three acres right near the bay, and is covered in fruit trees, herbs, and vegetable gardens. It's early springtime, so the plum trees are flowering, there are lambs everywhere, and we're getting tastes of New Zealand summer between the cold fronts and the rain.
We went on our first tramp (aka hike) yesterday in the Hunua mountain range. It was lovely. Kiwis (New Zealanders) seem to be much more waterproof than Americans, but they're acclimating us nicely... we forged a knee-deep stream right off the bat (the rest of the hike was like having our own private puddles to squish through... it really wasn't bad because the water warmed up). We saw tons of native plants and trees, including tree ferns that grow to be 10 m high millions of climbing vines. In the evening, after we got back and we're trying to warm up a bit, we got to go soak in a nearby geothermally heated pool... talk about a wonderful end to a day! (I thought it was particularly poignant due to the pretty major Earthquake down on the South Island. We weren't affected at all here, and so far it seems that damage is limited to things, not people. It's a reminder that New Zealand geology is pretty active.. and that we make the most of it.)
So we'll see how good I am about keeping this updated... there's a lot to share, so it's only a matter of time and internet connections. I'll do my best!
smiles, Valerie
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