tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5479481879980013772024-02-19T10:07:41.596-05:00Kyle ShippKyle Shipphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15597929082270717681noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-547948187998001377.post-38683984619303803202016-04-18T21:04:00.003-04:002016-04-18T21:13:13.145-04:00New Zealand 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Prior to April 15 we had hiked and been active daily,
covering terrain from glaciers and volcanoes to city streets. We’d been ZORBing, ridden Alpine Carts, and
experienced a number of other adventures and sights along the way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">April 15, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We started this day with a walk along the beach to see the
seals. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> We walked all along
the Surat Bay and were rewarded with amazing water views and encounters with
many seals.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">After we had walked about 2 miles along the beach, my
parents said they didn’t want to go all the way back, so they went ahead and I
hiked back to the car and drove around to meet them and pick them up. In all they hiked about 3.75 miles along
that route.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">After I picked them up, we returned to our cabin, packed up
and went for breakfast at a local café to refuel. We had heard about a cool natural feature
called “Jack’s Blowhole” which was only accessible by hiking in. The guidebook called it a ‘short, easy hike’
and Mom said she felt up to it, so we headed out that way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The hike started out relatively flat, but then began to
climb steadily. We kept walking through
sheep pastures along the rocky coast. The path descended, only to reveal another steep climb ahead. We took our time, stopping along the way to
enjoy the stunning coastal views. I went
ahead while Mom and Dad hung back, so I was able to take some shots of them
hiking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> I lost sight of them
around the corner but continued ahead and made it to the signs marking the
entrance to Jack’s Blowhole. Dad came up
a little later and reported that Mom was taking a break for a bit. She wasn’t sure she could make it and still
have the energy to hike back out. I ran
back along the trail to find her and let her know she was almost to the
end. I convinced her to keep going and
that we’d find a way back if she couldn’t make it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The two of us walked together up the last part of the hike
and made it to the overlook. Jack’s
Blowhole is an inland area where the ocean’s waves come through an underground
tunnel and crash into a canyon outlet. Pretty spectacular! We took some
pictures and imagined what it would be like to be walking along the meadows and
just happen upon this without knowing it was there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We didn’t know how far we had walked, but it seemed really
far, especially considering the elevation gains. We walked our way back out to the car, up and
down the hills again. It wasn’t until we
looked back later that we saw it was 2 miles and an average grade of 10.5%!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We still had more things that we wanted to see that
day. Mom really wanted to visit a
multi-tiered waterfall, so we headed in that direction. The drive over gave her the time for a 45
minute power nap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We arrived and set out on yet another hike to the
waterfall. This one was relatively much
shorter and easier at under a mile. The
falls were beautiful and definitely worth the trip. By this point, Dad and I were dragging a bit,
but Mom had a surge of energy and led the way up the path.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We were still a few hours from Dunedin, where we were
staying that night, so we got back in the car for the next leg of our
trip. On the way up, we happened to see
a sign advertising a penguin colony at Curio Bay which was a bit off our travel path. After almost two weeks on our trip and no
penguin sightings, this was a detour that had to be taken.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Of course in New Zealand you can’t park right next to
anything worthwhile, so we prepared ourselves for another hike. Luckily this time, it was just downhill a quarter mile to the observation point. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">As it happens, the book I gave to Mom as a gift to
announce our trip was about the Hiho or yellow-eyed penguin, the
rarest breed in the world, as they only live in a few places in New
Zealand. We had no idea, but it turns
out that the very penguin overlook we had stumbled upon was one of these few
locations to view Hihos!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Even though we had made it to the observation point, the
information signs stated that it was actually pretty rare to spot the penguins,
since they leave their nests early in the morning, spend all day in the ocean
hunting for fish, and only head back up the rocks in the evening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">With glorious timing, our hunting for scenery all day had
put us at the observation point at the same time the penguins should be
returning to their nests for the day. There was one already up on the rocks that we couldn’t have spotted
without someone pointing it out and without the help of a zoom lens. It certainly wasn’t a Discovery Channel mass
migration or anything, but we had done it: we saw a real, live penguin, the
rarest in the world, in the wild.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">About 15 minutes of waiting later, we saw another penguin
swim up to shore. We got to see him
waddle his way up the beach and then hop from rock to rock up to his nest. Now, this is more like the Discovery Channel
stuff we were after! It was really
incredible to see the way a penguin navigates the rocky coast to make it to its
home. It also soon disappeared among the
rocks and out of our view.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We walked back up the hill to the car and continued on to
Dunedin, delighted with our fortune. In
Dunedin, we moved into our very cool guest house for the night and ventured
downtown for dinner, since we’d worked up quite an appetite. After a great meal, we even spent an hour or
so walking around and seeing the sights of the city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERoXCoIOuOBMdRRi0kBMbbJTiJbFpbB7-1SMVfDPOYQ9u2X0kqTmLzLo_dFZ6a1Izv3YDdupq4vPiXF5xXQbmLWAL5OtD53-vjRezOulqSllk1udwalqjbzQiFu48yroIAzDkMRfqe5c/s1600/20150415_215731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERoXCoIOuOBMdRRi0kBMbbJTiJbFpbB7-1SMVfDPOYQ9u2X0kqTmLzLo_dFZ6a1Izv3YDdupq4vPiXF5xXQbmLWAL5OtD53-vjRezOulqSllk1udwalqjbzQiFu48yroIAzDkMRfqe5c/s640/20150415_215731.jpg" width="360" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">We all were ready for a night of sleep, having walked over 9 miles that day. I guess when there’s so much to see, it seems like there is always more
walking to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Every morning, I would wake up expecting Mom to say that the
previous day had worn her out and that she needed to take it easy. I certainly felt that way myself some
mornings! But, her determination amazed
me and she always had strength and energy for whatever adventures the next day
held. This day stands out among so many
incredible days that trip, and is a way that I will always remember her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Because of days like that, Mom will always be a source of
inspiration and strength, urging me always to go out and see all that I
possibly can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I constantly thank God for the example she set for me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.1429px;">Better hold on tight, before you know it's gone</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 19.1429px;" /><span style="line-height: 19.1429px;">And live like tomorrow never comes</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1429px;">-Zac Brown</span></span></span></div>
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Kyle Shipphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15597929082270717681noreply@blogger.com0