American Visit 2014 - Haiku
|
Chaperone Steve wrote haiku as we traveled to capture, in another way, moments of the trip. |
|
Travel Haiku - Day 23
|
I wish I could sleep
It is just one of those nights Tossing and turning Marty day is here The birthday decrees begin With Forrest Gump show Can't believe I saw A polar bear here in Bluff It does not make sense To the town of Bluff Where we visit a marae Haere mai, welcome! The Maori marae Communal gathering space Sacred meeting place Touching of noses Hongi, a Maori greeting Sharing breath of life Welcoming to all Marae is about people Very inclusive |
Visit Bluff marae
The Te Rau Aroha One hundred times love Wall art illustrates The three baskets of knowledge Past, present, future A formal visit Welcomed to the family Morning tea follows At the velodrome The junior racers do ride The clock is broken Presents are opened Marty day festivities A new barbecue My last night here ends With dinner and great new friends And farewell haiku A special haiku Written as a thanks to you Bittersweet to leave |
Travel Haiku - Day 22
|
Packing my luggage
Somewhat reluctant to leave For the long trip home I have mixed feelings More New Zealand adventure And longing for home Today is different Our primary school visits Next year's visitors? Twenty six kilos! Kids packing their luggage Way too much chocolate! A great group of kids So proud of ambassadors Excellent people Macarewa school Cold, mud, and rain don't bother The kids wear no shoes At Anderson Park A flock of mallards were fed Kaeli smiles a lot |
Still finding new things
Ordered a cheese roll today It was delicious Number one or two Determines what you will do A half flush or whole A farewell dinner Far too much thanks to express Amazing people Blending of cultures Appears natural, seamless Maori, pakeha An impromptu speech Inadequate expression Gratitude I feel Written on the road Ambassadors do perform Their New Zealand song I have been quite spoiled My hosts were most generous Can I stay longer? |
Travel Haiku - Day 21
|
A very short flight
Our planes to Stewart Island Twenty minutes long Fishing for blue cod On board the boat Southern Isle Madeline caught one! Fishing for blue cod It seemed like such a short time Wanted to do more On Ulva Island There are many kinds of birds We saw some weka |
We toured on a bus
Around the island we went Windy, wet weather Back on board the plane To Invercargill we go Our day nearly done Stewart island is According to the legends Maui's anchor stone |
Travel Haiku - Day 20
|
Sipping warm coffee
By the fireside this morning No bike ride today Writing thank you notes Much gratitude to express Kids and hosts - the best! Rain, rain go away! Want to enjoy another Sunny NZ Day |
It had to start soon
I began to pack today I've got too much stuff! While riding my bike I did see a wallaby In Queens Park no less Less than a week left Am going to miss the kids Great ambassadors |
Travel Haiku - Day 19
|
Quite cold this morning
Just eight degrees Celsius Summer in N.Z. Coffee by the fire A lazy weekend ahead All quite relaxing Tomato sandwich Fresh for the garden again It was delicious Headed for the store And just kept right on walking Exploring the park |
A walk in the park
And back to the museum Aviary too A now extinct bird The great moa twelve feet high Are you kidding me?!? To New World Market Bought three kilos of chocolate How to get it home? Dining out tonight Dinner with the Saunders clan Lovely company |
Travel Haiku - Day 18
|
T.S.S. Earnslaw
Launched in nineteen hundred twelve A coal fired steamer A morning voyage On board Lady of the Lake Cruising at twelve knots Chicken, lamb, or beef Colonel's Homestead Restaurant A filling buffet Sheep shearing again An entertaining display Love New Zealand wool! |
Some horseback riding
Beauty, Cooper, and Millie Trot along the trail Some mocktails are served In sub zero surroundings Minus Five Ice Bar Rain slowly subsides Clouds begin to dissipate Snow capped mountains show Depart very soon After three terrific days Sad to leave Queenstown |
Travel Haiku - Day 17
|
A morning mistake
His toothbrush out the window Jason has Tic Tacs Beautiful sun rise Pink sky o'er Remarkables Queenstown down below The Vudu Cafe Great breakfast to start our day Cappuccino, yeah! A tropical bird? Remote Antipodes Isle Parakeets flourish Kiwi Birdlife Park Abundant native species Conservation show My vision adjusts Finally see a kiwi Cute with its long nose! Despite its long nose A short beak has the kiwi Measure from nostrils Claire lost five dollars Parakeet snatched from her hand Then he gave it back |
Scenic mountain town
A relaxing afternoon More Queenstown shopping Shotover jet boat Screaming up and down river Spinning three-sixties Jet boat powered by Merc V-eight Scorpion Seven hundred horse Disoriented Sun crosses the northern sky All is front to back Our excitement builds Lifting straight into the sky Helicopter ride The mountain top views Queenstown and Wakatipu Beauty far below A long snaking track Ripping around the corners Luging down the hill Huge enchiladas Los Sombreros Cantina Kids in funny hats |
Travel Haiku - Day 16
|
The Amazing Race
Invercargill edition Fast, furious, fun Racing through the town Competitive juices flow But everyone wins We're off to Queenstown A long drive on winding roads Lake Wakatipu |
Lake Wakatipu
Water and sky glacial blue An idyllic scene A small gold rush town Arrowtown reflects it's past Great gelato too! From our balcony The sun lights the mountain range The Remarkables |
Travel Haiku - Day 15
|
Off to Te Anau
With the James Hargest kids too Another great day Road to Te Anau Reminds me of Wyoming Mountains high above We have morning tea Aside Lake Manapouri And view Jackson Peaks |
Crossing the blue lake
Aboard the Luminosa A cool wind blowing Down into darkness The Te Anau glow worm caves Shining like the stars Lots of scenery With little activity A pleasant days drive |
Travel Haiku - Day 12
|
A fun day ahead
It starts with Marty's porridge Another convert Fishing the Clutha The Proud Mary floats downstream Jeanette is our guide Sightings and nibbles We know that they are out there The elusive trout |
Afternoon respite
Some New Zealand style napping Called stacking some zeds On the gold trail ride Jeanette gathered blackberries Marty finds plums Almost reeled one in A fishless day of fishing But still a great day |
Travel Haiku - Day 11
|
Museum morning
Kids on a scavenger hunt Find the moa poo! A race to the top The steepest road in the world We climb Baldwin street Cool and refreshing Moana pools. Slides there too. Great fun for the kids Twisting road leading Otago peninsula A fog shrouded drive An oversized lunch Pineapple, bacon and cheese Gut buster burger Bumpy Argo ride Down rutted roads we travel An eight wheeled delight Abundant wildlife Sea lions, Elephant seal Animals approach Nesting on the beach Yellow eyed penguins Elusive and rare |
Back to Dunedin
Vegas goes to Harley shop Others to the mall Shopping and dinner Evening tea in Peggydale Had way too much food Weekend camping trip Caravan on the river Home away from home Camp on the Clutha A secret destination I will never tell Campfire is burning Venus on the horizon Perfect night ahead The night sky darkens Now I see the southern cross Sleeping under stars Riverside retreat The Clutha sings through the night Nature's lullaby |
Travel Haiku - Day 10
|
Off to Dunedin
Rich with Scottish heritage Will we see some kilts? Class work followed him Vegas completes math homework While we're on the road Onward through Clinton The presidential highway And off toward Gore Dreams of chocolate The Cadbury factory Buying treats and smiles Kids mouths watering Jaffas and Pineapple Lumps Buying some chocolate |
All world heritage
Museum of Otago Loads of history Museum opened Eighteen seventy seven Wish I had a line... Native style of dress Polynesian fashion show Our evening treat Dinner? Supper? Tea? Culinary confusion Don't know when to eat Right through the air lock Butterfly terrarium Terror on the wing Locked in for the night The kids are in for a fright Walking without light |
Travel Haiku - Day 9
|
Trip has just begun
Elasticity of time Trip is one third done Packed into the van With our mud covered gum boots Ready for the farm Starting our day at Knight of N.Z. Factory Fine lamb skin clothing I ate some Marmite Of course Jackson made me eat I don't prefer it On to Riverton Ti Hikoi Museum Maori history Treasure from the sea The paua shell factory Beautiful jewelry Afternoon tea time Fish and chips right on the beach Blue cod is tasty Low tide explorers Rolling rocks to find the crabs Levi is fearless |
Herding a stray cow
The kids stepping carefully Watching out for pies Milking all the cows From the udder to our cups Smell the farm fresh air Our driver Kirsten Her smile and laugh infectious Makes the day brighter Being towed behind Motorbike on the meadow Mr. Wise rolls on by Dogs flying across Green meadows under blue skies Guiding the sheep home Shearing summer sheep Wool gathered in cloudlike piles You'll be cold tonight Minor poo mishaps Happened at the farm today It all washes off |
Travel Haiku - Day 8
|
Enjoyed morning tea
Making lasting connections We left the kids behind A bygone era Bill Richardson's Museum Vintage trucks and cars Cabbage Tree Cafe Had lunch with eighties music Paul ate whitebait too! Vegas in P.E. Burpees, squats, and so much more He'll sleep well tonight New Zealand classes Emma in woodworking shop See the pride and joy |
Oreti bike ride
Cursing wind under my breath Legs are burning now Oreti Beach ride Wind finally at my back I feel heroic Cricket match today Three hundred runs in a game Is that possible? Learning a language Kia Kaha means stand tall Maori for be strong Cycling pajamas? Marty's ready to order Some late night humor |
Travel Haiku - Day 7
|
James Hargest College
Invercargill sister school Welcoming us home James Hargest College Twenty five years of friendship Hope for many more To the velodrome! Around the ellipse we go Fixed gear fun (for some!) Unfamiliar bikes Pedaling around the track Wait! There are no brakes Competition starts Racing above the blue line Kelsey almost wins! |
The tuatara
It pre-dates the dinosaur An ancient lizard The tuatara Up to five years with no food Metabolism Otatara group Restoring natural lands Native plants return Checking those journals Busy weekend for the kids Great times had by all! |
Travel Haiku - Day 4
|
We begin our day By Lord of the Rings touring Gollum is lurking Madeline, Anna Responsible, caring too Keeping our group safe Seven years apart The cicadas go mental Chirping overwhelms Many windy days "Blown away by Wellington?" Is what locals say Individuals So close yet so far apart Emma and Lauren |
Kimmie and Abby Artists at Weta Workshop Art coming to life The Weta Workshop Making movies magical Amazing art work Got halitosis? Emma always has some gum Fresh, clean, and minty. Depart Wellington Onward to Invercargill Meeting hosts quite soon Martin and Jeanette My hosts are very gracious They welcome me home |
Travel Haiku - Day 3
|
Starting the new day
Touring Parliament NZ Government Vegas asks questions Government differences Keen and insightful Tour of Wellington Discover Kiwi culture Traditions abound Off to museum A taste of Māori culture And all New Zealand Visit Te Papa A container of treasures Culturally rich |
Speak in metaphors
The richness of languages So say "Kia Ora" Oral tradition Convey deepness of meaning Communication The girls try to get A reaction from Jackson Time for a group hug Spaghetti tonight Shared with new friends and strangers We made way too much Reviewing journals These kids really are brilliant Different world views |
Travel Haiku - Day 2
|
We begin day two
With a really lame haiku Ouch, my neck hurts too! The plane dark and cramped Seats too small but some still sleep Rumer does not snore L.A. To Auckland Ten thousand kilometers Now we have arrived Claire in New Zealand Enthusiasm abounds Adventure begins Running through airports Security, passports too Now where is mine? Farther south you go The nicer the people get Southward we travel! Seatoun and worser Quick wit and gracious humor Give way sign for yield |
A new perspective
Kaeli and the camera An artist at work New World Market trip Confused, Madeline asks us What are rice bubbles? Grocery store trip Cereal with funny names Enjoy difference YHA Hostel Is our home away from home Humble though it is A very full day Our first day in New Zealand Finally a bed. Where has Jason gone? A laundry machine mishap? Spin cycle gone bad... Paul is sawing logs Soft mattress, sleep will come soon Ear plugs are the best. |
Travel Haiku - Day 1
|
Fourteen kids on board
New Zealand flight departs soon Excitement rises A really long flight Gives one lots of time to write Haikus through the night |
Such terrific kids
Amazing ambassadors Thanks to you, parents Always smiling is Mister Wise our great leader So glad you are here Mother to us all Can enough thanks be given To leader Daneen? |
