Several years ago my generous grandmother pledged to take each of her grandchildren on a volunteer trip anywhere in the world they wanted to go. She enjoys traveling the world, learning about different cultures, and had the desire to share these experiences with her many grandchildren. My oldest sister began the tradition with a trip to Ireland to help refurbish an international peace reconciliation center. My other sister decided to go to Ghana to help in a medical clinic and teach children. The desires of my cousins have taken her to Europe, Asia, and South America. I believe the only continent she has yet to visit is Antarctica. When my opportunity came along I decided on the islands of New Zealand, home of the Kiwis, as the locals like to call themselves.
I chose to participate in an environmental conservation program with the Global Volunteer Network (GVN). They have programs all across the world and invite people from all nations to join their ranks, for as long as they can, in order to help the needs of a global community.
We were housed on the southern tip of the North Island in Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city. For two weeks we picked trash off beaches, built trails around the city, and refreshed the bait on trap lines targeting pesky stoats (little weasel-like critters) that harass the highly valued bird population.
The varied landscape in New Zealand felt like a mixture of many different places. Wellington was a chic coastal city similar to Seattle with unique architecture, large harbors, steep, narrow streets, and coffee shops on every corner. The warm sandy beaches with large rock outcroppings, tide pools and flowing waves of seagrass reminded me of the Oregon Coast. Although one could confuse the tall fern trees for palm trees, their appearance within the lush green forests filled with exotic birds reminded me of the tropical atmosphere of Hawaii. When we went to the south island, the glaciers, the mountains, the lakes, the fjords, and the rivers all reminded me of home, Alaska.
Outside the city of Wellington there were green covered hills speckled with sheep that closely resembled England. Driving on the left hand side of the road, the predominance of cricket and rugby players, and encounters with a large percentage of British accents were tangible proofs of England’s colonization of New Zealand years ago, and their continued influence and peaceful relations today.
One of our volunteer activities on the north island had us carving into a hillside for a future bike trail. When the slice of our shovels produced trails of a milky white substance flowing from the freshly dug earth we discovered we were chopping our way through earthworms over a foot long and thicker than my thumb! We hated to disturb the giant wrigglers, but we could tell the trail would be a worthwhile addition to the area.
At the end of another strenuous day hauling heavy boards up a steep hill for another trail, we helped catch our evening meal from fishing lines strung out into the ocean from the beach. The locals encouraged us to go swimming, but when I realized baby sharks were also being caught on the fishing lines I quickly determined the water was a bit too crowded for my liking.
One activity we participated in that I had not expected was counting seals. I have only seen a few seals in my life. When I heard of our plans to observe and calculate the numbers of these marine mammals at Cape Palliser I was ill-prepared for the surprise of when we approached the shore and discovered … hundreds of them. Scattered across over half a mile of boulder covered coastline there was almost more than we could keep track of. We later found out this colony of fur seals is the largest on the North Island. We were observing them in the middle of their breeding season which explained the precious medley of nursing babies, protective mothers, and intimidatingly large bulls that we were extra careful to keep our distance from. The task became especially difficult, yet quite rewarding, when we had to identify how many babies there were snuggled up to their mother’s bellies.
When I chose New Zealand I was excited to go somewhere my grandmother hadn’t been before. We were able to discover together the diverse landscapes, the impressive wildlife, and the welcoming people. We marveled at the way New Zealand possessed features of places all across the world, all within a pair of relatively small islands. Although we were only a part of New Zealand’s community for a short time, it was a phenomenal experience within an altogether unforgettable trip.
Several years ago my generous grandmother pledged to take each of her grandchildren on a volunteer trip anywhere in the world they wanted to go. She enjoys traveling the world, learning about different cultures, and had the desire to share these experiences with her many grandchildren. My oldest sister began the tradition with a trip to Ireland to help refurbish an international peace reconciliation center. My other sister decided to go to Ghana to help in a medical clinic and teach children. The desires of my cousins have taken her to Europe, Asia, and South America. I believe the only continent she has yet to visit is Antarctica. When my opportunity came along I decided on the islands of New Zealand, home of the Kiwis, as the locals like to call themselves.
I chose to participate in an environmental conservation program with the Global Volunteer Network (GVN). They have programs all across the world and invite people from all nations to join their ranks, for as long as they can, in order to help the needs of a global community.
We were housed on the southern tip of the North Island in Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city. For two weeks we picked trash off beaches, built trails around the city, and refreshed the bait on trap lines targeting pesky stoats (little weasel-like critters) that harass the highly valued bird population.
The varied landscape in New Zealand felt like a mixture of many different places. Wellington was a chic coastal city similar to Seattle with unique architecture, large harbors, steep, narrow streets, and coffee shops on every corner. The warm sandy beaches with large rock outcroppings, tide pools and flowing waves of seagrass reminded me of the Oregon Coast. Although one could confuse the tall fern trees for palm trees, their appearance within the lush green forests filled with exotic birds reminded me of the tropical atmosphere of Hawaii. When we went to the south island, the glaciers, the mountains, the lakes, the fjords, and the rivers all reminded me of home, Alaska.
Outside the city of Wellington there were green covered hills speckled with sheep that closely resembled England. Driving on the left hand side of the road, the predominance of cricket and rugby players, and encounters with a large percentage of British accents were tangible proofs of England’s colonization of New Zealand years ago, and their continued influence and peaceful relations today.
One of our volunteer activities on the north island had us carving into a hillside for a future bike trail. When the slice of our shovels produced trails of a milky white substance flowing from the freshly dug earth we discovered we were chopping our way through earthworms over a foot long and thicker than my thumb! We hated to disturb the giant wrigglers, but we could tell the trail would be a worthwhile addition to the area.
At the end of another strenuous day hauling heavy boards up a steep hill for another trail, we helped catch our evening meal from fishing lines strung out into the ocean from the beach. The locals encouraged us to go swimming, but when I realized baby sharks were also being caught on the fishing lines I quickly determined the water was a bit too crowded for my liking.
One activity we participated in that I had not expected was counting seals. I have only seen a few seals in my life. When I heard of our plans to observe and calculate the numbers of these marine mammals at Cape Palliser I was ill-prepared for the surprise of when we approached the shore and discovered … hundreds of them. Scattered across over half a mile of boulder covered coastline there was almost more than we could keep track of. We later found out this colony of fur seals is the largest on the North Island. We were observing them in the middle of their breeding season which explained the precious medley of nursing babies, protective mothers, and intimidatingly large bulls that we were extra careful to keep our distance from. The task became especially difficult, yet quite rewarding, when we had to identify how many babies there were snuggled up to their mother’s bellies.
When I chose New Zealand I was excited to go somewhere my grandmother hadn’t been before. We were able to discover together the diverse landscapes, the impressive wildlife, and the welcoming people. We marveled at the way New Zealand possessed features of places all across the world, all within a pair of relatively small islands. Although we were only a part of New Zealand’s community for a short time, it was a phenomenal experience within an altogether unforgettable trip.
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Anne Sanders was born and raised in Alaska. She graduated with a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Alaska Anchorage. With a love for the written word, she recognizes the treasure of stories and fascinating people Alaska offers. Paired with her husband Cecil who compliments her narratives with his eye for the visual, Anne is on a mission to bring her beloved home of Alaska to life on the pages of Last Frontier Magazine.
