New Zealand!!!

Hey to whomever may be following this awesome trip!

Arriving in New Zealand was a breath of fresh air. Perfect weather conditions being not too hot and not too cold right after stepping out of the airport. While Fiji was amazing, it was time to start our next chapter of our trip. We stayed at a hostel in Auckland that was right in the center of town, right next to the Sky Tower, one of Auckland’s most iconic landmarks. One day we hiked Mount Rangitoto, a volcano that erupted around 600 years ago. Standing at the top, we could see most of the North Island of New Zealand, one of the most beautiful sights I have seen. Turquoise waters, with lush green mountains everywhere around us. We also went to the Harbor in Auckland, which was a great view as well. The main place to walk around was Queens St, which went for miles long of the top restaurants and shops in the area. It was also enjoyable cooking in the hostel because we were able to cook and talk to other traveling students who were from all parts of the world, which allowed us to learn a little bit about other cultures.

Our next destination after Auckland? Warkworth, our part of the trip to spend on an organic farm! We got to a farm where nobody was around and we could not find anyone for over 15 minutes. We were playing with the dog a lot and started making ourselves at home in their driveway to find out a few minutes later that it was not where we were suppose to be… It was actually very funny because we later ended up meeting that family back at the farm we were staying with. We were welcomed with open arms by Sheila and Jo, two of the nicest farmers I have ever met. I am sitting as we speak looking out at the hills and mountains covered in green trees and grassy areas. 30 ft from me are 3 stunning horses with a mini horse that we call “Little Sebastian.” The farm focuses more on cattle than any other animal. Other than cattle, there are chickens, pigs, and a couple alpacas. Along with the animals, there are fresh vegetables. The other day we went apple picking in their backyard and picked basketfuls of them. They also have peaches, grapes, and many herbs. I can say for all of us, the food has been absolutely incredible! It is very nice getting to eat fresh meals, knowing that the food comes from this farm; unlike in the states we sometimes have zero idea. Most meals, we eat till we cannot walk anymore, or at least I do because the food here is too incredible to pass up on. Our day consists of getting up for 7 am breakfast, doing chores from 7:30-8:00, and then working on the farm from 8:00 to noon. The tasks have ranged from; herding cattle, repairing and building fences, renovating vegetable gardens, building chicken coups, and riding on the back of a 4 wheeler feeding different cattle hay. We then have lunch at 12:30 with the rest of the day to relax, learn more about the farm from Sheila and Jo, and really get to spend some quality time on a farm in the middle of nowhere where we get to be completely away from the city in a 120-acre farm. Quietness is a great thing here because there are so many sounds nature has to offer on this part of the world. The other day we took a hike to the top of the hills, overlooking many different farms. On that hike, an Alpaca even stared down Rosa, a couple feet away from her, making it seem as though it would attack. Luckily nothing happened and we’re all here to continue the adventure! Next up in a couple of days? The Maori Village, which seems like it will be a remarkable experience.

Also here are a few pictures from the past few weeks because we were finally able to figure things out!

-Solly

One of our first sunsets from Fiji when we first met each other