Kia ora!

Just so you know, Kia ora means "Hello" or "Welcome" and "Thank you" in Maori. So everyone say it with me - Kia ora!

I am having such a great time in New Zealand that I forgot to post on my blog. Sorry. So, where did I leave off? Oh, Auckland. I left the city on Monday and we drove to Hahei. It was a beautiful drive through the Coromandels which is just a picture perfect place. When we got to Hahei, a small town, we went to the main attraction, Cathedral Cove. It was a lovely walk through what felt like Jurassic Park (I was waiting for a dinosaur to jump out at me!) to a beautiful beach. Cathedral Cove is so peaceful and has the potential for seclusion (except that it's a tourist draw) but it was a lovely place to sit and watch the waves. I had hoped to go kayaking but with the shoulder, wasn't happening. That evening, after our group BBQ, we went to the Hot Water Beaches. That was an incredible place. There is a crack in the earth's crust which releases heat into the beach so if you dig into the sand, the water gets very hot. So the group relaxed in the dug-out trenches/holes. Of course, I had to sit right down on a hotspot. Ouch! But what an amazing experience.

The next day, the bus loaded up and drove off without me. Don't worry, I intended to stay in Hahei an extra night. It was such a relaxing day. I spent it getting tanned on my back/shoulders/arms (felt like crispy bacon and I am dark!) and then laid on the beach and burnt my front. I am not used to the heat of the sun (even after more than two months) and I always forget to put on sunscreen. I know, I should but it just doesn't happen. Anyways, It was a relaxing day all by myself. In the evening I went to the local pub with some of the workers at the campsite (it was 30 minutes away!) and met some locals: crazy but entertaining bunch! Was offered free diving but had to turn it down because I had to leave the next day. It was just a lovely evening hanging out with new friends.

But alas, I had to leave quiet and peaceful Hahei the next day with the new group of Stray people. What a blast! We drove back across the island to Raglan, surf capital of NZ. The weather was pretty bad (rain and wind) but I was determined to surf in NZ. So I rented a wetsuit and board and got out there. Unfortunately, my shoulder decided that it did not want to help me get up on the board so instead I just got pounded by the waves until I decided to lay on the beach. But it was lovely and the sun did eventually come out. Raglan surfing I have to say was a lot more intense than Oz - waves were bigger and more frequent.

Okay, so after Raglan we drove to Waitomo Caves where I went black water caving. Yes, I got into a wetsuit and climbed into the earth to walk, tube and swim through caves. The goal was to see the glow worms. But in reality, they are maggots. And it is their poo that glows. So the unofficial name is "Cannibalistic Shagging Maggots with Shiny Shit". It was incredible and so beautiful. Looked like a cave full of tiny stars - what a treat. It was a great experience and the beginning of my adventure seeking in NZ. Then we went to Maketu where we were invited to stay at Uncle Boy's Marae or traditonal meeting house. We shared a meal and then participated in the traditional greeting (a chief was named and he had to accept the peace offering from the warrior who tried to intimidate to discover our intentions). After we became part of the family, we watched a cultural performance and even learned the haka (the men) and the poi (women). The haka is the warrior posture dance and I was actually very overwhelmed. The young performers were actually quite intense. The Poi is a women's dance involving swinging a ball on a string and swinging our hips. Easy work! It was such an amazing night concluded by sleeping in the marae as a community. Thankfully, no snoring.

So that brings me to the past few days in Rotorua. Rotorua has some of the best white water rafting and that was my second challenge. Actually, it was one of the goalsI set for myself back in January before I left home. I was so excited until I got on the shuttle bus and they started going through all the safety pland and procedures. Then I started to freak. The first few rapids were alright (even when we were directly under then feeling like being drowned) but it was after the 1 meter and the 3 meter drop that I lost it. Next up was a 7 meter waterfall and we were going over it in a raft. I will admit that I had a meltdown in the middle of the raft on the river. BUt we just paddled towards it, sat down and went over the edge. And it wasn't as bad as I thought. We didn't flip and nobody fell out. It was such a rush and it was fun. I even got out of the raft and went over the next rapid ahnging onto the side. Great day but I probably won't do it again for a while.

So, again I had to say goodbye to most of the group as they all moved on to Taupo and I stayed behind in Rotorua. But the thermal spas have been amazing and I wento to another cultural site today to experience Maori culture along with geysers, mud pools, another concert, hangi meal and so much more.

It has been a crazy couple of days but I have loved every second of it. I can't wait for what is to come.

Love, Lisa