New Year's Day in New Zealand #HogsAbroad #TransformYourClassroom

Rainbow Springs: Kiwi Bird
Last night, we ventured to Rainbow Springs, a nature park (not a zoo), which facilitates kiwi bird existence. We entered the sanctuary at twilight, just when the kiwis began running around. As we walked along the trail, the subtle noises of darting and foraging announced their presence. Although no photography was allowed, the images of kiwi silhouettes were burned in our memories. The kiwi bird is a flightless, nocturnal bird which forages on spiders and freshwater crayfish. Its most striking features are its small wings and long nose. The kiwi bird uses its powerful legs to hatch from its egg, scratch threatening predators, and burrow into the ground.

Rhyolitic Rocks
Kia Ora! We are having an amazing second day in NZ! While driving across Rotorua this morning, our driver, Earl the GOAT, was kind enough to point out some amazing rhyolitic rocks. These huge rock formations have formed a looooooong time ago as a result of tectonic plates crashing together. There was so much pressure underneath the earth that the ground pushed up, however, there was not quite enough pressure to form a full volcano. They are very beautiful and I am so grateful that we were able to see them!

Iron Art

While we made our way into Rotarura, we passed several pieces of art by a New Zealand artist. Jeff Thomson creates art from corrugated iron. This material is commonly used in New Zealand for roofing material. He utilizes it to create signs and statues. Some of his most iconic pieces are a shepherd for a local church, a dog with its tongue out, and a sheep shaped building which contains a wool shop.

From Feeding to Fleecing - Our Day at the Agrodome

While biting into an Angus burger at McDonald's, the last thing I think about is the source of the delicious, juicy beef that is revered by meat lovers around the world. Today’s trip to the Agrodome Rotorua opened my eyes to the process involved in making such a burger and other commodities, such as wool, that are common in our lives. The most entertaining part of the experience was feeding the sheep and alpacas on the farm. This was especially special to me, as it was my first time venturing so close to such livestock. The show that followed was thoroughly fascinating, as I had never seen a sheep being fleeced. Born and raised in an urban environment and never really seeing the ‘behind the scenes’ workings of a farm, spending time at the Agrodome was eye-opening and really fun.

(Above: Lauren feeding the most adorable alpaca on the farm)

Agrodome
The entire group took a trip to the Agrodome today to see the world famous sheep of New Zealand. After a tour of the farm containing different breeds of sheep, alpacas, and red deer we settled down inside to watch a show. The show consisted of a brief description of the 19 sheep breeds of New Zealand including Merino, Suffolk, and Drysdale. The man running the show performed on stage how to sheer a sheep using the Bowen Technique which can take less than 40 seconds! Herding dogs were also shown to showcase their excellent herding instincts. All in all, we left the Agrodome with more knowledge about the sheep industry and and smelling slightly of damp wool.

Hobbiton: We’re Going On An Adventure!

Today we got to step into Middle-Earth at Hobbiton! The Alexander sheep and cattle farm was selected by Sir Peter Jackson and his location scouts in 1998 to serve as the home of the furry footed stars J.R.R. Tolkien’s magical world in the then upcoming adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. The temporary set was later permanently reconstructed on an even grander scale for The Hobbit trilogy in the late 2000’s. Today, a staff of dozens of prop managers and groundskeepers maintain the grounds, while also operating a fully functioning sheep and cattle business. Servicing hundreds of tourists a day, Hobbiton offers fans the chance to relive their favorite moments from the films, seeing the sites of Gandalf’s entrance to the Shire, Bilbo’s race down the hill as he joins the Dwarves for his grand adventure, the Sackville Baggins’ orchard, and, of course, Bag End, with its beautiful Green door and great oak tree above the ceiling. This was a moment that we shan’t soon forget.

Whakarewarewa Forest – Redwood Grove

To ring in the new year, we went to the Whakarewarewa Forest here in New Zealand to see the redwood trees. Planted in 1901, six hectares redwood trees are protected within the 5,600 hectare forest. The redwood trees were incredibly tall and majestic. They can grow to a height of more than 350 feet and a diameter of more than 24 feet! Redwoods are conifers and produce pine cones approximately 1 inch long containing 14-24 seeds per cone. The seeds of these large trees are tiny with 240,000 seed weighing only a kilogram.

I had never seen or touched a redwood tree before this trip. The bark is a lighter red color, very soft, and fibrous. It is important to treat these trees with respect when touching them due to their soft bark which is easily damaged and does not grow back. The bark can grow to 30 centimeters thick, giving the tree insulation as well as protection against insects and fires caused by lightning strikes.

I was amazed at the magnificence of the trees. Standing in their presence I felt completely dwarfed and insignificant. I was so excited to be able to see these hundred-year-old redwood trees in New Zealand.

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