Group Stop Blog Entry- Kevin Crum

Kevin Crum

One of the group stops that stand out in my mind is Raglan and Whale Bay. After walking down the short path to get to the Raglan beach, I was shocked at how dark the sand on the beach.

I had never seen sand like that before (I took an extra sample of the sand to bring home as a souvenir). I sat down for a minute before picking up my geology bag and noticed that the sand was sticking to it. I soon realized it was actually the magnetic fragments in the sand sticking to the magnet inside the bag. I did not get to spend much time exploring the beach, but I did have time to help dig hole in the sand and see the dark placer layers left in the sand by storms. For the short amount of time that I spent on the beach, a lot of geology began to make sense. Upon learning about the close proximity of the source of sand I began to understand why there is less and less heavy minerals in the beaches as you move north from Raglan (it is more difficult to transport heavy minerals than sand, so the further from the source, the smaller the proportion of heavy minerals). I was also able to see some of the violet shells that someone had found. I haven't seen a shell that bright in color at any of the other beaches we have visited.

Upon leaving Raglan beach, we went to the Whale Bay Reserve to look around in the tide pools. As a kid who grew up looking around in tide pools, this will be one of the most memorable parts of the trip. I was able run around and pick up rocks and try to find as many species of flora and fauna as I could. I managed to find a good amount (including sea stars, urchins, crabs, chiton, limpets, algae and others) and based my Naturalist's Notebook assignment on trying to identify all of the organisms that I had documented. I learned more about New Zealand biology here than I did at any other site. I can now identify a number of intertidal species, but I wish that I had more to poke around in the tide pools. I am sure there was more for me to find if I had a bit longer to search.

Group Stop Blog Entry- Bobby Winters

Paihia -Bobby Winters
One of my favorite group stops so far was at Paihia.
When Stu first drove us into town on the big bus I was really
amazed with the scenery. The water was an incredible blue
green, the sky was blue and the sun was white. We eventually
got into a boat which took us out of Paihia and out into the
Bay of Islands. It was really cool to see how the bay had
formed with a bunch of different sized islands scattered
throughout the middle. Our boat tour gave us a pretty quick
taste of some cool geology as we arrived at the Hole in the
Rock, which is an excellent example of a sea arch. Near the
arch was a cave which is an earlier stage in the same
geological process. We could also see a few sea stacks in the
bay which are the latest stage in the same geological process.
From our boat we could also see some large fish in the bay
which gave us a hint of the diverse sea life found in the Bay
of Islands.

We also got a nice dose of Maori and English culture
while we were at Paihia. After the boat tour, we headed over
to the Waitangi Treaty grounds to learn about the peace treaty
that was reached between the Crown and the Maori. Basically,
the treaty is made up of three main articles. The articles
gave the Maori people sovereignty, full possession of New
Zealand and all the rights and privileges of British subjects.
It was very cool to see all of the Maori structures that are
built around the treaty grounds, including a very ornate
meeting house as well as a huge war canoe made up of three
massive kauri trees.
The next day we spent a little bit of time on the
beach in Paihia, not far from our hostel. On the beach at
Paihia we could see interesting characteristics of a
reflective beach, including berms, scarps, wrack lines, and
rills. We were also able to pick out some biological focal
points like mangrove seeds, puhutakawa trees, limpets and
catseye turbo. The grain sizes were around .125 mm and the
mix of plunging and spilling waves were only around a tenth of
a meter in height. After a pleasant morning on the beach of
Paihia, we loaded up the bus and headed out.

Group Stop Blog Entry- Natalie Molz

Natalie Molz

I enjoyed visiting White Island more than any other place so far. I have never been on an active volcano, and I think it's awesome that it could have erupted at any moment while we were on it. From pictures it looked like we were on mars. It was interesting too to see the acidic water in the middle of the volcano. Our tour guide told us that a man had committed suicide there but no traces of him were ever found. It's amazing that a body of water can be so powerful as to virtually dissolve all traces of someone. Seeing the steam come out of cracks in the rocks was also pretty powerful. The experience made me feel really realize how powerful nature is. In an instant we could have all perished if the volcano were to erupt. In a second, if one of us had slipped into the acidic water we would have died. It made me think about how little control I ultimately have in life. In a second our fates can be decided by a natural disaster and there is inevitably very little we can do to stop it.

While on the volcano I didn't see any animals other than birds. Seeing as the birds were able to fly, if they could not find food on the volcano they could simply fly back to the mainland whereas other animals would starve. The guide told us that when people used to work on the volcano the brought over rats to see if they could survive. Only the rats and very few other animals could make it under such harsh conditions. There was also a little area right of the volcano that was said to be infested with sharks. While we didn't see any sharks when we were actually on the volcano, once on the boat we saw a shark (probably a lone hammerhead) and a pod of dolphins.
At some points in our walk around the volcano, the sulfuric smell grew so strong that we needed to put on our face masks. There were some pieces of pure sulfur on the ground and a lot of rocks had a yellow dust on them from the sulfur. There was some water that was so filled with sulfur that it could clean the dirtiest penny. We dipped half of a dirty coin in the water and could see the obvious distinction between the clean part and the dirty part. As powerful as the chemicals in the water was however, it was also safe to drink. It tasted exactly like it smelled, and while it might not kill you to drink the water, it certainly was not pleasant.

Group Stop Blog Entry- Brett Friedberg

Brett Friedberg

Marae stay

The Marae stay was one of the most rewarding experiences on our trip so far. I learned some geology and biology as well as some insight to the culture of the Maori people. On the geology and biology side, I saw a mud flat for the first time. During low tide, no water covered the mud flat and all the plant and animal life there was exposed. You could find species of crab and oyster on the mud flat and a plethora of mangroves. During high tide, the nearby river overflows and floods the mud flat giving fish and other species access to the area. Another feature I learned during the Marae stay was the way step terraces are formed in the nearby hills of the Marae. When sheep and cows graze on steep hills they move up the hill in an orderly fashion which eventually creates steps in the hills for them to walk and graze on. These steps are created just form these animals standings on the hills in certain spots.

Culturally, the experience of staying at the Marae was a great one. Before arriving I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical of the stay and did not know what to expect, especially since our welcome involved us singing Hakuna Matata. However, after realizing how hospitable and genuine the people were, I got over my initial doubt about the stay. On a side note, I really enjoyed when the priest told us he did not know us from a bar of soap. I thought it was hilarious and showed me how down to Earth they were.

The trip up to the church speaks for itself. The priest had some interesting stories to say the least and made me appreciate just how important religion is to the Maori culture. After all, he traveled all the way to France to unbury the man who brought them Christianity and brought him back to the Marae.

Checking out the mud flat with Jr. and the scary looking guy was another cool experience of the trip. They were interesting guys. The work out they were talking about through the mud flats sounded borderline life threatening. To quote Jr., "Yea, we tie a boulder on our back and sprint through the mud. Then we jump in the river and swim all the way down with the current and then back against the current before running through the mud flats again." I had a great time running through the mud flats, but doing it with boulders tied to me sounds crazy. Those workouts are probably the reason those guys can play professional rugby.

And of course, who could forget learning the haka. Now that was a memorable moment! Jr. and scary looking guy looked possessed when showing us how to do it. However, I would probably use a different word to describe our haka. It was all in good fun and was a good way to hang out and get to know the guys. That was until we had to go shirtless. Anyway, It was a great experience to learn some insight into Maori culture and was a good chance for everyone in our group to get to know each other a little better.

Overall, it was a great experience that I would not trade for much. We learned a lot about geology and biology, but mostly about the unique culture of the Maori people and a great time in the process.

Group Stop Blog Entry- Ethan Beswick

Ethan Beswick- Motuti Marae

When I first heard we were going to a Marae, I had no idea what to expect, mostly because I really didn't understand what this place was. When we arrived, I still knew very little, but once we were witness to the tradition and the ceremony (even without traditional garb) it all started to sink in. This was a small piece of seclusion for this particular group of Maori and they had been gracious enough to share their culture with us. From the tasty meals (fry-bread with local honey for tea and roast pork butt with cabbage as a side for dinner!) to their tours of the mangroves, their enthusiasm was clearly evident.

When I think back on that day, from the welcome and our song (Hakunah Matata!) to dinner and running through the mangroves and "attempting" the haka, I cannot help but be pleased. It was one of our first days in New Zealand and it was exactly what I needed. Talking with the warriors, Junior and his friend (whose name escapes me), and learning not only of their daily lives outside the Marae but also the traditions that they participate in enthralled me. How they used the land around them for both food (the mud snails and oysters they found for me that I almost ate) and for spiritual reasons (the sacred burial ground guarded by the spirits of their chiefs) was something few people still do; something I envy. Of course, getting to play around in the mangrove fields, which are used not only for recreation but also for their healing properties, was an experience I will never forget. Plus, having the bishop wash our clothes and then give us fresh baked bread and cherry preserves was something completely unexpected, but not out of character for the people of this kind country.

This was an experience that I wish could have lasted longer, although we did do some pretty spectacular things afterwards. If I ever get a chance to come back to New Zealand, I intend to return to the Mututi Marae and learn all that they are willing to teach.

Group Stop Blog Entry- Danielle Lennon

The place that I have most enjoyed so far while visiting New Zealand was definitely White Island so I will write about that. Although we had to wake up at 6:15 to go there, it was definitely worth the lost sleep. First we got on a small boat in order to take us over to the island, it took us about an hour and a half to get there and we got to see the beautiful blue ocean and other rocks and islands in the distance. Once we got there we had to travel over in this little tiny boat, which I obviously had to fall into and hurt my leg in typical spastic fashion. Once on the island the view were breathtaking. It took a minute to set in and for me to realize that we were actually on an active volcano!

Once our tour guide took off the first place that was really amazing was the big acid lake. He told us that that was a good place to "get rid of a body," which I obviously put in the back of my mind for later use, just kidding! Then we went to go see this little river like thing that was really salty(Yes, I tasted it), and it was also very hot. He showed us all of the bright yellow sulfur that was left on the island. He then went on to show us the place where the miners used to work which was really cool as well. It was kind of eerie to walk through this place where people used to be and just see rusted beams and other metal parts left behind. The most memorable geological feature would be the bright yellow sulfur that covers the island. The bubbling mud pools and steam vents were also so cool.
Biologically speaking, the island is much more sparse. The only biology I saw was some random plant on the ground that was unidentified and our tour guide told us about the rats that were placed on the island by the miners for them to eat in case they got stuck on the island. We never saw any rats though, while we were visiting. The real biological adventures began once we got back on the boat after we left the island. The first thing we saw was a shark! Being a huge shark enthusiast I thought my day could not possibly get better. The captain told me he thought it was a hammerhead, which is so awesome. Then about 15 minutes later we saw a school of over 30 dolphins! These "common dolphins" were definitely not ordinary. They were jumping and swimming right next to the boat and there were even a few calves! It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen with my own two eyes. White Island was definitely my favorite part of this trip so far, but we definitely have amazing things ahead.

Group Stop Blog Entry- Trevor Anderson

Trevor Anderson

Cathedral Cove

While making the trek down to Cathedral Cove, I was overwhelmed with all the breathtaking views that could be seen during the short hike. The water appeared crystal clear, holes and caves existed throughout these white, rocky cliffs, and on top of the mountains, sat a lush forest filled with a variety of trees and plants. When I finally made it down to the beach, I could not believe my eyes. There were caves in the mountain walls to my right, a hole through the mountain on my left, a ridge through the rock behind me, and right out in front of me in the ocean stood a rock ledge, emerged roughly two meters above the surface. Islands could be seen in the distance, and although the waves were dismal, it was the coolest beach I have ever been to.

The most noticeable geological aspect of the cove was the occurrence of honeycomb weathering, in which wind blows small grains in and around creating pitted "honeycombs" in sedimentary rock. This process was not only evident by the large "hole in the rock" on the beach, but also by the many small holes found throughout the mountainous backing of the beach. Cathedral Cove's beach was not too wide and was only moderately steep. There were also tiny waves, all of which helped make it clear that the beach was in an intermediate state. The sediment was roughly 0.5 millimeters in size per grain, poorly sorted, sub-angular, light brown, composed of shell fragments, and was fairly coarse. Some fish could be seen in the clear sea, and barnacles and muscles were observed clinging to rocks. There were sea gulls and only a few shells on the beach. Really the only flora was the trees and plants that grew and lived up on top of the mountains behind the beach, which we passed while on our journey down to the cove.

Another intriguing feature of Cathedral Cove was that it is a cultural preserve. One could "only take photos, and leave footprints". This meant Cathedral Cove lacked any litter, and its biological and geological attributes were left untouched and allowed to stay in natural form. I wish I could say the same for environmental attractions in the U.S.

Cathedral Cove was an absolute blast. We swam out to the flat rock in the ocean and jumped off it several times, and even daringly swam out to the cave located on the right side of the cove. I still cannot believe there was a small beach on the inside of the cave that could only be entered by swimming through the sea. Walking through the hole in the rock on the beach was another experience I'll never forget. It was also interesting to climb and sit on the rock ledge located in the middle section of the beach. I could not believe how smooth and soft the mountain was. All in all, I had a great time at Cathedral Cove, and got to witness the effects of weathering by seeing a rock completely separated from the main mountain, a hole in the rock which will one day be isolated, and the rest of the mountain yet to be substantially affected.