The Walkabout 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
Kia Ora! Bula! G’day! (That’s hello in Maori, Fijian, and Australian!)
First things first- we want to take this opportunity and tell you guys how EXCITED we are to be going on this trip with you! There’s so many incredible things we’re going to experience together this fall, so many amazing people and places we’ll get to encounter and explore- we can hardly contain ourselves!
After we meet at the… Read More
How can we begin to describe this journey? Challenging, wonderful, hard, beautiful, it is a weighty task to try and put the past three months into words that can possibly convey its different shapes and forms. Our group has changed and shifted throughout these three months, and every single student has created their path and growth in many different ways. As we hugged our dear friends Carly and Anna goodbye,… Read More
The past week has been full of exotic jungle and inspiration. We also bid farewell to Junior, as he had to jet off to meet the Pope in Rome. Despite our dwindling numbers-there are now only two students- we were kept in good spirits by the incredible people we encountered. Our week in the Daintree began with meeting John Rumney, a major contributing force in protecting the Great Barrier Reef,… Read More
Scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef: it’s on everyone’s bucket list, and something we were lucky enough to do this week. Five days ago we met our scuba instructor, Louis, at Cairns Dive Center., and began our training. We spent two days alternating from the pool and the classroom, learning cool hand signals and blowing bubbles. We tested our skills in the shallow and deep end of the pool… Read More
Red rocks towered over our heads as we swam through a canyon in the center of the desert. It was our fourth day in the outback, and our guide, Mark, had taken us to a special spot that few tourists had visited called Redbank Gorge. We made our way through rocks tinged with purples and oranges, only seeing the sky through the cracks between the two sides.
On the first… Read More
The true start to our smaller, reinvented semester began with tree planting, vegan smoothies, cute shops, and ocean pools. Newcastle was the perfect small town respite that we needed after the emotional rollercoaster that was Fiji.
We were welcomed by Elise and Kaz, two members of Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA.) The last five of us were overjoyed to spend the week staying in a house with a full kitchen and… Read More
We would like to thank every one who donated to our Fiji cyclone relief effort! Over the course of 3 days our group delivered rice, flour, lentils and other essentials to 4 villages who suffered greatly in the aftermath of Cyclone Winston. The devastation was much larger than we could have expected, (our own village Nananu lost 42 houses) but the gratitude and generosity of the people we encountered was… Read More
To quote one Charles Dickens, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Our time in Fiji was a roller coaster from start to finish. Some of our favorite moments in Fiji were the first few days at Bamboo Backpackers, enjoying our opening kava circles, late night pool swims, and lazy afternoon hammock naps. We visited one of the most pristine beaches I have ever witnessed… Read More
We’ve made it to Fiji! After a few hiccups (missing bags etc.) we finally arrived in Nadi and boy was it HOT! After a brief ride through the streets, and checking in at Bamboo Backpackers, we were eager to find a way to escape the heat. Fortunately for us, there was a pool, right on the beach, and it naturally ended up being where we spent most of our down… Read More
Auckland, the City of Sails, heart of New Zealand’s city life, as well as a nice change from the rest of our trip. For the past month, we’ve roamed beaches, milked cows and collected chicken eggs, hiked legendary peaks, mountain biked and trekked (or tramped as the kiwi’s say) through the vast expanse of National park. We’ve learned about permaculture from people who treat it as a lifestyle, as well… Read More
Our week of intercultural immersion in New Zealand began with a traditional powhiri, the Maori word for welcoming ceremony. We were called on to the Marae with a sound of a single female voice and Kawharu, a prominent man in the Raglan community, recited his whakapapa, or family history, for us. The ceremony continued with the exchange of songs, and finally, the much anticipated Hongi, or the Maori greeting practice… Read More
Solscape- a hostel or a way of life? As we pulled up to Solscape on the evening of the 3rd, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Our sleeping accommodations were a mix of upcycled train cars and eco-tipis in the woods. Yoga classes are offered overlooking the ocean and all the food in the cafe is grown on site. Our first morning we met with Phil, the creator and… Read More
After hiking the Tongariro crossing, we ventured to the Blue Mountain Adventure Centre (BMAC) where a concoction of adventure and self-discovery awaited. The first couple of days were centered around team building activities, and learning about each other’s strengths and weaknesses within the group. Once our team was functioning like a well-oiled machine, we pushed our limits on a ropes course in the sky and deep in caves below the… Read More
What an incredible thing for two leaders to see: our entire group rallying together and completely planning out four wonderful student directed travel days! After only knowing each other for a week, each student stepped fully into their chosen leadership roles; booking accommodation, transportation, planning and cooking meals, and facilitating group meetings. Our adventure began in the remote Waipatiki beach. We welcomed our newest member, Taylor, and celebrated with delicious… Read More
Just finished up with a hard, but satisfying week on the farm. Shout out to the Hart family for their beautiful place and warm hospitality. Most of our days were spent in the woods, chopping up bush and creating paths for the Harts and whomever else. We’re proud of what we accomplished this past week, which includes a long and beautiful mountain bike trail that we made from scratch.
In… Read More
Hello everybody 🙂 It has been an awesome past week since arriving. Safe to say no one has been disappointed with New Zealand. And wow, what a squad that has been assembled for this journey. It’s hard to believe that this is actually happening. Everything has been going great so far and there is so much more to come.
On our first day in New Zealand, we were let loose… Read More
I got word from the group that they are doing GREAT! After an amazing 3 days of orientation in a small beach town outside of Wellington, they headed to the Family Farm to begin their week WWOOFing. They are diving into all things farm-life now and will be sending a more detailed blog soon (they had some troubles getting the blog to upload). For now I’ll leave you with these… Read More
I just received word that the group has arrived safe and soundly in Wellington. It is a warm and sunny day and they are heading towards the beach for the next few days to begin their orientation. More updates from them to come!… Read More
