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Imagine a life based around 12 simple but enriching ecological principles. A life where you spend the morning harvesting fresh fruit and vegetables a few steps from your front door and come lunch time you are eating the benefits of what you sowed. A life where you are able to sit back and watch nature take its natural course, consuming whole foods and stripping life back to basics. Our imaginations became a reality when we stepped foot on the Crossing one week ago. As we… Read more

"GOOD MORNING VIETNAM" (imagine Robin Williams yelling at you over the radio at 0600 hours) This usually sums up how we feel when we wake up and pack up for our day on the road, except for today, where we got the luxury of starting our van ride at 1100 hours. Starting our journey this week in Brisbane, first going to Byron Bay, then ending at Surfaris surf camp for a few days, we would be spending some time in the van along the way. From Emu Park yesterday we spent 8 ho… Read more

As the sunrise dried the morning dew around the hunters' bivy and the trangias provided tea to warm our cores it was time to kick off day three of the tramp. Immediately heading off trail we bush bashed down a steep gradient to a quaint river snack spot. It was here the group had to split off as unfortunately Bri had fallen victim to the Kahurangi trail with an unpleasant ankle sprain. The remaining group members powered on despite an onslaught of Wasps after disturbing… Read more

I started my career as social butterfly half way through our canoe trip down the Whanganui River. Today we got out a little bit earlier but not on time yet. Beth announced that we were going to play 'assassin', but in order to assassinate your target you had to touch them with your water bottle while you were in your canoe. Hijinks ensued and the first victim was Tyler who was slain by Claire. A few others fell including myself at the hands of Nick who daringly leaped of… Read more

The stars are much brighter here on North Keppel Island. Even with the string of city lights dotting the horizon across the water, the sky is still illuminated with the Milky Way and Orion’s belt. Everything here is brighter. During the day, the sun is sure to make is presence known. The smell of sunscreen and sweat linger in the air and sun hats become a necessity rather than a fashion statement. There is only room throughout the day for small bursts of tropical rain th… Read more

I think it's necessary to preface this post with a short byline: I had always hated hiking. I was never a big fan of walking up large hills or mountains just to walk back down. For this reason you could say I was more than a little apprehensive about our tramping (trekking and camping, kiwi lingo) expedition. However, as has been reflected in previous blog posts, this is no ordinary group of people on this trip. Every person brings a unique contribution that has resulte… Read more

After a long day’s drive to Rotorua we were all excited to stretch our legs with a morning of mountain biking. Some were more comfortable than others, but we all challenged ourselves biking up steep rocky hills and down trails covered with “tabletop” jumps. Our efforts were rewarded with a feast of exotic fruits and chocolate. Later we prepared for our canoe trip down the Whanganui river; we all learned valuable life skills like compromise and conflict management while … Read more

On the first day of our conservation work at Mimiwhangata, our host Chris Moretti explained that the grass has been growing at a pace of about three inches per day because of heavy rainfall. This past week, our group has also experienced a rapid amount of emotional, mental, and physical growth. When we arrived, we were all stunned at the raw beauty of Mimiwhangata’s lush green hills and beautiful turquoise beaches. We all agreed that this natural beauty was a worthwhile … Read more

1. You will bake chocolate chip cookies, carrot cake, and dinner at a hostel in an attempt to demonstrate your nonexistent domestic capabilities. You will burn half the cookies, partially due to the Fahrenheit to Celsius conversion factor, partially due to your lack of concept of time, and partially due to your inability to focus on one task at a time. You will also accidentally add peanuts to your carrot cake. This is not your fault, but rather the vague labeling of the… Read more

After finishing the epic canoeing trip we were welcomed by our hosts Gavin and Egypt, for a night in Koriniti Marae in the lower Whanganui valley. Staying in a traditional wharanui (house) was definitely a once in a lifetime experience - looking at the intriguing carvings and designs while drifting off to a wonderful and may I say well deserved sleep. On to Wellington the following day, New Zealand's capital and second biggest city, where 18,000 people commute to work e… Read more