Week 1

This week in NZ has been amazing. From the moment we got off the plane there has been so much to see and do. Everyday has started early (about 7 or 8am), so it feels like we’ve been here for much longer than 7 days. In this time, we’ve managed to see most of the northern part of the North Island including Cape Reinga, Ninety Mile Beach, the Bay of Islands, and of course, Auckland. I think my favourite part of the trip so far has been the boat ride to Hole in the Rock and around the Bay of Islands. I’ll admit that at first, I was unimpressed by the stories I’d heard about the hole. I figured it was just another rock floating in the sea. As the above link shows, however, it’s massive. Only as we approached it from the boat did I realize how gigantic it was. The boat was even able to fit through the hole in the rock. I also thought that the story about the Polynesian Princess on the side of the island was pretty cool. The boat ride itself was also a lot of fun. The weather was beautiful and it was nice being able to see so many of the Islands. Dolphins swam right up to the side of the boat. I’ve been very impressed with NZ’s diverse landscapes and terrains. Within the first week, we’ve seen everything from beaches to dense forests to barren farmland. As the bus drives us from excursion to excursion, it’s amazing to see the scenery change in such a short time. I liked taking a lot of the nature walks and being able to get a closer look at what organisms inhabit each of the landscapes. Sarah W