Arataki, Piha, and the District Conference in Henderson

On our way to the District Conference, we bid farewell to our wonderful Takapuna hosts and moved west towards Henderson. Along the way we visited the Arataki Visitors Center, located on a scenic drive in the Waitakere Ranges, where we learned fun facts about the flora and fauna of New Zealand. Did you know that NZ is one of the few places on earth that had no original predators? Today, wild boars have made their way over via ships from other countries, and the biggest pest in the country is the possum. It not only destroys native trees and plants, it also pushes the native kiwi bird out of its nest, away from its home, stored food and eggs. In the words of a Kiwi we met along the way, "A good possum is a trapped possum, the best possum is a dead possum."

After the phenomenal views from the lookout points at Arataki, we went to lunch at Elevation, a cafe on the side of a hill offering astounding views of the city of Auckland. While it was raining while we ate lunch, we didn't let it dampen our interest in New Zealand's west coast and made our way to Piha Beach. The wind was fierce but the rain was gone and the climate was mild. We walked along enjoying the sounds of the crashing waves and wiggling our toes in the unique black sand the west coast beaches are known for. After listening to the waves for a while, team member Darren couldn't resist and dove in for a swim. He claims the water wasn't cold and he can't wait to do it again. The rest of us will just have to take his word on that!

This weekend the team is busy at the district conference where it has been great to touch base with former hosts and club members we've met since we've been here. The team can't believe how quickly the time has past and were excited to see old friends. After the conference we head to Onehunga - One Tree Hill before heading back to Iowa on April 15th.