We are happy to have 13 bright-eyed and bushy-tailed students with us at the Old Convent! Students have already been able to learn skills that will prove themselves useful this semester, from hand-washing clothes to fixing a bike chain that has hopped off the gear. Every day has been filled with fun activities to get the students familiarized with the community life in the convent, the wildlife, and the locals.
Here are some highlights from Orientation Week:
Visit to the Topp Farm:
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| Matt (Messiah) and Caleb with a lamb only 3 days old |
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| The Topps treated us to tea, scones, and other goodies |
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| Kevin Topp demonstrates how to shear a sheep |
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| Messiah students (AJ, Matt, Jacob, Tyler, Kris, & Betsy) full of energy during our first hike |
Sunday Sausage Sizzle:
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| Community members join in the fun at our BBQ |
Free Time:
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| Melissa (Westmont) and Toni (Westmont) giving hand-washing their clothes a whirl |
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| The warm kitchen is a popular hang-out place in the cold winter weather |
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| Matt (Messiah) and Toni (Westmont) enjoy a visit to the beach before tea (dinner) |
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| Brett from the Department of Conservation gives us a guided tour of the peninsula |
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| Fur seal colony at South Bay |
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| Students try out some "Maori chewing gum" (AJ, Jacob, Matt, Betsy, Mieke, Sarah, Melissa, & Kris) |
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| Most of the gang! (AJ, Sylvia, Mieke, Tyler, Toni, Melissa, Brian, Matt, Sarah, Jacob, Allie, Kris, Betsy, & Kristen) |
Maori Culture:
-Brett came to teach us about Maori culture. We got to try out some instruments, learn the proper way to enter a marae, and even learned (and performed) a Maori love song.
-The following day we visited the local marae (Maori meeting house). The students really enjoyed learning to do a haka (war challenge you may have seen the All Blacks perform) about fruit, and some taiaha (traditional staff weapon) moves.
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| Everyone gets a chance to practice fighting with a taiaha |
-After escaping from a herd of adorable calves licking us, we were introduced to some of the native plant life.
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| We were able to see trees AT LEAST 500 years old in this section of old growth forest |
Iconic Kiwi Tea:
-We were all treated to a feast of traditional kiwi food favorites. From ginger beer and L&P, to roast lamb and cheesy cauliflower, topped off with jaffas, hokey pokey chocolate, pavlova, and other "pudding" dishes, no one left with an empty stomach!
-We learned some kiwi slang and how to use a fork and knife the "correct" way.
-Pastor Owen from the Anglican church quizzed us on NZ trivia.
-The night was finished off by watching the kiwi-made film Whale Rider.
Our students are off on a weekend adventure to the destination of their choosing! We hope to hear some good stories from Picton and Abel Tasman National Park.
