We spent Tuesday with Dr. Jonathan Gardner from CMEER (Center for Marine Environmental & Economic Research). In the morning, he gave 3 lectures on marine reserves and ecology. After lunch, he took us down to the coast to explore the marine life. I was surprised how much you could find around rocks and in crevices where the receding tide had left water. I probably killed a few creatures just walking around; they were everywhere! We found starfish, a teeny tiny seahorse, tons of different types of algae, pauas, and sea slugs (below).
Wednesday, we visited the Karori Sanctuary, a recently established effort to restore and protect flora and fauna endemic to New Zealand. The 500-acre area is surrounded by a specialized fence designed to keep mammalian predators out. The reserve is free-flying, meaning that the birds are allowed to fly out and attempt life on their own if they so please. It has been fairly successful at increasing the population of some threatened and endangered species, such as the Tui bird. However, hihis have not been so successful outside Karori. Our class split into pairs to count hihis and bellbirds visiting the various feeders sprinkled throughout the park. All the birds are tracked with 4 colored bands on their ankles, so we tried to record the four colors on each bird with marginal success.
The next morning, we went to the US Embassy where we met David Huebner (middle), the US ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, as well as Bob Clarke (far left), the Deputy Chief of Mission. Huebner was well-spoken and enjoyable to listen to.
Then the madness began... I found three tickets for the Sevens rugby tournament, so Sheri, Aerin, and I dressed as adorable flamingos to join the crazies. There was not a single person that wasn't in some type of costume (ok, maybe one). It was absolutely ridiculous; children, college kids, adults, you name it. Some people had some good outfits, but I must say I will not be sad if i never see a man in a short skirt again.
The stadium was far from full on Friday (it's packed on Sat, we hear), so we sat right at the front near where all the players run out. I'd never seen a rugby game before; it is INSANE. No pads, no helmets, shorts & tees; they looked like they were about to go jogging or play a friendly game of soccer. Ah yes, and the classic streaker made it onto the field later in the day and was promptly tackled by security with a covering. Some of us took it easy that night and watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
One day of Sevens was plenty, so Saturday a few of us went to a small reggae festival, One Love. No crazies there, just hippies. We tried to find a tree from LOTR on Mount Victoria, but to no avail. Apparently it's unmarked, and unfortunately, all trees kind of look the same. Most of the group went down to Courtenay Place on Saturday night, but the streets were packed and nearly impossible to navigate. Kind of a bust. It was fun to dress up though. The entire group dressed up; most in togas, 2 boys in dresses, and Aerin and I as flamingos.
Sunday was a lazy day, and it was amazing. My biggest accomplishment was making it down to a restaurant for dinner. We watched Death at a Funeral, and called it a night.
Today, we had the privilege of visiting the Victoria University marae (sacred building) for a powhiri (Maori welcoming ceremony), which was completely in Maori. We learned a sweet song about love, faith, and peace, and becoming one people that we sang to them. It was neat to see a more traditional view of Maori culture, in contrast to the contemporary feast and dance we saw in Rotorua.
I'm getting pretty excited about this weekend to the south island! More to come...
you make a good flamingo
ReplyDeletewhy thank you. :)
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