Home & Away at Waikato

Taranaki/Conclusion

2011-10-20T23:25:22Z

Hiking around Mt. Taranaki was intense...

]]> i wont write too many words and get all sappy on everybody or anything, but...

Taranaki was intense. it was really tough hiking, it almost felt as if we were constantly climbing ladders (o wait we were), and slowly and cautiously making our way down steep embankments. weather was decent, nothing too crazy, little rain here and there.

What i found interesting about taranaki was the opportunity i had to talk to a park ranger. she was very well knowledged and new here way around taranaki. i was able to ask a lot of questions and she answered them very patiently. i thought it was really cool that she informed us that we could drink right out of the rive. WHICH i did! when i go campin in Minnesota, its pretty risky to drink water without purifying it first.

simply put, this has been the experience of a lifetime which i could never forget. through the mullet and mustache show, i have learned so much about myself and my potential. i am happy and proud of what i have created. now i will be able to look back, and smile upon my ridiculous, crazy, gnarly, fun, epic, stellar adventures of NZ

Opotiki

2011-10-20T08:14:06Z

All you gotta do is watch...just watch...

]]> What a freaking uber super mad fantastic weekend.

Paul, thank you for bringing me and showing me a stellar time.

The rural life style is one of its own and i often find it comforting and relaxing. its soothing to get far distances away from over developed civilization, and just chillax in the woods.

although i did many things during my time in opotiki, my absolute favorite was possum hunting. we went hunting on saturday night...in complete darkness (which im not sure the legality of) and used a spot light to shine the little buggers (which im not sure of the legality of either...). this escapade took place on matts (a friend of pauls) farm. wow, thats a lot of (parenthesis) for a sentence. HA ok ok, Possums, the nuisance and pest they are in NZ, are invasive species originating from australia. they are destructive to the natural environment and have no natural predators in NZ. which means they over populate and invade throwing off the ecosystem homeostatic equilibrium. so to do my fair share of preserving NZ, i shot 2 possums. and o boy was it FUN!

after we were done hunting, we made our way to a session of drinking and bonfires. which, if u dont know already, is one of the best combinations ever... Pauls friends from his hometown were all crazy and fun to be around. things might have gotten slightly carried away with the gasoline. i missed recording the worst/ scariest/most hysterical moment with the gasoline, but maybe thats for the best...?

Apparently, there was an earth quake sunday morning... but i slept through it! seriously nate? how do u sleep through a freakin earth quake?

Pirongia

2011-10-20T07:29:24Z

To satisfy my hunger for hiking, me and my american friend Kea went hiking around Hamilton'v volcano, Mt. Pirongia and found some of the coolest looking cows ever!!

]]> Classes are done and finals are soon approaching... this can only mean that my time is hamilton may soon come to an end. but no need to fret, my flight back to the united states isnt scheduled until dec. 14th any my blogging days are long from limited. this way i can check out the south island and all its glories, during the beginnings of summer.

Even though the stage is slightly set, i wont get too reflective here because this isnt my last episode!! still one more :)

For an adventure that i actually did quite a while ago, but just never got the chance to blog about, i had an absolute blast hiking around Mt Pirongia on a random wednesday morning before class. Mt. Pirongia is a dormant volcano in the waikato area. lets hear what wikito say about it, "It rises to 959 metres and is the highest peak in the Waikato region." "Maori people have a strong connection to Mount Pirongia. It was first named "Pirongia te aroaro o Kahu" the scented pathway of Kahu by a Tohunga of the Tainui canoe to honour his wife. To preserve the heritage of Mount Pirongia Pirongia Te Aroaro o Kahu Restoration Society Inc was formed in 2002 as a result of deep-seated community interest in its ecological restoration" pretty cool eh?

mmk, now that weve reviewed a little history. We hiked the Mahaukura track up to Wharauroa View Point. it took us a little under 2 hrs and was a fairly easy hike. it was nice to get a quick tramp in the morning before i had labratory at 3:00 pm. but in all honesty, i wasnt too impressed with the scenary or the view. it was quite average. i guess i would still recommend hiking around pirongia to a friend, but only on the basis that they were looking for a short easy day trip. maybe i feel this way because i have been spoiled with my previous adventures. regardless, i still had an absolute blast hiking with kea, we shared quite a few laughs.

so we hike up, eat lunch, hike down, and head home and try to make it to class on time. on the way home, kea and i spot these black and white STRIPED cows. instantly both of us squeel in excitement at these new and interesting looking cows. "there so perfectly stripped" kea says. "they look just like oreos!!" i exclaim in response. "they must make oreo milk" we agree. without any hesitation, we turn the car around and head back to investigate these supposed "oreo cows". Playing games, we tease and mock these "oreo cows", asking for oreo milk. and or course we found it necessary to document and record these instances. in the end, it was inconclusive if the cows actually produced oreo flavored milk. but empriacy can often be over rated and then my intuition lies in faith.

Coromandel

2011-10-17T12:54:55Z

Coromandel = Pure Epic Asskickery

]]> so heres the dealio, to document my adventures in the coromandel peninsula, i made a possibly(too) long ~7 min video. is 7 min too long? i found it difficult to minimize what i found to be an ultra grand experience. i did so many amazing things that i wanted to share. i spent a lot of time working on the video, and even after uploading it, still found things i wanted to add or change. i thought it would have been gnarly to add dramatic suspenseful sound effects when the "sexy norwegian man" was touching the seal. really what im trying to say here is, there is no need for me to break down each step of each day. you can see that in my video.

instead, im going to break down why this trip was so much more than i could have ever expected.

to start, there was around 20 of us who came on the trip. we were all international students mainly from europe and america, who met within the first few weeks of orientation. these people are ridiculously amazing!! its incredible how much you can learn from meeting people from around the world. they open your eyes and throw new perspectives on everything. for example, i had no idea peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were mainly an american custom. i couldnt even fathom what childhood would have been like with out peanut butter and jelly!! its a staple of the american diet! (well maybe not for all americans, but it was definitely a staple for me) i absolutely LOVE PB&J. i know this example may seem a little ridiculous. but the point im trying to make here is, i learned something new, whether it was big or small, my eyes have been opened and horizons widened. ive learned something about the differences between cultures and for that i am pleased. to make a long story short, these are people i will always remember and i can only hope that someday down the line, our paths may cross again.

the absolute divine beauty of the geography of the coromandel peninsula is breath taking. everything there is stunningly gorgeous! i stuggled to find one ugly thing, actually, i can assure you, i never saw one ugly thing during my time there. the seashells mesmerized me. the sandy beaches mad me melt. the unique geology intrigued me. the crashing ocean attracted me. the adventure captured me. my friends comforted me. everything about this weekend was perfect, i couldnt have dreamed it better.

Taupo

2011-10-17T10:06:59Z

So i get this call from my american friend marc and he says, "hey nate, ive planned this weekend hiking trip to taupo, wanna come?" and my immediate response was, "HECK YESS MISTER MARC!!"

]]> to start things off, taupo was the coolest, most epic, gnarly, awesome, stellar, excellent city/lake i had experienced in NZ thus far. for some reason i was just drawn to the city. that being said... i have no idea what our route was, which trails i followed, which entry point we entered, or what mountains we looked at while we were hiking. for this i apologize. i know its pathetic, but marc planned the entire trip and i was along to enjoy the ride :)

but if you want to hear about the highlights of the trip stay tuned

attendees include: Marc, Mario, Casey, and Myself

friday starts with a long car ride out of hamilton eventually arriving in the city of taupo. upon arrival at approx 3:00... i think? we make our way to global backpackers, a fine hostel if i do say so myself. we check in and pay for the nights stay. the woman working the desk was friendly and very helpful. we meander our way to our room, number 16. after a little unpacking we head to the uber clean kitchen to make some dinner. we fill our tummys with rice and potatoes as we conversate with the other guests staying at the hostel. everyone was extremely kind and...interesting. i love meeting people from all over the world.

after dinner, we head to the bar underneath the hostel to watch the rugby game. it was an irish pub!! casey, marc, and mario all seemed to have at least 10 times more energy than me. so i went upstairs and hit the hay as soon as the game was over. at about 3 in the morning, im startled away by casey stumbling into the room and talking/yelling obnoxiously loud. marc wasnt too far behind her and was just as obnoxiously loud. marc even tried to pee out the window. i could only assume they had a "few" more drinks after i left the bar.

the next morning we wake up early, pack up our things, and drive to the car park where our entry point was. the weather is gorgeous, sunny, and warm. on the way we stop at a mcdonalds that had an airplane that you could eat in. i was thoroughly impressed. the road to the car park was crazy bumpy and our car, which we have named misty, seemed to take the beating of the dirt road well. after hitting my head against misty's roof 4 times to be exact, we arrive at the car park. quickly rearrange our packs and start the hike.

after bout an hour of hiking, we realized we woke up relatively late and may not make it to our destination (the hut) in time. we stop to have a quick team meeting and decide to push ourselves and try to move fast in order to make it to the hut before sunset.

the route had 2 summits. the first was about 3 hrs into the hike. at that time, casey decided she wasnt feeling good AT ALL. (she was probably super hung over) and thought it would be best for her to turn around and head back to the car. of course we fought with her and tried convincing her otherwise, but there was no persuading her. we sat down at the summit, ate our lunch, stared in awe at the scenic beauty, and then went our seperate ways.

after hiking a total of 17.5 kilometers. marc, mario, and myself drag our tired feet into the glorious hut. we made it just before sunset! we spend the first few minutes checking out and admiring the hut, then start a fire to dry our sweaty socks. later that night we make some dinner and eventually go to bed early in order to re-cooperate.

we wake up early the next day, only to find mother nature throwing heaps of rain and wind our direction. we slowly make breakfast, hoping the terrible weather would soon end, but only found ourselves delaying the inevitable. so... we bundle up and start the trek. 20 steps into it, marios pack cover flys of and marc is forced to urgently chase after it. the weather was CRAZY!! rain was falling sideways. the erratic wind was horrid for balance. you had to push against the wind just to stand up, but when the wind switched direction, you would fall/stumble from your over compensation. i have never hiked in such intense conditions and been so unprepared. i remember mario being scared of being blown off the mountain and refusing to cover his hand so he could use them for balance.

after a grueling hike, casey met us at the exit point and we had a drippy wet ride home.

overall, the trip was a great experience and would do it again in a second. my favorite part was the scenary during the hike in. taupo is a beautiful place. it was everything i had imagined NZ would be.

Samoa 2

2011-10-12T10:10:11Z

heres just a few of my favorite experiences in Samoa

]]> Lets take a little time and reflect!!

Before i left the united states, i was excited and expecting a new and fun cultural experience in NZ. Although NZ has provided me unforgettable awesome experiences, the culture i have experienced here seems to be incredible similar to what i was experiencing in the states. i can only speak on behalf of a students point of view, that said, the students here seem to behave and operate almost identically to those in the states. wake up... go to class...study...sometimes...hang out with friends...somke...drink...party...etc. maybe that is because american and european media have a strong influence in NZ? who knows. the point im trying to make here is, when i went to samoa i radically experienced a new cultural.

the country is 98% christian. according to elisa (the peace core volunteer i stayed with for a few days) the hierarchy of power in society is pastors, chiefs, elders, etc. being in such a strict religious community slightly put me out of my comfort zone and gave me a little adrenaline rush :)

there is also a community of people in samoa called Fa'afafine. they are recognized as a third gender, but more familiar to me as drag queens. wikipedia says, Fa'afafine may be viewed as a third gender specific to Samoan culture. Fa'afafine are biological males who have a strong feminine gender orientation, which the Samoan parents recognize quite early in childhood. Not always are they raised as female children or rather 'third gender' children. This is on the traditional expectation that to be born a male or son, you are expected to be sexually prowess of the female sex. from what i interpreted from the people in inquired from in samoa, Fa'afafine were usually the youngest males in a family with no daughters. they preformed the traditional feminine gender role tasks around the house such as cooking and cleaning. there was no taboo to their presence in society and they were actually highly regarded and respected. this cant be said for the drag queens in america, which are usually dismissed and harrassed.

the music commonly played in samoa ranged from early 90's rock to top 40 to autotuny island music. i didnt really care for the autotuny island music, but i thought i was cool to watch the music videos with old fashion, from 1994 in the night clubs.

the buses were CRAZY!! they were commonly used to transport goods around the island and were usually stuffed to the maximum capacity with people. often times children had to sit on laps so people could fit. the buses had the coolest decorations as well. the dash of buses and cars alike were usually covered with some brightly colored and textured fabric. my favorite was a bus which had bon jovi painted on the outside with an american flag bannering the interior.

lastly, one of the many cultural differences i experiences was the acceptability of drinking and driving. a few times i jumped in a cab only to find out that the cab driver was DRUNK!?!?! i was definitely not used to this, not that i should be. it seemed as if that just... no one cared because the island was so small and the speed limit was relatively low every where.

all in all, im extremely ecstatic i was blessed with the opportunity to push myself out of my comfort zone and experience a new culture :)

Samoa

2011-10-06T03:36:09Z

If i could describe the true meaning of paradise, it would be Samoa During the 2 week study break, i went to samoa and had a multitude of wicked unforgettable experiences. while i was there, i 'couchsurfed'. couch surfing is a networking site for travelers. to learn more check out the site. http://www.couchsurfing.org/

]]> i was in samoa for a total of 11 days, the first two nights i stayed with a peace core volunteer named elisa, in the village of vaipua. she brought me to the primary school where she taught english. the kids were sooooo cool, i got the opportunity to teach them some of the songs i learned growing up and had a blast doing it. after that i meandered my way to apia and stayed with a hotel manager in the Tanoa Tusitala. the hotel was very nice. while in apia i spent alot of time sucking up the sun by the pool and ocean. i also did some shopping at the markets, (bought alot of gifts for my friends and family back home). lastly, i spent a few nights in Tafua Beach Fales on the ocean. Everything about my trip was phenomenal and AWESOME!!

Wairere Falls

2011-09-26T02:54:26Z

As the weather hasn't been sufficiently accommodating to allow me to go on full-weekend trips I've been forced to resort to day trips instead.

Fortunately, I am lucky enough to have a long list of alternative plans to draw upon, one of which being a visit to the majestic Wairere Falls.

]]> Located just outside of Matamata and supposedly the highest waterfall on the North Island, the Wairere Falls is a two-step waterfall that plunges 153m into lush rain forest. Even though it is visible from the car park, it is only accessible by foot: either a 45-minute walk to the bottom of the falls or a 100-minute walk to the top.

The walk takes you through lush forest while the combined sound of various birds and the waterfall (or the stream it creates) is almost constantly present. In fact, I was profoundly surprised when, at merely 5 minutes from the top of the falls, I was suddenly engulfed by the the sound of silence. 5 minutes later I had a view that was not only worth the walk but also the clouds of sandflies that were swirling around me and my friends' feet, looking for a sweet spot to sink their teeth into.

Raglan

2011-09-12T04:21:18Z

Last week, so I've been told, marked the official beginning of Spring. I'm not really an expert on seasons, but I grew more and more convinced that Spring had come as last week progressed. Studying and playing the guitar out on the deck (or porch, as some would call it) of my Orchard Park cottage started to become near-habitual. However, with these first Spring days came a longing; a longing for the ocean.

]]> I didn't have to wait long to turn my longing into reality: last Saturday, I went to Raglan (New Zealand's most well-known surf town and supposedly the only place in New Zealand with a so-called left hand point break) with a couple of friends.

It turned to be a perfect day at the beach. The realization that, just over a week earlier, I was still making powder turns on the South Island, added a sense of surreality and amazement: how many other countries can you think of that allow you to (metaphorically) go from the middle of Winter straight to the middle of Summer in such a short time period?

After an afternoon filled with soccer, playing the guitar and the occasional swim (in relatively (i.e., freezing) cold water), we concluded the day with fish and chips and a short visit to the Bridal Veil Falls.

Upon my return to my cottage in Orchard Park I was painfully confronted with the purpose of sunscreen and my own naive stubbornness for failing to actually use it.

New Zealand vs. Tonga

2011-09-09T10:45:48Z

Just got back from watching the opening ceremonies and first game of the Rugby World Cup!

]]> The opening ceremonies were THE COOLEST, it reminded me of the opening ceremonies for the Olympics, but a polynesian version! I loved it. They showed the city of Auckland, where all of this is happening and the city was going CRAZY! There was fireworks everywhere and people crowded throughout the streets! The opening ceremony and game against Tonga was held in the SAME stadium that I will be watching the Bronze Final in!

New Zealand beat Tonga and the student bar was filled with a passionate group of students. They were really excited about the game and I didn't feel super international until they all sang along in Maori to the New Zealand national anthem. I must admit I still haven't learned all the rules to rugby, but it was still a great experience to be watching it. Everyone shouted at the TV and it was a lot of good fun. I'll definitely be headed back there to watch more cup games.

Noho Marae Weekend

2011-09-08T00:00:14Z

This episode of the Mullet and Mustache Show I overview the cultural experiences I had, spending the weekend at a Marae.

]]> I learned a plethora of things concerning traditional Maori life and culture and ate some of the most phenomenal food. My absolute favorite part of the weekend was learning and participating in a Haka.

Overall, the weekend was very well planned and organized. This was extremely beneficial considering the time restraints (only one weekend). We were able to fit a huge variety of cool experiences into the weekend.

Sadly, I accidentally deleted a majority of my footage and was only able to recover one video. BUT, I was still able to find and use some stellar pictures I took over the weekend.

Due South

2011-09-04T21:08:30Z

Studying at the University of Waikato includes being the spectator of a wonderful phenomenon called the mid-semester break; a phenomenon I didn't know existed until a couple of weeks ago. Essentially introduced to allow for some breathing room and time to study, it is a two-week break that I employed to go on what turned out to be an epic trip.

]]>

One of the main things that I wanted to do while in New Zealand was snowboarding the Southern Alps, a mountain range covering a major part of the South Island. That is exactly what I did during the break. For a period of 12 days, my daily routine primarily consisted of waking up around 7.30am, snowboarding until 4pm, having a cool-down beer in the snow followed by a budget dinner, a movie and a (good) night's sleep.

It was nothing short of epic. I ate a burger at the near-mythical Ferg Burger in Queenstown as well as the underrated (and in my opinion better) Red Star Burger in Wanaka, I swam in ice-cold water in a river just outside of Wanaka, I went on a geocaching and exploring near Lake Hawea and got the opportunity to explore a plethora of ski resorts (Cardrona, The Remarkables, Coronot Peak and Treble Cone) with a small team of awesome people (all members of the Waikato University Ski and Snowboard Club (W.U.S.S.)), most of whom were near-strangers before the trip.

Based on the stories I had heard and the image I had formed of it by watching the Lord of The Rings trilogy and "That's It That's All", I expected the South Island to be epic.

However, it managed to exceed all my expectations.

Countdown to the Rugby World Cup

2011-08-27T01:04:05Z

Less than two weeks to go and New Zealand gets ready to welcome the world.

]]> A recent visit to the Waikato Museum and the current "Red, Yellow, (All) Black" exhibition reinsured me in my idea of New Zealand as the Rugby Nation No. 1. The exhibition, which is dedicated to the mighty Mooloo (Waikato Rugby Team, playing in the ITM Cup) aswell as the history of Rugby in Waikato wasn't just historical or artistic. It was foremost a expression of passion to a game, which is "a way of life".

In the next months New Zealand is going to host not only teams from 20 different nations, but fans from all over the World, as the third biggest sporting event in the world makes its way to Aoteroa. The event will be played in cities all over New Zealand, from the northern Whangarei to the southern Invercargill. Millions of spectators and even more litres of beer will find their way to New Zealand, and I am a part of it. As much as I would like to see Germany perform in this World Cup, I am optimistic to see a winning NZ side. On story to tell my kids, as I was in NZ when they became the World Champions.

It is time to put on those muddy boots, bite on the mouthgard and strap on the scrumcap, because it's rugby time!

Mullet and Mustache Show Introduction

2011-08-19T04:25:29Z

Welcome to the first written commentary to the Mullet and Mustache show.

]]> My name is Nate Durand, and I am an American student from Duluth, Minnesota.

I will be studying biology and sports/leisure during B semester at Waikato University. The video blog i am creating is part of a directed study through the sports and leisure department at Waikato. With the directed study, i will travel around New Zealand, documenting my experiences. I will then comprise these experiences and reflect upon them with the "Mullet and Mustache Show"

The basis of the title stems from my endeavors of growing a mean mullet and mustache during my entire time in New Zealand, i will never shave my mustache or cut the mullet, promise. Hopefully my mustache and mullet will be nice and thick by the last episode.

Tune in, in the future to witness the amazing adventures of Nate Durand's abroad experience in New Zealand

Noho Marae

2011-08-14T08:16:41Z

This weekend contained yet another unique experience, possibly more intense in many ways than all of my previous adventures so far.

From last Friday around 4pm until Saturday 3pm, I spent my time in and around 'te Mapahi o te Rangi', the Wharenue at the 'Papa a te Aroha Marae' in Tokoroa; admittedly a bit of a mouthful.

]]> The trip was organized by the WSU (Waikato Students' Union) and was intended to give (primarily) international students a chance to gain insight into Maõri culture; to shortly immerse themselves in everything from traditional games to language workshops and from Poi to a Haka.

In my opinion, the latter was the absolute climax of the weekend. The experience of performing (as opposed to merely watching) a haka together with a group of approximately 30 other international students (including, among others, students from Germany, the US, China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Solomon Islands, Norway, India and, of course, New Zealand) was nothing less than mesmerizing.

To be in complete synchrony with people from all over the world, most of whose languages I don't speak and most of whose cultures I have barely experienced, for just a couple of minutes, is something that I honestly hope to remember for the rest of my life.