Morgan in New Zealand

Monday, August 18, 2008

Kaikoura

Today was Evan's official birthday (in New Zealand). We decided to head towards the town of Kaikoura after we finished at Medina. Pete and Megan dropped us off at the Conway Bridge where a bus was scheduled to pick us up at 8:50. The time came...and went, and by 9:20 we were fairly confident that we had been forgotten. My cell phone was unfortunately out of prepaid minutes and the battery had died, so we had no way to get in touch with anyone. There was not a cafe or home in sight...we were abandoned in the middle of nowhere! We tried flagging down cars to see if we could find a mobile phone to call the bus company, but nobody wanted to stop for 3 sketchy Americans. Finally, at 9:45, our bus came around the corner, an HOUR late! Apparently the driver had to take a detour and was delayed, but I wish we would have known that so we wouldn't have been standing in the cold since 8:30am, but I guess life is always an adventure.

The bus took us into Kaikoura, and we headed to the Why Not Cafe, where I picked up my wallet (the shuttle driver had left it there since Thursday). It was safe and sound. Evan, Matt, and I walked along the Kaikoura coast, known for its beautiful crashing waves and fur seals. We then walked up to the Kaikoura Lookout, where we could see the whole town, Seaward Kaikoura Mountain Range, and the ocean. It was a beautiful clear day! Evan and I then decided to try to make it to the fudge shop before making our 4pm bus back to Christchurch, but the walk was slightly longer than we had anticipated and I was cranky, tired, and hungry! We raced back to the town, where our bus and everyone on it was waiting for us (oops). But the good news is, we each got some peanut butter and chocolate fudge for the road. Fiona was really kind and let the guys bunk at her place that night. What a gal!

Atop the Kaikoura Lookout towards the town of Kaikoura, the Pacific Ocean, and the Seaward Kaikoura Mountain Range.

A fur seal nestled in the bush, taking a nap in the sun.

The Kaikoura Coast has some stunning views as the waves crash against the rock.

Evan and I posed amongst the seals (the black heaps in the background of the picture).

We walked for hours and my feet felt like jelly, but like always, Evan is all smiles.

This fur seal is yawning, probably annoyed that I disturbed his nap.

Sheep Herding at Medina Farm

The moment I have long been waiting for finally arrived! That's right...I am officially a sheep herder. Evan invited me to join him at his WWOOF location for the weekend, Medina farm on Conway Flat (in the Canterbury Plains). Through WWOOF (World Workers On Organic Farms), Evan and I were able to sleep and eat for free in exchange for helping on the farm during the day. Since it was his birthday (among other reasons), I decided to take a "mental health day" from school, and I took a shuttle to Conway Flat on Thursday after school. Although I left my wallet on the Shuttle and didn't realize it until 20 minutes after the shuttle and I had driven in opposite directions, I made it with no problems. I was staying with a couple named Pete and Megan on their farm. Evan, Matt, and I even had our own little cottage set aside from the main house where we could relax after working. Evan and Matt had been working on the farm since Monday. We woke up early on Friday morning (when the sun was rising) to the barks of 10 or so hungry dogs ready for breakfast. We jumped in warm clothes and boots and headed to the hundreds of acres on quad bikes (Evan drove...I just went along for the ride on the back of his bike). We arrived at one of the many sheep paddocks that Pete owns and I watched as the sheepdogs herded the sheep into a small gated area. These sheep all had blue dots on them, which indicated that they were pregnant with one lamb. Many also had colored tags on their ears, which indicated their age. After the sheep give birth, Pete is expecting to have about 4,000 total! We then squeezed them even further into a narrow paddock so that we could individually give each sheep a vaccine nicknamed LSD (Lamb Survival D____). Evan would take a needle and shove it in the back of each ewe's neck. This injeted antibodies into the sheep that the lamb would receive from its mother's milk supply to help the lamb quickly develop an immune system. Then, Pete would come behind him to squirt some more into each sheep's mouth. I did a good job taking pictures and counting the sheep (but I did apply lice treatment to a couple sheep...but don't worry, sheep lice is not the same as human lice, so people usually don't catch it from the sheep).

The view was incredible! To my left were towering mountains-the Seaward Kaikoura Range-and to my right was the Pacific! And this was all Pete's property! Later, I helped garden by pulling weeds. Pete and Meg usually eat beef, lamb, eggs, honey, and vegetables that they get right from their farm. We tasted it all, and it was delicious! Evan and I later took a walk down to the beach (about 25 to 30 minutes). About a week before we arrived, the area was swept by terrible floods and many of the rivers had changed course, bridges were carried away by strong currents, and trees and plants were ripped from the ground. We had to find our way through the mess, and I ended up falling into a creek that was a misjudged distance from one bank to the other.

we had so much fun and I felt so excited to have finally worked with sheep...definitely a kiwi experience!

On the beach, with the Seaward Kaikoura Range in the background that meets the Pacific Ocean!

Evan chasing the sheep in the paddock to spray them with pink substance meant to ward off lice.

Looking out to the Pacific.

My dream of jumping in a sheep paddock came true! The ewes did not like me there but I thought it was great!

Among my other jobs, I help Riley, the house pet who thought he was a sheepdog, while the other sheepdogs did the real work. Riley sometimes tends to be a burden more than a help.

Evan stopped to get some business done.

Mildred and George, two pet sheep that loved the barley I was feeding them.

The property name was Medina, named after a river in England. Pete's grandfather started the farm and gave it the name it still has today.

Pete is leading the way on his quad bike.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Rangitata Valley & Edoras

Happy Birthday Evan! We couldn't resist celebrating his birthday a week early due to the fantastic forecast that was predicted for the day. Evan had been really looking forward to a Lord of the Rings Tour that drove you to the set of Helm's Deep, Rohan, and Edoras. The land is privately owned by a farmer who has given the company exclusive privileges and the keys to enter the property. We took a 4WD vehicle through the Canterbury Plains, rivers, and rocky roads to arrive at this BEAUTIFUL Valley. We also had props from the movie to make our pictures complete. I learned many interesting facts about the filming process and about the director, Peter Jackson-of which I won't tell now, but be prepared to hear them when I see everyone again after returning home. There was not a cloud in the sky all day! We also enjoyed a nice picnic lunch amidst the amazing backdrop, and as we drove back to Christchurch, we saw the beginnings of the lambing season along the roadside as we passed multiple sheep paddocks in rural New Zealand countryside.

Evan holding Aragorn's sword, the Anduril Sword.

Near Lake Clearwater and Lake Camp...on our way to Rangitata Valley.

On top of the set with the Misty Mountains forming the backdrop. I am sitting where the Gold Hall once stood. Unfortunately, the filming crew had to leave the ground in the exact way they had found it, so they had to tear everything down. They even had to assign a GPS location for every tussock plant (more or less a weed that goats won't even eat) in the area, uproot the plant, store it & nurture it for eight months while building the set and filming, and then replant the plants in the exact same spot as they were found. All thanks to the orders of the New Zealand government!

Atop my perch.

What a pair, What a view!

This is the Rakaia gorge (although not quite near the town of Rakaia). The sediments of the rock in the background of the photo remain from the last Ice Ages that New Zealand experienced. According to scientists (and my tour guide) the most recent Ice Age dates back to about 15,000 years ago.

I am in the exact position where Eowyn stood from a film segment in the Lord of the Rings movie. The crevice in the mountain behind me (directly above my head) is seen in the movie as being in the same exact spot relative to the position of where Miranda Otto and the film cameras once stood. Pretty precise! We had a photo from the movie to compare as proof!

Better guard yourself Evan! It looks like I am about to win this battle...

Near Lake Clearwater.

Rangitata River and Valley.

Mt. Cavendish & the Bridle Path

Evan met me at Opawa, where I showed him around the school and introduced him to some of the faculty that I work with day after day. We then took the bus to Lyttelton and climbed the Bridle Path to the gondola look-out at the top of Mt. Cavendish. Since I had gone straight from wearing heels to climbing in boots, my legs continually cramped and the hike was difficult for me! We finally made it to the top, and I was happy to see another beautiful sunset! Evan enjoyed the view too!

Looking out over Lyttelton Harbor.

Looking down at the Bridle Path after we had just finished climbing it. What a work-out!

Looking out towards the Pacific and onto the Christchurch city suburbs.

Sunset over Lyttelton Harbor.

Sunset hues on the clouds.

Punting down the Avon River

Evan and I had been awaiting our date to go punting on the Avon, the river that begins and ends in Christchurch, and that runs through the city center. I had arranged to meet Evan in the city between 3:30 and 3:45, but I had been held up at school. When I arrived our meeting spot at 3:58, Evan was in a panic as he had already paid for our boat trip, and the last boat was scheduled to leave at 3:50. We ran as fast as we could through the city to the river, making it just as the boat was disembarking! Thankfully the driver held our spot and we enjoyed a romantic stroll on the Avon.

Front row seat!

Everything included...even a blanket to share for warmth.

The view from the boat. The willows along the bank of the river were a gift from France, as New Zealand came very close to becoming a French colony. The willows were grown from stem cuttings of those that adorn the area over Napoleon Bonaparte's grave.

Our punting guide and driver.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Wellington: New Zealand's National Capital

I had booked a flight to Wellington through Air New Zealand Grab-A-Seat and I took a day off school. We arrived early Saturday morning and left later Monday evening. Although it rained for the first two days, the third day was wonderful, and it was special to spend the time again with Evan. On Saturday, we visited the Famous Te Papa Museum and viewed exhibitions on Pacific Islanders and NZ Immigration, Maori culture, NZ topography, hurricanes, the earth, and oceanic marine life. The museum is pretty incredible and it is all free! We then went on a 4 hour Lord of the Rings tour (which Evan had been eagerly looking toward). We visited Mirimar (nicknamed Wellywood for its location of many sets for Lord of the Rings and Narnia) and Seatoun (where many of the actors from the movie lived during filming). The warehouses where the sets were located looked like any old building...it is amazing to think that so much goes on inside! We even saw Peter Jackson(the director of Lord of the Rings) walking into one of the studios with what looked like a theme birthday party. We visited Mt. Victoria and had a spectacular view of the city by night. We later went to a pub to watch the Rugby game-Australia vs. New Zealand (almost as big a deal as Georgia vs. Florida). On Sunday, we decided to sleep in and didn't get out the door until 11:30am. We walked through Frank Kitts Park and the Queens Wharf towards Parliament. We took a tour through the Beehive (the executive wing of government), the Parliament House, and the Parliamentary Library. And interesting fact that we learned is that New Zealand is one of the only 3 countries in the world that does NOT have a written constitution (the other two are Great Britain and Israel). We visited St. Paul's Cathedral, an Anglican Church across from Parliament and got an interesting tour to the bell tower. We walked through Cuba Street on the way back to the hostel, a street known for its cafes, shops, and brick footpath. On Monday, we took the Cable Car to Kelburn, a town at the top of the hill overlooking the city and the wharf. The Wellington Cable Car is a very iconic activity for tourists. From the top of the hill, we walked down through Wellington's Botanical Gardens, which were still stunning despite the winter weather. From there, we took a bus to Seatoun, where we tramped along the shoreline along the "Heads" (a nickname given to the rocky coastline in the Wellington Bay).

In the background left of the photo above is the Beehive, which is the executive wing of NZ's government. The other building is the Parliament House.

Next to the New Zealand flag in front of Parliament.

Riding the Cable Car to Kelburn.

The Wellington Cable Car climbs a steep incline to see the a bird's-eye view of the city.

We visited the Weta Cave, filled with handfuls of life-like Lord of the Rings figures. Weta is growing quickly in popularity in the film industry as New Zealand has set many scenes from Narnia and Lord of the Rings. Weta aids in make-up and costumes, sets, filming, editing, special effects, etc...