October 31, 2007

Well, here we are back in Samoa after a very enjoyable 2 weeks touring the South Island of New Zealand. After the cool (cold) and rain of our first week, Samoa seems very hot. August was a very cool month by Samoan standards and we got very spoiled. It has turned warmer and warmer but we really didn't notice it until we returned from New Zealand or the land of the long white cloud. It is now very hot here.

We took the time to tour for 2 weeks with the Smarts who were on the way home from their mission here in Samoa. We flew to Auckland and then directly on to ChristChurch (hereafter called Ch.Ch.) on the South Island. We left here Tuesday night but arrived in New Zealand on Thursday morning as we lost a day at the International Date Line.

After finalizing all of the arrangements for the hire of a camper van, we settled down in a Holiday Park in Ch.Ch. We went downtown and visited the scenic sights and parks in the rain. Sister Smart was already regretting the decision to be in NZ because of the rain, etc. Ch.Ch. was beautiful! Old buildings in excellent repair, parks, and just a good feel.

The next morning we had to take care a of some emergent repairs on the camper van and then headed south to Oamaru. It is a seaside town with an abundance of old buildings, parks and penguins. We visited their habitat but they don't return home until dusk so we passed up the opportunity to pay $20 each to sit in the cold and wait for the show. We visited with our friend Heather Vance from Balzac, AB, who is serving her mission in the NZ South Mission. She is stationed in Oamaru and showed us around. We took her out to dinner and then parked our van in front of her house for the night. In the morning Kathy enjoyed a nice long walk on the beach with Heather where she spent her time with her head down discovering beautiful paua shells. They treated us to breakfast and then we were on our way to Dunedin. It was still raining and chilly!

On the way, we stopped and spent time at the Moeraki boulders. They are large (up to 2 meters) round rocks formed in the soil along the beach and as they weather, and water erodes the beach, they are released and roll onto the beach where they appear as big balls. Dunedin is a nice city. Since it was Sunday, we anticipated Sacrament Meeting. After contacting the church, we found that they were meeting to listen to the conference talks from the week before that they did not have the opportunity to participate in. As we had already attended all sessions of conference we decided to travel on.

At this point we headed into the interior to the resort town of Te Anau. It is on a beautiful lake which is the second largest in NZ. We by-passed the southern most city of Invercargill in the essence of time. The trip took about five hours and moved from the coastal region on the east to the mountains near the west coast. We stayed there 2 nights to facilitate a trip to Milford Sound on Monday morning. Milford Sound is actually a fjord on the west coast but is only accessible by sea or a small road from Te Anau. We took a guided tour from our Holiday Park and after a 1 1/2 hr. very informative drive, we arrived at Milford Sound. At that point we boarded a boat which took us on an guided tour through the sound or fjord into the open sea and back. It rained! I'm sure the scenery could have been much more impressive with sunshine but there is a silver lining to the many clouds that day. With all the rain, there were many more waterfalls and the low lying clouds added a mystical sense to the trip. But, it was cold! On the way back, we were taken on a bit of a tour with a short walk to another waterfall. Our site in the Holiday Park at Te Anau was delightful with a great view of the lake from our back windows.

During Monday night, after our trip to Milford, Kathy and I were rudely awoken at O dark thirty, as Debra Kinder would say, to a violent shaking of our camper van. The Smarts slept right through it. In the morning we discovered that there had been an 6.9 earthquake 60 km west of Milford and 24 km down. Rocks slides had covered parts of the road stopping all traffic. One lane was cleared to allow cars out of the area and then shut down for a few days. Had we been one day later we would not have seen Milford Sound.

Tuesday we travelled through Queenstown and on to Wanaka, two more resort towns on lakes in the mountains. Ho hum! No, they were very nice. Still raining.

The whole west coast is made up of mountains that they call the Southern Alps. They are about as high as the rockies at home but start at sea level not a few thousand feet - very beautiful and impressive. On Wednesday we drove through them to the west coast and travelled north to the small community of Franz Joseph in Glacier Country. More rain!

The west coast is extremely inhospitable and beautiful. The mountains come right down to the Tasman Sea. One of the brochures we read called it the "Tempestuous Tasmanian Sea". How accurate! Some of the wildest waves I have ever seen pound relentlessly on the shore and the rocks. 

As we headed north on Thursday, we viewed the wild shoreline. At Ship Creek we stopped for a stretch and found a stunning windblown beach where the waves are so vicious they whipped up huge piles of foam that blew across the beach. It had stopped raining!

Further on we stopped at Punakaiki or sometimes called Pancake Rocks. Only a picture could describe what we saw there and then very poorly. The trails were developed exceptionally well to display some of the most beautiful rock formations with rock bridges over arches and blow holes. I am always fascinated by the power of the seas. We continued north until we came to the town of Westport. We found a suitable Holiday Park just a few minutes out of town at Carter's Beach and near a Seal Colony.

The next morning (Friday) we continued on to the Seal Colony and after observing for a few minutes we headed inland and north to the port town of Nelson. The company we rented our van from was near Nelson and so we took care of some business and then moved on to a Park for the night near the beach.

Saturday we passed back over to the north-east coast to Blenheim and then back to Picton where the ferries travel to Wellington on the North Island. We spent the night there and Sunday morning we parked the van at a long term parking facility near the train station and ferry terminal and we parted ways with the Smarts. They took a ferry to the North Island to continue their tour for a few more days but we took a train back to Ch.Ch. It was a 5 hour train ride down the east coast and through the Canterbury plains. We checked into a hotel in Ch.Ch. for 2 nights in preparation for our flights back to Auckland and Samoa. Monday was a beautiful spring day in Ch.Ch. and a total contrast to our first day there just a week and a half before. We walked all over and explored the parks and downtown shopping. It was a nice wrap-up of the journey.

The South Island is beautiful. We enjoyed the trip even in the rain. Ch.Ch. really impressed us a clean, historic and pleasant city. It is well preserved and very British but we were surprised by and enjoyed the ethnic diversity with people from all over the orient, India and Europe.

Early Tuesday morning (4:15 AM) we arose to head to the airport for our flight to Auckland at 7:00 AM. We had a layover of over 20 hours in Auckland so we secured a small hotel room nearby and rested. In the evening we were able to connect with Bonnie (Nielson) Naera and her husband Patrick. We spent a couple of enjoyable hours with them and their children and then returned to our hotel for another early rise on Wednesday (3:15 AM) to catch our flight to Samoa. We arrived at 9:45 AM Tuesday morning.

After taking care a of a little business and relaxing at home for a few minutes, we rushed off to the temple where we had previously committed to perform as ordinance workers for a special invitation only session of the temple for Elder Russell M. Nelson and his wife and President Condie of the Seventy and Area President of the Pacific Islands. A good end to our 2 weeks.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

We have just finished General Conference weekend where we sat through four sessions, plus Roy went to the priesthood session. These all took place at the Stake Center as the BYU TV channel we have in our home was broadcasting in the Palauan language - hmmm, there is something wrong here! We saw the afternoon session live and a rebroadcast of the morning sessions after that. I love conference.

It has been a long lonely week - Ian and Sharleen and Neko left last Monday night after spending two wonderful weeks with us. I (Kathy)had the privilege of being up in the early mornings with Neko to let her parents sleep. Neko just didn't seem to like the time change 100% but considering how far she had come, how warm it is, how many different places we had her sleep, etc., she was an angel.


Their visit began with a nap and then off to Sauniatu for a swim in the waterfall. Neko became a regular beach bum - most places she could go without a diaper so we played lots in the water naked - well, she was! It poured with rain while in the rock pool and waterfall but it was so delightful.


Day two had us at Tafatafa beach - ah, imagine having a mile of white sand beach to yourself. Ian and Shar were able to do some snorkeling there. This is a favorite of ours.


Friday morning was a trek to Robert Louis Stevenson's grave on top of Mount Vaea. The native Samoan people loved him so much they took his body up there "under the wide and starry sky, dig my grave and let me lie". A tour through the house, back home and then a play time at Papase'ea (sliding rock). Alicia Price babysat Neko while we did our shift at the temple and Ian and Shar were patrons. Neko was a hit with everybody and especially Alicia.

Gender change (Roy now).

Saturday, after a trip to the craft market, we took a short trip down the east shore to Piula. It is a fresh water pool fed by a cave below the Methodist Church. A rock wall creates a pool before entering the ocean so you can go back and forth if you wish. When John and Mereda were here many long years ago, he wouldn't go in it because it was too cold. Actually, it is refreshingly cool. The outside pool is probably about 30 feet long and about 15 feet wide. At high tide is is just about 6 feet deep. the pool continues into the cave for another 30 or 40 feet at the same depth. Near the inner end there is an underwater entrance to a second cave. The channel is probably about 2 meters long and big enough to swim through. Ian, Shar and I all went through. Ian and Shar returned through the hole and I walked back through the other entrance to the pool. I didn't like the scrapes on my back from the rocks. We spent the whole afternoon there. There is cliff above the entrance and many people were jumping from it at varying heights up to about 20 or 25 feet probably. Ian and Shar took their turns as well.


When we returned home, while showering I discovered that my wedding ring had slipped off and was gone. We were heart broken as our rings are very unique and would be difficult to replace.


Ian was determined to buy an "ie faitaga" or dress lavalava to wear to church that first Sunday.

After spending a quiet Sunday, early Monday morning we headed to the far reaches of the southeastern end of the island to spend the night in a beach fale on the island of Namu'a. On the way we passed Piula and so we dropped in to see if we could find the ring. Ian took a little headlamp to see underwater as I was sure that I lost it inside the cave in the small tunnel between caves. The tide was low so the water was only about 4 feet deep. It was so clear that everything was visible on the bottom but at the cave entrance a lot of dirt had been dropped from the jumpers so everything would be covered with a layer of silt. As we entered the cave, I lost all visibility in the dark. As we swam to the back my expectations plummeted. Near the tunnel entrance, Ian swam a little to the right instead of left to the tunnel, reached down and pulled up my ring. He had found it in less that 5 minutes. We quickly hiked up the hill and were on our way. Wasn't it just one week before that I lost my keys in the ocean at Vavau and then swam right to them with goggles and retrieved them? Speak of "tender mercies!"

We continued on to Namu'a and settled into our fale for a very relaxing stay. Graham and Jacqui can attest to how special Namu'a is. Sorry, Brooke, we didn't know about it when you were here. Mom and I played with Neko and Ian and Shar were able to swim, paddle in the paopao (outrigger canoe) and snorkel some more. After lunch on Tuesday we headed home.

Just before heading out on Monday, I received news that we had run into a snag with ones of the schools that will be moving into our building and one of the other board members was flying in to resolve the issue. That meant that I had a meeting Tuesday evening.

Wednesday was another trip to the market, Sliding Rock again and then a wonderful evening at Sinalei for their FiaFia. Sister Smart babysit Neko (sorry to Alicia who wanted to babysit her again) as no one under 12 is allowed into the resort. The buffet meal was very nice and the show lived up to it's reputation - great. The fire dancers are mostly young girls and it culminates with a pyramid with a small girl about 4 years old on top.

Thurs. morning we had planned to go to Savaii but we couldn't get a reservation on a ferry. As it turned out I needed to stay behind for some emergent meetings so Kathy, Ian and Shar hopped in the truck to see if they could get on the 10:00 AM ferry as a standby vehicle. They missed the first boat and the noon boat but were number 3 standby for the 2:00 PM sailing. They decided that it was too late to accomplish there goals so they went to the back of the island to a special place called "Virgin Cove." Again, Graham and Jacqui had spent a "honeymoon" night there. Ian and Shar were chaperoned by Kathy and Neko.


They returned at about noon Thursday and we all went out to Vavau to spend the night in fale there (fale is both singular and plural). Vavau is very nice! The fale are rustic but enclosed and self contained. I think that was one of the best nights I have spent at the beach. The evening was beautiful and the bed was very comfortable. We played rook on the deck until bedtime.


Saturday afternoon we returned to Pesega to get ready to visit the Amuia Nonu family in Letogo. For those of you who have not been there, he was the bishop in my last area on my mission and we have remained friends over the years. He is my Samoan father. For Jacqui and Graham's information, he is recovering very well and can stand now. He is in very good spirits. We went out and ate with the family, exchanged a few gifts and visited and then returned home. They are a very special family. They have nothing and are very happy.


Sunday was a quiet day at home again and then Monday, our last day with Neko, we got up and went to the breakfast buffet at Aggie Grey's hotel before tripping off to an adventure down to Fagaloa Bay and Uafato. The road down there is meant for a 4 wheel drive but we manage in our rental truck. The bay is beautiful and guess what? Ian forgot his suit and Roy wasn't swimming due to his back so we skipped the swimming. We watched a wood carver making a bowl and ordered a try for Graham to be picked up at the market on Saturday. It was a magnificent place to take pictures and enjoy real Samoa. On the way home we stopped at Sauniatu again. I had spent much of the week with my back acting up again so I had a sleep on a towel while Ian and Shar went below to the falls for another dip and then joined Neko and Kathy in the stream for a paddle. Ian used a lavalava as a swimsuit. Neko is quite the beach bum. I do believe she even got a bit of a tan even though we tried to keep her protected.


Unfortunately all good things come to an end and Neko boarded the plane that night. Oh yeah, Ian and Shar went with her. They were surprised just before leaving when our neighbors came across and brought them all leis made of plumeria to say goodbye. We fell in love with Neko while she was with us and can hardly wait to see both her and Benson when we return home.


Life is dull now so to help pass the time we are accompanying a senior couple, who have become our friends and have finished there mission, on a trip around the South Island of New Zealand for 2 weeks. We leave this Tuesday night. We are renting a motor home in Christchurch to tour in. Hopefully we will be able to connect at Internet Cafes to keep up the communication.

I keep forgetting that I am here on business and that this is supposed to be a sacrifice!