Christmas in NZ

WWOOFING

Three weeks ago Jacob and I decided to become “wwoofers.” Wwoofing is a wonderful way to travel while learning about the New Zealand culture (or whatever country you are in), as well as sustainable and organic living.  The whole concept behind wwoofing is for travelers to live with a host and learn about their lifestyle on the farm. In exchange of doing four hours of work per day, you get room and board. It is a great way to immerse yourself in the culture, all while on a budget! Every host is different…some live on fruit farms, olive groves, dairy farms, etc. so every place is a different experience. Not only do you get to learn about sustainable living and get to travel within means, but wwoofing is a great way to meet new local Kiwis and network as well. 

Once we joined the organization, we were overwhelmed with the many different opportunities and experiences available to us. At one place we could pick seasonal fruit, at another we could help out in the garden and around the yard, and at some we could even help press olives to make olive oil. These are only a few of the many options available here in New Zealand. After searching the numerous hosts available, Jacob stumbled upon a family that lived on a small farm and also owned an outdoor adventure organization, “Rockup.” The organization has different outdoor equipment such as Rock Walls, bouncy houses, pirate ships, a safari ride, archery and pistol shooting, along with many other fun activities. They work with different organizations, companies, schools, teams, etc. The company’s involvement with kids, teambuilding, and approach to developing positive self-esteem is what really drew us to this particular wwoofing host. The fun and beauty of wwoofing is there are so many different options and a fit for whatever interest you have or experience you are looking for. Within 24 hours, we had contacted this family and arranged to stay and work for three weeks! It was really a blessing!

Welcome to the country farm! We arrived to a house in the northland region of New Zealand, just outside of Wellsford and Mangawei. It is a beautiful area, full of green hills and small farms. We are living with Geoff and Lynne, their two daughters, and son. Jacob and I are both experiencing a little of what it’s life to have younger siblings we’ve never had before! They have six cows and two calves, seven chickens, and two dogs, Stella and Backster. A typical day for us includes waking up between 6:30-7:30am, either going for a run or walk (or sleeping in), at 9:00 we do the daily chores (feeding the chickens, cleaning the coop, bringing in fresh eggs, checking the cows, sweeping the pathways, cleaning the pool, and walking the dogs. For the next few hours we will do whatever project they have planned for us. Some days it may include building shelves, painting, or planting shrubbery, other days we may be helping with paperwork or preparing for the next day’s Rockup event. About twice a week we get to work various events for Rockup. Rockup travels all over New Zealand. Jacob seems to have found his niche leading archery and I help out wherever needed but usually find myself helping with the Rock Wall. 

So far we have been reminded not to always have expectations. We arrived here thinking we were really going to learn and focus on sustainable and organic living, which has not been the central focus. However, we have gotten to experience so many other things and blessings. We are getting to work with kids and help with teambuilding, gain insight in running a business, and really gotten to develop relationships with the family. We are truly enjoying our time here and gaining lots of insight and experience while working with Rockup. We have continually been reminded of awareness…noticing the blessing around us and realizing they are sometimes where and when we least expect it. 

CHRISTMAS

It’s seventy-five degrees out, birds are chirping and the beaches are packed. Kids are out for summer break and everyone is on holiday. Christmas in New Zealand is less about snow and sleigh bells and more about sun, sand, and barbeques in the back yard. Christmas decorations and lights do not fill neighborhoods and we have not heard any Christmas carols this holiday season. This year, as we celebrate Christmas in New Zealand, it is from a completely new perspective; we are away from home and family traditions and experiencing Christmas in an entirely different culture. However, amidst the continual changes and differences we experience, we have been reminded of the true meaning of Christmas-a celebration of Jesus’ birth and what our Savior has done for us. Christmas is a time to be joyful-wherever you are, whomever you get to share the holiday with, and whatever your life circumstance may be. 

This Christmas we gained an entirely new appreciation for family. Holidays are important and have great meaning in itself, but it's who you spend those special days with that really make a difference. 

Just like most people, Jacob and I have always spent the holidays with our families in Washington and Texas (the past couple years we have shared the holidays) and have continually taken part in family traditions. For the Daniels family this includes making Christmas cookies and treats with the cousins, having a Swedish Christmas Eve (particularly Swedish meatballs and Swedish rice pudding) with my Dad's side of the family, going to the Christmas Eve Church service, waking up to the smell of French Toast on Christmas morning at the break of dawn, exchanging gifts, and spending the afternoon with the O'Neill Family (my mom's family). Some highlights include reading "The Night Before Christmas," watching "A Christmas Story," and eating lots of fudge!  For the Hirsts, Christmas time means spending time with family in Spiro, uncle Gary's Pasta Salad, Cranberry Salad, Nanny's no bake cookies, playing Dominoes, watching "A Wonderful Life" (and of course many more I learn of every year)!

The beginning of December it really hit us that this was going to be a different Christmas. Living out in the country, we weren't really exposed to the "holiday spirit," if you will. Perhaps we just weren't exposed to the materialism of it all, but I still missed the Christmas lights and beautiful Christmas carols! We soon realized that Christmas is what we make it and we need to remind ourselves of the true meaning of Christmas. We soon were blasting Michael Buble's Christmas CD in the car, bought ourselves an advent calendar, watched the few Christmas movies we could find, and carried on holiday traditions here in New Zealand with new family and friends.

Although we truly missed our families in the states, we also gained a great appreciation for our relatives here in New Zealand. We were blessed to spend Christmas Eve with Tania, Eric, Ross, Gay, Grenville, Guy, and Amy. It was soo nice to still be able to spend the holidays with relatives and we truly felt welcomed and part of the family. It was fun to experience a Kiwi Christmas!

Te Araroa- "The Long Pathway"

Our newest upcoming adventure Jacob and I have been inspired to do is tramp the South Island of New Zealand. A few weeks ago we were going on a short day tramp and we met a kind Scottish tramper who was tramping Te Araroa on the North Island. After listening to this tramper's stories and experience on the Te Araroa, we were very intrigued by this walk. We quickly started researching the tramp and continued to be fascinated by the people and stories we found of those who were walking the entire length of New Zealand. 

The Te Araroa, meaning "The Long Pathway," is a combination of multiple tramps that make up the entire length of New Zealand. The walk is 3,000 km beginning at Cape Reinga (The most northern tip of the North Island) and ending at Bluff (the most southern tip of the South Island). It is estimated that the entire tramp takes around 120 days. The walk officially opened last Christmas. It has been only been open a year, but has become quite popular. The different tramps vary from thick bush, sandy beaches, mountains, hills, and even roadside. You get to experience various terrains, cultures, and people!

Jacob and I soon committed to this endeavor. We have decided to tramp the South Island and save the North Island for another time. We have been inspired by many people--the man we met on our hike, family members who have done other great tramps, cycles, and challenges, as well as the Te Araroa community we are quickly discovering and becoming apart of. It will be a challenge to say the least, but we are excited and know it will be a once in a lifetime opportunity! We are happy we will be seeing and experiencing the South Island--all by foot! We arrived at the South Island yesterday after a beautiful ferry ride from Windy Wellington. We are staying in Picton today and in the morning we will take a water taxi to Ship's Cove where we will begin. We anticipate the tramp to take around 70 days. We will be walking an average of 18 km per day, but of course this will vary every day depending on the terrain and our own well being. We would appreciate all your thoughts, prayers, and support! We won't be traveling with out computers, but are hopeful to update our blog along the way, as we reach small towns, and hopefully have access to internet cafes. 

We are thankful for those who continue to inspire us to push us beyond our own limits and challenge you to do the same! Cheers! 

Agape'

Jacob and Jordan :)

Check out the website to learn more about the walk. http://www.teararoa.org.nz/

Jan, Jacob, and I

Jacob and his Uncle Robert outside his Cafe in Waipu

Christmas in NZ!

Love Parades!

"Sweet as" seems to be a common term here

At Geoff and Lynne's where we were wolfing

the neighbor's Dairy Cows

Waipu Cove. Beautiful!

Pavlova...a common holiday treat.

Love it!

Enjoying the afternoon and lunch in Warkworth

Whangerei Falls. Here we met a nice couple from Germany who just sailed 2 years to get here. Pretty cool!

Sushimi for Christmas Eve appetizer. We could make this a tradition :)

Our lovely hosts and cooks on Christmas Eve! Tania and Eric

Jacob and his cousin Guy at Christmas Eve. He is 17, nearly 18 ;)

Our Christmas Eve Dinner. Lamb Roast with Salsa Verde, Beetroot Salad,  Chicken, Green Salad, and Kumera (Sweet Potato) Bread. Divine! 

Amy made a delicious chocolate cake for dessert!

From top left to bottom right: Grenville (Jacob's cousin), Amy and Guy(Grenville's kids), Jacob, Tania, and myself. Ross, Gay, and Eric are missing from the photo of our Christmas Eve clan

On a Christmas day hike at the Hunua Falls. What a day!

Merry Christmas from New Zealand!