Adios Student Directed Travel! Let’s take a moment to admire how much ground we covered, meals we ate, places we stayed, and the people we’ve befriended along the way. Go Hongi!
Now moving on. Our new host, Tiaki, took us to a retreat cottage. Upon arrival he introduced us to Rob, an elderly man you could just look at and tell he was filled with wisdom. We helped him cut… Read More
file_002 The week of the 9th-14th was set aside as a week of student directed travel during which the Overseas Educators stepped back and allowed the group to fully take the helm and take charge of our own trip.
As a group we were in charge of organizing everything that would go into the trip, from departure on the 9th from Riverside intentional community to arrival on the 15th in… Read More
On October 9th the first week of Student Directed Travel begins. Every student was either booking, researching or supporting those who were working hard. We spent a lot of energy in the short amount of time given to us to plan. Very early, on the morning of October 9th, we will depart from the beloved Riverside Community and drive to Nelson where we will catch a Maxi Cab to Picton.… Read More
This week the group was at Riverside Community helping and learning an amazing amount about the environment and living within a community. The start of the week was very stressful as we were planning a week in advance for our first Student Directed Travel. We spent a day and a half getting the main frame of the week in place. Our captain for the week split us up into groups… Read More
Hongi group’s second full week was filled with lots adventure (and quite a bit of rain). We started off the week at Whenua Iti headquarters, where we were briefed on the week ahead of us, by our two leaders, Rob and Joe. Our original plan was to hike the full Abel Tasman trail over six days, but a forecast full of rain caused us to change our plans to accommodate… Read More
Its been a crazy but amazing two weeks diving further into our adventure and deepening our relationships with each other. We’ve been humbly hosted by two lovely people known as Yvette and Manaia of Koukourarata community in their beautiful historically rich maraes. Waking up to such a breathtaking view is something none of us will ever forget. We then stayed 3 nights in a revamped schoolhouse in the are of… Read More
Its been a fun-filled weekend of getting to know each other in the beautiful recovering city of Christchurch, New Zealand. Among recovering from jet-lag, we’ve successfully cooked 2 breakfasts, lunch and a family dinner in our hostel kitchen and had a blast while doing it! Right down the street is the beautiful Botanical Gardens, Canterbury Museum and the innovative Re-Start Shopping Centre made solely of colourful shipping containers! Saturday we… Read More
They are all checked in at their hostel in Christchurch, have already hit the food carts for food, and are diving into fun orientation as we speak. More to come soon!… Read More
The Hongoi Group has officially come together at last…after traveling far and wide from all around North America. They are together as a group for the first time! They are checked in for their flight to New Zealand and are getting ready to head through security and begin their journey together. Everyone is excited, and happy to finally meet one another. We wish them much learning, laughter, joy and adventure… Read More
Hooray – it’s the final week before departure here in Portland, Oregon. We’re at our Overseas Educator staff leadership training and some highlights have included group camping on the Clackamas River where we saw otters, learned about each other, and reviewed program highlights. We are excited for ‘tramping’ aka trekking in the Abel Tasman park in New Zealand as well as scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia… Read More
After three months, three countries and a whole tidal wave of epic experiences, we have reached our final day of this incredible journey. As we, your OE’s, sit at Brisbane International Airport, we can’t help but reflect on these past months and the amazing adventures we have had.
We have seen the sunrise from Uluru and watched it set on the snowy peaks of Mount Ruapehu. We have crossed paths… Read More
“I dove in The Great Barrier Reef,” is a prestigious statement that only a select few lucky people in the world can say is true. Well, all 3 of our divers passed their open water certification and are now part of the population that can say this statement. While I, unfortunately, was not one of the divers, I still had an amazing 2 days out on the reef snorkeling with… Read More
The first surprise came upon arrival to CVA, when we were split into two pre-determined groups that we would then remain with for the week at Conservation Volunteers Australia. One group headed up to the Atherton Tablelands, to care for young trees by weeding and fertilizing, in the hope that when they reach maturity they would replenish parts of rainforest that once existed. Additionally, this would make new routes for… Read More
During the past week we were given three free days in Cairns Australia. All though these were supposed to be seen as days to get some relaxing in, we packed them full of fun activities, including an awesome road trip. We arrived to Cairns late at night and many of snuggled into bed, while a few of us ventured out into the city to find the night market. The next… Read More
Swag (adj): The new generations alternative word for cool. Anyone who thought they carried themselves in a cool or sexy way.
Swag (n): Canvas bedroll to protect oneself and belongings when camping in the outback. combination between a sleeping bag and tent.
Swags were swag, the outback was swag, we are swag.
We spent our nights sleeping under the brilliant southern hemisphere constellations and spending most nights trying to figure… Read More
G’Day Mates!
I think we can all agree that Sydney is our favorite city in the South Pacific. The past 3 days have been full of exploring this incredibly cool city that never stops giving us things to do. We were all able to enjoy the amazing food, friendly people, and beautiful attractions, like the Opera House, Botanical Gardens, and Manley Beach. Some of us even got the full Opera… Read More
My time in Fiji has been something out of a story book. I went into the village stay expecting to be sick the entire time. I was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome we received and how comfortable I felt living the village life. Oh and not getting as sick as I thought was also nice. From the playful children to the strong women of the families, I learned the… Read More
Imagine, 11 students and 2 leaders piled in a bus with all of our belongings, bouncing along with every bump of the gravel road below us. That is how we started our week long student directed travel at Vatia Beach Resort. Our suspicions of a dirt ramshackle hut were quickly destroyed by the view of white, sandy beaches, wooden swings for our lazy afternoons, and crystal clear water reflecting the… Read More
Bula Vinaka from Togalevu, Viti Levu, Fiji!
Over the past two weeks, the Hongi group has been lucky enough to live amongst the amazing people of Togalevu. During our time here, we have been welcomed to experience what it is like to live and work in a Fijian village. Although our time here is coming to an end, we will carry the things that we have learned and the relationships… Read More
