The Breathtaking Tongariro

This is the most challenging blog entry for me to write, for a couple of reasons. First, as the title suggests, this entry is focused on my 7-hour hike of Tongariro Crossing… I took over 200 pictures during that walk, so selecting just two snapshots to represent the day’s breathtaking views was no small feat. I can say, without a doubt, that it was the most fabulous hike I have ever done. The landscape was dramatic—alpine scrub and tussock, steaming volcanic craters and emerald lakes. Also dramatic at times were the climbs, but they were accompanied by many rewarding views. Thanks to Peter, Linda, and Julie who were great company for the journey, and the weekend.

Secondly, this entry is challenging because it will likely be my last one until I return home to Saskatchewan. I am now in Auckland, enjoying the sights and sounds of this (very busy!) city, with just two days before my departure. The most noteworthy thing to share at this point is a simple building photo. Can you believe that this is a photo of my hotel, the All Seasons Auckland… and my room is on the top (18^th!) floor? Good gracious, it’s a scary place.

Until we meet again in SK...

thanks for reading and sharing my New Zealand journey with me!

Farewell to Palmy

As I pack up and get ready to check out of Awatea Park Motel, I cringe at the sight of all ‘my stuff’—the things I brought with me and those that I acquired while here. Remember my first blog entry about buying groceries? Well, I now have to find a home for partly consumed boxes of cereal, honey, margarine, etc. Remember bicycle touring and wine tasting/buying in the Hawke’s Bay area? Well, I still have two unopened bottles of wine from that day to (gently) squeeze into my suitcase. Remember that beautiful Kiwi I petted? Well, I have to leave him here.

Even though my time is Palmy has now come to an end (and, no, the paper Margaret and I are writing is not yet complete but we’re getting close), I still have a few days of New Zealand sightseeing ahead of me. This afternoon, four of us (Peter, Linda, Julie and Kathy) head off to National Park to ‘tramp’ the Tongariro Crossing (check out the website if you want to be amazed and perhaps a bit envious: http://www.tongarirocrossing.org.nz/). It’s an 18.5 km trail that I have been reading about for months, so I’m very excited that I will be tackling it (and very appreciative of my colleagues who volunteered to organize everything and escort me on the journey!). So, I guess the next time you hear from me, I’ll be “on-the-line” from Auckland, with my feet up (and wrapped in ice, I expect) as I recover from my exciting adventure. Stay tuned…

Oh, before I go… I think I promised a photo from the Round the Bays run last weekend. Pictured with me is Francie, a good friend of a good friend from Regina. Francie was a wonderful tour guide and host for me while I was in Wellington and I hope to return the hospitality when she visits Regina one day!

Seminar Day

The conversations of the day were mostly about family and friends in Christchurch. One of the mathematics educators at Massey left last night for Christchurch as part of a search and rescue team. The rest of the mathematics educators attended my seminar this morning.

Giving a seminar on one’s university, faculty, and the wider mathematics teacher education community in Canada really makes one realize how much there is (yet) to know. The group was quite gracious in accepting “hmmm, that’s a good question, I’m not sure about that…” as we engaged in interesting discussions about our programs and ‘papers’ (Note: paper (NZ) = course (CA)).

The group joked with me about needing a signed consent form before I could post this picture of them on my blog… they were joking, weren’t they? (hmmm, that’s a good question, I’m not sure about that…)

I assured them that the six people who are diligently reading my blog would not spread the photo around. :-)

The Real News

I am a long way from Christchurch but with the news of today’s earthquake there, it seems rather trivial to write a blog entry focusing on the weather or my results in the Round the Bays run on Sunday. With the Christchurch earthquake measuring 6.3-magnitude and occurring in the middle of the day, the death toll is already at 65 people. Just this past weekend, I visited the Awesome Forces exhibit at Te Papa Museum in Wellington. This exhibit tells “the story of New Zealand's dramatic landscape and the part that earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the weather play in its shaping.” (http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/whatson/
exhibitions/pages/awesomeforces.
aspx).


If you check out GeoNet (http://www.geonet.org.nz/
earthquake/quakes/recent_quakes.html) for recent New Zealand earthquakes, you’ll be amazed to see the extent to which Christchurch gets hits by earthquakes, especially today.


It’s my last week in Palmerston North and things are not winding down gently… there is still an article to finish writing, a seminar to give, several social events to focus on, and an empty suitcase in a chaotic motel room to deal with. It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for almost 4 weeks.

Weekend in Wellington

Just a few photos to share my weekend scenerey with you… and yes, there is wine in that glass.

A beautiful place and, as you can probably surmise from the peaceful photos, not the "Windy Wellington" I had heard so much about!

And that doesn’t even include my Round the Bays 7km run this morning. More news tomorrow.

A Kiwi Experience of a Lifetime

Have you ever petted a Kiwi? I can’t believe how the day’s events unfolded so that now I can say I have petted a Kiwi. The story goes like this…

During the trek yesterday evening, after Carrol pointed out a Tui bird in a tree for me, I casually asked him if he had ever seen a Kiwi bird, to which he responded yes, but a while ago, and that if I wanted to see one maybe I could ask Margaret if she knew anyone at the Massey Veterinary Hospital and Wildlife Centre, where there is presently an injured Kiwi being nursed back to health. [Deep breath] Then at a Massey Women’s Group breakfast this morning I happened to be seated next to a person who works at the veterinary school and so I thought to myself, no time like the present, not realizing that bringing it up to her wouldn’t get me anywhere but that Margaret would overhear and say to me “Let’s go over there at lunch, to see what we can see”, to which I responded… well, you can likely guess my response. [Another deep breath]

See what we could see, indeed! After listening intently to Margaret’s brief introduction to this visiting Canadian researcher who would love to see a Kiwi, the receptionist at the front desk of the veterinary clinic paged a vet at the wildlife centre, who immediately returned the call, and… the next thing you know this young female vet is leading us into a backroom in the clinic and opening various cages one by one to show us all of these beautiful native New Zealand birds: a penguin, a blue duck, a Kiwi, and a Takahē. Not only did she show us the birds, but she practically let us stick our heads into the cages (except for the Takahē, because he was a little bit cranky today and, from my perspective, too big to mess with when cranky).

“Go ahead and pet him, if you like,” the vet said to us while holding open the door of the Kiwi cage. Next thing I know I’m putting my hand in the cage and running my fingers down the prickly, quill-like feathers of Ewan, the Kiwi (named after Ewan McGregor apparently). Underneath those light quill-like feathers, he was so soft and smooth. Can you believe he let me do that, with only a few sideways glances at the vet to make sure she was giving the go ahead on this!

As we left the “bird room,” the vet showed us a YouTube video that I think you should check out. It’s not Ewan, but Piwi, who was also once a resident of this same clinic and his rehabilitation had a happy ending!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

V3iQNtdoTGY

I did not have my camera with me, but my memory of these beautiful birds is more sharply focused than my Canon could be.

[Takahē to the left; Kiwi pictured at top... photos taken from a website]

Walking the Gorgeous Gorge

Cutting out of work early today, Carrol and I tackled the Manawatu Gorge Track. My tourist brochure states that it is “just 20 minutes from Palmerston North… and takes you through lush forest, high above the river and road.” That it was, and did. And my Lonely Planet guide book adds that “Maori named the gorge Te Apiti (the Narrow Passage).” My guidebook also states that it takes around 4 hours to walk through the gorge. I beg to differ, as Carrol and I completed the “rolling” trek in 2.5 hours. Not that we were competing with anyone. J

At one point during the walk, we were up close and personal with the Tararua Wind Farm... the one featured in a previous blog entry and the subject of some controversy in this area of NZ.

I know this is a brief blog entry, after a really wonderful walk, but my foot requires icing and my whistle wants whetting with a sip of Glazebrook (041 degrees S * 174 degrees E) Sauvignon Blanc.

Run-Bike-Run: Done

It was a perfect morning (except for the 5:25 a.m. alarm). About 20 degrees, cloud cover and no wind at race start. And at race finish, I was still smiling. A very good race, overall. Even met some friendly people… but then again, most New Zealanders I have met have been friendly and warm. Feeling quite welcome here.

And now, it’s Miller time (No, really, it IS Miller time. I couldn’t find a grocery store within hobbling distance so the motel owner offered me two of his own Miller beer. It’s not Tui, but how could I say no?)

Cheers!

A Bike named FREAK

Perhaps the picture says it all, but the news is that I now have a bike (named Freak)! Two colleagues at Massey, Peter and Carrol, were kind enough to loan me this superb Norco… along with a helmet, lock, pump, etc. It looks like I’m able to participate in the women’s duathlon tomorrow after all. However, I must remember 3 critical things for the event :

1. Take it slowly, keeping in mind the 3 awful months when I could not run or bike because of plantar fasciitis.
2. Always keep LEFT, except to pass (which I’m not planning to do).
3. The LEFT hand brake is for the rear wheel and the right hand brake is for flipping over the handle bars.

I’m thrilled to have my bipedal abilities (Art’s word) back, and I even tried out FREAK today with a ride along the river and then back into the city centre… for a flat white and scone at a café in The Square.

So far, I’m sticking to the left-turn-only loops, and that’s going quite well.

If I were you, I’d tune into this blog again tomorrow for any noteworthy news items from the race.

Top TEN in TEN

Having now spent 10 full days here in New Zealand, I thought I’d write an entry that attempts to provide a top 10 list, with the order being somewhat random…

10. my little motel room… a mostly quiet space (so lots of good sleeps!) where I enjoy watching movies and cooking up scrumptious meals with my rather measly selection of groceries

9. meeting and dining with the Math Education group from Massey University the first weekend I arrived

8. working with Margaret… but not having to run off to all of the meetings she does!

7. the warm air, filled with many new bird sounds… not to mention the sounds of quacking ducks who pace back and forth outside my motel room door, hoping food scraps will magically appear

6. all of the outdoor activities I’ve experienced… walking through the trails of Victoria Esplanade, running along the Manawatu River, and swimming in the outdoor 50m pool at the Lido aquatic centre (this was my first time swimming in a 50m pool and as I looked down the lane, I was reminded of the distant prairie horizon… thought I’d never reach the wall!)

5. bicycle touring and wine tasting in the Hawke’s Bay area (this is a distinct category from #6 above because of the alcoholic enhancement)

4. flat white, with trim (that’s one of several ways to drink the delicious coffee here, when not sipping wine)

3. the scenic drives around the Palmerston North area, including several times through the spectacular Manawatu Gorge

2. enjoyable times in Margaret’s company

1. learning how to write, and submit, a paper in 4 weeks!

Here's to the next ten days...

On Yer Bike

“You can go a little faster, Kathy”, Margaret chimed from a short distance behind me. In the car, on the 2 hour drive from Palmerston North to Hawke’s Bay area, I heard from both her and Julie just how infrequently they have both been on bikes in the past many years. So, I thought I’d take it easy on them. Apparently, I was taking it a little too easy! J

What a fantastic day… the three of us cycling and sipping our way around a small selection of Hawke’s Bay vineyards—we visited (and tasted) at Bridge Pa, Ngatarawa, Te Awa, Trinity Hill, and Salvare. I actually held back, and purchased bottles of wine at only 3 of the 5 wineries. (I only have about 3 weeks remaining, you know.) However, I was sure to taste at least two types at each place! Cheers...

After returning our bicycles to Mike at On Yer Bike Winery Tours (and raving about the best boxed lunch ever!), we took a brief detour (by car) to a café in Napier—biggest and prettiest little city on Hawke Bay. Napier is quite well-known to many non-New Zealanders as the place that had a devastating earthquake back in 1931—in fact, the 80 year anniversary was just two days ago, on February 3.

A Day in the Life

Kia Ora!

They say a picture (or four) is worth a thousand words.

Breakfast... not what I was expecting in the land of Kiwis and kiwi fruit








A trip to the office, with offical name plate and all...












Back home for an afternoon of... yes, work!


Finally, dinner goes well with a South Island pinot noir







Bon appetit!

My First Pōwhiri and Hongi

A bit of background…

A pōwhiri (pronounced pōwiri in the Taranaki-Wanganui area of the western North Island) is a Māori welcoming ceremony involving speeches, dancing, singing and the hongi. A hongi is a traditional Māori greeting in New Zealand. It is done by pressing one's nose to another person at an encounter. It is used at traditional meetings among Māori people and on major ceremonies and serves a similar purpose to a formal handshake in modern western culture, and indeed a hongi is often used in conjunction with one. In the hongi the ha, or breath of life, is exchanged and intermingled.

Through the exchange of this physical greeting, one is no longer considered manuhiri (visitor) but rather tangata whenua, one of the people of the land. For the remainder of one's stay one is obliged to share in all the duties and responsibilities of the home people.

There you have it, straight from Wikipedia. Thanks to Margaret for taking me to this ceremony to welcome a new colleague into the college. It was a wonderful experience.

As for the weather (it’s really all that people in SK and the maritimes want to read about, right?)... A website reports the following for Palmerston North today:

Actual: 20.1^°C

Feels like 20°C : 1 layer of clothing

Data updated 1:59pm 1 February 2011

Wind: Fresh
W31 km/h
Gust 46 km/h

It was a beautiful day to go for a run/walk and capture photos of the windmill farms on the hills surrounding Palmerston North (oops! I said I wouldn’t mention the wind today…)