Author: kberchem

Grant and Joy here. Today was our last day before traveling back to the States. It was pretty laid back since we spent the morning on the scenic route from Kaikoura back to Christchurch. We stopped at a cafe about halfway through the drive for a snack and to stretch[…]

Hi guys, Sarah and Savannah here, Today, we got the opportunity to go dolphin watching in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Kaikoura. In the beginning of the tour, the dolphins were slow and not really showing up, but as the morning went on we started seeing them everywhere[…]

Wednesday, May 8th, 2019 – Rotorua, North Island, NZ Arianna Bishop and Samantha Beaulieu Ah Kia Mau! Today was quite the list of adventures!    We began our day in the heart of Rotorua, at the Lakes District Health Board, a hospital that deals with both Pakeha and Maori patients. There[…]

May 2019 Christchurch, NZ Jacob Panozzo and Millie Reed Today we got down and dirty with the Mother of All Cleanups. This river restoration took the form of a litter removal- yeah, we picked up trash today. There were plenty of laughs at finding an unopened beer, some underwear, and[…]

Friday, May 10th, 2019 – Christchurch, NZ Alison and Paige here! Today our group had the opportunity to listen to a presentation by Megan Gibbs, an emergency response manager who experienced the destruction caused by the North Canterbury and Kaikura earthquakes of 2016. The 2016 Kaikoura earthquake was a magnitude[…]

Thursday, May 9th, 2019 – Auckland Erin and Kaitlyn On today’s adventure, we got to explore the beauty of Auckland, a city on the West side of the North Island. We loved getting to walk around the city for a few hours; seeing the different buildings, cultures, and people. As[…]

Tuesday, May 7, 2019 – Rotorua Kia Ora! Megan and Emma here! “Life is an empty slate, waiting to be written down in conscious state.  Don’t go by your fate, it may bring you in front of Hell’s Gate.” Our morning began within the depths of the sulfur pools steaming[…]

Monday May 6, 2019 Millie and Alison here! After yesterday’s pre-dawn wake-up call to climb Mt. Maunganui for the sunrise, today we we able to sleep in a little. We started out trek this morning to Waitaia Lodge, a Maori owned rainforest and traditional land where the traditional knowledge of foods[…]

Tauranga, NZ – Sunday, May 5, 2019 Luke B. and Kaitlyn T. As the saying goes, “Ain’t no rest for the wicked”, we Lakers experienced a day full of adventures. Our day started at 5:00 AM with a hike up Mount Maunganui to watch the stunning New Zealand sunrise. We[…]

May 4th, 2019- Tauranga. Jacob and Grant Today was about connecting to the Mouri which exists in all living things, connecting us in ways we are not used to considering in the states. Donna Kerridge, Maori health practitioner and educator, took us through the realization of this connection. We took[…]