As explained in my previous "fun fact," last weekend was a 3-day weekend. Yara (my fellow MU grad friend) and I made the most of the extra day by traveling to the beautiful beach of Whangamata on the Coromandel Coast. Yara's host mother, Trish, was gracious enough to host us at her beach house, or "bach" for the weekend. Trish picked us up directly from school on Thursday to drive to the beach. The ride was very scenic and we made several stops so that we could take pictures!
Our scenic, albeit very windy, drive!
We were very excited to spot our first NZ sheep! Trish was laughing at us.
Lovely mountains (and Yara taking pictures!).
Once we arrived at the bach we had a great time with Trish's two daughters and grandchildren who were already there. The kids, ages 4 and 2, were adorable and we had fun playing with them over the weekend! Since it was super windy and a little rainy on Friday we had fun walking around the cute town and going to the boat club for dinner.
Spectacular view of Whangamata from a high point of the land.
We ordered iced mochas expecting flimsy plastic cups with ice and coffee. Instead we got this...yum!
Saturday was much better weather and we spent most of the day lounging on the beach! It was super relaxing and we had a breathtaking view of the water and mountains. I also enjoyed splashing in the water which was clear and calm. My only fatal flaw was thinking that my SPF 30 banana boat sun lotion from the U.S. would be acceptable...not! New Zealand sun is in a league of it's own. The burn time is 10 minutes and I was lying in the sun with insufficient lotion for about 4 hours....Let's just say I was in a lot of pain the next day and am still a little sore in some areas and majorly peeling as I write this 5 days later. Lesson learned and SPF 50 NZ brand sun lotion purchased and hat fashioned!
Our magnificent view!
Another angle with hills in the background.
After our daytime beach-bumming we did not let our sunburns slow us down and we had a great time that afternoon and night! First off, I jumped off a wharf that I saw when we drove in and was determined to do. I was nervous but it was such a thrill and the water was warm once I landed. Plus, I got some pointers from a group of kids who encouraged me :).
My wharf jump!! Luckily nothing was broken and no bathing suit top lost.
Later that night we also had a blast when we joined Trish and her friends for a celebration of their "Naughty Girls Fishing Competition" that they took part in during the day. Over 600 women participated in the competition (men were not allowed)! That night they had a tent celebration with prizes, drinks, and a live band. We had SO much fun with the ladies who declared themselves "cool Nanas" (all had grandchildren which shocked us with how young they seemed). We danced, laughed, and got pizza at 1 am! Then the next morning we all managed to get up in time to meet for a coffee by the beach.
Nothing like being by the beach first thing in the morning!
We spent our final day hiking to Wentworth Falls. The views were gorgeous and we enjoyed putting our feet in the river and resting on the rocks! Plus, it felt good to be active after the previous day of napping on the beach and eating pizza at crazy hours.
The waterfall!
On a bridge with my explorer hat aka sun shield!
The hiking path.
We hiked right alongside the river and spent some time relaxing there and skipping rocks.
Found shady spot out of necessity!
The water was cool and soothing on my sunburnt toes!
Other random updates:
- My cooperating teacher and I have been planning this week for my gradual takeover! Next week I will take over all of the reading lessons.
- I am having an amazing experience with my host family! They are so kind and generous to me, making sure that I am comfortable and well fed (they are continuing to introduce me to lots of NZ sweets such as pineapple lumps, lamington bars, and hokey pokey ice cream!). I love playing with the kids; between bouncing on the trampoline, collecting animal cards, playing make believe (Hulk is the latest favorite), and conquering an "I Spy" book, we have fun!
- I finally got to meet my program coordinators, Mary and Judy, last Monday night! They took myself and the other student teachers out to dinner. We had many laughs, exchanged teaching ideas, and made travel plans with the other student teachers. Plus, the food was delicious!
Scrumptious waffle dessert shared by all 3 female student teachers! My sweet tooth self was in heaven.
Well, that's it for now, thanks for reading this long post! Tomorrow we are off to explore the Bay of Islands!
Lots of Love,
Katie
Fun Facts:
New Zealand to U.S. Slang Translation 101:
Jandals = Flip-Flops
Boot (of car) = Trunk
Togs = Swimsuit
Bach = Beach House
Candy Floss = Cotton Candy
Dairy = Corner Store
Fizzy Drink = Soda
Fringe = Bangs
Ice Block = Popsicle
Rubber = Eraser
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