Macro-Micro.
We are mere specks in the 360-degree panoramas that we find ourselves amongst. A place where wizardry
trees are cloaked in moss garb, mushrooms pop with intense colour and where light pours onto mountain
ridges and the ocean swells like liquid gold. Entering New Zealand has been like stepping into an
otherworldly fairytale - a place where the lands, seas and skies render us awestruck….again and again
and again. Capturing the essence of this place is impossible. No words, or photography, can properly
capture the immensity of some surroundings or the minuteness of others. Day after day we find ourselves
struck by the landscapes & ecosystems that diversify seamlessly and radically as we shift along the grid of
the South Island. Through lush, drippy jungle vegetation into arid desert-like fields dotted with
tumbleweed brush. From flat grassy lands steeped with sheep to mountainous ridges coated with snow.
We have traversed through the Southern Alps, many of which contain icy glaciers deep within their folds,
and have been surrounded by waterfalls too numerous to count. Some of these have been raging and
angsty, others solitary surges that begin and end in ranges outside of our general sightlines. The shifty
skies have bestowed golden sunlight, misty mood lighting, torrential downpours and rainbow bands all
within a day leaving us entranced by the countless ways that the light constantly interacts and plays with
the space.
For this portion of our journey, we have been road-tripping with my parents whose daily pace at 70 (& the other close to it!) often surpasses ours. I’ve had more than a few flashbacks to my 16-year-old self travelling across Western Canada jammed in the back seat of a fully-loaded car that pulls over constantly to take “one of a kind” photos. The only difference is that I am now often the one with the camera in hand. When we aren't traversing cross country, we are often found manoeuvering hiking trails, clocking as many km a day as we can in an effort to balance out the infamous meat pies and sweet treats that we seem to frequently happen upon. Throw in a few boat rides, biking excursions, and disk golf rounds (a new passion for Oscar) & that’s what we’ve been up to.
And while I can’t claim that our kidlets have been near as riveted, they have no doubt been caught up in a multitude of tiny magic moments…. of being entranced by the flirty fantails (native bird species) as they dance amongst us on hikes to being mesmerized by the power of the ocean swells experienced from both shoreside to ship deck vantage points. Never have we experienced the turbulence of ocean waters as we have here. It is both empowering and humbling to surge headfirst into ocean swells and be heaved back out.
Any of you who have met India or Oscar might imagine that their most delightful moments have been in their encounters with animal life. From scouting out Hector dolphins on the Tasman Sea in Akaroa to observing the elusive Kiwi at the West Coast Wildlife Centre in Franz Joseph, to gingerly feeding a pack of Llamas whilst praying that we were not the recipients of any “llama-tude” packed loogies. On the docks of Wanaka, we found ourselves surrounded by a dozen or so long-finned eels which were equally impressive as it was cringy. At one point I was physically gagging as their slick jet-black bodies swarmed the dock pilings and surfaced - beady eyes and mouths agape. We have subsequently spotted these century-old sea creatures in several cricks and caves. One such cave was transporting us into its bowels to observe the predatory display of the glowworms as their bums illuminated the pitch-dark grotto (Te Anau Glowworm Caves). While we were required to keep all limbs inside the boat to avoid possible interference with the glistening strands of spit, vomit and poop that the glowworms exude to trap prey, I also chose to keep my hands clamped over my mouth and a hat snug upon my head.
It is here, surrounded by these great expanses and experiences where Oscar has endured some of his most anxious, home-sick moments since our travelling has ensued. Moments where we have to remind ourselves that 10 weeks of cross-country travel, spanning 4 countries (so far), 10 flights and 22 accommodations does indeed take its toll. They have been resilient and tenacious in so many ways but it is here where we have been reminded that balance, compassion and finding comfort (swings and switch time) are important ingredients for long-term success.
Reflecting back ten weeks ago, we were different travellers - eager to hit the ground running at every opportunity. We have learned that while this is exciting, it is not sustainable (nor affordable). And so these days, we have eased into a more relaxed pace. One that takes into account what we may, or may not be, feeling up to. It is filled with more routine and predictability including trips to the local grocery store to pick out comfort foods and days where there is no agenda or plan to uphold. Our goal is simply just to “be”.
The first thing I opened was a beautiful yellow dress with black flowers. The bottom of the dress kind of looked like someone had ripped it and then cut gouges in between the rips and then hemmed it. I decided to open a second gift in the morning and then save the rest for later. The second thing I opened was this beautiful dream catcher that had feathers at the end and it kind of looked like it was crocheted in the middle.
Next, we're getting in the car. I had no idea what was happening. Well, I did have a little bit of an idea. And sure enough, the car stopped at a horseback riding place where we were going horseback riding cuz what else would you do at a horseback riding stable! I was super excited to go horseback riding because my mom and my baba had never gone and horseback riding is like my favorite thing to do.
We started to drive back to our place but then we decided we were going to go to the International Arctic Center where there were penguins and Huskies, oh and also a storm dome that is Arctic temperature! The first step into the Arctic room the wind wasn't on so it only felt chilly but when the wind came on it felt like minus a hundred! My brother and I also decided to do a freeze challenge but we didn't read the sign that said you should only keep your hand in this freezing cold water for 1 minute. We kept our hands in it for two - burn!!!
After that, we settled down for the day. I opened the rest of my presents and had a delicious steak and noodle dinner. I know that no other birthday will ever top this one. - India, 11
I got to meet the rarest dolphin in the world, the Hector dolphin. It's not just the rarest dolphin in the world, it's also the smallest. We took a boat trip to the Tasman Sea (Pacific Ocean) to see them.
I did not like that there were only 8,000 to 14,000 left because that means that they are endangered because they get caught in fishing nets.
Watching them was very entertaining. They can only hold their breath for 3 to 4 minutes so when they came up to the surface we tried to take pictures of them. They are very fast and playful.
Hector dolphins are only found in New Zealand. I hope that I can see them again.
- Oscar
My eyes adjusted to the dark and then I saw them - the kiwis. If you do not know, a kiwi is not only a fruit but a bird. The kiwis that I saw were the rarest ones called a Rowi. There are only 600 but they have been increasing by 300 so right now there are probably 900. Scientists have been gathering the kiwi's eggs and hatching them and letting go when they are big enough to survive on their own. We had to go into this room that was very dark because the kiwis are nocturnal. That means that they sleep during the day and hunt at the night. There was a red light so we could see them because Kiwis can not see the colour red. They have feathers that look like fur. They are bigger than you think the size of a basketball and shaped like a sphere. Their beaks look like a long twig. I have had the chance to go to a few rehabilitation centres on this trip and they are important because they help animals not go extinct. - Oscar 8
BURN OUT!!!! Hit the brake! Turn your back tire and feel the swoosh! Make a dust gust! It was exhilarating! We rented mountain bikes in Wanaka, NZ. Sometimes it was like riding through the desert, dusty and rocky, but when you looked the opposite way you saw like 100 mountains with snow on the tops. There were deserts on a cliff and you could see erosion on it. We stopped to eat subs for lunch at a beautiful spot right by the water. On the way back we stopped at a tree that had fallen over and still had its branches. My sister and I spent a lot of time climbing it. The terrain sometimes felt smooth and wide and sometimes it felt narrow and rough. My favorite parts were doing the burnouts and riding the bumps!
- Oscar 8
Wow!! Beautiful pictures and experiences!! Everyone looks amazing. Miss you 🥰
ReplyDeleteLove & hugs to all
Nana Kathy & Poppa Brian
Spectacular pictures! I am incredibly happy for all
ReplyDeleteof you to being experiencing this together🙏💖
I forgot to sign in😉 xo Aunt Michelle
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