Black Sand

I saw a beautiful black sand beach today. Can you figure out why the sand is black?

Rugby

One of the most popular sports in New Zealand is rugby. When the national team, the All Blacks, play one of their big rivals like Australia or South Africa, the country seems to come to a halt. Last week, the All Blacks played against the South African Springboks. Because the game was played in South Africa it wasn't until 3 am New Zealand time. Despite the very late start, many fans were out in force to watch their team. Today, I came across a big game between two rival high school boys' teams. Rugby is a little like American football but to my untrained eyes, seems much more free form and rough. Girls' rugby is gaining popularity in New Zealand but stills lags far behind boys' rugby.

Of mussels and seals and other New Zealand Wildlife

Today we visited The Cawthron Institute, an aquaculture research group. Think about the word aquaculture. Does it sound like any other words you know? When I first heard the word aquaculture I thought the person was saying agriculture and I wasn't far off. If agriculture is farming (both in terms of raising animals and plant crops) that takes place on land what do you think aquaculture is?
Aquaculture is farming that takes place in water. You might be asking yourself what sorts of things you could farm in the water. Increasingly, varieties of fish, crustaceans and mollusks are being raised commercially in aquaculture farms. Often, these "fish farms" are actually situated right in large bodies of water like an ocean or lake. The Cawthron Institute works to develop better ways to raise seafood products like green mussels. The institute develops optimal nutrient rich waters and algae as food sources for their aquatic "crops" and they also work to create artificial habitats that allow them to grow more in less space and with fewer resources. The researchers have to understand the biology of their crops, as well as be able to problem solve and even design new ways to keep help their sea life happy. The picture of the bucket pouring water into the tank is an example of the kind of Kiwi innovation that takes place at Cawthron. They had originally purchased an expensive tank system for their oysters but found that the oysters were constantly getting out of the tanks and where not maturing as expected. To create an environment that more closely resembled the natural habitat of the oysters, one of the Cawthron researchers developed a system where buckets fill and dump water into the tanks at regular intervals, thus keeping the water aerated while reproducing the sensation of surf for the oysters. Who would have guessed that visiting a fish hatchery would be so interesting?

After Cawthron, we headed further south where we encountered a black beach with a colony of New Zealand fur seals. When New Zealand was first settled by the Europeans, the fur seal population was virtually wiped out by hunting. As the name suggests, the fur of fur seals was a hot commodity. Now the seals are protected and their numbers are once again rising. The government and people of New Zealand have worked hard to keep New Zealand's natural environment in good shape. Protecting native species like the fur seals is one important way this is done but another key way Kiwis are working to keep New Zealand's natural environment in check is by very careful regulation of any species of plant or animal coming into the country. In the not so distant past, many species of plants and animals were introduced to New Zealand by settlers. Sometimes this was intentional, as in the case of deer and possums. Very often when species from other places are introduced to New Zealand, they take over, spreading quickly and killing off native species in process. This throws the naturally world out of balance and can cause major problems. In the case of possums, New Zealand is fighting back. As part of their possumm eradication efforts, people are setting traps and selling the possums they catch to make possum fur products like socks and hats!

Te Wai Pounamu or The South Island

New Zealand is made up of two main islands. In English, these islands are known as the North and South Islands but in Maori, they are referred to as Te Ika a Maui and Te Wai Pounamu respectfully. Te Ika a Maui or "the fish of Maui", refers to the fish like shape of the northern island. This name comes from a Maori legend about how the god Maui hauled the island up from the sea while fishing. Te Wai Pounamu means "place of greenstone" and refers to the island's outcrops of jade. The greenstone of the island is one of the hardest substances on earth and was used by the Maori to craft weapons and jewelery. You can still find many beautiful greenstone carvings throughout New Zealand. We spent the first 11 days of our trip on Te Ika a Maui but today we took a ferry to Te Wai Pounamu. In addition to the beautiful greenstone, Te Wai Pounamu is known for its stunning mountains, commonly referred to as the Southern Alps. As we traveled southward, we could just make out the majestic outline of the snowcapped mountains.

Hongi

This morning, we said goodbye to our fabulous bus driver George. George was much more than our bus driver, he served as our guide and leader as we learned about traditions of the Maori people. One of the most important Maori traditions is the powhiri or welcome. In this picture, I am engaging in a hongi with George. A hongi is a traditional form of greeting among the Maori and is the final step in the powhiri. To hongi, you hold the hand of the person you are greeting as though you were shaking their hand while placing your other hand on their shoulder. You then lean forward and lightly press your forehead to the other person's forehead and your nose to their nose. This light pressing of noses may be repeated once. The pressing of noses symbolizes an exchanging of breath. After breath has been exchanged, a visitor is no longer seen as a visitor and instead is welcomed as a (temporary) member of the Maori group he or she is visiting.

Mountains, Glorious Mountains

Today I made a snow angel. Perhaps I was snow deprived in my childhood (alas, not so much snow in Alabama) and so I am trying to make up for it as an adult. It is one of those stunning winter days and the cold, sharp air has assaulted my lungs so that I am hyper aware of every breath I take. It is strange, but I somehow feel more alive when I am on a mountain top. I am on the ski slopes of Mount Ruapehu (an active volcano, eek) in Tongariro National Park and I am down right giddy.

Tongariro NP was the first national park in the world created by a bequest of an indigenous people. The Maori leaders wanted to ensure that the sacred mountains were prote cted from development and so agreed to allow the area to be designated a national park. Maori legend has it that seven mountains once clusstered around Lake Taupo, six blusstering warriors and the beautiful Pihanga. The fierce mountains all vied for the affections of Pihanga until their jealosuies literally erupted into a battle that eventually drove the mountains apart. These volcanic giants were thus divided by their rage. Because the of rich cultural signifigance and the geological marvels, Tongariro was designated a dual World Heritage Park.

Geothermal Hotspot

Today was brilliant! We started the day from the town of Rotorua, which is known for its geothermal activity. The word geothermal comes from the Greek roots geo, meaning earth, and thermos, meaning heat. New Zealand is situated within the "ring of fire", a region of intense geologic activity including many earthquakes and volcanoes (you may have seen a report on the news about the large earthquake last week in the South Island of NZ). There are several active volcanoes around Rotorua and the activity beneath the surface of the earth has resulted in a variety of surface hot spots. Walking through town, you will see steam rising from the ground through vents. There are also various hot springs throughout the area. The geothermal activity is unpredictable and it is not uncommon for someone to wake up in the morning to find a plume of steam coming out of their front yard. We also saw the Pohutu Geyser at Whakarewarewa, and enjoyed a soak in the natural hot springs in the town center. The Maori who originally settled in the area used the hot springs for cooking, heating, and bathing. When the European settlers came, they quickly discovered the delights of bathing in the hot springs. They also believed that the mineral waters provided health benefits. The town built up as a tourist destination around the hot springs and today, tourism is the main industry of Rotorua. The heart of the geothermal activity near Rotorua is Waimangu Vocanic Valley. Here we saw beautiful geothermal waters, including inferno crater. Today, people harness the geothermal energy of the are with an extensive geothermal power plant that provides 4% of the power for New Zealand. Tapping into geothermal energy is great because it is a clean, renewable form of energy.
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