Weekly Recap

From 02.09.-08.09. 

My work hours and activities are very similar each week: housekeeping, activities, and kitchen. Since I haven’t been here for long and there are many different sub-areas, I keep learning new things. But the most important thing is the people. No matter what needs to be done, there’s always a good atmosphere here!

From Friday to Sunday, we went on a road trip with camping in a larger group. First, we drove to a campsite at Lake Tutira. Arriving in the dark, we brushed our teeth together and then quickly hopped into our sleeping bags. It was freezing cold. When I packed for New Zealand, I didn’t actually think I would be camping in winter/spring. We huddled together and survived the night, setting off in the morning to Bell Rock Loop Track, a hiking trail. Just before the viewpoint, the wind started to pick up, and at the turnaround point, the wind was so strong that many of us had to struggle not to fall over. The view right at the edge was truly amazing!

After that, we continued to the second campsite at the Mangatutu Hot Springs. The way there was also an adventure. Besides the fact that the road consisted of gravel and potholes going uphill, we had to drive through a river for a bit. Rike, with whom I bought the car, handled it well! I took care of good music :) When we arrived at the campsite, we all jumped out of the car and set up the two large tents before hopping into the natural hot springs. In the cold and after the hike, the warm water was exactly what I needed. Suddenly, two of us came from the campsite and said that our tent had collapsed – with the two of them buried inside... Oops (they're fine). This meant we now only had one tent for 16 people. The wind was just too strong, and the tent too unstable for the conditions. After quickly rearranging our stuff and collecting all the tent parts (the flysheet flew away, by the way), we cooked dinner and toasted with a drink. The second night wasn’t as cold, but I still wasn’t equipped for the temperatures. On Sunday, we stopped at the Te Mata Peak viewpoint on the way back and arrived tired and happy for a warm bed in the evening.

The trip was incredibly fun, even though the lack of sleep on Monday was a real struggle.

In the future, I will probably post more entries with just pictures and mainly report on travels, as it would otherwise become very repetitive. As much as I enjoy writing about my experiences, it takes up a lot of my free time here. But I will keep you updated :)

☆Tine☆