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:

That's right! It's a photo!!! Of the mainland from Motutapu Island.

So that just demonstrates how fickle the weather is here... One minute it will be nice and sunny, then the next it is POURING rain.  It's kind of exciting... Recently, with the big storm, we can hear the wind at night, and it almost sounds like the campus should look like a war zone when we walk out of our rooms in the morning, but it always looks nice and pristine.

  So yeah... I've figured out how to effectively post pictures, so let's catch up a bit (I don't want to be writing my paper about salt marsh vegetation anyway). They're in absolutely no sort of order; it's your job to match them to the appropriate previous posts, since I've written about events relating to all these pictures in one way or another.

The view of the peak at Opoutere, looking over Wharakawa Harbour. At low tide we were out in the mudflats counting shellfish.

A Tui, or Honeyeater (a native bird) in a Flame tree (a non-native, but lovely, tree).

Me at the top of the Pinnacles, enjoying the "view" (aka clouds).

somewhat ironic sea rubbish. I swear this was not staged.

Breaking in our boots on our first hike in the Hunua Mountain range.

The scenery on the way up to the Pinnacles; a lot of the peaks were hidden by the clouds, since it rained all weekend.

A picture of the Wharekai (aka House of food/class/hanging out) at the center of campus.

A tree fern! They're everywhere! And are super cool. It makes the forests feel like there should be dinosaurs hiding in the brush.

     So there you go... there are of course many other pictures, but that's good for now, I believe. 

     On Sunday we're driving down to the South Island to do all sorts of fun things... we're staying in about 6 different places... not Christchurch, though. We'll be back around October 18th, give or take a day... I won't be bringing my computer, and probably wont bother to stop anywhere with internet, so this *may* be the last post until then. Unless I'm inspired/want to procrastinate and put up more pictures. Or do something exciting this weekend (like go hiking in the Hunuas again) and decide to write about it. so yeah. 

Smiles!