out of a dream, out of the sky...

over the course of the week, i saw more wildlife and scenery then I've probably seen in my entire life. i also came to the conclusion that i have a weird somewhat unhealthy fear of birds.  there unpredictability is really scary for some reason.  when i was running along the lake, the swans would hiss and make aggressive motions. not a fan.  the lambs, and sheep, and baby ducks are more up my alley.

little boys after my own heart.....throwing rocks at birds

roadtrip: part III

on saturday we had the chance to take the boat out on Lake Terawera.  it was warm and sunny, perfect weather for a day out on the water.  we unsuccessfully attempted to catch some trout, made a visit to hot water beach, and jumped off a few cliffs. 

hot water beach was the craziest thing ever, you don't even have to dig your feet in to the sand, just walking over the sand, is so hot.  and if you weren't careful you could easily get burned.  the lake itself was cold, but you could find little pockets of steamy water, like little mini hot tubs,  such a crazy concept.  

on saturday, we attended a authentic maori hangi. the local maori family put on a concert, and then served us a feast. the food during a hangi is cooked in the ground, and heated by the natural steam for about 4 hours. the result is tender chicken and lamb that comes out having a smoked flavor that was delicious.  

after a walk through the woods, a canoe came down the river, filled with maori warriors who led us to their "village" so that we could watch traditional maori sword fighting.