The Bailey Expedition - New Zealand, North Island

North Island, New Zealand

In the short period of time that we have been in Christchurch, the members of the Discovery 1 school have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome. As we prepare to leave the country, it is hardest to leave these people and the wonderful educational community that they have created. Each of us has developed friendships that will endure past our departure, and as Griffin put it, "It seems like we just got here." We all learned so much, personally, educationally, and for Mark and Pamela professionally. On the last day, Griffin's class has a special party for him, and Quinn's class celebrated his presence with a variety of events. On the left is a photo of Quinn's class on the last day that Mark took from the top of the Christchurch Cathedral. That's Quinn in the tie dye.

4/12. Our last week on the island we had set aside to visit the North Island. As soon as school ended we hopped in the car and headed for the ferry. The trip to Wellington was on the Lynx, a catamaran that took us across the Cook Straits. While much of the voyage was gentle, the final hour on the open ocean was rollicking and with significant impact on our vestibular system. The fish were fed. Upon our arrival we proceeded to Te Papa Museum where we took in the Lord of the Rings exhibit that included the original costumes, interviews, drawings, videos and... the Ring. There was an interactive exhibit that demonstrated how photography was used to manipulate scale in the movie. Can you tell which is the big brother in the photo on the left? Check our other photos for images from this world class museum.

4/13. Departing Wellington for points north, we chanced upon a visage so astonishing that both younger Baileys cried out at once. It was the sort of sound that reduces mere mortal parents to puddles of paranoia, that takes them to the apex of anxious. They cry that escaped the lips of these children- - - "BUNGIE!
After defibrillating, the parents noted that this was a child-sized bungie that might actually be safe and quench this desire of the boys to fling themselves unnaturally into the stratosphere while leaving a large portion of their internal anatomy somewhere further south. It turned out to be quite a bit of fun and as you explore the picture on the right you can see more of these escapades. Griffin on the left, Quinn on the right. Mom at the bottom. (links will take some time to download)

4/14. Recognizing that a particularly spiritual cluster of mountains was destined to be divided up among the colonials, an insightful Maori leader deeded the land to the new country as a park. Tongariro National Park was New Zealand's first national park and it is a World Heritage Site with dual status for both natural and cultural value. The backbone of the park is a beautiful queue of three somewhat active volcanos. Today we explored the park by riding a set of two chair lifts up towards the cone on the tallest mountain (on the North Island) and then proceeded to climb above 2000 meters to amazing views of the area. The lifts were exciting and cold, and we had hot cocoa in the highest cafe in NZ to warm up. The pumice, igneous rock and volcanic dust were desolate but stunning. This is the very site used in the Lord of the Rings as Mordor. As the sun set over Mordor we were treated to a fitting firery sunset (as you can see).

4/15. Onward to one of the main cultural centers in NZ, Rotorua. While in town we took the opportunity to visit the New Zealand Maori Arts & Crafts Institute. We witnessed a performance of traditional Maori dance including a Haka, and toured the grounds to observe artists carving traditional forms out of wood and stone. The level of craftmanship was really wonderful.

Rotorua is also part of the thermally active region that includes Tongariro, and the geysers, mud pits and sulphur vents make it wonderful to view if not intriguing to smell. The grounds also contained many native plants and animals. Under the artificial starlight of the kiwi house, a bird we observed appeared oblivious not only to our inquisitive observations, but to the unnatural manipulation of its circadian rhythms as well.

4/16. Today we journeyed to Matamata, a pastoral country town of green grass, rolling hills, lush hedgerows, and well kept farms. It was a sheep farm outside of this town that was selected by the Peter Jackson to be transformed into the Shire and we paid a special visit to what is left of Hobbiton. Every outdoor location for the movie was restored to its original condition immediately after filming, only Hobbiton was spared, and of that only a few hobbit holes are still standing. Our visit to the site was particularly special because the owner of the farm decided to pick this day to come and participate for the first time. Not only did we hear numerous tales of the filming deftly delivered by our guide, we were also regaled with some inside stories by the man who has lived there his whole life and who was party to the entire process of filming. Quinn and Griffin were in Hobbit Heaven.

4/17. We had such a great time in Tongariro Park that we headed back today for a longer hike. We selected to complete part of the "Tongariro Crossing", what is frequently called "the best one day walk in New Zealand". It is hard to argue the point. We set out from Mangatepopo and headed up the saddle between Mt. Ngauruhoe and Mt. Tongariro. The hike began in the warmth of the valley lava flows but rapidly cooled off as we climbed. By the time we had hiked for a couple of hours the furtive cloud cover had decided to drop in altitude to welcome us at the saddle. Feeling chilled by the absence of the sun and concerned about a turn in the weather we turned a cold shoulder to the clouds and headed back towards warmer altitudes. While we only just sampled the crossing, it was enough for us to truly appreciate this track. Another highlight was a chance meeting with some students on break. The Brill girls took us on a tour of their hut and filled us in on the wonders of a lovely tonic called L & P. Goodonya girls.

4/18 The last full day on the North Island and we headed back to Wellington. We invested the time in one last visit to Te Papa where we examined collections of old photographs and newer artwork. The photo on the left is a particularly striking image of the daughter of a famous Maori leader. We also managed a quick swing through an exhibit on traditional Indian weddings in New Zealand. Arriving at the port we discovered that the brisk weather had resulted in the delay of the Interislander Ferry. Once we finally departed, this voyage across the strait was significantly more smooth, and we played cards while feasting on chips and L & P. The north island was an interesting contrast to our experience in the south. There were far more people and much more traffic and it generally felt more urban. There was also a much stronger Maori presence with very many more visible Whare.

Do take the time to explore all the images from the North Island