Salty, sandy, sunswept and smiling after our first full day of surfing, we
are also entirely exhausted… But most definitely the good kind of
exhausted – from days crammed full of new places, old jokes, continued
adventures and hilarious escapades! As our days together in this
travelling family are dwindling, our shared laughs, games and memories are
accumulating.

Here are just a few of those snapshot moments so far in Australia:

Caitlin – *Watching Rossco (our guide on Fraser Island) jump off the side
of a sand dune at the Rainbow Gorge. It was totally unexpected and then we
all got to try. We all got to spend time “jumping off the edge of the
world!”*
**
Lauren – *I had a really hard time deciding! Trapeze in Byron was amazing.
It was really scary at first, but swinging/trying tricks was such a rush.
Trapeze was something I hadn’t anticipated doing but I had such a good
time. I’m pretty sure I annoyed most of the group because I couldn’t stop
talking about it! I won’t forget how exciting and exhilarating it was when
I mastered my trick!*

Cody – *The atmosphere at Surfaris is my favorite part so far. They’ve got
hammocks, a pool, an awesome band, free internet and they cook for us! Not
to mention meeting James, Mitch and Mal and including them in our games and
stuff. I don’t ever want to leave!*

Kristen – *I really enjoyed the couple of days we were in Byron Bay because
the weather was beautiful and the beach was pristine! The sun was shining
and the water temperature couldn’t have been better. I loved floating in
the water, I never wanted to get out. The water had pretty variations of
blue and the waves were strong but not overwhelming. Everything was as good
as it could be in Byron. *
**
Leah – *It’s hard to decide which moment to choose! I think surfing for the
first time was a pretty exhilarating moment. Actually standing up on the
board after being tossed around in the waves all day was such an adrenaline
rush. *
**
Ilana – *There are so many moments that I always randomly think about from
Australia. I loved working with the kids at North Keppel and I LOVED Fraser
Island with its magical colorful sand at Rainbow Gorge. But I think my
snapshot moment was walking to the lighthouse in Byron. It was a long hike
from our resort, and blazing hot, but it was worth it. The landscape was
beautiful, and on our way down we spotted about 20 dolphins in a pod. It
was a rewarding token to our hike up the hill. *
**
Olivia – *A great moment in Australia was rhe first evening of surf camp -
playing scrabble and listening to the band play, then waking up in the
morning to go surfing. *
**
Kaitlyn – *One of my favourite moments was in Byron Bay doing the sunrise
mission up Mt. Warning. Only a few keeners were down to wake up at 2:30am
and endure the big climb with our head torches. Chicnuts, figs and muesli
bars fueled us up and we made it in time to watch the beautiful sunrise.
Then we ran down the mountain in time to fill our hungry bellies… and to
pee. Amazing!*
**
Christine – *A small, but great moment for me was discovering the gelateria
in Byron Bay. Having done my first semester of the school year in Italy,
I’m spoiled in regards to good gelato, but this was SO GOOD! I got a banana
cinnamon scoop and a double chocolate scoop. It was absolutely amazing, and
made ten times better by the fact that I was eating it in togs by the
beach. *
**
Grace – *During the trip to Fraser Island, we made our way to Lake
MacKenzie. We swam for a few hours in the beautiful lake and exfoliated our
skin, hair, teeth and jewelry! The small, smooth, round grains of sand
provide the perfect method for smoothing and softening our bodies. We could
all feel a huge difference!*

Daniel – *The most memorable time in Australia was the zoo! I had never
seen live kangaroos and also be able to pet them. It was so incredible!*

Laura – *Rainbow Gorge on Fraser Island was the most beautiful place I have
been in a while. Truly incredible. Wiping out on a massive wave at surf
camp was the scariest moment of life so far, but go big or go home!*
**
Holly – *Pulling up to the Grand Hotel in the small country town of
Biggenden, Queensland…. detoured due to a flooded highway, we headed
inland on backroads and ended up spending the night at a quirky hotel/pub
in a rural mining town – a classic and unexpected taste of country
Australia!*
**
Only one week left in our collective journey – onwards from surf camp to
the Blue Mountains and then to the famous city of Sydney!!
**
**

As our journey meandered through the South Island – from beech forests of
Nelson Lakes National Park to rugged cliffs and sweeping beaches of
the West Coast, through open farmland, glacial valleys, swampy forests and
shingled creekbeds towards Queenstown – and now tucked beneath the Southern
Alps – we have continued to strike upong seemingly random moments of
fortunate fun. At first, I thought that we might have a lucky leprechaun
stowed away in our trailer, secretly directing us towards little nuggets of
travelling delight, but after some good old rational reflection I decided
that the credit should go to our fun-seeking mindset rather than a bearded
irish midget. So here are some words from each of the team, describing one
of these unanticipated moments of fun that we will remember for a long time
to come…

I think some of the most memorable moments are playing jungle speed and
then meeting the random backpackers from New Mexico who picked up the game
and kept beating Holly! *- Daniel*

Underwear on the outside dayis really memorable and awesome. Everyone
joined in, including our guest, Dan the Man. Underwear was the perfect
accessory for rock climbing, as it is an activity that requires lots of
attention to the rear end. I didn’t think it would be that memorable, but I
am still laughing at my photos! *- Lauren*

We arrived at the Bay of Islands and we saw kids boogie-boarding down a
mountain. A bunch of us thought that looked like so much fun, so we took
leftover boxes and shaped them into seats. We tried – and failed – to
slide, so i went and got duct tape and Holyl came over with a wax candle.
With our combined efforts, we made the normal pieces of cardboard into
sliding machines. The best part was that I had known these people for all
of 3 days, which basically meant they were still strangers to me. I knew
I’d grow into this family, since they’d all join in with me on doing crazy,
stupid stuff. That was the beginning of our extremely eventful adventures. *-
Ilana*
**
Finding Connie Tibbs in Taupo. If someone amazing had not left it beside
the computer my trip would not be complete. This is because it is the best
book ever! *- Caitlin C*
**
People are really grateful for leftover food, even when it is half eaten.
It is somewhat refreshing to not see food go to waste and not find people
scared of eating something they had not seen made/ordered – afterall, chefs
are strangers too! Beyonce (Grace) and Fraggle (Laura) went canyoning. Who
knew stepping off a cliff and going headfirst down a waterfall would be
something I not only chose to do and paid for, but actually found really
fun and exciting! Moral: a lot of trust can be found in strangers. *- Laura*
**
When we were camping at Nelson Lakes, these ducks and ducklings were very
persistent in coming right up to usand stealing our food. I have never had
the opportunity to interact with such cute animals up close. As I sat on
the ground with my legs out straight in front of me, ducklings came right
up to me and pecked the sandflies right off my pants!! *- G*race

Blading was awesome. We bladed all over in Wellington and got ice cream,
played in parks, met the Aussie rugby team and swam off the docks. We also
saw a street performer with a mullet and went down a megaslide! * – Cody*

Going to Milford Sound was definitely one of my most memorable moments on
this trip for me. Seeing the mountains coming out of the water pver a mile
high and flowing waterfalls was a spectacular sight! *- Leah*
**
I really love listening to all this cool music in the van while looking out
the window and seeing breathtaking landscapes: snowy mountains, turquoise
water and green hills. It’s mesmerising. *- Olivia*
**
Some of my favourite moments over the past month have been when we’ve gone
swimming: a nudie dip in Kahurangi National Park, jumping off the pier in
Wellington, bridge jumping in Wanaka and our most recent dip in the glacial
Lake Pukaki. We always have a blast, even if the water’s freezing cold! *-
Christine*
**
Our free day in Nelson – about half our group went down to this
amusement/fun park where we all went on sack slides – rip down a huge slide
in potato sacks – so fun! THEN onto the mega hydroslide – which we did
about 20 times – went down sideways, backwards, in a big train… best day
filled with smiles, laughter and tons of fun. *- Kaitlyn S*
**
As I was walking to the chocolate store, Patagonia (in Queenstown), with
Lauren and Ilana, we came across Piano Man – a skinny man with dreads
playing on an old, wooden piano on the sidewalk. I didn’t want to go
anywhere, I just wanted to stop and listen to this music. The next night a
bunch of us went back and listened for maybe 2-3 hours until it started to
rain and he packed up and rolled his piano away. holly described his music
in a perfectly simple way – it’s like looking back on a sad memory and
feeling that pain again, but at the present moment you feel content and
happy. It’s like music from the Amelie movie. It’s beautiful and melancholy
and I love it! * – Kristen*

Briefly back in sunny Nelson after five days in the mountains, we all made
the most of another beautiful NZ summer day – some brave ladies jumped out
of an airplane from 13,000ft for an awesome skydiving experience
overlooking the mountains, beaches and townships of the area; one of us
sea-kayaked and hiked her way through Abel Tasman National Park to admire
the stunning coastline and some of its adorable marine life; and the rest
of us went bargain-hunting at the weekly Sunday junk market before tackling
the slippery slopes of the sack slides and waterslides at a local
park/playgorund!!

Tomorrow we are off again on a volunteer week in Nelson Lakes National
Park, but first, here are some random ramblings, comedic journal entries
and written thoughts from some of the crew during our recent expedition in
Kahurangi National Park:
**
*This was my first experience hiking with a giant pack, and it was
incredible. It was super steep and rocky, but extremely rewarding to
complete. The views from the track were magnificent and I can’t wait to do
it again tomorrow. *Ilana, Day Two

*Sweet as easy trek today – woke up to layers of sandflies, ate some delish
muesli, did some compass navigating then hit the trails. Small-child like
weight on my back, leaping up rock face – was a wonderful time completed by
some methylated spirits for dinner! Can’t wait till tomorrow.* Kaitlyn,
Day Two

*We slept in caves! Well, atleast the brave ones did. Christine, me and
Andrew shared the big wet cave with wetas all over (we called it the Weta
Cave). Laura and Holly slept in the medium-sized cave with spiders in it.
Kristen slept in the 3-foot high, 100 foot deep cave by herself because it
was too small to share. *Cody, Day Three

*Holly and I slept in “The Spider Den.” There was a large spider with eggs
that did not move and then we found another spider with massive jaws, or
perhaps a top hat. We built a stone fortress around it, so it wouldn’t eat
our faces when we slept. Then we dreamed up a wonderland of slides and
rockwalls and a stampede of spiders with tap shoes and bow ties! *Laura
(cave sleeper) Day Three

*Tramping Day Three began with bruised bones and high spirits. We crossed a
bridge and soon went off the trail to do some mad bush-bashing. Clambering
ensued and the following occurred:*
*- nettle infestations*
*- near-death tumble (almost man down)*
*- embarking on Gollum’s Challenge, which involved climbing a rope ladder
and a dead tree*
*- squeezing through 2 mud-dripping caves*
*-wasp attacks (3 people down)*
*Yet, all was well and we lived to see the next day. *Caitlin, Day Three

*Going into the caves was really exciting! Laura, Kristen and I jumped
down into it and saw what really looked like human leg bones! Then we
continued through the cave with our packs balanced on our heads to maneuver
through the skinny passage ways. Wetas (huge spider-like crickets) lined
the cave walls and our boots sank into 6 inches of wet mud!! *Grace, Day
Three

*This tramping trip was exhausting but amazing! Gollum’s Challnge made me
feel like a treasure hunter out of a movie. We saw some really cool places
and had beautiful views. It’s the last day today and after climbing
mountains and rope ladders, sleeping without a tent and fighting our way
through branches, rocks and mud, I think we are all looking forward to a
warm shower. *Olivia, Day Five

*Today some of us got naked and jumped into a freezing cold lake. It was
totally awesome. *Christine, Day Five

*We just got back to Nelson and my legs refuse to move. I’m recovering from
my epic face-plant with a bloody nose and remembering amazing views from on
top of mountains. The night walk was my personal favorite – seeing stars
and the moonlight was awesome. The shower once we got back was amazing, too.
* Leah, Day Five

Many a philosopher or leader has noted the personal growth and collective
unity that is born out of hardship or struggle. In our 124km canoe trip
down the Whanganui River, there were plenty of small testimonies to this
truth.

A flipped canoe – rowers plunged into cold water, dampened spirits, lost
items… warmed, comforted and recovered by those in upright canoes.

A massive day of paddling – 51km and nearly ten hours on the water – had us
all sore, tired and impatient, happy and relieved to finally set up camp
for the night on a bluff high above the river. There was burned food and a
frypan fire, a sliced thumb and an explosion of frustration – each
of us experienced an annoyed, angry or upset low at some point during the
week, but we emerged as stronger individuals and a more tightly bonded
group.

By our final day on the Whanganui, we powered through slow-moving water and
navigated rapids and whirlpools like pirates…a crazy mudfight in a
sneaky riverside cave had us covered in smooth, greyish goop – and the
subjects of many tourist photos from their passing jetboat as we clambered
along rocks into a neighbouring cave to wash off our new coats…

It was most definitely a difficult journey for each of us and all of us,
but as we pulled into Wellington for three days of city life, we were happy
to have paddled as far as we did and were much more grateful for each other
and the luxuries of a comfortable life…

In the shadow of the peaks of Mount Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe, we
sat down to another group meal tonight – thirteen friends huddled around a
picnic table, overlooking the sunset over Lake Taupo. Already ten days
into our journey, we have covered lots of ground!
We have scoured the grassy hills of Urupukapuka Island, armed with grubbers
and shovels, on a search and destroy mission of invasive, introduced
thistles… We have embraced the humour of the “John Key handshake” and
jumped at every possible opportunity to recreate this moment of NZ recent
history (you night need to ask about this one)… We have tim-tam slammed
under the Southern Cross (*trans: *had delicious, chocolate-coated cookies
dipped into a hot drink and then eaten in one melty-licious mouthful, while
observing the stars in the southern sky)… We have been swimming in every
body of water that we have encountered – bays, rivers, hot springs,etc -
with the philosophy that *we never regret a swim*!
For now, we head into the wild to tackle the Whanganui River on a four-day
canoe trip through more of NZ amazing scenery… We will report back, when
we make it to the capital city of Wellington this weekend.
Holly

Kia Ora from Auckland!
Greeted by blue skies from the City of Sails upon arrival into New Zealand,
we filled our first day wandering through Auckland City’s streets and
courtyards, and went for an afternoon swim in the refreshing Pacific
Ocean!!
After an introductory program briefing and picnic in a park overlooking the
city on day two, the group completed an ‘amazing race’-style scavenger hunt
learning local ‘kiwi’ lingo, sports trivia, New Zealand icons and more…
It is with rosy cheeks, shoulders, noses and scalps that we head North to
our first volunteer project in the Bay of Islands. In only two days
together we have discovered the harsh NZ sun, shared several group meals,
laughed out loud about lots of things and are already learning to speak
kiwi!!
For now, we are off to our island campground home… Will keep you posted
on our continued adventure when we make it back at the end of the week.
Cheers, Holly.

Has it already been two weeks? I cannot believe it has gone by so fast.
We have had some crazy adventures and totally fallen in love with the kind
people of this country. I have a feeling when my lovely Kiwi friends get
home they are going to miss the constant honking and the general madness.
New Zealand will seem so calm!
I want to thank each lovely individual who came to Vietnam and dared to try
new things in a culture so different from their own. It takes a tremendous
amount of courage to be a free spirit and I was amazed at each one of you.
You all displayed a level of maturity far beyond your years and I
appreciate all the smiles along our journey together. Shelley and Rebecca,
you have to be the coolest teachers around, I wish I could have been
influenced by people so incredibe when I was in high school.
Thank you for making my life even more beautiful. I love you all and hope
that beauty is always in your life.
Many thank and my best regards,
Hillary (your American friend!)

There have been so many experiences over the last week it is hard to decide
which ones are the best. Trekking in Sapa was choice, Mai and Su our
darling Hmong guides spoiled us with good foods and silly jokes. It was
lovely to interact with local people on a very personal level. We all got
to try to make spring rolls as well! None of us are anywhere near as good
as them, but we did a pretty fair job.
Next we cruised to Halong Bay, the bay of the decending dragons. Over one
thousand karst islands jut out from the sea to make this landscape truely
breathtaking. It was a bit cold but that didn’t dampen our spirits. Sea
kayaking into caves and around monkeys was an adventure heightened by the
fact it rained on us a bit. We also got to live on board a pirate ship,
lovely food was served and we all spent the day reading, playing cards, and
teaching Hillary some Kiwi slang.
The last few days have been spent adventuring around the thousand year old
city of Hanoi. Busy streets, museums, honking, textiles, jewelry, and
more. This city has it all and everything wants to be brough home.
Shopping has been a theme and I believe Christmas this year will have some
Asian flavor to it.
Off to Hue now, see you all down the road!
-Vietnam crew over and out

Our combined Nayland College and Nelson College for Girls group having a wonderful adventure exploring Vietnam. They’ve just been trekking in the mountainous northern region around Sapa, and now camping and kayaking in Halong Bay. A couple of pictures from their first day at the Temple of Literature follow…

Hello from the lovely island nation of Singapore. I have arrived back at
the urban hostel of Pillows and Toast with 19 Kiwis in tow! Everyone had a
good flight and is looking forward to heading to Vietnam tomorrow. I am
super excited to get to know everyone and show them one of my favorite
countries. We have a long day ahead of us so I will sign off for now. We
will let you know of our adventure as it unfolds.
Lets get ready to Pho!
- Hillary