Photos from the past few days are online.
My obvious favorite is the squished car after the incident with the branch ;)
Monday, February 12, 2007
Thursday, February 8, 2007
The best kind of accident
I had an accident last night.. a rain storm came up suddenly and wind knocked a large branch out of a tree on top of my car. Luckily the branch landed mostly horizontally, severely bowing the roof and bonnet - so the worst of it was a shower of glass. Completely unhurt, except for a hundred little red spots on my arms and knees :)
The car is no good, and I declined the insurance so my excess is large. Anyone who knows me, will know that I am simply happy to be alive. Money comes and goes.
The true heroes of this tale are the many locals who stopped to offer help, and one incredible local farmer who stayed with me until the police arrived.. calming me down, keeping me dry and doing all the things I would have done if I hadn't fallen to pieces; cleaning the branch off the highway and pulling the car completely off the road.
Then the police officer himself, granted he is probably used to seeing this sort of thing, was fabulous. He loaded all my luggage and drove me all the way back to Waitomo Caves village! Not to mention, he turned out to be a really charming guy.
Thank you to the locals of Waitomo and Te Kuiti.
The car is no good, and I declined the insurance so my excess is large. Anyone who knows me, will know that I am simply happy to be alive. Money comes and goes.
The true heroes of this tale are the many locals who stopped to offer help, and one incredible local farmer who stayed with me until the police arrived.. calming me down, keeping me dry and doing all the things I would have done if I hadn't fallen to pieces; cleaning the branch off the highway and pulling the car completely off the road.
Then the police officer himself, granted he is probably used to seeing this sort of thing, was fabulous. He loaded all my luggage and drove me all the way back to Waitomo Caves village! Not to mention, he turned out to be a really charming guy.
Thank you to the locals of Waitomo and Te Kuiti.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
green glowing butts
The fascinating enzyme 'luciferase', sometimes used my genetic researchers to pinpoint gene activity, is also responsible for the spellbinding spectacle on the roof of the Waitomo Caves.
I spent this morning floating down a stream in a raft looking at the glowing worms above... feeling like I was outside looking at a starlit sky, except for the edges of the roof when I could almost touch them.
Which is somewhat gross, as their feeding trap is strings of mucous which snare insects to be reeled in. Somewhat like fishing with a spiderweb.
The second cave I went through was less glow-wormy, more limestone formations. The forms were beautiful, but I have been to so many caves now, the highlight for me was actually a ~1000 year old skeleton of the now extinct moa.
The entire region is shaped by the former seabed limestone layers, which are so perfect and even it looks like fortifications in many places. Then a sheep runs in front of it, and spoils my imaginings ;)
A fascinating change from the thermal wonders and boiling mud of Roturua. I cannot wait to show photos!
I spent this morning floating down a stream in a raft looking at the glowing worms above... feeling like I was outside looking at a starlit sky, except for the edges of the roof when I could almost touch them.
Which is somewhat gross, as their feeding trap is strings of mucous which snare insects to be reeled in. Somewhat like fishing with a spiderweb.
The second cave I went through was less glow-wormy, more limestone formations. The forms were beautiful, but I have been to so many caves now, the highlight for me was actually a ~1000 year old skeleton of the now extinct moa.
The entire region is shaped by the former seabed limestone layers, which are so perfect and even it looks like fortifications in many places. Then a sheep runs in front of it, and spoils my imaginings ;)
A fascinating change from the thermal wonders and boiling mud of Roturua. I cannot wait to show photos!
Sunday, February 4, 2007
wandering around nz
Today is my 5th day in New Zealand and it's such an incredible country - amazing natural sights and all crammed into such a small place!
I have seen amazing rainforest and my first full day was a 6 hour hike to the Pinnacles on the Coromandel Pennisula.. then fell asleep (like the dead!) camping next to a rushing stream. I drove up the coast, it's all rocky, so I headed west to the Bay of Plenty and have visited 3 incredible beaches and 3 waterfalls in the last couple of days :D
I have been around Tauranga for two nights, hoping to go swimming with dolphins today, but the weather is too rough.. :( ..hopefully I will have another chance up north.
Yesterday I went to Rotorua and did some hiking there, around the "buried village". This was one of the first Maori/European villages preserved from the 1860s by a massive eruption. Followed by a walk down the waterfall and a cappuccino at the tea room :)
Today I'm off to a volcanic park called Hell's Gate!
I have seen amazing rainforest and my first full day was a 6 hour hike to the Pinnacles on the Coromandel Pennisula.. then fell asleep (like the dead!) camping next to a rushing stream. I drove up the coast, it's all rocky, so I headed west to the Bay of Plenty and have visited 3 incredible beaches and 3 waterfalls in the last couple of days :D
I have been around Tauranga for two nights, hoping to go swimming with dolphins today, but the weather is too rough.. :( ..hopefully I will have another chance up north.
Yesterday I went to Rotorua and did some hiking there, around the "buried village". This was one of the first Maori/European villages preserved from the 1860s by a massive eruption. Followed by a walk down the waterfall and a cappuccino at the tea room :)
Today I'm off to a volcanic park called Hell's Gate!
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