“Welcome home, from the bottom of our hearts” (Last post)

As I write this last blog post of my trip, I’m listening to the song “Welcome home” by Dave Dobbyn.  Here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQlVmvXAGLI (Take a listen while you read!).  Whenever I listen to this, it reminds me of the openness of new Zealanders, and how I do feel this place is home to me now, and accepts me with open arms.

These last few days have allotted me copious amounts of thinking time, something you can never have too much of.  I have found that of all things to discover, I have discovered a love for uncertainty.  Uncertainty means you are not limited to just one possibility.  Rather, the possibilities are endless.  Being here, and feeling a part of something bigger (truly, we are the stuff of stars and oceans) I have been blessed beyond my years in travel, love, and support.  They say home is where the heart is and I if I am certain of one thing it is this: a part of me will always be one with New Zealand…with the mountains and rivers and endless stars.  Knowing this, it feels okay to be leaving soon. 

I hope I am not being misleading – although it is the end of my schooling and solo travels, my parents are coming up to visit for close to three weeks so it is not the end of adventures!  I am absolutely bursting with excitement to see them and show them my new home! 

In other news, I partook in the “Polar Plunge”, running into the ocean at St. Clair in the middle of winter.  You know, something any sane person would do.  We (Sarah, Jon, and I) also spent a few nights on the Otago Peninsula, and one day exploring the Catlins(where the above picture was taken).  Currently, I am the last one left in our old flat in Dunedin, taking care of last minute business before my parents arrive.  It’s been nice, having this time to reflect on the joy brought into my life by people I’ve met and the spectacular beauty of the place I live in.

In parting words, thank you to all who have kept up and read this blog. 

I hope to return with a more open mind, and not be so quick to think of things that I have to do, but rather things that I hope to achieve.  From being here, I've learned to say “yes, let’s go!” far more often that I normally would have.   There will always be time to get stuff done (homework, etc), but there will not always be these opportunities for adventure.  With this in mind, I go back to Oregon with an open mind and a ready heart for exploration.  All fellow ducks reading this, count me in for football games, marathons, hikes, crazy shenanigans, and everything in between.  

This has been the best time of my life, and just because it’s at an end does not mean I won’t continue to live to the fullest. 

Thank you, I love you.   Mā te Atua me te wāhi ngaro tātou e tiaki e manaaki.  May God and the origins of which all things come from, bless and keep us.

Welcome home.

Love Always,
Christina

Milford Sound

Kia Ora!
I have been to the most beautiful place on earth - Milford Sound! This post will consist mainly of pictures because a picture is worth a thousand words and truly words can't explain this kind of beauty.

My neighbor Jane and I headed off to Milford last Saturday: here was our itinerary!
1) Bus to Te Anau - lovely and relaxing.  The scenery going by was peaceful with the sunset playing hide and seek in between the rolling hills.  Jane and I joked around a bit, then enjoyed the sunset listening to music.

2) Arrival in Te Anau! We dropped our bags off at the YHA hostel (side note: hostels are really fun to be in - meeting people from all over, cooking in the community kitchen, and going to sleep in your bunk bed) From there, we went for pizza, explored the town, and had an early night to prepare for a big day of sightseeing!

3) Milford day!  Jane and I woke up to rain pouring cats and dogs and all other assorted animals outside.  We weren't worried, nothing could take away from the excitement of Milford sound day!  We boarded our scenic bus (with a clear ceiling to see the cliffs better) and set off for the adventure.  Good news!  In less than a half hour into the trip, the sun came out and there were blue skies!  And now, photo time.

Here's Jane and I at mirror lane!  We might be sending this out as our Christmas card (:

Another stop! SO beautiful!!!!

Guess what the name of this mountain is?  Mount Christina!  So, here I am in front of my very own mountain.  Thanks New Zealand - I love it! 

Waterfalls and Rainbows

And now, Milford Sound itself!  We boarded the boat, made some international friends, and set sail!

Funny story report time: Jane and I (as well as Courtney, our new friend pictured above) went a little wild with all this scenery.  We stayed on deck the whole time, getting splashed by waterfalls, singing, leaping, and being generally super excited to be alive.  We went exploring, eventually ending up at the front of the boat and naturally quoting Titanic.  There was a bell at the very front that I was fixated on and just really wanted to ring...little did we know, the captain's seat was above us and he could see all that we were doing.  He must have noticed Jane and I snooping around the bell, and announced over the loudspeaker "Hey happy dancing girls, I know you wanna ring that bell!".  We spun around to face a little audience and the captain himself laughing.  

...Jane let me do the honors. and this was the result.  SUCCESS! Making sounds on the Milford sound!

After a beautiful trip on the sound including baby seals and a pod of dolphins, we cruised back into the harbor and boarded the bus for the ride home.  Daydreaming out the window with the mountains in the distance, time flew by!  Jane and I arrived happily back in Te Anau, and took some time to walk around and see the sunset on the Lake.

As we headed back to our hostel for the night, something funny happened.  Out of nowhere, this pseudo-firetruck zooms past and a man leans his head out the window and yells "Heeeeeey Ladies!" Jane and I just stare at each other then burst out laughing, a common theme for the day.  Once back at the hostel, we walked in and saw someone else checking in.  He smiled and said hello and we returned the kindness, heading up to our room.
Christina: Did that man look familiar to you at all?
Jane: Nope, not really
Christina: Huh.  Maybe just a familiar face or something
We then went to the local grocery to procure some pies (a true NZ dinner), but stopped short when we saw that same truck in the parking lot.  We turn to each other and at the same time yell "It's Hey Ladies!!!" And proceed to sprint down the sidewalk, laughing and pushing each other in fits of glee and "oh my gosh no way".  Looking back, I think we were exhausted from the joy of the day and were in a mood where everything and anything was funny.  The rest of the evening consisted of joking about "Hey Ladies" (This guy's official new name), making pies in our communal kitchen, and enjoying them while watching "Iron Man".  A fabulous day and fun night!

Love,
Two girls who LOVE New Zealand!

"Baldwin Street", "Norwegian National Day", "The Second Great NZ Road Trip", "Ice Ice Baby"

Hello again! Lots to fill you in on, so here we go!

1) Day 1: Norwegian National Day and First Day of Traveling
We are blessed to have two fun loving Norwegians in our complex, so naturally on the 17th of May we helped them celebrate Norwegian National Day.  This consists of a "champagne breakfast", as well as a ton of good company and even a little anthem singing.  We combined this holiday with our flatmate Anthony's birthday, and surprised him with a breakfast of champions (meaning everyone brought something), so it was a big morning!  At around 12:30, Jerry, Jane, Sara, Helen and I set off in our rental car (named Crystal, as we were keen to see the glaciers) bound for adventure.  Little did we know what funny mishaps this day had in store for us!
We drove and drove and drove stopping at beautiful lookouts along the way, just taking in the beauty of the South Island.  Here's a sneak peak to what was whizzing by our windows:

Now, ridiculous story number one: As we were driving through Mt. Aspiring National Park, we saw another car on the side of the road with it's emergency flashers on.  It was pitch black and we hadn't seen another car in a very long time, so we pulled over to see what was going on.  Beside the car were four frightened Asian tourists who had run out of gas in the middle of the mountain.  They barely spoke English and none of us spoke Chinese, but through much repetition and hand signals we figured out a plan.  We took one of them over the pass with us, 40 kilometers to the next gas station.  We then took him 40 back, trading stories as best we could for a good two hours.  We dropped him off with a gallon of gas, and he gave us $100 - who says good karma isn't re"paid"? All things came out even - he generously gave us gas money to get to the glacier, we rescued him and his friends from the side of a mountain pass.  All is well...Or was it?!
Ridiculous story number two: We rolled into "Chateau Franz" (our backpackers) at around midnight, so relieved to have made it!  Reception was closed, but had put our keys for us on the table.  We crept in, nabbed our keys, and headed to our room.  Surprise for you! We opened up the door to find three people already sleeping there.  What?!  Sadly, there were no more rooms and no one available to help, so we headed down to the couches in the common room and took up residence.  It was a unanimous decision that we open the beer, so we did just that and cuddled up on the couches to fix everything in the morning.  Looking back, it was a pretty funny night!

Day 2: Ice, Ice Baby!
We awoke from our nests we had made in the couches to a bright sunny day destined to be full of glacier exploration! We worked out our housing situation: turns out the people in our room had read their keys as "6" and not "9"...whoops!  Lucky for us, we were upgraded to a cabin and not charged for the first night.  With this good news, we drove to Fox glacier and hiked the beautiful trail until we were only 40 or so feet away (for safety reasons).  As we walked, we sang "Ice, ice baby" multiple times in preparation for seeing the glacier.
After exploring Fox, we drove back and went to Franz Joseph, my personal favorite.  While enjoying a peaceful walk through the woods, then over rocks and near waterfalls, we meandered closer and closer until - boom!  There it was!

Franz Joseph in all its glory! (I didn't actually take this one, but can attest that this is what it did indeed look like)

With two glaciers packed in one day, we drove back to our backpackers feeling content and fulfilled.  A beautiful day with incredible views and good company, what more can you ask for? Once back at the backpackers, we got the idea in our heads to drive to the coast of the Tasman sea for sunset.  We piled back in the car and drove to the edge of the Tasman sea.  With mountains in the back turning pink as the sun set on the sea, it was a magnificent sight all around.

After a gorgeous sunset and a wild sea raging around our ankles, we made our way back to our cabin.  There was a tiny hot tub in a wooden shack in the middle of the backpackers, so we warmed up in there and met people from all over the world.  After our core temperatures were back up, we cooked up some spaghetti and the community kitchen, shared fun stories, and fell asleep.

Day 3: Hokitika Gorge, Arthur's Pass, and Cheeky Birds
Rise and shine!  We woke to another lovely sunny day and set off to find Hokitika gorge, a scenic spot with baby blue/green water and great woods.  We thought we knew where we were going, but got all turned around in the mountains of NZ.  At one point, an Australian sheep dog herded our car into someone's driveway, and the lady was kind enough to give us correct directions.  Once there, we packed our picnic supplies and started up the path, crossed a swinging bridge, and settled onto the rocks of the gorge.

As you can see, it was worth the getting lost!  Jon even smeagled (yes, that's become a verb in lotr territory) his way across the rocks and jumped into the freezing water.  We did a little hiking, and then went into the town of Hokitika to explore the beach and the local ice cream (mmm!) and then were back on the road bound for Christchurch.  

To reach Christchurch, we drove through Arthur's pass, an incredible and somewhat precarious road through the mountains.  On the top of the ridge, there were tons of Kea (a NZ bird) which came right up to us to say hello.

At the top of Arthur's Pass!

Cheeky bird - they are so curious! This one tried to peel the rubber off our rental car

While in Arthur's pass, we had just enough sunlight for two walks - one to "Devil's Punchbowl", a huge, rushing waterfall, and another walk called "Millennium".  We walked back to the car just as the last rays of the sun were hitting the tops of the Southern Alps.  On the drive to Christchurch, we stopped multiple times to get out of the car and look at the ever clearing stars - glowing brighter by the second.  Once we reached Christchurch, we settled into our hostel and went out for Thai - a good ending to a great day!

Day 4: Christchurch, Surprise

Our last day of travel! We started off our day in Christchurch with a bang.  Well, rather, a shake - we experienced a short 4.1 earthquake over breakfast.  Apparently it is still a common experience in Christchurch to feel small earthquakes.  The city itself is a wonderful city - it has charm, spirit, and a good feel to it.  The juxtaposition, however, was very strange.  We walked through Re-start (the outdoor mall built from shipping containers) and had a picnic in the sun listening to musicians playing around the corner.  On one hand you had that scene, but if you turned your head you'd see the red zone, the part of the city still destroyed and unsafe and therefore blocked off.  My hope is that Christchurch is able to rebuild soon, I can only guess that it was a thriving city before the earthquake.  After exploring, we headed back to Dunedin, with a nighttime stop at the Moeraki boulders along the way.  Upon arrival at forth Street, one of our flatmates surprised us with spaghetti and meatballs! LMF.  Love my flatmates.

Overall, it was a quick yet wonderful trip.  Next on the huge adventure list is Milford Sound, set for June 2nd to June 4th!

Other Assorted Adventures!

1) Baldwin Street 

The steepest street in the entire world is right here in my hometown of Dunedin.  So, naturally, we climbed it! We got a bit lost up in the hills of Dunedin, but eventually made it all the way to the top and could look out over the whole town.  Whoever lives on this hill must have leg muscles of steel! 

2) Signal Hill

I have found a new favorite nighttime place in Dunedin - Signal hill.  It's a scenic lookout over the harbor and the peninsula, about 15 minutes up the road.  When you go at night, you can see all the city lights, Logan field, the University, and all familiar sights.  The way it's built collects the wind, which makes the lights blink and spark as the wind blows around you and through the trees nearby.  I almost forgot!  Not only can you see the layout of the city, but tilt your head up and you can see the milky way.  It is one of the most peaceful places I have been.  I don't have a picture for this one, but please do use your very best imagination!

Until next time!

Love always,

Christina

"Libraries, Late Nights, & Lord of the Rings"

Hello all!
As the months fly by and the time draws nearer to when I must leave this perfect place, I have realized a strange thing.
If home is where your heart is, and I now have two homes, does that mean my heart breaks when I leave here, or just gets twice as big?  (I'm hoping for the second, but right now it's feeling like the first)
My flatmate Jane and I were speaking of this the other night, and came to the conclusion that if you miss something before it's even finished, you know you're having the time of your life.  So I guess we're doing it right!

1) ANZAC Day
Two Wednesdays ago at 5:30AM we wandered out to the ANZAC day service held in Dunedin.  It was a great experience to be a part of, like living a bit of NZ history.  While the stars were still out, a parade of bagpipers marched in, closely followed by the NZ army.  As the sun rose, the ANZAC service honored those lost in war.  What I noticed most was the way the service focused on the peace of the future rather than the war of the past.  It was also a strange thing to be in a country who has not been at war for several years - very different from a nationalistic 4th of July.  Overall, the effect of the service was calming and rejuvenating; inviting you to go out and promote the idea of peace.

2) I Have Been Saturated With Assignments And Therefore Not Keeping Up This Blog
Self-explanatory title, my apologies!

3) Speights Tour
Southern NZ is well known for it's famous "Speights" beer.  With this in mind, a group of us moseyed into town to take a tour of the factory.  Not only did they let us sample the beer at the end of the tour (dangerous to unleash a group of college students into a beer factory unsupervised...) but they provided a full historical background which was extremely cool!  Or should I say, was Sweet As! Also, side note, I actually like beer now.  Crazy, right?

4) Sunsets & Swing sets
I have discovered the joy of finding my very own "spot" in the world.  This spot comes in the form of a swing-set down the hill from my flat.  It looks out upon the Leith River, and over the mountains.  At the end of the day (usually coming home from the library), I try to make it in time for the sunset.  Such a small thing, but it reminds you of what's really important and gives you a sense of calm.

If I'm by myself, I put in my iPod and swing to the music, keeping my eyes on the sky.  A favorite song to listen to in these times is "You're Beautiful" by Phil Wickham (Here's a link if you want to check it out:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGlTzH9xkXQ ).  God is good and alive, and it's small times like this that stirs up the joy of this.

5) "Rendezvous"

I've joined a youth group associated with Knox church called "Rendezvous" that meets on Thursday nights. It's pretty neat - a safe space to discuss current political issues having to deal with faith (for example: ANZAC day - how does one take part in war and still hold on to his/her spirituality?).  It's also good company and I've met some really fun people! 

6) Adventures with Sarah

I've met my friend-match: a girl named Sarah.  If you've ever met someone who is pretty much the exact replica of yourself, you'll know what I mean!  We've had a great time together, going on spontaneous adventures and talking about everything and anything (so many similar stories!).  Last Sunday, she joined me for church, we went out for brunch, and then enjoyed the warm sun on the swing-set (the very one pictured above!) and had an all around beautiful day.  I'm very thankful I met her, she is quickly turning into one of my best friends!

7) Lord of The Riiiiiiings!

My flat had a lotr weekend: all three movies with all devoted fans!  Something about watching it NZ made it all that much better.  Perhaps seeing the fields around Isenguard and saying "been there". (:

8) The Superman Undies Make Another Appearance

Avengers!  Yes! I went with my favorite flatties to see my favorite superheros kick some major ass.  The Superman underwear was proudly worn, and the movie was nothing short of fabulous.

That's all for now! We are off to the Franz Joseph Glacier next weekend, so more stories to come.  

Hope all are well back home! 

(Sending, as always, ) Love,

Christina

"The Great New Zealand Road Trip"

"Adventure is out there!" - UP.  I have found that the people who wrote "up" were speaking of the South Island! Here are some reasons:
1) Day 1: Traveling, Lake Te Anau, & Glow Worm Caves
Sarah, Jon, Magnus, Espen, Jerry and I set off bright and early on Tuesday for our Fall break road trip around the South Island.  We mainly drove the first day, enjoying some rad mix-CDs and beautiful scenery that flew by our windows.  We ended up at Lake Te Anau, and set up camp for the night.

The view from our camp - we were lucky enough to catch the sunset!

Later in the evening, we drove back into Te Anau (first time driving on the left side of the road whaaat) to visit the Glow Worm Caves.  Normally I wouldn't be so excited about worms, but these guys mimic the night sky and shine inside caves to attract insects.  So, pretty sinister...but also magical to see!  The tour included a boat ride to the caves across the lake, and because we took the latest tour we were blessed to not only have a crystal clear view of the night sky, but Mars, Saturn, and Venus came out to say hello.  Truly, there are no words to describe how beautiful that was; the cold wind and the whole universe shining.  When we arrived, we traveled through the caves for a while (ducking waterfalls and traveling deep down underground)  until we arrived at a little boat.  We loaded in, and off we floated into the dark caves.  As we went deeper into the caves, the glow worms began appearing like little blue stars - so close you could reach out and touch them!  It was absolutely incredible, I can see why so many insects are fooled into thinking that's the real night sky.  Then, back to camp, one last look at the moon on the lake, and to sleep!

2) Day 2: From Te Anau to Queenstown - the Adventure Capitol of the World!
We woke early, packed up, and began the road to Queenstown.  Driving in itself is an adventure; the mountains are oh so beautiful and surround you(Plus, you know, there's the occasional sheep).  After stopping only once for a real NZ meat 'n cheese pie (yum!), we rolled into Q-town!  So not to chicken out, Jerry and I booked our bungee jump tickets as soon as we got there - 10:00AM for the next morning, 134 Meters! Go big or go home, eh?  We then explored the town, and started off on the Queenstown Hill Hike.  At the top, you could see all of Queenstown:

The view from the top - we were as tall as the mountains!

3) Day 3: Bungee Madness/ Queenstown/ Wanaka Day

After a quick stop in a 'Lord of the Rings" store(and admiring a signed cast poster), Jerry and I boarded the bus to take us to the Nevis Bungee jump.  Honestly, I think the reason it's named "Nevis" is because that rhymes with "nervous".  While looking over a 134 meter drop into a river, we psyched each other up and theennn.....swan dive into nothingness!

Pre-Jump...slighty terrified

Long story short: we did it!  It was probably the most frightening, awesome, and senseless thing I have ever done, but it makes for a good story.

The lucky Superman briefs came out for the occassion

After we arrived back, we all went out for ice cream for lunch (always a good choice) and piled back in the car to set forth for Wanaka.  We arrived just before sunset, leaving us time to check in to our cabin (a perfect fit - 6 beds, little kitchen, 6 of us!) and catch the sun setting over the lake and through the mountains.

Crazy enough, we went swimming in here later that night! 

Day 4) Wanaka and Lots of Sheep
After a hearty meal of peanut butter and Oatmeal, we walked down to the sunny beach (the one pictured above) and rented Kayaks.  It was blissful paddling out on Lake Wanaka, save for when a fellow traveler initiated water wars (including paddle splashes or full on collisions).  We made it all the way out to a little island, parked our boats, and explored.  After much jumping into/ being thrown into the lake, we paddled back to shore letting the sun dry us as we went.
One quick lunch later, we drove to a hiking point nearby, and spent the next few hours conquering a huge mountain.  Although scary at times (don't look down!), it was so rewarding to summit it and see how far we'd come.  It was also fun to try and catch one of the many wandering sheep on the mountainside but alas, none of us were successful. Good timing on the way back: watching the city of Wanaka light up as the sun went down and Venus appeared on our hike down the mountain.


Day 5) Mt. Cook
On the road again!  We left our cozy cabin bright and early and set out for Mt. Cook.  On the way, we passed part of where Rohan was filmed (for all you lotr nerds out there!) as well as the plains of Isengard.  Pretty cool!  We parked by Mount Cook, set up camp, and set off for a hike while the sun was still high.

Mount Cook and a glacier lake

The day was beautiful - the perfect day for mountain climbing!  See the lake above?  About 10 minutes into the hike, we took a quick swim in it.  And by quick swim, I mean wade in, do a push up in the shallow, freezing water, yell, and waddle out.  Crazy, but rather refreshing!  We hiked for hours, coming closer and closer to the Mountain.  Finally, we reached where the glacier met the path:

However, we didn't stop there!  Our scaling of the mountain continued, consisting of scrambling over rocks and the occasional cliff face.  It became extremely steep and slippery, so we had to turn back - but not before taking in a great view of Mount Cook and the other surrounding mountains.  After racing the sunset home, we made a hot dinner together and went into the shelter to fight the oncoming cold.  This didn't work too well, so instead we piled into the van (our second home by now) and scouted out a place with hot chocolate.  A very welcoming thing indeed!
We then came back and sat looking at the galaxies and stars (seemingly so close, so beautiful!) and reminisced about how funny/perfect/awesome the trip had been.  Someone then had the idea of making up scary stories, which just turned hilariously awful.  Which, naturally, made them even better!  After more stargazing (you really could not get enough), we crawled into our tents for one last night away from home.

Day 6: Hello Dunedin/ Moeraki Boulders
After saying farewell to Mount Cook, we headed home!  It was an awesome trip, but it was time to go back to good old Dunedin.  We stopped at the Moeraki Boulders (huge, circular boulders on the beach - a big attraction for many who come to NZ), and not again until we were home.  After a pizza dinner and reuniting with all our neighbors, we fell asleep at around 9:30pm...that's how you can tell it's been a real grand adventure, if you're that tuckered out!


Now, back to business! Or, rather, University.

That road trip was Sweet As!

Love,
Christina
(Who can now - sort of - drive on the left side of the road!)