After much anticipation, Kai is now a student in New Zealand. His first day at “Boys High” (as it’s called) was rich with traditions and bi- cultural influence.

All the new students or “manuhiri” are welcomed by a Maori Powhiri ceremony. Parents were also invited- I’m so happy I didn’t miss this!

Kai was slightly intimidated about attending an all-boys school with an emphasis on “sport” but after being screamed at by an all out Haka chant, he’s ready for anything!

Boys High is over 130 years old and it’s history will undoubtedly be revealed to us slowly over time.

The welcome or orientation was pretty unique and interesting in that most of the speeches were in the Maori language. It was a reminder that we are indeed in a foreign country, and that one not need understand the words to understand the passion …and get the point! These guys are serious.

Here’s video of the Powhiri. Kai can be seen in one shot walking into Pridham Hall behind a boy with a blue backpack. It well worth watching!

Boys High is composed of 4 Houses, each with their own house leader and Dean. Kai is in Barak ( emphasis on first syllable) so he will represent that house during internal school competitions. Today they spent 3 class periods playing games against the other houses: Donnelly, Syme, and Hatherly. Yes, just like Harry Potter!

Kai said is was awesome. He likes the house color green jersey he wore and is getting to know more boys. He gets along with two other new kids, one from South Africa and another from Australia.

Of note, Dr. Monty Barak graduated in 1920, was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford, and studied electrochemistry.

Below are photos of the Memorial Gate entry to the school. It must be almost as old as Pridham Hall which was built in 1918.

We are going to investigate this RD Kidd fellow who was killed or died from his wounds in WW1.

Kai said a big challenge is deciphering the Kiwi accent. ” I sit up front so I can listen but honestly sometimes I don’t know what they’re taking about. The teachers do say ‘ bloody hell’ a lot. It’s really funny. I guess at a boys school you can just say that and it’s okay!”

Nice.

Rotorua is adventure central for the North Island. While the thermal pools and Redwoods are the star attractions, there’s plenty of adrenaline pumping action too. A big draw is the “Ogo”, a huge plastic ball half filed with water that rolls you and a buddy zigzagging down a hill. We didn’t do that, we like our teeth inside our head. Bungee jumping- we will wait for a better view. But The Swoop! Kai and Des said “yes!” And Jen said “absolutely not doing that.”

140 feet up, 80 mile an hour drop, and a – GoPro?!

Hold my purse.

Kai pulled the rip cord at the top and away we went. All good. The drop was a super rush and the swinging part was actually pleasant. The video is awesome but too hi def to add here.

So Here’s a short video of the park and our first look at the swoop ride.

On our way back to New Plymouth we stopped in Hamilton, the closest big city.

The rain started coming down hard so we searched for indoor entertainment. Luckily, the Classics Car Museum was open. It is a real find. The exhibit houses cars from the early 1900s to present day. We had the 2 story place to ourselves, leaving just as a big Japanese group poured in.

Jen’s favorite was the 58 corvette, Des liked the BMW isetta and Kai thought driving any of the small cars would be a blast.

We definitely enjoyed our short trip and plan to see more of New Zealand, little by little.

Our second day in Rotorua started early with an incredible tour of the Dansey Road Scenic Reserve. It’s said to be the only zip line tour of a native forest and, luckily, it’s protected by a government conservation status. It was equally educational and thrilling. Our guides explained the fern and birdlife ecosystems and why huge efforts are spent eradicating non native possum, rats and stoats. Students from Australia devised a humane kill trap and the furry predators are no more. Kai was amazed that rats and ferrets had no predators and therefore posed a danger to birds here. We were happy to see and hear a healthy, chirping forest.

On the tour we crossed swing bridges and flat bridges over to 800 year old trees and zip lined from one platform to another. I think the longest line was 200 meters and we were up about 80 feet.

The guides were terrific and eased my nerves. I knew I wanted to do it but you never know till you get there!

See a few photos below and the video is great. Please watch it!

Later in the day we explored a forest floor at the “Redwoods” aka Whakarewarewa Forest. The big reds are called Californians and a grove in Rotorua was planted around 1900 or before. The reds were brought over because they are a great timber for building. Not many survived but the ones here were magnificent.

A large variety of ferns are intermingled with the big trees. The tree fern is my favorite as it looks much like a palm. The silver fern is the national symbol of New Zealand. The under side of mature leaves are silvery in color. They were cut and laid on the ground by the original Maori inhabitants to mark trails and paths at night, especially in battle, to keep people together. Today the silver fern is a uniting symbol for both Maoris and the European New Zealanders. The silver fern can unite them in sport or a common cause.

To cap off a perfect day Des found the Basement Cinema in the kitschy downtown area. Showing in Theater 1 ( which was the one and only screen ) was ” 3 Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri”. The 23 seat -theater was cozy and I recommend the movie.