Hey all...it's been a while since I've rapped at ya so here I go. For some of you this may be a review of my mass email that I sent out. I'll try to spice it up a little just in case.
So I just finished my last teaching practice at Westland High School in Hokitika. It ended up really well. My tutor observed a pretty craptacular lesson (It was a really nice day and the class was all on drugs...or so I told myself) and I was worried about failing the placement. But the fretting was for nothing because my associates gave me great reviews. I really enjoyed living in Hokitika...it was nice and small and had amazing views on clear days. The only rub was that it was so small that I always ran into students around town - at the pub, the grocery store, or just on the street. I realized mighty quick that it is nice to get away from everything school related. (I left Hoki too early because today there was an earthquake just outside of it. I have always wanted to be in an earthquake.)
After teaching practice I made my way North via Westport and Karamea to the Heaphy track. As previously mentioned the Heaphy is a 77km track through Kahurangi National Park. We didn't get started on the first day until 2 pm because of the ridiculous shuttle trip slash mail run that got us to the track so we were practically running to get to the first hut before night fall. The first (or last...depending on how you walk it) day is along the coast and there were so many great views. Oh and the first of many swing bridges. We made it to the hut just before nightfall and had to cook dinner in near darkness. We were relieved however. The second day was wet when we got up so I put on my 8.83$ water proof pants. I figured it would be wet at least one of the days so I picked up a pair before I left civilization. The first 2 hours of the second day were great - you walk along the Heaphy river, crossing it back and forth, over a number of really good swing bridges. After those 2 hours I ditched the waterproof pants because I soon realized they were the WORST 8 dollars I had ever spent. The next 4 hours were uphill to Mackay Hut. It started raining pretty hard and we hadn't stopped for lunch so we were wet, cold and running on no fuel. It was a long day to say the least. But we made it to the hut, which was already warming when we got there. The best line of the day was from Jess - we were within sight of the hut, after walking for 4 hours, and I was motivating her to get there at this point pretty much every step. I saw the hut and said "Look! We're almost there!" to which she replied"That's not almost!" It was literally 10 minutes away. We can laugh about it now. The next day started off cold but warmed up nicely. We walked for 6.5 hours in glorious sunshine. We made it to the last hut and collasped on our bunks - by this time my achilles' were screaming in pain and Jess' knee was giving her trouble. The final day was a 5 hour march downhill to the last hut and carpark. It was another beautiful day which only could have been made better if we both weren't sore and there was a car waiting for us at the bottom. The fine ladies at the Westport Info Centre said it would be "no problem" to find a ride back to civilization after we walked the track. I couldn't agree less. Since it still isn't peak season a lot of the shuttle operators aren't running so it turned out the only thing we could do is call a taxi. The ride cost 90$ but we were glad to get to a hostel (with a hot tub) and clean ourselves up. All in all it was a good time - a long walk but a good time. It was a real learning experience though. Next time I think I will be better prepared.
So after the Heaphy we made our way to Motueka with the hopes of doing some sea kayaking in Able Tasman National Park. We were lucky enough to get a deal on a day-long kayak (we paid 115$ for a 175$ trip!) I wasn't so excited about it because my bank account is on it's dying breathes but it turned out to be a great day. A water taxi took us and our kayaks out to Onetahuti Bay, then we kayaked for a few hours to another bay where we had lunch. Then we got back into the kayaks and kayaked for a few more hours to another bay where the water taxi picked us up. It was a gorgeous day and we saw all sorts of wildlife. PLUS it was a great chance to rest the lower half of our bodies.
Now I'm back in ChCh. I had to get back for a First Aid course and work. Not much else to say really. I start school on Monday and go until November 11. I have 2 interviews for teaching positions in the North Island sometime during the first week of school so I am looking forward to flying up to the cities for those. Fingers crossed everyone!
That's about all for now. I think I need a nap.
