kayaking fiordland, chasing rainbows, parrot bonding

Today i finished my marine science lab early (it's Wednesdays 2-6, yuck!) and went on a great run.  Just recently i found out that there is much more to the Botanic Gardens (refer back to my album of photos on my way to the grocery store) than i'd thought.  I was talking to my flatmates and apparently i've just not explored enough.  So today i headed in the direction that they told me to go and holy cow, there is soooooo much more that i never saw until today!  It is so beautiful there and just a maze of trails leading in every direction, a great place for a jog.  As i was in discovery mode i came across the aviary, which i thought i'd seen before but was mistaken.  There are a whole bunch of different birds there from all over the world, it's a really neat place.  I was looking at one particular parrot, a beautiful white one, with a bit of lime green coloring on his head.  I thought we were having a moment when he quickly flew and switched places with the other parrot of his same species, so now i was looking at pretty parrot #2.  He (she maybe? nah, i think it was a he, because we were definitely flirting) was latched onto the fencing that separated us, my face about a foot from his.  We stared at each other for maybe 30 seconds and then he squawked 'herro!".  I laughed and said hello back, then he said hello, then i said hello, and by this time people around me were paying attention and these two little girls were just so excited that the parrot was speaking.  They came over and he spoke to them too.  it must have been a good afternoon for Jenn to deeply connect with the birds because a few minutes after that i was having a lot of fun playing hide and seek with a black African parrot, and then we spent some time mimicking each other (he moves, i move in same direction, etc.).  Needless to say, it was a good afternoon.

Mirror Lake - one of the stops on the way to Milford Sound.  Blonde moment for Jenn occurred when i initially thought that the sign is upside down because it fell...

Fiordland National Park: Road to Milford

Rewind to this past Friday: four of us girls (me, Paula, other Jen, and a friend named Ruby) packed up and headed out for our latest adventure - kayaking Milford Sound.  We drove to a town called Te Anau, which is the closest main town to Milford.  We arrived late Friday night and got into the hostel.  All four of us were in dorm-style rooms (co-ed and split two and two since we booked last-minute); Paula and I were together.  We crashed on our set of bunk beds as soon as we got in and went to sleep, or at least tried.  We had some pretty inconsiderate roommates, all making a ton of noise when they came in to go to bed.  The last guy to get in came around 1 am and he must have zipped and un-zipped all of the zippers on his jacket about 15 times, rearranged all of his belongings, and received great satisfaction in rustling all of the plastic shopping bags he could find.  It was insane, and the worst night of sleep ever.  Nevertheless, we had a fantastic start to our Saturday and the kayak company picked for four of us up a little before 8 am to embark on our day trip.  It's about a 2 hour drive from Te Anau to Milford Sound and i'm really glad that i was a passenger; had i been driving us i either would have missed looking at some of the best views i've ever seen or we would have wrecked on the way there.  Our driver (and kayak instructor as well) stopped at different spots for us to take pictures and then we arrived at Milford and embarked on our kayak journey.  We were in double kayaks and wore the most ridiculous thermals to stay warm, but the garb only made the experience that much more memorable:

 

We really lucked out and got a sunny day for kayaking the sound, usually it's rainy.  The views were just phenomenal and it we had a ton of fun.  We kayaked for about 5 hours and saw an enormous waterfall, a few seals, and learned some interesting information about the area.  Milford Sound is located in Fiordland National Park, which is the second largest national park in NZ.  We learned that Milford Sound is actually misnamed - it is a fiord, rather than a sound.  The difference between the two is that a sound is a "v" shaped valley carved out by a river that has been flooded by the ocean, while a fiord is more of  "u" shaped valley carved out by glaciers, also now flooded by the ocean.  Here are some of our sights:

THE Milford Sound

[in order to get a feel for the magnitude of this waterfall, note the kayaker in the picture on the right]

We finished our kayaking trip and were getting out of the water beside some fishermen who had just got back from collecting the NZ equivalent of lobsters from traps.  We stopped by their boat to have a look and saw that they were munching on some raw crab legs and they offered us each one to try, then gave us the whole container to have!  So we had boiled legs on Sunday before we left, yum!  super random, but it's things like that situation that are just so cool about being in the right place at the right time.

Paula talking to the fishermen and their fresh catch

We rode back the few hours to Te Anau and then went for dinner to this little convenience store for the best fish and chips i've ever had, soooo good.  We were all tired and ready for bed after we finished eating but then realized that it was only 7:30, which is not an ok time for a bunch of 21-year-olds to be going to bed (and the fact that we wouldn't have been able to sleep the whole night) so we went to  bar/restaurant called The Moose, where we had the best bartender who let us sample a bunch of different beers (and we got "MOOSE" stamped on our wrists, can't beat that), then we went to a cute little pizza place to hang out for a bit and did a good Leonard photo shoot.  Funny thing about that...we were taking some pictures of Leonard and I sharing a milkshake when one of the servers walked by our table and just lost it, she was laughing so hard.  It took me a minute to realize what was so funny; you see i am so accustomed to taking pictures with Leonard that it didn't really occur to me that it isn't entirely normal to be posing to drink my milkshake with my fluffy stuffed llama.

After the pizza place we were heading back to the hostel (where i would soon have a much better sleep than the previous night's) and we were walking by a playground.  There was no question, we were going to play on that playground.  The four of us stayed and played like little kids for at least an hour.  The playgrounds here are legit...i think there must be less safety regulations or something because some of these play structures are crazy, but definitely a whole lot of fun.

Sunday morning came, and after sleeping in and eating our seafood we spent some time in the town of Te Anau; this was the first time we really got to see it in the light since we got there late Friday night and were at Milford all day Saturday.  It's a great little place.  We were about ready to head back to Dunedin after having coffee by the lake when we saw the first of many rainbows, double rainbow, all the way across.  It was amazing, but just a precursor for what we would see throughout our entire ride home.  I have never seen so many rainbows in my life, and definitely not all in one day.  We saw a bunch of double rainbows, all the way across (if you don't get this reference, please search it on youtube).  I have to say though, that my favorite was the rainbow that had one end planted on the road in front of us.  Truly amazing.  Here are a bunch of my rainbow photos (and note that these are different rainbows!):

the first of many; this one is over Lake Te Anau

i love the wet road in this one, and the variation in color

didn't realize until i looked at this photo on my computer that there are actually TWO rainbows here!

the most vibrantly-colored

my personal favorite, we got to drive straight to it.  Also, this photo is unedited.

double and all the way across.  my lens just wasn't wide enough to capture the entire thing

rainbows and sheep, what better combination??

Well, this will be my last post for a bit...our mid-semester break begins on Friday and i will be computer-less until i get back into Dunedin.  We are heading north to see Nelson, hike the Abel Tasman trail, and ferry across to Wellington for a few days.  Happy Easter everyone!

[you can view the full album of my milford weekend here]

a much needed update

hello!  I apologize for not posting for quite a while, things have been quite busy around here lately.  I am going to write a real quick update of what's been happening since last weekend (April 8-10) and then in the next day or so i will blog about my latest weekend adventures.

Last weekend ended up being really great...i stayed in Dunedin because i had an ecology field trip over the weekend.  On Friday i went to my first New Zealand rugby match - the Highlanders vs. Cheetahs.  It's semi-pro rugby and was a neat experience.  I can't say that i understand it all quite yet, but i feel confident that once i sit down with someone who really knows the game and get them to explain it more in detail i will catch on.  We got some really great Leonard photos and he quite enjoyed the rugby match as well.

Leslie, Paula, Jo, and I

Saturday morning was the start of my field trip and we went to a place called the Orakonui Ecosanctuary.  It was actually quite cool - basically a huge project to try and restore the area to its past ecosystem state, which means trapping and ridding the land of non-native rodents that kill the native birds and breeding/re-introducing native birds.  We got to learn a lot about methods they use to maintain the area and conservation efforts.  One thing that i really had trouble with, though, and consistently find as a part of NZ culture is their lack of organization.  Granted, things still usually function here despite much less planning, but in cases like this field trip, where i really wanted to be back for my Saturday evening, i was a bit frustrated when they got us back an hour late, just because they didn't move things along better.  Anyways, just a cultural difference.  Saturday night was girls' night, and that it was in so many ways.  My friend Suzie and i had gotten together for coffee on Friday and decided last-minute to plan a girls' night for any friends that had stayed in Dunedin for the weekend.  It was just so good to get together and hang out with each other, just for the purpose of having fun and enjoying each others company (ok, and eating lots of desserts too).  Suzie cooked a really great dinner and everyone brought something and we painted our nails and watched the Notebook (yes, a very girly girls' night indeed).

just to prove it...

One thing i forgot to mention that you all will think is funny and ridiculous (at least i do..) - Kiwis apparently like the idea of having disposable red cups at their parties...these are cups that look just like Solo cups but aren't Solo brand because they don't have that here.  I think that it seriously is one of those things that became a fad because of American movies showing Solo cups at parties, which we all know is the case just because Solo is the leading brand of decent disposable cups in America, right??  Well, Paula and I were in the liquor store last weekend and saw a package of the imitation-Solo cups - 10 cups for $6.99!!



Sunday was one of those days when i caved and went with the kiwi culture.  I totally on a whim decided i would try something new and go surfing!  Paula and her friend Sydney were going to St. Clair Beach to take a lesson and try and learn, and i went too.  The three of us had a blast and i actually did learn - i was able to stand and ride a wave in about 6 times.  I also ate the waves pretty hard many more times than that, but it was still just such a good time.  Then Sunday night was church at Grace and Paula and I went : )  God is really working in that situation and teaching me every day to just trust Him in everything.  This week Paula told me she was coming before I'd even asked.

Paula, Sydney, and I

So that sums up my previous weekend, before this past one.  Oh, and what an adventure this past weekend was, I'm excited to be able to share it with all who keep up with this blog.  it's so encouraging to know that people are reading what I'm up to over here on the other side of the world and that I'm able to share from afar what I'm learning and how the Lord is working in my life in NZ and in the hearts of people around me here.

oh and Dunedin is cold as (kiwi for ya!).  For all of you from Somerset and Grove City and even Pgh who complain about the weather, i don't want to hear it...at least you have heat and insulation in your residences.  I spent the majority of my day inside my down sleeping bag and seeing my breath inside my flat!  Down jackets and smartwool socks = two of the best products ever.

the queens life student gliding para retreat town weekend

...and by that i mean the Queenstown Student Life retreat paragliding weekend.  Easy to say 3 times fast?  Nope.  Great weekend?  You bet!  Before i explain how the weekend went i will share some background information of how it all came together:

• Student Life is a college ministry on the OU campus.  I didn't know this until recently but it is actually directly affiliated with Campus Crusade for Christ, which is pretty cool.  I first heard about SL soon after i arrived in Dunedin; they station themselves around Uni campus during O Week and hand out free jandals (flip flops) and ask students to fill out surveys of what they believe/if they're interested in hearing more about Christianity.  I got my free jandals but then got involved with Grace and the Engage biblestudy, so i haven't done anything with SL until this past weekend.
• I have been making an effort to pray for all for each of my flatmates this semester, especially for Paula.  We have been able to hang out a good bit so far in the last month and a half and get to know each other pretty well.  She is super fun to be around and is really animated and hilarious and great to have conversations with because she is both a good listener while at the same time also very willing and honest in sharing her thoughts.  In some of our conversations i have recognized that she is pretty opened to learning about Christianity and contemplative in her beliefs and on several occasions we've talked about what we believe and why we believe it.  
• So go back to two weeks ago, when i first attended Engage biblestudy on Thursday (bear with me, this is a really cool story of God making evident opportunities).  I met a bunch of new people from Grace and really loved it (i go to Engage every Thursday night now)...one of those people is named Ashwin.  He's a 5th year med student who just has a real joy in the Lord, which is evident about from the moment you meet him.  We chatted briefly and that was that.  
• Then on Saturday Paula and I were shopping together (bad combination, we both just encourage each other to buy everything that we like, and she's got great taste too) and then we were on our way  back to the flat when we saw Ash with some of his friends across the street.  Paula shouted across and said hello (at the time Ash didn't recognize me from that far away, big street) and they chatted for a moment and then we continued on.  I asked Paula how she knew Ash and she said that she met him at trivia night a few weeks prior at the Baaa (one of the local bars) and that they talked a while and the conversation somehow came to how Ash became a Christian, a story which he said he would share later when they had more time.  Paula said to me that she wanted to meet up with Ash sometime again to hear his story, because he said that he had a near-death experience through which he committed his life to the Lord.  
• This was all obviously really exciting for me to hear, and when i saw Ash in church that Sunday i told him what Paula said and told him that he needed to meet up with her to talk, that this could be so great for him to get to share his testimony with her.  Later that night Ash texted me and asked if we could get together the next day and when we did he explained to me that there was a Student Life retreat happening that weekend, that maybe i should pray about asking Paula to come along to be able to learn more.  So i was like, ok, yeah...maybe this could be good...
• Here's the thing: i am not afraid to share my faith with someone, but i get hung up on timing.  Especially this semester it has been at the forefront of my mind to be very aware of situations and I've been doing my best to discern whether God is opening an opportunity for me to verbally share with someone or whether i am just going by my own timing and running ahead of God's plan.  Waiting on the Lord for the right time to speak about how He has been working in my life has been a great lesson, and still a work in progress.  
• Anyways, I got home after meeting with Ash and decided i should pray about this situation and refocus my heart on seeking God's timing, and not allowing myself to just operate on wanting to convert Paula.  I journaled a bit and opened my bible to Psalms and the first passage i opened up to was Psalm 40...God makes me laugh sometimes.  So, He was pretty clear this time on what i was to be doing : )  I spoke with Paula about the retreat, she thought about it, and then she said she was up for it.  

"I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as You know, O Lord.  I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.  I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly."

- Psalm 40:9-10

The Student Life retreat took place at a camp in Queenstown, which is known as the adventure capital.  It's where everyone goes to bungee, skydive, jetboat, etc.  It's also known for Fergburger, a really popular burger place (if you couldn't deduce that from the 'burger' in 'Fregburger').  We drove Lucille the 3.5 hours to Queenstown and thus began a weekend of lots of energy, fellowship, and a significant amount of forced fun.  Overall the retreat was good, and I'm glad we went, and Paula is as well.  It was lots of fun and the speakers were good, we got to meet some new people and get to know others better, and we definitely made the most of our free afternoon in Queenstown on Saturday (more info about that in a bit).  For me in particular this was a relatively humbling experience.  We arrived late on Friday because we left with the second group of cars at 6 pm from Dunedin and joined in with the SL group as they were splitting off into teams to make chants that had to do with the heart (the weekend theme was 'heartbeat')...so immediately i was a bit of a poor sport in my head because i don't like things like this.  But anyways i lived; after all it was supposed to be about team building.  Throughout the rest of the weekend i continued to have a hard time with the forced fun activities.  About halfway through the retreat i began to think more about what was really going on and, while i really truly don't care for skits and make-a-funny-song contests, there was more to my internal resistance than just personal preference.  I realized that it had more to do with my role as a mere participant in the retreat.  If i'm honest with myself, my real problem was based on the fact that for the last several years i have been in the trip-leading, activity-instructing, camp counselor role, having moved on from being a camper.  But this weekend i was not the counselor or the trip leader or the boat driver or the faith pole belayer...i was a camper again.  It was eye-opening for me, and i could feel the challenge that God was placing upon me - that while i know that i can be good leader for Him i also need to be content in sometimes being a follower, and this weekend was one of those times.

The retreat went well for Paula too.  She found one of the speakers really moving and I was inspired by her choice to go into a weekend retreat, knowing that she doesn't share in the common foundation of the majority of the other participants, with an opened mind and wanting to learn.  It had to have been a pretty intimidating endeavor and i really respect her willingness to step out into the unfamiliar.  She hasn't yet committed her life to Christ and is still interested in learning more about what it means to be a Christian, and i know that God's got a plan with all of this, so the most important thing for me to do is daily refocus my heart on acting in his timing and remember that this is her decision, not something i can induce.

So other than the fun forcing and great speakers we did some really fun things in queenstown.  On Saturday afternoon we had a few hours of free time and we decided on a whim to go paragliding.  All morning we had been seeing people in parachutes off in the distance and it looked saweeet and we just ran with it (quite literally, hah!).  Seven of us rode the gondolas to the top of the mountain and paid our fees and Paula and I were the first victims.  We hiked to the top of a really steep hill and in a matter of minutes our guides had everything ready to go and my instructor (a friendly Venezuelan named Richard told me to run and not stop running.  So there i was, running off the side of this steep hill/cliff and then we flew!  It was seriously one of the coolest things i've ever experienced.  We were soared over Queenstown and i got to control the steering a bit and took some crazy pictures...the gopro video from the trip is pretty great too.  We paraglode for maybe 10 minutes (how long you can stay in the air all depends on the wind) and then i thought i was going to faceplant in landing but Richard managed to make it quite painless.  It was a really fantastic afternoon.

Before we left to go back to camp for dinner we went into a few shops, one of which is called Peter Alexander.  This store only sells pajamas, and they are like the coolest most unique pajamas ever, i want some soooo badly!  But they are pretty pricey : | so i resisted.  Later in the evening the main session wrapped up and we were free to do what we pleased for the rest of the night, but most people stayed together for an annual tradition...fireball.  The main guy explained that this is something that they did the previous year and is highly not-allowed, but that obviously doesn't stop them.  In a nutshell, they constructed a fireball - a soccerball soaked in diesel fuel - and they light it on fire and play soccer.  This was such a bizarre situation, but provide one great photo opp.  And the greatest part?  Paula getting hit with the fireball, while filming the game.  

The next morning the retreat finished up and we stopped back in the main of Queenstown before heading back to Dunedin.  We went to Fergburger and it really was fantastic but shhhh, i need to share this quietly for fear of getting beat up fro saying that it's not the best burger i've ever had...but Fudrucker's still holds the #1 burger award in my opinion.  But Ferg was still sooooo good, and had such a cool theme to it too.

Our last stop was at the AJ Hacket Bungee - the first bungee company in the world.  This is the original (first officially established) bungee bridge.  Now up to this point i have not really been that interested in bungee jumping, it just hasn't seemed worth the price.  But i have to say i am way more inclined to go for it after seeing some people jump (and yes, ok, the promotional video helped too).  I learned that you can go tandem, which is two people on the same cord, and i have a choice of two victims to go tandem with me...Matt and Spencer.  Matt because he actually would do it and likes thrill, and it would be a sweet sibling bonding experience (enough to convince you to pay mom?) and I couldn't pay Spence enough to bungee, but it's a fun thought anyways.

I unfortunately forgot to bring Leonard along for the Queenstown weekend adventure, but i will be sure to capture him in our future endeavors, including the rugby match I'm going to tomorrow.  Leonard is going to the most well-versed llama that ever has lived.  Also, you can check out the queens life student gliding para retreat town weekend album to see more photos.

I understand that everyone back home is sick of the slow transition from winter to spring.  I know that i have absolutely no room to complain about anything because i am currently living in NZ and having heaps of fun (that's kiwi talk for you!) but if it's any consolation, we are entering Dunedin winter and from what i understand that pretty much means 40 degrees and constant rain and wind for the next several months.  Oh and in the mornings i can see my breath inside our flat.  Down jacket = one of the best things ever created.  In other news, congrats to SAF moving into a church, and to St. Paul's and their new building!  Real exciting stuff : )