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Concerning Humans: Ever flowing is the pen,  Pouring one's heart onto the page Like water down a mountainside.  Then the rivers pens have made,  Form rapids, ponds, lakes,  And oceans, from a simple swipe.  In each pen stroke lies a story, A trial, a journey, a quest From mountaintop to riverbed, From A to B through a canyon, To find a seat at the base of a tree And pause.  Each stroke of ink, a gust of wind That conjures the waves we ride to shore For dri… Read more

GillianNever in a million years did I expect to go skydiving. I am so happy I was given the opportunity to go because I was able to face my fear and was extremely proud of myself.Foster One of my highlights was the time we spent at surfaris. I loved the relaxed vibe and of course Ben and Sandra. I also got really into surfing, which is something I'd never done beforeStephen A special highlight in the trip was watching all my close pals stand up on a surfboard for the fir… Read more

End of trip reflection.Trudging into the airport Gigantic duffels set heavily on our shoulders Filled with not only with clothes and gear But the nerves, excitement and apprehension That served as a constant reminder of the unknown we were about to enter That was 70 days ago 70 days pushing ourselves Toeing the thin line that was our comfort zone 70 days of trying new things Of enjoying each other’s company (or not)   The sparkling white sands at Byron Bay Th… Read more

This past week, the group embarked on a backpacking trip through the Tableland Circuit in Kahurangi National Park. Armed with not enough toilet paper and too much peanut butter (among other things), the team walked about 25-30 miles during these four days, many of which were at a steep incline. For meals, the group split up into 3 cook crews; my group consisted of me (Sam), Jaipal, Zephyr, and Harm. For breakfast, we had oatmeal and granola; for lunch, I had peanut butte… Read more

On Monday Alex and Chloe told us how to pack our bags so it was easy accessible throughout the hike. We packed our sleeping bags on the bottom, then our spare clothes (underwear, socks, spare thermals) in between. Then on top we put in all the camping necessities like our trangias, our tents supplies and all of our food for the next 4 days. On Monday night we were all very nervous but very excited because we didn’t know what was going to come. On Tuesday morning we head… Read more

NZA group C has fallen in love with New Zealand and we’re only a little over a week in. At the beginning of the week, we got our nerd on in Hobbiton where The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were filmed. From there, we made our way down to Rotorua, where we would be staying in the Rangitihi memorial meeting house. We got to experience a traditional welcoming ceremony with the Chief and his daughter. We touched noses and foreheads with the Chief in traditional Maori greetin… Read more

Our time at The Crossing was so special. Annette and Dean along with Penny and Chelsea welcomed us with open arms and hearts as we rolled up to the entrance of The Crossing, all of us eager to see our new home for the week. Dean, Penny, and Chelsea guided us on a hike/tour of the property right of the bat. Explaining the native flora, the tidal rivers and the indigenous history of the land. As we arrived to the main building of The Crossing, Annette greeted us with deli… Read more

Hey there everybody, this Cole and Harm checking in with our weekly blog! We started off this week in Wellington, where we took a bumpy, but fun, ferry ride over to New Zealand's south island. Man, it was beautiful! We had a picnic lunch overlooking the bay, before cramming into the van for a two hour drive through vineyards to the Lake Rotoiti park. At the visitor center, we learned a little a bit about the park where we'd be camping for the next few days. We also met o… Read more

Sam Lipin from our New Zealand Australia Group 3 Semester Program updates us on their first service learning project in Tawharanui, NZ. We have arrived in New Zealand! Wahoo! Our first stop was the Tawharanui park and campground. Riddled with sheep, cows and plenty of birds, including the endangered Takahe, we awoke each morning to a symphony of moos, baas and indescribable birds tweets.  Throughout the week, directed by park rangers Morris and Amy, we “tickled” trails… Read more