May 27, 2005
Room with a View
Well, here is the new view from our living room and bedroom. The mount is one of landmarks for our city. A Maori tribe used to live on the top, People run around the mount every morning for excercise. Unfortuntely, it was damaged in the flooding and will be closed for at least a month for repairs.
Our view of the bay isn’t the largest, but a view is better than no view!
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May 26, 2005
Sloshing through a winter wonderland
We’ve had weird weather in the Bay of Plenty. First the rain came, then the floods, then nice weather, now rain again. The news on the street is that winter is mostly just one rainy day after another. Not snow or ice, but rain and rain and rain.
We have a view of the Mount from our new apartment, which is great since we can’t walk around it anymore now that the track has flooded. Our last few trips out of town have been accompanied by rain, and will probably accompany us this weekend. The nice thing is that it’s not a hideously cold winter. And I may have an excuse to buy cute pink gumboots.
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May 24, 2005
Haere mai!
Last week we were invited to participate in a Maori welcome ceremony. This is a ceremony between the host and guest when visiting a marae, or meeting house. The ceremony starts on the lawn in front of the marae, as you can see in the photo below. (The photo was taken after the ceremony, no pictures were allowed during.) The visitors stand in a tight group, women in front, men behind. This shows the hosts that they do not intend aggression. The senior woman from the host group calls out a greeting to the guests, which is answered by a woman from the visiting group. Often before they enter the marae a warrior from the host tribe, or iwi, will place a gift which is picked up by the chief of the visitors. Before entering the marae you remove your shoes as a symbol of respect. When greetings have been exchanged, the visitors enter the marae, women seated on the right, men on the left. Then a member of the host tribe will stand and give a speech, which is followed by a song. The visitors have a speaker and a song as well. This goes back and forth for a while, depending on how many speakers there are. After the speeches, a prayer and the meal.
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May 18, 2005
Flood
It rained in the bay of plenty. It rained so hard that at one point the gutters on our deck were spewing forth water instead of draining it. The rain came down so hard and fast that part of the major highway was washed away. Even the Tauranga Hospital Emergency Department developed some water damage in some of the rooms. Thankfully, there are no major casualties in the city that I know of. Sadly, some people did lose their homes. Here is the report from the Bay of Plenty Times:
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May 14, 2005
Walk on the Water
I finally took advantage of our great location in the surf city of new zealand. I had a surfing lesson with a very young instructor (looked like he was 15-16) who introduced me to the basics. Now I’m hooked. So far my favorite part is when you realize that the wave is starting to take your board. When the board is right in the sweet spot of the wave the water churns around you and you pick up speed. Then you are walking on the water. This is certainly not to say that I have got the whole thing figured out. It certainly is a great way to spend some time with friends out on the water with the sunshine. What a life!
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May 11, 2005
Delicious
I love it when I find delicious new foods. It is always fun for me to find new tastes and textures.
Sometimes I go through stages where I find a new food and can’t get enough of it. It’s part of the fun of traveling and learning about new cultures.
My latest find is Feijoas. These delicious fruits are in season right now in New Zealand. They can range in size considerably. They have a fragrance a bit like star fruit and a grainy texture like guavas. They are incredibly easy to eat. You just slice the fruit in half and scoop out the fruit with a spoon. Delicious!
Posted by at 04:47 am | Comments (2) | Permalink
May 01, 2005
How's the Solitude Mate?
Erica and I spent a weekend at beautiful Lake Taupo in the center of the north island. The alpine lake is really beautiful. The lake has crystal clear water and a range of mountains completes the backdrop.
There is also geothermal activity in the area. Appropriately named Craters of the moon, this valley is filled with land formations made from erupting hot mud.
Erica laughs at the possibility of bodily harm by tempting further mud eruptions.
This was the perfect setting for a retreat and we enjoyed trying to get into a time of solitude.
Posted by at 04:39 am | Comments (1) | Permalink
