Follow the Journey

We arrived at Blue Mountain Adventure Centre on October 16, for a jam packed week of fun. Our week started off with spelunking into the deep depths of a not so spacious cave. We got to explore the cracks and crevices of the underground world and fell in love with the experience. The following day was spent trekking up to a one hundred foot waterfall, and as if that wasn’t amazing enough, we got to repel ourselves down the side of it. With all kinds of emotions racing through the group the experience proved to be indescribable. The rest of the week flew by, it consisted of actives such as white water rafting, kayaking, and high ropes elements. We ended every day at BMAC wondering how the next day could possible top it, and yet somehow each experience managed to do so without effort. Everyone was sad to leave our cozy little home at BMAC complete with a living room, kitchen, and dining room but we were all excited and ready for our next adventure. Which leads us to the Maori !
After a wonderful five hour bus ride we arrived in a quaint little town called “Waipukurau”. We spent the night at an old-fashioned hotel and shopped around the next morning. The quiet little town turned out to have a lot to offer, from bakeries, to thrift shops, and everyone managed to buy more stuff to jam into our already very full backpacks. Our “Amonu” picked us up and we headed back to her house for our first day of Maori learning. We were taught a song and later learned that it is actually the name of a place that has won a spot in the Guinness book of world records. “Taumatawhakatangihangakoauaotamateaturipukakpikimaungahoronukupokupokaiwhenuakitanatahu,” in English it means the place where Tamatea, the man with the big knee, who slid, climbed, and swallowed mountains, played his flute to his loved one. You can see now why they made it into a song. The next morning we got up early and went to the most beautiful beach to catch food for our dinner. Some of us set out to catch clams in the raging cold of the ocean water, while others spent their morning snorkelling in search of sea urchins that later were ground up and made into burgers. We than headed over to the Maori for a ceremony to be welcomed into the community, this taught everyone a lot about the culture of these people. Every experience we have had here has taught us all so much and it’s only day three. I’m not sure what is in store for us the rest of our time here but I’m sure it will amaze us in ways we could not image. That’s it for now. Love always, Francesca Laddaga