Hello from New Plymouth, in the Taranaki region!
Sorry it's been so long since we updated y'all. There have been many blog-worthy moments in the past week, but very few internet connections. So here is an annotated list of the most blog-worthy moments of the last howevermany days its been. (Note: this is not in chronological order, just in the order that I remember them)
1. Hair. Sam and Chase got some sweet sweet haircuts in Auckland. I'll just cut to the chase (Ha! Not that Chase), Sam has a rat's tail. It's very small, too small to braid a hair wrap onto (says the French hippie who was selling her hair wraps in Raglan), so we're going to let it grow a bit more and hopefully try again (even though onlooking American dudes warned Sam, "Woah, not cool, bro"). Chase and Sam can now both pass for European soccer players from the neck up (We're still working on the rugby shorts to complete the effect). Also, all the boys are working on their beards. Nicely done, gentlemen.
2. Yes, we got here by car! That means we have a car. '94 Honda Ascot, or "JAMLAR" (The first of Jam and Lars's terms of separation), or "Sweet As-cot" (Because "Sweet As" is a common New Zealand saying). Dark green, this beaut has a plush interior, a radio that requires a double clicking when scanning, and a passenger window that needs a little push to close completely. But parents, don't worry. Our full legal check, mechanical check, insurance, and AA membership (Thanks, Snow family!) will keep us safe and sound.
3. Chase has the simultaneously best and worst luck I have ever experienced. One night in Auckland, we attended our hostel's "Free Pizza and Drinks Night" after we realized that it really was free and that apparently we don't need our American cynicism for the next three months. Anyways, there was a raffle, and each of us got a ticket. Twenty minutes and Auckland's number one beat-boxer later, they began the announcing the raffle winners. As each person was getting ready, clutching their ticket, and crossing their fingers, Chase let us know that he couldn't find his ticket, so "number 11 better not win." The emcees began their giant lead up to the first number after detailing all of the prizes (skydiving deals, travel packages, free drinks), and announced: "11." We will never let him live this down. We're all still a little bitter.
4. We made Helm's Deep out of sand. Brought a new meaning to the term sandcastle, amiright? But seriously, it was AWESOME. Literally, Chase drew us a blueprint of Helm's Deep. As head engineer, Chase appointed Sam as head architect, and we actually created a reconstruction of Helm's Deep in New Zealand sand. While I'm referencing Helm's Deep, I might as well include the other LOTR jokes of the trip thus far. We currently live in the Shire. Its ridiculous. Also we're going to see Mount Doom on our upcoming hike (Tongariro Crossing). Gotta love Middle Earth.
5. Camping. At. Solscape. Where to begin on this one. Let's start with how it rained on and off every single day of the first week in New Zealand. Apparently, the locals say it's the wettest summer that anyone can remember (Nice timing, us.). After hemorrhaging money our first week in Auckland (and one day trip to Coromandel), we decided to camp in Raglan. So we booked a site at Solscape, an eco retreat with all types of accommodations, so that we could camp but still use the full amenities of a hostel (kitchen and bathroom). We arrived at Solscape right before dark (which isn't until about 9:30 pm, by the way. Incredible), and set up our tent and hammock. Just as we were cleaning up our dishes from dinner, the skies began a torrential downpour and the winds howled. Solscape is on top of a hill. And the camping area is almost completely exposed. Seriously?! Who builds a campsite on the top of an open hill? Apparently Kiwi eco retreats do because no other summer has ever had such bad weather. But we survived thanks to our trusty camping gear (Seriously, Jam, we are all appreciative that you talked Sam into buying this sweet tent last year). Sam braved the wind and rain to save the tarp, Alex tied the biggest knots I have ever seen, and Chase slept surprisingly well. I feel like we got hazed by New Zealand. A true baptism of fire. But boy, oh boy, everything is so beautifully green here now.
6. SURFING!!! Raglan is known for having the longest left in the southern hemisphere (Goofy foots, you know what I'm talking about. Non-surfers, ask someone you know who surfs to explain, this blog post is already getting suuuuuuuuuuuuper long.) Our first day was still super gusty and choppy thanks to that sick storm, but Alex geared up in his superhero outfit (aka a wetsuit) and shredded. Our second day, Sam, Chase, and I similarly donned superhero jumpsuits. For Sam and Chase, it was their first surfing experience. For me (Dallis), it was my first time surfing in approximately ten years. We all had a blast in the water. Sam was standing by the end of the day and Chase was paddling like a pro. Two examples of how general athleticism and sweet haircuts do make a difference.
7. The importance of understanding the tides in Coromandel. On our single day in Coromandel, Poutere to be specific, we borrowed kayaks for free (this time we believed them the first time when they told us something was free) from our hostel. She explained that high tide was at 10 am and then again at 10 pm, and we could only take out kayaks during high tide. Alex and I gave each other knowing glances, and silently scoffed at her high tide rule. We grabbed the kayaks around 11:30 and headed to the water, an estuary separated from the ocean by a thin strip of sand. After a little kayaking tag and general merriment, we suddenly realized why kayaks could only be used during high tide. Because there is literally only water in the estuary around high tide. We raced back to the dock when our paddles started hitting the sand beneath us. Whoops. But thanks to our poor understanding of tides in New Zealand, we did get a nice arm workout.
7.5 This isn't a real blog-worthy update, so it just gets a half number. For all you frisbee players out there reading this: the boys taught me how to throw a flick. It currently still looks like a soggy pancake wobbling through the air, but I have three more months to perfect it. Now people are slightly more justified in always assuming that I am on the frisbee team.
8. Facial Eczema Risk Level. We have now passed two separate "Facial Eczema Risk Level" signs. They look just like the wildfire risk signs with the semicircle of different colors and an arrow pointing to the daily risk level, but for facial eczema. We're still puzzled, but it's been in the green, so we feel good to go. And our faces feel great.
9. We are officially on our first farm!
Alright, my eyes are beginning to burn from staring at a computer screen for so long. So I'm going to pass of this keyboard to Sam. Oh one more thing! We really want to add pictures, but haven't gotten around to that just yet. Also I think if I add any more to this blogpost, the site is going to crash under the weight of this epic update. But this place is absolutely stunning. Pictures can't do it justice, but we would love to show you a little of what New Zealand looks like and a few snapshots of our shenanigans thus far.
Hey Everybody! I might as well talk about today, which will go down in history as "dead possum and horse poop day." Invasive possums are a huge pest problem in New Zealand, and farmers set up traps to kill them. Apparently organic farmers also use them as fertilizer! Part of our job today was to move two dead, putrid, rotting, disgusting, eerily smiling possums that had been decomposing under a tree in the garden out to the orchard. Chase, Alex, and I tackled this particular project. Our host told us to simply pick them up by the tails, which worked for the first one, but the second one has rotted his off, so Alex just used a shovel instead. This whole ordeal was more smelly than anything else, and we were glad to no longer have the possums lurking while we tried to do the weeding.
Where was Dallis during all of this? Well, she wasn't off the hook. She had the joy of mulching the strawberry patch. When you're an organic farmer, you definitely do not go to Lowes or wherever and buy bags of mulch- you use the perfectly good horse poop you have lying around! This stuff was FRESH and STINKY, and Dal performed admirably. In fact, she still smells admirable.
So, I think that's all the news that's fit to print at the moment. Only time will tell if our lazy butts can continue to update this blog. Things are looking promising, however, as our accommodation next week will be in a fully internet-equipped "house-bus" named Betsy provided by our next WWOOFer hosts.
Cheers!
