Twenty-seven SGB

New Zealand's best kept secret is undoubtedly Anderson Park. A magnificent white mansion full of artwork overlooks a lilly pond, rose garden, a brick pathway weaving through New Zealand foilage, and neatly trimmed hedges. The tui bird drums his call and any listener is captivated by the unique click. The day after I got back from the Dunedin trip was still spring break. That's nice because BYU doesn't believe in spring breaks. I sprung out of bed on Tuesday the 25th because I knew it was going to be a good day: we were going hedge jumping.

There are two ways to reach the top of the hedge: "rock climb" your way up the side or find a hole in the hedge and climb up the inside of the hedge and carefully displace your body weight so as to avoid falling back in. I chose the latter. It was the safer route in the long run. (This is Chase, Maggie, Ben and I on top of the hedge) Once on top of the hedge you can stop to see the scenery. You can admire the lilly pond, rose garden, and the brick pathway weaving through New Zealand foilage. Or if you perfer you may cast your eyes heavenward. The clouds look even faster when you're fifteen feet off the ground.

But you can't stay captivated by the view for long. You have to make room for the other friends making their way up the hedge-perhaps in riskier conditions. KPax took the rock climbing route. She managed to gnarl up her foot pretty bad. Meanwhile Chase and I went all the way to the edge of the hedge. This involved avoiding many hidden "escape routes" (aka holes of death). But we managed. We're cool like that.

So there we were-all twelve of us-minding our own business on top of a soft green hedge when I see a man below us with a candy-apple red vest and dark sunglasses emerge from the white mansion make a bearing for the hedge. "Uh...guys...I see an authoritative figure coming over here." I announced to the twelve hedge-high sunbathing students. "Look natural."

I guess we just didn't do a very good job acting natural on top of that hedge. Maybe we looked too much like tourists. I don't know but for whatever reason the man spotted us and requested we get off the hedge, claiming that hedges just aren't made for that. Silly man. Doesn't he know hedges were made for the soul purpose of having naps and picnics on?

Classes began again on Wednesday. We went tramping. Jason and John have us take a map and a compass and find our way through the brush. Katie Jo and Maggie and I are really good at Jason Bourne-ing our way through the brush.

Yesterday we went tramping again but this time they only gave us a map...no compass. That was exciting. When we got to the bend in the river we made floating fires and our huts out of flax and sticks.

Each morning I hit the snooze button a bare minimum of four times, kick my way through my purple bedsheets, rub my eyes as I walk down the hall to the kitchen, and help myself to a nutritious way to start my day. After taking my dishes to the sink I grab the lunch Joyce had packed in a semitransparent tupperware and take it back to my purple room. Then I open the lid of the semitransparent tupperware, take out the granola bar only to stash it in my suitcase in my closet that has an awkwardly high handel. Today I reached 27 SGB...stashed granola bars. I'm excited because that means I won't starve to death in Australia.

I just finished some more volunteering hours by playing games at a Methodist church. Stefanie taught us some jump roping. I learned how to double dutch. I feel very accomplished today.

Bourne and Baldwin

Monday, March 24, 2008

All good things must come to an end. Today, was the last day of YSA Conference in Dunedin. We started the morning by having the entire group go to the hill with tires. The boys tried to hit the girls while they cartwheeled across and also positioned themselves like pinball buzzers. Then the girls rolled the tires while the boys formed a human pyramind and a ramp. The ramp was by far the most entertaining.

After that we took group photos and started cleaning. Brother Price (age 68) started having a waterfight with Lennox even though he had a stroke two days ago. Crazy man. But I love him. While we were done with our cleaning but waiting for something else to happen Katie Jo, Maggie and I decided to climb on the roof. So we did. We got ontop and our hands were all black from the black roof...go figure. This provided a natural war paint. We basically Jason Bourne-ed that roof and rolled across it. We're so hard core. There is no end to the hard core things I can pull out of my hat.

We gave hugs to our chocolate thunder men and our Maori girls with funny names. It's sad to say goodbye when you know it's a final goodbye. The Invercargill group saddled up and made our way to Baldwin street. Baldwin Street, in case you were wondering, is the steepest street in the world. We sure showed our true American tourist colors.

Heather, me, Ben, Brooke, Katie Jo, Stefanie, Maggie

After Baldwin street we went over to Cadbury Factory. We get to this one part when you go up to a silo and the perky tourguide, in hopes to create a Willy Wonka-ish ambience, says, "Now watch your step. It gets a little slippery and don't put your hand on the railing because you will get chocolate on your hand."

She wasn't joking. Not heeding her reply I stuck my hand on the railing and when I found out it was chocolate I was not deterred. I ate chocolate off of a handrail. When we got to the top they turned on the chocolate fall. Oh. My. Gosh. I got splashed by the fall and had a streak of chocolate running down my face and hair. On the way down the lady warned us not to eat the chocolate off of the railing because it's eleven months old. Oops. Oh well. If I die, it'll be death by chocolate.

A Pun on Eggs

Sunday, March 23 -Easter
This experience in New Zealand has taught me that holidays really can be celebrated without boiling and dying eggs. Granted it didn't feel like Easter, but it was a magnificent day. We had sacrament in our foyer and had a testimony meeting. I said that the cool thing is that the church is true no matter where you are-even if you're on the bottom of the world. It was sunny in contrast to the few days prior when threatening clouds choked the light. It's days like this when I am most contest to play guitar outside with my bare feet in the grass. So I did. A few people joined me and we all rocked out to Accidentally in Love.

After lunch we went to sea the view of the ocean with all the sailboats out. Katie Jo, Heather and I found a bunch of tires holding down saliage and decided to run through them like football players. We explored a cave. We're so hard core.

We got back from the hike and did some work shops on goal setting, finances, and dating. (What else would you expect) I'm not exactly sure where the time went after the work shops. We had dinner, played some more guitar, played Nertz, talked with the twins David and Michael, and had a question panel (which made kayaking look enticing. It was SO boring)

At midnight President stone asked if we wanted to go to the beach. Duh, yes. The full moon made the water reflect a glossy silver that I had never seen before. In the dark it's impossible to see the waves rolling in until they break and the white suddenly becomes apparent in the dark. It was very beautiful and I don't use that term lightly. Katie Jo and I danced on the beach in the moonlight as well as do yoga and played marrionette and puppetier. Katie Jo and I are really good at having fun doing really simple things. I'm super STOKED for us to be roommates in Provo.

We got back at maybe 1:30 in the morning and the two married men (Eric from Orem and Matt from Canada) were out in the back of the camp rolling tires down the hill. Naturally Katie Jo and I had to join them because how many times can you roll tires down a hill...in New Zealand? Eggactly (Exactly.) Then Katie Jo had the brilliant idea to step into the tires and roll down the hill. So naturally, she did. That girl had a good 8 or 9 tires around her. You couldn't see her head when she was standing. The difficult part was getting her from the standing position into the lying down position but somehow we succeeded. I had a lot of fun just watching a solid line of tires roll down a hill and judging by the giggling coming from the tires I suspect Katie Jo had a terrific time....probably akin to zorbing.

And that was my Easter: church, music, people (chocolate people, nonetheless) moonlight beach party, and fun with tires.

Window Escape

Wednesday, March 19
The first day of Spring Break that I've had in a few years. I started the day by cleaning a cemetery and then ate my weight in pizza at DaVinci's. I fed ducks at Queens Park and saw the wallaby. We went to the museum and saw the tuatara. The day ended with Katie Jo, KPax, and I sneaking into an abandoned haunted house. And that's about the time my bike seat broke so I had to ride home standing up all the way from Tramway to home. Haeree left to go tramping.

Thursday, March 20th
I volunteered at New River school all day. I get there (after biking ALL that way standing up, of course) and introduce myself and the teacher says to the class, "Let's all guess what country Marcie is from."
"Dunedin?" asked a little girl
"No. That's still in the South Island. Nice try."
"China?"
"Auckland?"
"Chile?"
That's about the time we gave up and told them that I'm American. (Do I really look that racially confusing?)

During morning tea (morning recess) the teacher asked me if I wanted to go to the teacher's lounge for a cup of tea or coffee. I politely declined and went to the playground instead. This blond girl looked up at me and cocked her head to the side. "Are you a kid?"
"Yeah."
"You don't look like a kid. You look like an adult."
"Well I'm not. I'm a kid."
"Okay. Do you want to play tag?"

Basically I love playground politics and how the kids just adore me simply because of my height and accent. I'm cool.

Friday March 21
Good Friday. (It's not a big deal in the States but here it's a compulsory holiday and even grocery stores are closed.)

Brother Price picked up Me, Ben, Brooke, Maggie, Katie Jo, Stefanie Tanner, Heather, and three Polynesians Evan, Trio, and Annie and off we went to Dunedin. We watched a surfing competition. That's us cheering. You can see a lot of black dots out there in the ocean warming up for their heat. We snagged a picture with Dwayne (some random surfer) but I'll have to find who has it. I love the beach. I love the music they play at the beach. I love being at the beach in Dunedin on my way to a YSA conference and watching a surfing competition.

We met up with other YSA at the church. We divided into teams and recieved bandannas. I was given a blue bandanna and joined the other blue-bandana folk: Ronnie (rugby star), Stacey (enthusiastic), Erin (unenthusiastic), Nathan (29 year old drummer), and Jimmy (skinny Asian). I brilliantly came up with the name Shark Bait (oo ah ah!) and our cheer "wanahaka wanahaka wanaka LUGEE! *spitting noise*)

We left the church and started heading out to Girls Guide Camp out in Otago. We stopped for lunch and I had a Kiwi Burger from McDonalds. It has hamburger, egg, cheese, beets, and the standard lettuce and tomato. Once we found the camp we played Boogedy Boogedy Boo, Zip Zip Bong, and Samarai.

Kool Kiwis at the Camp
Lennox: He's 18 and about as funny as they come. Brooke says we should get married.
Ronnie: Rugby Maori man Brook wishes she could marry
Terenamu: She has a really cool name (pronounced tea-rain-a-moo)
Kotuku: Brother of the above
Kala: From Niue Island. Her full name is Kalavatagaloa.
Sam: Helpful
Mikey: Visually impaired and the leader of the group
Kaho: from Tonga
Matai: from Tonga, BIG man from Tonga

Apparently I have a newly discovered talent: I kick butt at Mafia. Factoring the direction of the echo, the motives behind kills, and past behaviors I could predict-with my eyes closed-who the mafia was. Don't mess with this.

We met a married couple (they were kind of chaperons) who were from the states. He grew up in Orem and Maggie and Ben knew his cousins. Small world. What are the odds we find this guy....in New Zealand?

Saturday March 22
I hopped out into the foyer while still in my sleeping bag. Why? Because it was comfy. I did the worm in my sleeping bag and then Brooke and I started arguing about how to say patronizing and then next thing I know she's tickling me and I can't go anywhere because I'm in a mummy bag.

Shortly following we went to the beach to pick up trash (one of my favorite pastimes) Katie Jo and I found natural bubble wrap (seaweed pods) and probably had more fun than we should have while popping them. One massive sprong of kelp had washed itself on the beach and wouldn't you know we walked around with it on our heads like hair. It was pretty great.

We also played games on the beach: chicken fighting on steroids and putting one lucky soul balancing on a board with the board across other team members and all the unlucky souls rolled over to get the board moving. I'm pretty sure I could have died. I took a dip in the frigid Tasmanian Sea and stepped on a crab. Luckily it didn't latch on.

We drove back to camp and packed more people in the car than for which the car was manufactured. We're getting really good at that. We went to a hangi. This is code for "eat a lot of food that's all been cooked together in a rubbish bin underground" The dessert was pretty good and they made a cake for Brooke because her birthday is tomorrow.

A few of us helped to do the dishes after the hangi while the others dutifully decorated the foyer for our dance. Katie Jo and I sat in the room for a while, tired from the hangi and not wanting to go to the dance. But we had to pee. And we would have to cut straight through the dance and that would be awkward because it's not a very big foyer. So we opted to escape through the window, army crawl across the big window, run around the building, and use the alternative toilet entrance. Jason Bourne would be proud of the way Katie Jo re-entered our room by going head first. After that the dance was pretty good. Heather has the best hip hop moves. I put my hair in a high pony tail for an 80's song and I pulled my neck. It was worth it though because I got some sweet moves.

3-Day Rock Climbing Field Trip...in New Zealand

New Zealand is incredible. Not because of the sunsets, lush hills, myriads of waterfalls, or even the cheese. New Zealand is amazing because so many perfect days fall into place one right after another. Most of my days-if not all of them are perfect. "And Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man." Those are the elements to a good day: learn, exercise, spiritual growth, and being social. I realize that physical activity has been largely minuscule (great oxymoron) in my life now that I can compare it to biking every day and going to classes like kayaking, surfing, and rock climbing. I did some rough estimates last night and I think I've biked 303.6 miles since I've been in Invercargill.

I love that field trips here include being whisked away to lake-side bays for three days and being graded on tying knots. The 34 of us pitched tents next to Lake Wanaka on Glendhu Bay. When we got there the lake was perfectly reflecting Mount Aspiring. This stillness was later disturbed by the violent wind, but for our arrival it provided the perfect location for skipping rocks. Twenty-seven is my new record and I have two witnesses-Heather and Stefanie.

The next three days consisted of rock climbing. Rather unashamedly, it is my new love. I want so much to go home and invest in a harness, helmet, caribeaners, and a few slings and some rope. I want to practice tying water knots, clove hitches, figure eights, and alpine butterflies. I love clinging to a rock with shaking fingers and trying to grope my way around for a new hold. When you're not on the rock climbing you can eat, tell stories, belay a fellow Kiwi, read, or meet climbers from Germany, Italy, or Australia passing by.

Class discussions are usually held on the ground sitting cross-legged and occasionally trying to shake out a tingling leg from falling into that painful sleep. One night we had our debriefing and followed that by learning about the stars in the Southern Hemisphere. Orion comes in upside down and one uses the Southern Cross for navigation in lieu of the Polaris.

I slept outside of my tent. My face got a bit chilly from the persistent wind but it was well worth the view of a cloudless sky and a brilliant Milky Way. It's been a long time since I've seen so many stars. Views like that make you wonder why streets have to be lit at night and why cities have to poison the night sky with the street lights.

Apart from the scenery, it was just plain fun. I loved being with the entire group instead of divided into A and B groups. Taking over kitchen areas is just as fun now as it was during the first two weeks of camping. Playing kick-the-can in the dark and dodging other campers might be my new hobby. Playing tag in the dark with flashing headlamps is nothing more than a laugh attack. Getting to the top of a climb and earning the right to be belayed down is rewarding.

After having reached the top of my climb-which was the first time I reached the top, mind you-I was belaying Becky. She was frustrated at the same ledge I was stuck at for quite some time. Attempting to offer words of encouragement I shouted, "Everything you want is just out of reach from your comfort zone." I thought a minute about what a smart thing was to say. I believe the same thing equivocates to life: you have got to stretch yourself further than you want to if you want to work your way up.

The weather was bipolar. It would rain and then I'd be dying of heat wishing I didn't wear thermals. Then it would rain again and I'd hug the rock in hopes it would shield me from droplets. On the last day some of us did lead climbing. Haeree is a freaking ninja and can scale any wall. Kirsten and I went bouldering which made me oh so very happy. Megan Bird makes me laugh. Katie Jo and I have a lot of similarities. Kathy climbed with one hand and the other with only three usable fingers and one foot because she had to get stitches on the other. Katie Merrill giggles me with her word choice. Brooke is an inspiration because she actively seeks ways to overcome her fear of heights.

I'm here with the best group ever. These people are inspiring and accomplished. Janelle helped invent Honey Mustard Vinaigrette. Stefanie Tanner is a world-class jump roping champion. (She's been on Bill Nye!). Collectively we are musical, rugged, daring, ambitious, smart, and united. I love the spirit our group brings. I love that I just had a 3-day rock climbing field trip...in New Zealand.

One with the Waterfalls

Maori belief is that everything has vibrations; that the water flowing through you is connected with the power flowing threw everything else. Water and flowing is very important in the culture and it is evident in their dances, weavings, and greetings.
This was my first time backpacking. I like it. I can honestly say that I didn't care I was wet. I was hiking threw New Zealand doing the Routeburn trail. I've seen more waterfalls in three hours than you'll see in your entire life.

I looked so hard core with my orange bandana. Stefanie had me make a critter face for the picture with my headlamp. My braids (plats, as they call them here) were a big hit. I also just happen to be wearing a real, live NZ army shirt. It's a wonder the things I can find in my closet.

The first night we stayed in a hut and bunked with people all over the world. The man accross from me was from Holland. We played Mafia while listening to water crashing down the mountain.

The next morning we looked out to the view and discovered that the night rain had brought a few more waterfalls. Such was the case throughout the entire tramp. So we all geared up in our multi-colored rain gear, believing it would be impenetratable by little drops of water.

*****
I have sometimes wondered how anyone can be as connected with water asMaori culture presents. Such is no longer a mystery.

I lived in a cloud for three days. It rained more than I've ever seen rain. I've hiked up waterfalls, down waterfalls, over waterfalls, under waterfalls, and I have become a waterfall. For the first while we were all stepping on rocks in streams. After a while we didn't care. My socks were wet. And I'm sure my rain gear helped some, but after the third swim I was wet.
















That day we hiked a good 5 of 6 hours, meeting a man from Germany in a rest hut. This rest hut is just a small room with a toilet on the other side. This man was shivering and wet and so he crashed there during the night instead of making it to the bunks. He was dry when we met him but we told him not to bother putting on dry clothes. Best he just starts out wet.

The second night we camped in tents. We hung our long johns around the pavillion (as you can see in the backround of the pictures) and proceded to heat up our water. Stefanie Tanner, Erin Muir and I ate a feast of rice over our bunsen burner. We had some chicken soup in our tin bowls and it was so nice and warm to hold! Naturally we used it to heat up our cold noses.












We set up camp and all got ready for bed. It was only 6pm. Stefanie, Me and Erin decided to pitch our tent under the pavillion. We got a lot of grief from Jackapo saying that we weren't hard core. I say we were using our resources.

To pass the time we chatted and ate chocolate-covered almonds. I loved the chocolate-to-almond ratio.

The next morning we heated up water and had oatmeal. We lit Katie Paxton's shorts on fire. Well, we didn't mean to. It just sort of happened. This was the last day hiking. We only had to go 4 hours. We crossed through a massive waterfall, so massive we had to take the flood detour and even then I felt like I was in a hurricane.

It's kind of funny how your legs stop working the minute you're done tramping. It's a miracle I can walk. My poor little legs have been abused. All in all, it was the best tramping experience I've been on!

Routeburn

Make sure you re-read my Crossed Off entry. Tell me if you feel like you're there. I'm trying to improve my ability to evoke specific emotion in others through my writing.


COMING SOON: *to be read aloud in movie-announcer voice*
Backpacking the mountain of a thousand waterfalls. One cloud. Three days. Eleven people. Will they drown while climbing up a cascading water wall or freeze to death wearing wet socks? Most importantly: do they have any cool pictures?