New Zealand . . .

“It is a lonely archipelago, remote from the great centres of the earth, but with a character, attractions, and a busy life of its own.” —William Pember Reeves (1908)

Godzone—God’s own country—is a New Zealander term for this land. Indeed, the first time I traveled to New Zealand, in December of 2005, I spent most of my time on the south island, and there I stumbled on a quote by John Travolta. When he arrived in Queenstown his first time ever in New Zealand, he said, “This must be where God lives.” On this second visit to New Zealand, I spent all of my days on the north island. It too is definitely part of the Godzone.

New Zealand ‘s Maori name is Aotearoa—or land of the long white cloud. In New Zealand, all roads lead to the sea. Seas and skies and trees mesmerize me, and New Zealand does all three especially well.

Mangawhai Heads, the first beach we stopped at as we headed north from Auckland

Trees above the beach at Mangawhai Heads

Early morning at Waipu Cove--my view as I stretched out before a beach run

Bay of Islands

North of Paihia

Three views of 90-Mile Beach, the third one at sunset

Cape Reinga, at the top of the North

A silica-sand beach on the Pacific Ocean side at the top of the North

Three views near Raglan

A Small Detour from the Task at Hand . . . Because I Teach Middle School

For a mini-grammar lesson today in my eighth grade English/Language Arts class, we reviewed verbs. We began with the most common concept of a verb—a word that expresses action, and I pointed out that this action could be visible or invisible. Of course, the students had no problem with the meaning of visible action, but when I asked for examples of verbs expressing invisible action, a tangible deceleration in the idea flow ensued. One student offered “think” and then another added “imagine” before a third one suggested “fart” (yes, it was a boy). For a moment we all paused, a brief delay before a nervous titter or an isolated guffaw—to consider an appropriate response, to evaluate the accuracy of the suggestion? And then an explosion of questions: “But is it invisible if you can hear it?” “Or if you can smell it?” Followed by a flood of opinions.

Perhaps only in a middle school classroom would a discussion focus itself on the analysis of function and specifications for the verb “fart.”

A "Jandal" Story

Jandals—as my niece Jalayne has already instructed many of you—is the New Zealand term for flip-flops. To Beth’s dismay, she arrived in New Zealand without hers, a deficiency she became aware of in the airport’s rental car parking lot when I retrieved mine from my luggage so that I could finally ditch the running shoes I’d worn for pretty much 24 hours. Purchasing a pair as soon as possible became an immediate mission. Now, since Beth attended her last year of high school in New Zealand as an exchange student, she already knew the correct terminology to use in any query directed to store personnel. However, we quickly discovered that availability—not communication—would be the real issue. You see, in April, New Zealand is in the midst of autumn; think October in the northern hemisphere . . . albeit a most temperate one. Many stores currently displayed their winter wares. We could always locate hats and gloves, gum boots (although those may be a year-round commodity in New Zealand), and fleece. Not so much the jandal section—or even the jandal shelf or bin.

After multiple disappointments at various locations we finally found some remaining pairs in a summer footwear clearance section. In fact, we landed a windfall: two pairs for the price of one, and the one pair drastically reduced. Beth and I both ended up with new jandals for the price of NZ$4.99. Consider that my pair originally cost NZ$25.99, Beth’s about a dollar less, and you can appreciate our pleasure from a financial angle. In the photo below, Beth’s feet sport the classy pedicure and the “loofah” style jandal in zebra colors. My feet, on the other hand, totally lack the pedicure (just couldn’t squeeze in that appointment before departure) but model for the camera nevertheless . . . in this case, the “wave” style jandal . . . in blue, of course!

A New Zealand Spring Break: An Overview

There has never yet been a place on the planet that I wish I hadn’t visited. Some have absolutely swept me away with the beauty and grace of both landscape and people. Truly I have enjoyed all my travels, which in many ways testifies to me of God’s grandeur. What an amazing world He has created, including his children . . . whom he has endowed as well with the gifts to create.

Throughout my sojourn in Europe, Ireland always provided the most wondrous repose for my soul. In December of 2005 I first witnessed New Zealand. It stole my heart. At the beginning of this month I returned—New Zealand still has my heart.

This year when I learned that my niece Jalayne would do a six-week stint of student teaching in Hamilton, New Zealand, from the end of February through the beginning of April, I began checking out airfare from Tokyo to Auckland. I have always known I wanted to return to New Zealand and what more auspicious circumstance to catalyze such an event than to meet family there. Airfare, however, remained in the realm of outrageous for months. All the way until the last half of February, that is, when it suddenly dropped to an amount conceivable for my financial status. I then checked in with my friend Beth, who lives in Okinawa, to see if she would be up for a New Zealand adventure for our spring break. (Beth and I taught together for awhile in Germany at Sembach Middle School. She transferred to Okinawa in 2000; I transferred to Japan in 2005. Last May we met up again for the first time in eight years when I spent Memorial Day weekend in Okinawa.) Beth said YES. Then Jalayne even said YES she would travel with Beth and me for a few days after she finished teaching on April 9.

So Beth and I met up at Narita, Tokyo’s international airport, late in the afternoon of Friday, April 3. We flew through the night and arrived in Auckland about 10:30 Saturday morning. After securing our rental car, the two of us headed north, journeying all the way to the top of New Zealand’s north island before circling back around and down to Hamilton by Thursday of the week. Jalayne joined us for the rest of our time in New Zealand until we all departed Monday morning, April 12—Jalayne to Sydney and Beth and I back to Japan.

The photos below are an overview of our adventures. I have more tales for some later posts!

After a breakfast of sorts at the airport McDonald's, Beth and our rental car just before we head out from the airport.


My running beach at Waipu Cove--my first morning to actually awaken in New Zealand

Just north of Paihia in Northland



Driving on 90 Mile Beach

Our tour bus turns off of 90 Mile Beach towards the dunes.

Climbing the dunes to go sand boarding

Cape Reinga, at the very top of the north island

New Zealand countryside--Northland

We couldn't have posed them any better ourselves!

Watching the surfers at one of Raglan's beaches--known internationally in the surfer community for its lefthand break

Sunset at Raglan

Jalayne Zorbs in Rotorua

We all do the luge at Rotorua! Beth on the lift heading back up the mountain for another run on the luge.

Jalayne at the bottom of the intermediate luge track--her preparation for the advanced track

Jalayne and Beth at one of piers in Auckland, our last day in New Zealand