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Saint's Field Hockey team visits Hobbiton, rafts down waterfalls and climbs volcanoes

Posted 8/15/16

Several members of the St. Lawrence Univeristy field hockey team are blogging their experiences during the team's preseason trip to New Zealand. Today's entry is the third blog post. If you haven't …

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Saint's Field Hockey team visits Hobbiton, rafts down waterfalls and climbs volcanoes

Posted

Several members of the St. Lawrence Univeristy field hockey team are blogging their experiences during the team's preseason trip to New Zealand.

Today's entry is the third blog post. If you haven't already, catch up with the team's adventures by reading the first entry and the second entry.

Hobbiton and OGO ball rides

by Celia Fleckner '19

The team started off with an early-morning breakfast so we could drive to the beautiful scenic town of Hobbiton where the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed. Amongst the team were a few fans who enjoyed seeing Bilbo Baggins' home and a cider in the Green Dragon Pub. It was neat to learn how the set was founded and has grown to become a popular tourist must-see in New Zealand.

Originally a farm bought in 1978, producer Peter Jackson knocked on the door close to 20 years later to scope out the land and see if it matched J. R. R. Tolkien's work. Surely it did! The detail of each of the hobbit houses ranged from painted mailboxes to tiny honey jars. Walking across the path and through the gates, we felt as though we were one with the hobbits. The backdrop of the lush green hills and roaming sheep had the team taking pictures left and right. We were then led to conclude our tour by the fire in the Green Dragon.

After leaving the Shire, the team stopped for some more entertainment at the Agrodome farm show! After getting up close and personal for a good sheep selfie, the herd posed on stage while getting a good flow chop. Sheepskin flung from the stage, giving the Saints a perfect souvenir to take home.

The next stop of the day was the OGO ball track. The Saints rolled down a hill in a giant ZORB-like ball, infused with water for a smooth and slippery ride.

We wrapped up the day with a traditional Maori Hangi meal and cultural performance to give us a taste of the tribal rituals. A few of the Saints took the stage along with them and learned a few moves.

Raft rides down waterfalls, hiking volcanoes and spa treatments

by Lindsey Houseman '19 and Bailey Sherwin '19

Wednesday morning we woke up excited for the day ahead, as team members had the choices of river rafting, hiking a dormant volcano, or hanging out at the spa.

Eleven members of the team squeezed into wetsuits and set off for an hour of fun in the rapids and waterfalls of the Kaituna River. Two players and three coaches hiked up the dormant volcano to find a beautiful view at the top that was well worth the trek up. The rest of the crew stayed close by the hotel and treated themselves with a spa day full of massages and eight different pools.

The rafters got picked up bright and early and headed down to the cabin in the woods to get changed and geared up. We knew from the second we got in the bus it was going to be an activity to remember because all of the rafting guides were extremely entertaining. We got to the river and jumped in our rafts and quickly learned the front stroke and back stroke, and before we were thrown into the river to test our paddling skills, our guides led us in a quick Maori prayer which isn't religious but cultural. We did this because the river we were rafting in was owned by the Maori people so we were essentially thanking the land for the river and wishing for a safe and fun travel down the Kaituna. The river had 12 rapids and three waterfalls, one at three feet, one at seven feet, and the largest waterfall that is commercially rafted in the world, at 21 feet. At this point in the river, the guides told us that there is about a 1-in-3 chance of us flipping, and they were right! One of our three rafts got a little extra wet when we took on the largest waterfall but the other two made it out right side up!

The hikers started their day a little later than the rafters to let the temperature warm up just a little before hiking through the frigid New Zealand air. The hikers were told to dress like onions in order to be warm enough at the start and peel off layers when they got hot and sweaty. The bus that picked them up drove them essentially half way up Mount Tarawera before leading them the rest of the way to the top by foot. While hiking they were told the last time the volcano erupted was 130 years ago! The hikers experienced a beautiful view and on the way down went down a trail full of gravel. The gravel made them slip and slide everywhere, making them feel as if the only way to stay on their feet was to pretend they were skiing. Luckily they all made it down safely with lots of stories and pictures to share!

After the return of the rafters and the hikers, there was a little down time before the next adventure. The Saints explored the town of Rotorua, finding souvenirs to bring home and eating yummy lunches before heading off to the geysers.

We had two hours to wander around the geysers so we started by going to see the largest one. It was a super cool view, water was constantly squirting out of the rock and steam was filling the entire sky. As we continued to explore the paths, there were smaller hot springs and even a hot mud pool that was bubbling. The mud looked super soft, it made us want a mud mask!! There was an observatory to see kiwi birds. Teammates who were able to spot one said they looked like bowling balls with long beaks. There was Maori wood carving and a ceremony happening that we were able to watch and eventually we went to the souvenir shop where a lot of us bought Rotorua mud masks along with other fun things to take home to our families.

After the geysers we headed back to the hotel to change into our field hockey gear and get ready to play our last game in New Zealand. We played a local Rotorua club hockey team who had very good and sneaky stick skills. It was fun to play a team who had skills we don't face on a daily basis. The high-level skills the club team had pushed us to play at a higher level. Goalkeeper Julia Hudson '17 was on fire, saving shots from left to right that we're going straight at her face. After the fast-paced game we headed inside to the clubhouse of the team we played. They provided us with a sausage dinner, lots of fruit, yummy desserts, and lots of laughs before sending us on the road.

Once back at the hotel we had a brief team meeting to talk about the fun we had on the trip, the amazing things we did, and the bonding experience we had. Some of the team headed to the spa to stretch out and relax before packing up and getting ready for the long flight, while others got right to the packing in fear of forgetting everything. Before tucking into bed we made sure to wait until midnight to wish Carly Dziekan '17 a very happy 21st birthday!

As our New Zealand experiences come to a close we all are very excited to get back to St. Lawrence and start the school year and especially the season! See you in a week!