Keepin' it rural in Dargaville

We woke up in the Kumara Capital of New Zealand and spent the day on several farms. For a group of Iowans, the rural, laid-back pace of Dargaville feels we are in a small town between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, but the spectular mountain views remind us we are far from home. We started our day at Bob Steed's sheep farm and his son-in-law Reese demonstrated the sheep herding talents of his two dogs, Speedy and Spade. We were in awe! Next it was time to watch sheep shearing. Bob asked for volunteers to try shearing and Darren and I were both ready to give it a go. Bob told me I was a natural and I asked if he takes sheep shearing interns! Darren went next and also did very well. Our team members encouraged us by saying, "Come on - ewe can do it!" The next stop was at a strawberry farm and the growers, John and Adrianna, grow their berries in bags of saw dust on raised beds. They don't have pest issues and even the birds stay away from the fruit. We sampled the fruits and they were delicious. At their farm we had a picnic lunch made by Year 13s (seniors) from Dargaville High School. We ended our day at Ernie's Kumara Box and had a ride around his farm, which featured New Zealand's smallest chapel and a kiwi made of flax. We tried roasted purple kumara and wanted to pack some to take back home. We also watched a video about the history of kumara farming in the Northlands and Ernie entertained us with stories. After our day of farming, we headed to the grocery store to buy food for our weekend retreat at Kelly's Bay. Tonight we will give a presentation to the Dargaville Rotary Club. Look for more updates on Monday or Tuesday next week!

Greetings from Dargaville

Hello to family and friends! We have made it to Dargaville and have been made to feel right at home. We started out from Kerikeri this morning and had an educational tour of the Hokianga area on our way to meet up with our Dargaville host families. We took quick tours of the towns of Kohukohu and Rawene with a ferry ride between the two. Lunch in Rawene was delightful on the deck overlooking the Hokianga Harbour. Special thanks to Marie Murrie for all of her extra effort in preparing a booklet on the history of the region complete with photographs! We met up with our Dargaville host families at the scenic overlook at Omapere. The view of the sand hills and the treacherous entrance to the Hokianga Harbour is magnificent. Once with our Dargaville hosts we were treated to the Waipua Forest and Trounson Park where we were absolutely in awe of the giant Kauri trees. We have been consulted on the agenda for the next few days, given gifts and made to feel welcome with our new families. We may be quietly relaxing here on the West Coast for a few days so please pardon the lack of communication and pictures if we slow down just a bit here at mid-tour....

Whirlwind Wednesday (3-30-11)

What a day today has been. We started out from Kerikeri and while enroute to Waitangi we stopped for some quick pictures at the Haruru Falls. What a beautiful sight that was! Then on to Waitangi which is the site of the signing of the Treaty between the Maori and the English. This is a very informative center and we took our group picture in many locations throughout the grounds including the one posted here which shows us in front of a war canoe that requires 80 paddlers. From Waitangi we travelled a short distance to the St James Church where we were given a lesson on the history of it and then down the hill to the Stone Store (pictured here) which is the oldest building in New Zealand. We were treated to a very comprehensive guided tour of the grounds. We took a short supper break with our host families and then we met back up at 6:30pm to head out to Ian Candy's farm on the edge of the Puketi Forest where he took us on a two mile hike up into the forest where we were able to explore many wondrous things. I have posted a picture I took, after dark, of the underside of the silver fern. It reflects the light back from its silvery fronds when you use a flash. There were many other pictures taken thoughout this busy day and I am sure some of my fellow team members will share those as well. Tomorrow we meet our new hosts in Dargaville and begin the next leg of our journey. By the way, we have been thrilled to hear from many of our hosts here in Kerikeri that our presentation to their club was very professional, they really enjoyed it and it left them wanting to learn more about Iowa.

Busy Tuesday for all

This morning the GSE team had vocational visits in the morning followed by a full agenda as a group the rest of the day. In the morning Christina and I (Ginger) visited two unique Early Childhood Settings. The first was Kororipo Kohanga Preschool and is a Maori immersion program. The children come from English speaking homes and attend this program in order to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Maori language and culture. It was impressive the way the children were all interacting with the staff completely in the Maori language. Second we were able to visit the Arohanui Preschool which was a purpose built center on a two acre setting. There are two separate buildings, one for children 3 months to 3 years and the other for children 3 to 5 years. As in previous Early Childhood observations in NZ I was amazed at the great use of outdoor space and the overall confidence of the children.

After the morning vocational visits we came together as a team and were able to participate in a Maori welcome ceremony at the Okaihau College (which is a high school by our definition). The children were fabulous, Jeff spoke his part well and then we were all treated to a very nice lunch. The hospitality of the school was very much appreciated by all. Next the team moved on to the Top Energy geothermal power station at Ngawha. Even though some of us didn't understand much of the technology, it was a very interesting and informative visit and gave us all another insight into how New Zealand handles it's business and energy practices. Our final stop was a visit to a dairy farm where they milk 700 cows. It was very interesting seeing the cows file in and take their place on a giant turntable for milking and then wander back out to the pasture. Our full day was made complete by a potluck dinner at the home of John and Helen Toms. A great time was had by all and each GSE member was given a gift from the Kerikeri Club. As I said, very busy day, but very nice as well. Stay tuned for an update on our touring whirlwind Wednesday.

Far North

The entire team has now traveled to the Far North town of Kerikeri. Along the way we made a stop in the town of Kawakawa to see the public toilets. This sounds strange indeed but as you can see from the pictures, they are quite impressive. World famous designer, Freidensreich Hundertwasser from Austria made his home in this town for many years and was commissioned to design many public buildings around town. This was a fun and interesting stop in our journeys. We had a very nice meeting with the area Rotary clubs upon arrival Monday evening and enjoyed great fellowship with a group of about 60. It was a great evening. We are now looking forward to a very busy two and a half days with the Kerikeri club. They have quite a schedule set for us including participation in a Powhiri welcoming ceremony. Should be an exciting couple of days.....

Takapuna Experiences

Upon leaving the Kelly's Bay retreat we had a lovely visit at the Matakohe Kauri Museum, had lunch, and then travelled on to Wellsford where we met our Takapuna hosts and journeyed on with them back to the Auckland area on Monday. The rest of Monday was spent getting settled in with our new families.
Tuesday was our vocational day and each of the team members had a very full day of experiences which had been arranged for us. I was able to visit a Kindergarten, a full day child care center, a drop in Creche and the Education Review Office. As I said, it was a full day indeed. Tuesday evening we gave our presentation to the Takapuna Club and were pleased to celebrate Darren's birthday with them. At the meeting we were also able to visit with members of the North Shore Club, including one who plans to kayak the Mississippi this summer and many others who attended in our honor.
Today (Wednesday) we had a day filled with Maori culture. First we were welcomed to the Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Te Raki Paewhenua (Maori Immersion school at Mairangi Bay) with a traditional Powhiri ceremony followed by refreshments and visiting with the senior students and a tour of the school. We learned a great deal more about the philosophy of teaching Maori children in their own language and culture. In the afternoon we went to visit the Awataha Marae for additional Maori culture instruction and were able to view the carvings in progress and learned a basic flax weaving technique. Our day was finished with a potluck supper hosted by one of the host families. It was a day filled with new and interesting experiences and a great deal of fellowship.
Thursday morning we are looking forward to meeting our new host families from the Henderson Club and getting organized with them prior to the District Conference coming up this weekend. We feel as though the trip is suddenly speeding along and before we know it we will be on the plane headed back to Iowa, USA.

Weekend in Rotorua, Matamata and Hobbiton

The GSE team spent the weekend with Rotarians from 5 different clubs (under the able direction of the Westhaven Rotary Club!) and two different districts and had a fabulous time meeting everyone and learning about their various projects and club accomplishments. It was wonderful to get the opportunity to travel from Auckland to Rotorua with a bus full of Rotarians eager to share with us the Living Maori Thermal Village of Whakarewarewa and the wonders of the Wai-O-Tapu geothermal reserve.

The team got to explore the steaming lakes and thermal pools throughout Whakarewarewa where we also enjoyed a Maori cultural dance, complete with two members of the team learning the Hokey Tokey (not to be confused with New Zealand's delicious ice cream known as Hokey Pokey), and got to experience a traditional 'Hangi' meal, consisting of chicken, corned beef, boiled root vegetables, cabbage and a pudding and cake dessert, cooked in a wooden steam box that captures the steam that rises from the earth, along with sweet corn cooked in a natural hot pool.

After some shopping in the souvenir shops in the Maori village, the group was off to Wai-O-Tapu where despite the rain and the strong smell of sulfur in the air, it offered mind-boggling views of bubbling rivers and streams, filled with various colors formed by the minerals found in the water. The area is covered with craters filled with both cold and boiling water, steaming fumaroles, winding trails, spewing geysers, caves, and bubbling mud pools believed to have all sorts of healing powers.

The group capped off the day with a delicious barbecue dinner hosted by the Matamata club where the GSE team did their presentation and got plenty of time to mingle with the other Rotarians and learn about life in the more rural parts of the North Island.

Bright and early the next day the group was on their way to Hobbiton where they had a guided tour of the Alexander Sheep Farm, globally known as Bilbo Baggins and Frodo's village in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. We were lucky that The Hobbit is currently filming in Wellington so we got to see the fully constructed set and learn all sorts of secrets about how the location and hobbits were chosen, how the landscape was reconstructed to meet the details in the J.R.R. Tolkien books, and what the plans are for the set once filming is complete. We were allowed to take as many photos and videos as we wanted, but we all had to sign an agreement not to share the photos online so unfortunately, while the group took over 500 photos of the little houses, round doors, beautiful gardens and magnificent trees, we cannot post those photos on this blog.

On a happier note, the trip ended with a unique cheese tasting and great lunch with the Matamata and Westhaven Rotary clubs before heading back to Auckland to prepare for our trip to the north to meet the Kerikeri and Dargaville clubs.

Last full day in Auckland for a bit

Friday was our first early morning start of the trip as we arrived at a combined meeting of the North Harbour and Westhaven Rotary Clubs at 6:45 am. We were warmly welcomed into a large group of Rotarians for a wonderful breakfast, lively program and attentive audience for our presentation complete with banner exchange. Following the meeting we loaded all our luggage into the vehicles of our new host families from the Westhaven Club and were swept off to a meeting with Minister of Parliament Jonathan Coleman. He was a gracious host and took the time to share with us a detailed explanation of the inner workings of government in New Zealand. Also in the morning we were treated to a look at the Chelsea Sugar Refinery and the cottages which used to be home to refinery employees. The balance of the day was taken up with individual vocational visits that had been arranged as a response to contacts already made in our first week in New Zealand and settling in with our new families. Stay tuned for further updates of our weekend excursion to Rotorua including Hobbiton!

DEVONPORT

Cap'n Colleen at the helm!

The team enjoyed a wonderful stay with our hosts from the Devonport Rotary Club.  You've seen the earlier posts showing the fun we had playing petanque and some of the highlights of the outstanding vocational visits our team experienced while we were staying in Devonport.  The day out on the harbor for fishing and hiking (Colleen and Jeff went ashore for "a tramp" most of the way  to the top of the inactive volcanic island of Rangitoto with Peter Smith's good mate, Paul) was absolutely unfortgettable and Jeff and Colleen even had the opportunity to pilot Paul's boat--although I must say the rollers that resulted in our tipping from side to side at nearly a 45 degree angle on a few occasions had me trying to recall the tune to the theme song from the Poseidon Adventure! In the evening the entire team and host families were hosted by Pat and Barbara O'Hagen where we were treated to a fantastic barbeque featuring the "catch of the day"  (fish actually caught by members of the GSE team) along with a lovely array of other salads, meats, wines, and desserts.  It was a wonderful final night with our new Rotary friends from Devonport.   Thank you all for your tremendous hospitality and friendship!

Fresh Salmon from Joe and Trish Deans!

Jeff--the Old Man on the Sea!



The First Week

"WOW" is the only real explanation I can provide for the first week wrap-up. From the first day of this trip, the whirlwind of activities and experience we have had will stay with us forever. The host families and everyone we meet have welcomed us beyond anything I could have imagined. From the breathtaking views around every corner to the smile and "hello" from every passerby, comes the experience we call GSE.

I start each and every morning with the sunrise peeking over the horizon, wondering what will the day become, and each and every evening, I smile in thanks to what it became.

Fishing off Devonport Bay

Today the team spent a brilliant day at sea. We fished and enjoyed a picnic meal on the boat. Some of the fish put up quite a struggle, including a stingray who managed to get itself hooked onto a line and broke it off shortly thereafter. It was another great day in New Zealand!

Homes and Gardens around Devonport

Individual Vocational Day visits today

Wednesday the 23rd of March has been another busy day for the GSE team here in Devonport. We each had individual vocational visits arranged for us for the day and spent the evening with our host families. Christina is the only team member I have been in contact with today as our host families joined together for the evening meal. We both had very pleasant experiences today. I was able to visit the Devonport Playcentre and the Devonport House Creche, and the offices of the Devonport Community Coordinator and the Devonport Community House Manager. I learned many new things today about how Early Childhood Programs are funded in New Zealand, how policies in regards to Early Childhood and Family Programming have changed in recent years and the impact all of this has on programs here. I also had the opportunity to exchange a great deal of information with the Community folks about assessing and addressing unique community needs. It was a very productive day for me today. On a personal note, I enjoyed my first sushi experience at lunch today thanks to the gentle and generous guidance of Community Coordinator MaireVieth. Each day I am gaining new knowledge, hopefully sharing some of what I know and growing as a person and a professional. I am also growing in my confidence that Rotary will become a second family for me. The more I am out in communities (halfway around the world even) the more impressed I am with Rotary and the great work it does.

Team Day in Devonport

Tuesday the 22nd of March was spent in the company of the Devonport Rotary Club members. We had a beautiful hike around North Head and learned a great deal about the history of Devonport including the extensive Naval history of the area. The museums were quite moving for all.

The evening was spent engaging in a friendly game of petanque with about 40 participants. Our very own Jeff and Darren were victorious!

After the game we were treated to a wonderful potluck meal and
took a few moments to introduce ourselves. Another great day in New Zealand!

Early Childhood vocational day

I was able to visit three Early Childhood sites in New Zealand today and was struck by the soft, natural environments and the wonderful use of outdoor play areas. In all three settings I saw children able to learn through exploration in a wide variety of play areas. Thanks so much for the teams with the Rotary GSE planning and the NZ Ministry of Education for a great day.

Iowa's biggest Blues fans

The GSE team was treated to a night of rugby at Eden Park, location of the 2011 World Cup Rugby Final. We enjoyed pre- and post-game fellowship in the Auckland Rugby Supporters Club, thanks to Tina McNally. It was fun learning about the history of rugby traditions and the rules of the game. The Auckland Blues defeated the Wellington Hurricanes 41-17.

TEAM ARRIVES SAFELY IN AUCKLAND

The team arrived in Auckland and were met at the airport by GSE Coordinator Bob Lang and GSE Committee member Elaine Mead.  It may just have been the adrenalin at that point but everyone seemed to be (reasonably) refreshed at that point!   After some quick greetings it was off to Elaine's for tea.  Through Tina McNally, a member of Elaine's Westhaven Rotary club,  Bob managed to get Jeff, Colleen, and Darren into Eden Park to watch a bit of the Auckland Blues (Rugby) team's last practice prior to their game the following evening (which we will be attending!) against the Wellington Hurricanes.   We went right down onto the field, met several of the players (Darren was wearing a rugby shirt so they were sizing him up) as well as the coach who were extremley gracious with their time and impressed we had come all the way from Iowa "just for their game".   As we were departing, Bob spotted several current and former members of the All Blacks (NZ's legendary elite rugby team) who posed for a picture with Darren and Colleen.  Colleen said she had no problem having her picture taken with "muscular men"--and Darren had to agree that the members of the All Blacks looked 'rather fit' as well!



Isaia "ICE" Toeava , DARREN, COLLEEN, & Joe Rokocoko



The team spent a relaxing afternoon walking along Takapuna beach (saw starfish, sand dollars, and shells galore) along with Jeff's former foreign exchange student, Julia and stopped in a quick snack and a few sips of the strongest coffee we'd ever experienced--which boosted our energy for the balance of the day.  In the evening we were hosted for a lovely dinner at Bob and Chris Langs which culminated with "Hokey Pokey" ice cream for dessert!  It was a fanstastic finish to a great first day!  

D6000 GSE Departs for D9910 New Zealand

The GSE Team arrived at Des Moines Airport on March 16th and were seen safely off by their families as well as by Alternate Team Leader Kitte (who is all but family now!) who provided each member with a bag of treats for the trip and District Governor Gary.  We departed from Des Moines shortly after 3:00 and arrived in Dallas two hours later.  Things appeared to be getting  a bit dicey as flight to L.A. kept delayed but we did arrive with about 45 minutes to spare.  We had a long (13 hour) flight on Qantas and everyone, with the possible exception of Ginger who watched three movies (you'll have to wait for another post for her reviews), managed  to get a reasonable amount of sleep.  St. Patrick's Day (the 17th) vanished completely somewhere over the Pacific as we lost a day along the way.  Thanks to everyone for all your good wishes as embark on our great adventure!  Next stop Auckland!

 

The Team Departs!