We arrived in New Zealand! The plane ride was long, but surprisingly enjoying. Renting a camper-van, we drove up the Northland cape from Auckland and stopped at an Auckland museum, learning about Maori culture and the North Island environment and wild life. My favorite part was a Moa, a three metres tall osytrige, but it looked more half giraffe and half lama, so we call it a Gelama. In that first day of driving I counted 224 sheep, even missing some! We traveled up to Waipu Cove, a wonderful beach with lots of shells. From there you could see Hen & Chicken Islands.
After long hours of driving farther up the cape, we came to the Bay of Islands. We stopped to have lunch, then took a hike on a path beside the shoreline. The path was carved out of red clay. It was crumbly and Mom fell once, but she's the adventurous kind and just shook it off. Birch found a walking stick made out of bamboo . . .
After long hours of driving farther up the cape, we came to the Bay of Islands. We stopped to have lunch, then took a hike on a path beside the shoreline. The path was carved out of red clay. It was crumbly and Mom fell once, but she's the adventurous kind and just shook it off. Birch found a walking stick made out of bamboo . . .
broke it into three uneven pieces, but instead of ditching them we had sword fights; Birch with two smaller sticks and me with the longer one. Birch decided to go swimming in the turquoise water. I would've but I didn't have my bathing suit handy. Birch found a beautiful pink and pearly shell and gave it to me. He's not a shell collector.
That night we arrived at the Ninety Mile Beach. Me and Birch went slipping and sliding over the sand dunes until it was dark. The wind was so powerful that when you made a footprint it was covered with sand within seconds. We camped at a lake nearby since you couldn't park overnight at the beach parking lot. Sorry, at one of the parking lots. In the morning we went swimming, but I couldn't go to far out, cause the waves are too powerful.
We drove and drove, taking pit stops at internet cafés and stuff. Birch went swimming with some friendly New Zealanders, but again I wasn't wearing my bathing suit. Finally we came to a place where we thought we could stay overnight. Unfortunatly we couldn't, but we did find another place. We took a hike in the village called Opononi. We found an amazing view if you went of the trail. Then we went down to the beach we discovered a blow-hole.
At low-tide in the morning we went down again. This time we walked along the shoreline. When I was pointing something out to Mom, I saw a sea lion. He was brown and furry, camuflageing perfectly into the rocks. The best part was that he was only about seven metres away! After we spotted him he jumped into the waves and disapeared.
While we were driving along we stopped by the road. There was a short walk through the forest. Then we saw the biggest tree I've ever seen. More than thirty other plants were growing on the twisting branches. The tree was called Tane Mahuta, named after a son of two gods that sepperated his parents apart, the sky goddess and the earth god. Tane Mahuta means lord of the forest. The legend says that the trees are Tane Mahuta's children and if we cut them all down then the sky will fall onto the earth and crush us all.
We kept driving until we arrived at the Kauri Museum. I learned about pullies and gears, how they worked and how hard it was. Dad was really excited about it, like a true mechanic, but personally I thought that it was somewhat interesting, but mostly educational. The Museum was a lot about how the British tried to rebuild England on New Zealand. They even named a river the Thames.
That night we arrived at the Ninety Mile Beach. Me and Birch went slipping and sliding over the sand dunes until it was dark. The wind was so powerful that when you made a footprint it was covered with sand within seconds. We camped at a lake nearby since you couldn't park overnight at the beach parking lot. Sorry, at one of the parking lots. In the morning we went swimming, but I couldn't go to far out, cause the waves are too powerful.
We drove and drove, taking pit stops at internet cafés and stuff. Birch went swimming with some friendly New Zealanders, but again I wasn't wearing my bathing suit. Finally we came to a place where we thought we could stay overnight. Unfortunatly we couldn't, but we did find another place. We took a hike in the village called Opononi. We found an amazing view if you went of the trail. Then we went down to the beach we discovered a blow-hole.
At low-tide in the morning we went down again. This time we walked along the shoreline. When I was pointing something out to Mom, I saw a sea lion. He was brown and furry, camuflageing perfectly into the rocks. The best part was that he was only about seven metres away! After we spotted him he jumped into the waves and disapeared.
While we were driving along we stopped by the road. There was a short walk through the forest. Then we saw the biggest tree I've ever seen. More than thirty other plants were growing on the twisting branches. The tree was called Tane Mahuta, named after a son of two gods that sepperated his parents apart, the sky goddess and the earth god. Tane Mahuta means lord of the forest. The legend says that the trees are Tane Mahuta's children and if we cut them all down then the sky will fall onto the earth and crush us all.
We kept driving until we arrived at the Kauri Museum. I learned about pullies and gears, how they worked and how hard it was. Dad was really excited about it, like a true mechanic, but personally I thought that it was somewhat interesting, but mostly educational. The Museum was a lot about how the British tried to rebuild England on New Zealand. They even named a river the Thames.
The most intresting part of the museum for me was the gum room (no, not chewing gum). Gum is stuff found underground. In the olden days it was used for paints. Over years and years we've found many uses and people became rich from it back then. There were pretty carvings and some fossils. People even made HAIR from gum.
Mom talked to some information guys and they suggested we go to one of the top ten beaches in the world called New Chum's Beach. It was beautiful, but really cold. I found some nice shells. Thatn night we heard schreeches like a dying lamb, and read later on that they were the kiwi bird's calls. The nocturnal, flightless kiwi bird is endangered.
Yesterday we went to Hot Water Beach. Just digging a little sent up hot water, 60-65C. We even tried to boil an egg in the hottest part, but it didn't work. It would've if we'd kept it in for an hour, though. After the tide came up so high that it was impossible to have any more hot-tub-like holes, me and Birch went swimming. The waves were huge and we had a blast body-surfing.
So that's about a week's worth of updating, so I'll have to say bye now.
Bye Now,
Allie
Mom talked to some information guys and they suggested we go to one of the top ten beaches in the world called New Chum's Beach. It was beautiful, but really cold. I found some nice shells. Thatn night we heard schreeches like a dying lamb, and read later on that they were the kiwi bird's calls. The nocturnal, flightless kiwi bird is endangered.
Yesterday we went to Hot Water Beach. Just digging a little sent up hot water, 60-65C. We even tried to boil an egg in the hottest part, but it didn't work. It would've if we'd kept it in for an hour, though. After the tide came up so high that it was impossible to have any more hot-tub-like holes, me and Birch went swimming. The waves were huge and we had a blast body-surfing.
So that's about a week's worth of updating, so I'll have to say bye now.
Bye Now,
Allie
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