A Trip to Middle Earth part 1

Boys had Friday off so I decided to load up the gang for a trip to Rotorua.  Known for its abundance of geothermal activity, Maori cultural experiences, and adrenaline laden activities, figured there would be something for all of us there.  Good time to leave the iPads and computers at home, and spend some good family time together, despite the adolescent groans!  We were up early to get in some surfing before heading out.  Under a cloudless sky, we tried our best to stand up on those boards, some of us more successful than others.  Mornings like these I look around and can hardly contain the gratitude that floods over me.  We step into the warming waters of the Bay, all of us excited about the idea that we may stand up on that board yet, Noah helping Maggie while Jack and I paddle out to the bigger break, and it isn't even 7:30 AM!  I hold these moments tightly, knowing in an instant the moment can change, but for now we are happy, so grateful for what we have been given!

It is an easy hour drive to the land of steam and sulpher fumes.  As we approached the edge of Lake Rotorua, we came upon a most unexpected scene: the 2013 World Rafting Championships.  One of the things I love love love about travel is the spontaneity it can bring if we are open to it.  Hungry and eager to see a kiwi bird, and yet we had to stop to take in this exciting event! WIth 23 countries represented, we pulled up along the banks of the Okere River just in time to see the Head to Head heat.  USA vs Czech Republic, Brazil vs Great Britain, men's and women's, masters and U-19, all happening right there.  A sport we learned was not allowed in the last Olympics, we had to acknowledge we were among some of the world's best.  

This was one of 4 events, the only one to be held here as slalom would be on a different river the following day.  We ran up the trail to catch the boats navigating some good Class 3 rapids which eventually culminated in a good drop over some falls before the finish.  Strong teamwork and strategy it seemed were the key,  not to mention some gnarly biceps.  The kids loved seeing the various countries represented and cheering on the US men and women.

After a tasty lunch at the Okere Store to take care of that growing hunger, we landed at the Rainbow Springs Wildlife Park where the trout abound and the kiwi is cultivated.  They do their bit to help foster the protection of this endangered bird.  We toured through the quality exhibits, including multiple ponds with HUGE Rainbow and other trout, learned about and saw examples of many native NZ birds and saw the only native NZ reptile whose name I can't recall.   A pretty prehistoric looking thing no less.   Got to see our first kiwi  bird in its special enclosure-very exciting for me and Mags.  It was even better when we went back to the park after 9pm to see the kiwi bird night exhibit.  They are a funny bird, long beak, big body, Jack thinks they look a big walking tick.

And like any good tourists, we had to experience a Maori (pronounced something like "moldy") cultural evening, and no place better to do this than Rotorua.  We were picked up by bus at our cosy hotel, entertained by the driver en route to the "village" and then brought into a bit of the Maori world as they taught us many of their cultural activities and traditions.  We got to play games, learn some songs, and even do the haka.  The evening culminated in a lovely dinner that had been cooked in the hangi, underground steam pit utilizing the areas geothermal abundance.  A bit like going to a luau, but NewZealand style.  The traditions are very similar and related in some South Pacific/Australiasian way.  At weekend's end we all agreed this evening of culture was one of the highlights.

We ended our day back at the Wildlife Park so we could see the Kiwi birds in the night exhibit.   Pretty neat!  As my head hit the pillow Friday night I felt we had reached yet another mark in our journey.  It takes getting out of what is familiar, the routine, what we are used to open ourselves up to the new.  The newness brings with it a freshness, excitement,  and joy that I find hard at times to feel in the daily routines of home.   stopping to see the rafting today, watching the boys do the haka, quietly listening for the rustle of the bush and the Kiwi behind it with Maggie brought that excitement out in me.  Makes one feel alive and on the edge.  Feels the same at work here as each day there are new faces and issues to deal with, new colleagues and the personalities that go with them, new systems to learn.  I am grateful for this freshness and the joyous moments it brings.

Recent musings

some thoughts of recent days:

1. 'a year is not so long' / 'managing expectations'
When planning this sabbatical it never occurred to me I would want to extend this time beyond a year.  12 months away from all that is comfortable and safe felt like an eternity. When friends living in Costa Rica for a year decided to extend their stay, I couldn't imagine.  But after only 8 weeks here, I get it.  12 months is only the beginning.  A full cycle round the seasons, all 12 pictures on the wall calendar-and even then it is only the beginning when trying to know a place and its people.  Embarrassed to admit, but I think I imagined we could land in our new town, fit in, be embraced, build a life, find community, get involved.  I mean who wouldn't want to have us as friends??!!  How narcissistic could I be!  I was so excited about getting involved in the surf rowing until I fully understood the extent of the commitment and where I stood in the scene.  Came to realize kiwis are not the most forthcoming with certain information, nor very direct, and it took a bit of digging on my part to realize I needed to put in the time, get my lifeguard training, prove myself really if I wanted a seat in a boat.  All well and good, but 12 months will not be long enough to find myself a permanent place there this season.  Too bad cuz it looks really cool!   Time to move on to surfing!
I have come to realize that this expectation of building a true community for myself and the family will not be happening in our time here, and that is ok.  We will forever walk the outside of the circle.  and that is ok.
Challenges connecting with folks when I tell them I am here for only a year.  It's like a switch gets turned off and they no longer want to put any energy in my direction as I won't be around that long.  Not true of all for sure, and just this week I am making connections with a few folks.  Who needs more than that really, esp with work and kids and all the fun there is to be done here.  It is taking time for me, the social animal that I am, to figure all of this out, and there is more to come I am sure.   Today while hiking up the Mount I had to recognize that normally at home I would never be walking or running or playing alone.  Always use that time to connect with friends or be with AW.  Here I am always alone unless the rare time Maggie or the boys decide to join me.  And this is a good thing.   Can't complain about the location and being able to enjoy the sunshine and turquoise water while on my own.  Just having time to settle in with myself proves beneficial.
All this being said I have met two women, one MD colleague, married with 3 kids-daughter that will babysit for us and son the boys' age who will hang with them-who has extended herself to me in the kindest ways. And then there is Dawn Picken, from Spokane who is now living and about to marry to a kind Kiwi man.  She is great to share a meal with and talk about all of this transitional adjustment.  And truth is I spend more time with the kids than I know I would at home.  A disguised blessing more days :) We watch movies together, we play in the ocean, we explore the area, we carpool back and forth and I am still expected to tuck them in and snuggle them all every night!

2. the tidal shifts of puberty, does the moon have any effect?
Need to start charting what goes on around here, but there is definitely a wave effect.  Currently we are in an ebb tide, both boys relatively sane, but at any moment there will be a tidal surge and the alien I've come to refer to it as will invade one of the boys and the "fun" will start all over.  Amplified by the need to separate not only from me but their twin, the emotional wave will crest and all the rest of us can do is hang on for the ride.  As I come to understand the cycles, my patience and understanding grows.  Now I can laugh instead of cry.  And then I realized maybe being close to these boys all these years is making this process that much more challenging as the needed pushing away, becoming more independent is that much harder.  Who knows. All I know is today the waters are calm.

3. weekends are so much fun! boys off to rowing regatta early Sat AM (wish I had a picture for you of them in their gold and maroon singlets but there was no way they would let me take their photos!)  so Mags and I took in the farmers market, drank Chai lattes, then it was off to the Gypsy Fair.  Surrounded by colorful caravans, we hula hooped and she got her face painted.  We passed on the Tarot card readings though I sure could have used it.   Later another hike up the Mount, dinner prep, and pick up boys who had a a great time Noah rowing in an 8 with the older boys and Jack coxing the U 16 boys.  Big day for everyone.  Ended with girls' beach walk to see the almost full moon rise.
Today was even better-Maggie had Nippers at the surf club, Noah was on lifeguard duty at the club, Jack was rowing and I had an hour to myself to read and relax!   Surf lesson for the 4 of us was the highlight of day.  And Maggie was of course the best of our bunch!  She got up more times on the board than any of us.  So this week will see me buying some boards I'm afraid....

Love to all!

 Deb

Photo catch up

Nice Rope swing as well!

 A nice side trip only 20" from home is Kaiate Falls.  Upper and lower falls on a well maintained trail with some great swimming holes to explore.  Made for a great outing when AW was here.   A bit chilly time of year, but this did not stop he and Maggie from jumping in!

Here's Noah working hard as lifeguard!  He and Jack chose separate patrols so they can do their own thing.  Job varies between beach watch, going out in the zodiac to patrol from the ocean, and riding the dune buggy up and down the beach.  Jack's favorite.

Here is the Nippers AM gathering, this is where Maggie gets to participate in surf lifesaving activities.  Each age group dons a different color hat. she is orange now.  At her age it is all about getting in the water, getting used to it and learning to love it and feel comfortable with the waves  No problem for this girl!  She leads her pack and is so eager to get up on a board!

the honeymoon is over

from inside the square room with its blood pressure cuff, plastic speculums, models of knee and shoulder joints, and random toys to entertain the kids, i listened as it poured, descending in buckets, interrupted only by the boom of the thunder outside.  how glad was i to be warm inside!  rain here is intense, like the faucet just opens and we are showered.  Went to swim practice yesterday in such a deluge, but did not seem to matter there.  made the thought of riding bike to work today not too appealing however.  as i sat there with the drumroll of the rain on the roof, checking labs and xray reports, it struck me that the honeymoon is now over. the thrill and excitement of being here finally after a decade of dreaming has passed.  we are living that dream.  kids are plugged in and happy, work is good, i've figured out the computer system and feeling more comfortable with the meds, and yet there seems to be a bit of a cloud hanging over my head.  Almost like I am in some Charles Schultz cartoon strip, Snoopy on one side dancing on his house, Lucy holding a football waiting to be kicked, and I am the one with the cloud raining over just my head.  fortunately in this image there is no lightning!

the cloud appeared soon after AW left on Sunday.  such a surprise to have him visit at this time, for my bday and all.  certainly one of the kindest gestures I have had in my direction in years!  showing him life here turned all this into more of a reality, not the Fantasyland it seemed we were playing like when talking to home or writing about it in this blog.  so nice to have another adult voice around to ponder ideas, make jokes as he does so well, walk the beach and explore other parts of the country.   his departure made room for the cloud settle in and make me see that it is now my turn to get out and connect.  need to meet someone or a few who I can engage/play with to keep up my sanity.

there is only so much one can prepare for when making a journey of this sort, and most of mine consisted of checking things off of the multipage lists-passports, visas, toothbrushes, vitamins...no where was "prepare for when the dust settles and you feel alone, removed from your people and connections".  I recall in my other lives when travel brought on such feelings I could bounce down to the cafe or connect with other random travelers in the hostels, but this time there are the kids to consider first, secure their well being and honestly by then fatigue sets in and I'm ready for bed!  So it goes and such it this journey at this time in life.  And for all of these darker moments (and really they are not as dark as I may portray them-maybe enhancing for dramatic effect!)  I am also intrigued and excited as I know this is why we are here.  These small internal struggles and pushes are what we will remember most, and in the end will be the reward for all the hard work.  At least that is the hope!  And really I keep telling myself, how damn lucky am I!!!  The list of gratitudes too numerous to put down here.

Keep hoping the surf will be good so I can get back out in the water-recently too small and now with this storm too choppy and crazy.  Patience I am told once again.  Ha!  Wonder why that lesson keeps coming back around.

Tonight I will join a South African colleague and his wife for drinks after work.  He is a kind gregarious man who loves to tell a good story and considers himself more feminine in his extrovert approach than most Kiwi men who he tells me like to stand around with arms crossed over their chests and nod to each other.  Unless of course there is alcohol involved and then the defenses fall.
My experience of late goes something like this.  I meet a new person (Kiwi), they ask me where I am from (America.) and next "how long are you here?"   As soon as I respond with "a year", a switch flips and there is an obvious deflection of energy from me to someone else.  Seems hard to want to put any energy into me if I will be gone soon enough.  I get it really, so now I tell them my job contract is for a year and then we will see....being more open ended seems to keep a door open, at least a bit.  Maybe we will share a cup of tea of glass of wine or walk around the Mount.

Sun is supposed to return tomorrow and with it the big fluffy clouds, the pastel colors in the sky, and the hope of my own personal cloud passing for now.  But really what I need most now is that umbrella I left sitting by our front door and the patience to see this storm pass on in its own time.

Venturing south to Napier

Having AW here was such a treat that I had to take him out of town for a few days to see the country.  Deciding he might appreciate the Art Deco-ness of Napier, as well as the coastal beauty and vineyards aplenty, we drove the 3+ hours south to enjoy this area.  Made a stop south of Rotorua, the Island's most geothermal area, in Wai O Tapu, something a bit like our Yellowstone Natl Park, but much more accessible and smaller scale.  Full of sulfer smelling bubbling waters, mud pools, and fumaroles ( what a great geologic word!) , it got me all excited about geology once again.  Walking amongst all this makes the world feel very alive right underfoot.
Then to Napier where the entire town has opted to have art deco be its theme, so all store fronts are of this decor.  It is a great city on Hawkes Bay!!  We stayed in lovely B and B up on this Bluff, overlooking the port and the bay.
Photos below to share the fun!

Can't seem to get enough of our local beauty-here is Mount Maunganui beach in late afternoon

How it all came to be.  Steve box, you would love this place!!

The Artist's Palette pool-yellows, blues and orange all in the same pool!

In the distance one sees the volcanoes of the southern North Island, one snowcapped on the right was Mt Doom in Lord of the Rings!!!

Actual color of this pool, this just does not seem natural but due to mixing of minerals and gases from below this is what happens

Huge bubbles of hot hot hot mud

In Napier now, we hired bikes for the day and toured the wineries of this area.  Seemed a cross of Napa Valley and Bolinas, lovely small vineyards along the coast, most with excellent bistros and funky locales.

Much of our trail paralleled the Tukituki River as we headed to the coast

AW crossing bridge onto the coastal part of the trail. 

Lunch at Elephant Hill Winery was a treat indeed!  Best gnocchi EVER!

And if I haven't mentioned it already, one of the best things in the country are the public bathrooms.  The cleanest, neatest, most numerous ever!  

A quick respite from wine drinking and biking to sit and enjoy afternoon tea/coffee.

Pohutakawa flowers, national blossom!

View from atop  Te Mata peak (a lovely hike!) highest point in Hawkes Bay.  Sedimentary thrust fault uplift, more cool geology!  Looking north to Napier and beyond.

Last day in Hawkes Bay found us opting out of wine tasting and trying a bit of cider instead.   Yum!  Such variety and flavors.  It was a welcome stop.

En route home, we encountered the Huka Falls out of Lake Taupo.  Hard to capture the enormity in this photo but it was awesome.  Jet boats come up from below to take a look as well!

Birthday Surprise

Happy 48th year to me!  How great to come home from work on Friday to find the loveliest bouquet of flowers from far away friends!  Thank you thank you!!  Times like these being miles away can be more challenging than others, but fortunately the next day the best surprise of all arrived-AW flew in as a surprise guest to celebrate my birthday!!  Whoowee!  We were all thrilled to have him here for the week!  He arrived on a glorious day-sunny, cool breeze, 70 degrees, and the town in a festive mood with the Tauranga Arts Festival beginning.  We scooped AW up and off we went, taking full advantage of the street market, buskers juggling and riding unicycles, a samba band and a classical flash mob.
Later we went to see the NZ Trio, contemporary classical violin, cello, piano trio playing mainly NZ composers.  Out of the box for sure but interesting.  Next day with new friend Dawn Picken, friend from Spokane, we saw the Tattletale Saints, acoustic duo who reminded us of Paul Simon with a female Garfunkel.  All of this in small venues, great artists and great audiences.
On Sunday we trekked out to the Karangahake Gorge, old gold mining site with lots of old equipment to see and tunnels to explore.  The hike we were hoping for was cut short due to mudslides and a closed track; kids not too dismayed! Reminded us a bit of the Hiawatha Trail, as there were many riding the trails on bikes.
This was the beginning of a great week with AW as our first visitor.  Such a joy to share our new home with him, though a bit surreal at times to look across and see him here with us.  Luckily there was lots of time to enjoy the beach and hike the Mount and relax in the resort atmosphere that is our home here.

Strange eyeballs on the Strand

Jack watching the jugglers

Noah and Mags watching unicyclist

The happy trio. Notice the Kiwi barefoot standard, even at school its cool to be barefoot!

So happy to have him here!  

Found this great graffiti in town sanctioned by city permit

Selfy of these two goofballs

Jack perfecting his selfies walking the trails of the Gorge.

Tunnel at Karangahake Gorge

Still so happy!