Catching Up - 1 April 2014

Over the past week, I took off Thursday and Friday to travel with Mum, Bren, and Dick up north. We stayed in Lake Taupo and traveled to Waitomo Caves (glowworms!), Matamata (Hobbiton), Rotorua (Cascade Waterfall white water rafting), Orakei Korako (geothermal park, Huka Falls, and back south via  the Tangariro crossing and Mount Ngauruhoe ("Mount Doom" of the Lord of the Rings).

LOTS of driving, but magnificent scenery and great weather. Our hotel room included a hot mineral springs tub, along with a hot pool outside. Waitomo Cave looked like a nearby galaxy, and Hobbiton was better than I expected. The white water rafting, including a 7 metre waterfall, was great fun! At Orakei Korako, we saw bubbling water and mud, along with a number of fascinating geothermal formations. Huka Falls was that brilliant blue I have only seen in NZ. Lake Taupo was beautiful. And Mount Ngauruhoe looked every bit the part of Mount Doom.

Rafting in the Kaituna River and the 7 metre waterfall - COOL!!!

View of Lake Taupo from our motel.

View of a geothermal vent along the road.

Mum at Hobbiton

Bren at Hobbiton

Me at Hobbiton!

Dick and Bren at Orakei Korako geothermal park

Scene at Orakei Korako (Looks like a waterfall, but it is solid!)

Water in a cave at Orakei Korako

Huka Falls, Taupo

Ngauruhoe ("Mount Doom")

I've given so much info on travel that you may wonder if I am, in fact, working. Indeed, yes! And I am loving my research. I love to learn, and this fellowship is giving me the opportunity to indulge in research about NZ and US policies and laws and history. So far I have visited three of New Zealand's 6 major refugee resettlement sites. Between April-May, I will explore Wellington and Hamilton, and I will revisit Mangere and Auckland. I have presented in Christchurch and will present at Waikato University in May. I have also been asked to present a keynote at the NZ National Refugee Forum in July. Just prior to that, I will present for my USF college about arts-infused curriculum in Melbourne, Australia. At that time, I will also meet with Aussie colleagues to work on a book proposal on English-speaking refugee resettlement countries' policies and practices. So, indeed I am working. It is such "fun" that it hardly feels like work. I find it exciting. The NZ MBIE (Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment) has been more than generous in helping me travel to research sites. I cannot thank them enough. Three months down, only five to go. It will go far too fast. I am loving every minute.