Our time down undahh and as a group has come to an end. Annie and Rita here blogging to everyone at home for the last time in Cairns, Australia. We just got back into Cairns today from Fitzroy Island and it was a wonderful two days and nights to spend in a really really reallly nice resort with amazing facilities… For our last day all together we enjoyed a nice picnic by the local pool and are spending the whole day together remanising on great memories that we have had on this incredible trip.
“Going back back to Cali, Cali” where we all meet for the very first time not knowing what to expect and who we would connect with. We all seemed so eager back then to get our trip started in FIJI!!! BULA!!! Fiji was an amazing start to our group dynamic we all got to know eachother really fast and started getting comfortable with one another…after two full days in Nadi we ventured to Nananu, a village two hours from Nadi. As we were all givin homestays we were all scared going into a home of people we don’t know and that speak a completely different language then we do. With all those worries, we put them aside and opened up to the amazing culture and people that were surronding us everyday. We had experiences that we might not every have again and it really opened our eyes to how simple a person could live and absouletly love everything around them…by the end of me and Annie’s journey with our families they considered us daughters and we both grew to love each other unconditionally. As it was time to say goodbye to the village of Nananu everyone was crying and sharing so many emotions with eachother. I never knew it could be that hard to say godbye to someone you have only lived with for two weeks, but boy o boy we all had connections with our families that some people will never get the chance to feel…NANANU WILL BE WITH US FOREVER!! <3
After, spending one more day in Nadi, FIJI it was time to say moca (mo-they)…and we where off just like that too another country NEW ZELAND land of the kiwis. We were all so tan from Fiji and were very ready for some colder weather, at least me and Annie where hahahha. We touchdowned in Auchland, NZ the biggest city in all of NZ and the capital. We had 3days to explore the city and get to know our surrondings and start breathing in the kiwi culture. The weather was alot colder, but much apperciated after some hotttt weather in Fiji. After our time in Auchland was up we got on some busses headed down to Hastings where Tom, the farm owner, was there to pick us up. We headed out to Tom and PJ’s organic dairy farm, where we learned about organic farming life and how hard it is to be a farmer. We all spent countless mornings milking the cows with Tom and feeding them with PJ…we all chipped in on making meals such as lunch and dinner and cleaning the whole kitchen. When we had free time in the house we played with the three wonderful children, George, Ben, and Rosie. All of us have some amaizng memories from that farm and if you where lucky and up early enough you could catch the sunrise over the gorgeous mountains. After the farm we headed over to Waipawa where we were picked up to head to the Maori community for a week. We stayed with Paora and Aramanu on their small faremette just outside the actual village of Porongahou…we got to go to the beach twice once going paua searching with Paora only Justin, Ozzy, and Myself (rita) went diving into the cold friget water while the others lounged on the beach looking for creatures like a GIANT SQUID!! The second time we got to go to the long wide beautiful beaches of NZ we did some beach control with planting and ripping out invasive plants to help out the community. We experienced the opening ceremony of the Maori community accpeting us into their homes and village. We also got to watch the semi-final game of the Rugby World Cup The All Blacks vs. The Wallbies (aussie). Then we where headed off to the Blue Mountain Adventure Center which was an hour north of Taupo and a little bit colder up there in those mountains. There we got to know Bevin our main leader for the full week and Kyle who was there most of the week…we started with high ropes and team building skills, the best part of the day was the encouragement that took place as each member cheered, tested and conqured their fears. We explored a dark and creepy cave that tested some of us with our fears of darkness and closterfobia, but we all helped one another and became closer as a group with all the support that was happening. After repelling a cliff we got to jump off a 20 ft. cliff into the freeezing cold waterfall beside us, it was so much fun…the last days we enjoyed a full day hike at Mt. Tangariro and white water rafting thru very heavy rapids that were consistenly knocking me and Annie off our raft, but so much funnnn. After, BMAC we headed down to the South Island, Queentstown. Which is the ADVENTURE CAPITAL! We headed to Te Anu and we were off onto teh Kepler Treck that we spent 4days hiking up and down the BIG mountain ventured thru snow and ran from wolves…hahhaha…Our time was finished in New Zeland and we where off to the land down undahh!!
AUSTRALIA!!!! We finally made it too our last country Sydney, Australia that we spent 2days chillin and exploring one of the most beautiful cities. After a quick visit with Sydney we jetted off to Adelaid where we split into two different groups and headed 3 hours down the coast to do a week long of Conservation work with CVA. One group endoured tents flying away while the others enjoyed a nice home to relax in…we all had a wonderul week and loved the work and the things we got to experience. Then it was time to head to THE OUTBACK on the groovy grape. Steve our driver for the week, picked us up very early in Adelaid and three other people. It was a long week of sleeping in caves, hiking to famous sites, sleeping in swags, watching the sunrise and sunset over Uluru and hiking around Uluru and the Three BIGGER ROCKS…we all learned about the outback and the history behind it while many of us saw so manu wild animals. Then, it was time to enjoy a week of mediatation on Chenrezig Insitute outside of Brisbane. We all collected our thoughts of home and what we have learned on this trip…some of us came to realizations while others of us reflected on things we need to change or improve on ourselves. It was a very spiritual week for all of us and must needed. It has finally come to our last week in Cairns where we will battle with all the living things under the water scuba diving off of Fitzroy Island…
Our time as a group and as a family we have battled the elements of ourselves and getting to know eachother…we have lived with one another for 3 months and have had our ups and downs with eachother, but all and all have had an experience of a lifetime with our new carpe family. We have learned a lot about ourselves in this process and most of us have come to some sort of relization of what path we want to lead for the future…Thank You to our friends and family at home reading our journey these past 3 months we are very excited to see your beautiful faces 🙂 !!!
LOVE RITA AND ANNIEE
WE LOVE EVERYONE OUT THERE IN THE WORLD!
rock on.