It was an early morning getting up at 6:00 a.m. so we could "potentially" board our cruise boat at 7:15 for wale watching. Overnight the winds picked up and there was a good chance that "potentially" would turn into a cancelation. At 6:45 we were broke the news that the ships would NOT go out as the swells were too large that our safety and pleasure would be at risk.
We were pretty bummed as many of us have never really seen a whale, but we quickly got over it. We were allowed some free time to visit the beach and shop. A group of us headed to the beach as most of the shops would not open till 8:30-9:00.
The sun was at a perfect level offering a perfect backdrop for silhouette photos. Advantage taken! We were able to kill a good hour exploring the beach and capturing memories.
Once the stores opened I was able to basically finish up my shopping for family and friends and found some good deals and perfect gifts.
Arrived back to LU early afternoon and again were let loose to do as we pleased. Busker Festival still going on, but by this time no one wanted to pay for something we were unsure about and ride the long bus into town. So instead, most of us soaked up the sun in the rose garden, reconnected in the computer lab, and later headed to the Famous Grouse. We only had tow more evenings to enjoy it!
DAY 21
Our finally adventure...Akaroa! Since our whale watching trip was cancelled the day before, Heather got on the phone and reserved us spots for cruising in Akaroa to hopefully see the world's smallest, rarest, and friendliest dolphins; the Hector dolphin. The wind was still strong that the water was still a little rough, but the sun was shining and we enjoyed the sights. We got to see several different types of birds including the blue penguin, saw sheep being herding along the mountain side (really looked like "range maggots" as is a common nickname given to them back home), and just as we were about to head back to port we saw two Hector dolphins!!!
We made the short drive back to LU and prepared for our farewell dinner and Maori experience at the Willowbank wild life reserve. The Maori are the native inhabitants of New Zealand that still practice their culture. This evening we got to experience some of that as we said our farewells to New Zealand and all of its life changing experiences.
As we headed back to LU for our last night in New Zealand, Ted our bus driver dropped us off at the Famous Grouse to say our farewells that way! It was truly an enjoyable night as we all sat around laughing and telling stories off the past 21 days. We drank to yesterday's memories, today's stories, and tomorrow's desires.
DAY 22
We slept in and got ourselves all packed and ready to make the long trek home. Remember how on the way over we never experienced December 28th? Well this time as we headed back east, we get to relive January 19th, which will forever be the LONGEST day of our lives.
Loaded the bus around 10 a.m. to head to the airport. We said our goodbyes to Heather and Mike and boarded the plane to Fiji. During our 4 hour layover in Fiji, I realized I was going to miss my flight from LAX to SLC. So I got on my email and asked my aunt to come to the rescue. She was able to get me on a direct flight from LAX to MSP.
After a very long day of traveling, I was greeted by my parents at MSP around 8:30 p.m. We made the two and half hour drive back home to Comfrey, where I got to sleep in my own bed and be with my family and animals for half a day before heading back to Lincoln.
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A Trip of a Lifetime is what I was expecting from this adventure and that is exactly what it was. I still think about it daily and can't wait for the opportunity to go back in the future! Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible and to those who shared the adventure with me, whether in person or via this blog, THANK YOU!
