The New Zealand Study Abroad travelers returned safely to campus at midnight last night after a wonderful 6 weeks of study. They are full of stories and eager to share them when classes resume.

-Meg Donnelly

Kia ora – Our adventures in the central North Island were highlighted by the 19km trek through the volcanoes of the Tongariro Crossing. This hike is New Zealand’s most popular day hike and takes walkers between the Tongariro and Ngauruhoe volcanoes, with a spectacular 2000′ climb to the Mangatepopo Saddle, and an equally spectacular 3000′ descent through the sub-alpine tussock and temperate rainforest after the high point is reached at Red Crater which is about 6000′ above sea level.

The weather conditions for our trek were perfect with little wind and some cloud which diluted the fierce heat of the sun. Before the descent to Ketetahi Hut was made, Sylver Penny was able to achieve a personal dream when she was able to reach up and ‘touch a cloud.’

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The small towns of Paihia and Waitangi host a permanent population of about 3000 people. For the February 6 Waitangi Treaty celebrations these towns play host to about 30,000 visitors, NMH Study Abroad among them. The day prior to Waitangi Day is politically active with politicians being welcomed (and harangued) to the lower marae at Te Tii Beach. We were able to listen in person to the NZ Prime Minister, John Key, the leader of the Labour opposition Party, Phil Goff, a co-leader of the Green Party, Russel Norman, and a co-leader of the Maori Party, Pita Sharples. Not only were we able to listen to these politicians, we were close enough to be in touching distance. Hearing what the politicians have to say about the treaty is important in itself, but being involved in the welcoming and korero (speaking) protocols is another incredible dimension to the experience. Our students were able to witness haka powhiri (welcoming challenge), the karanga (call of welcome) and the korero (speech making) from different points of view.

Waitangi Day was another hot and clear day, and we experienced another incredible range of experiences. We were up early, but not early enough to see the launch of the waka fleet from Te Tii Beach, which was a disappointment. Thankfully, all our students were able to see some of these magnificent boats return to the beach later in the day, along with the welcoming haka. Two other highlights on a day of many were our participation in a hikoi (march) of support for indigenous land rights, and getting to meet Hone Harawira, a prominent politician in the Maori Party who does not always see eye to eye with his political peers in the Maori/National Party coalition. Aside from the political and cultural activism, Waitangi Day is a huge field day with 100′s of stalls and displays, and hugely enjoyable from this point of view.

After Waitangi, we travelled the Kauri Coast and visited two of NZ’s most prominent Kauri trees; Tanemahuta (God of the Forest) and Matua Te Ngahere (Father of the Forest). These trees feature prominently in Maori cosmology and also have a significant physical presence. Our student journals made note of what it is to feel small and humble in the presence of 2000 year old trees which have a significance beyond the explainable.

From the Kauri Forests we moved to Omaha Marae where we reconnected with Cherie Williams and other people of Ngati Wai and Ngati Whatua, before moving to Hamilton where the students were home hosted with families from St Paul’s Collegiate. Two of our senior students Cade Halkyard and Adam Bunnell spoke to an All School Meeting about NMH and NZ Study Abroad.

We are now in Taupo near the central volcanic plateau featuring the mountains Tongariro, Nagauruhoe and Ruapehu in the Tongariro National Park. Weather permitting we will undertake the 18km Tongariro Crossing which takes hikers between Ngauruhoe and Tongariro volcanoes. All the best to everyone. Kia ora.

Glenn, Meg, Mac and the NZ Study Abroad students

Kia ora – We mostly dodged the winter weather and associated travel delays, arriving in New Zealand just 2 hours behind schedule. After clearing the airport and arriving in Auckland City, we walked to the Auckland Domain home for the Auckland City War Memorial Museum. The museum is choc full of Maori and Polynesian taonga (treasure), and the students spent quality time in these areas armed with a clue sheet prepared by Meg. An added benefit to our museum visit was that several games of cricket were being played in the domain, so we were able to sit in the sun while Glenn gave an explanation to the game featuring bails, wickets and ‘fine legs.’ Our first full day in NZ was spent on foot in downtown Auckland as the students were sent on a ‘city scramble.’ The warm, beautiful weather, and the walking helped us all to quickly overcome jet lag, the 18 hour time difference between USA/NZ and the crossing of the international date line which saw us miss 1/28/11 completely. We will make up this loss with a 38 hour 3/12/11 when we return.

From Auckland we traveled 5 hours north to the small Northland town of Kaeo, where we were hosted by Bianca Ransom of Potiki Adventures and the people of the Ngati Kahu ki Whaingaroa hapu (sub-tribe) of the Ngapuhi Iwi (tribe). Our Te Huia experience began with a powhiri (formal greeting) where we were welcomed to Te Huia by the tangata whenua ((local people). After korero (speeches) and waiata (song), we became part of the marae whanau (extended family), and so began a wonderful 3-day experience. After the powhiri, Bianca took us to Matauri Bay on the Whangaroa Harbour where-in lies the Rainbow Warrior, the Greenpeace ship sunk in Auckland Harbour by secret service agents (terrorists) of the French Government in 1985. After the Rainbow Warrior was salvaged it was towed to Matauri Bay and scuttled where it serves as a memorial to New Zealand’s anti-nuclear philosophy. We did not visit the dive site, but did climb the hill above the bay to view the Warrior memorial which features a stone archway in traditional Maori fashion and a propeller from the Rainbow Warrior.

More to follow. Kia ora.

Glenn, Meg, Mac and the students from NZ Study Abroad 2011.