The last week Ashley, Mike, and I traveled from Auckland to Christchurch to make it down for New Zealand Ultimate Frisbee Nationals. We stopped in Rotorua on the north island to visit Ashley's friend from California and to go river rafting and kiwi viewing. Then we hauled it down to Christchurch to play in Nationals and hang out with our frisbee friend from Atlanta and more recently San Fran, Spencer! We're staying with Spencer for the next few days in Christchurch to figure out what's next on the agenda. Either working or some serious tramping around the south island, we'll see!
In Rotorua we rafted down a 7 meter waterfall, the highest commercially run waterfall in the world. It was awesome. Because Ashley had worked with our guides (Chonk and Joel) at the river in Coloma, CA they were intent on "thrashing us". So of course they flipped the boat on us. The rest of the ride they tried to flip us at every rapid set.
The mayhem after the big flip. I am under the boat and Mike is off to the right chasing paddles.
The view from Val's house, the woman we stayed with in Rotorua. She's a friend of Ashley's from the river in Coloma, CA. Val lives on a lake right next to the drop-in for the Kaituna River rafting. It was a beautiful house and Val and her roommates Dooglas and Katarina were amazing to us.
On the ferry from the North Island to the South Island. There was a beautiful sunset over the water and almost full moon, but we couldnt' see the terrain because it was dark most of the time.
Spencer with his trophy from winning New Zealand ultimate Nationals this weekend. Mike's team got 3rd, Ashley's team got 3rd, and my team got 4th.
A marae, a traditional Maori meeting house close to where we were staying in Rotorua.
Soaked and looking super sexy in our rafting gear. This helmet doesn't really do me justice.
Ashley and I being dorky.
A stuffed kiwi bird at an exhibit at Kiwi Encounters. The kiwi is a flightless, furry, nocturnal, and endangered bird that is native only to New Zealand. Since New Zealand had no native kiwi bird predators, the kiwi evolved to become almost completely defenseles from larger predators. So when the British brought over possums, dogs, etc., the kiwi numbers began to drop drastically. Since they are nocturnal, we saw them in a nocturnal house and couldn't take pictures, so this will have to do.
Ashley and I showing off our transportation from Auckland to Christchurch...it was $1 a day! Super sweet deal.
1 comment:
love the kiwi. love the rafting. i would have been mighty scared! what fun in the camper. take care. love mom and dad and ellen
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