logging

We've returned safely from our Forest Ecology excursion. We packed up Thursday morning and headed over the Lewis Pass to Reefton where we stayed at Waiuta. Waiuta's an abandoned mining village in the middle of nowhere. I guess they really wanted us to focus on trees because that's all that was there. But the place had a slightly haunting feeling, the visitor's log had several accounts to be wary of the "wood-man." No worries, we're all still alive.

We then headed through Greymouth, made a pit stop at Franz Josef glacier where we once again looked at more trees. Well, this was Forest Ecology week. I'm not being sarcastic, I really enjoyed researching trees. The rest of the week we stayed at Bruce Bay, where conditions were...okay. The weather turned to crap. We stayed at an old hall, and the town consisted of three houses and a penguin. It was cold, rainy, windy, full of sand flies, etc. I cried. If it weren't for the trees I would've died.

Sleeping conditions

Franz Josef

Towards the end of Forest Ecology weather conditions turned miserable. Our last field day we went to Lake Matheson to study trees one last time. There was wind, rain, cold, all we needed was some snow. So this is the scenario: I have got thermals, jeans, snow pants, two long sleeves, a jacket, and a rain coat, soaking wet shoes, and a bag of rocks. We studied trees and skipped rocks at the lake, in the worse conditions ever. I loved it. kinda. Well now I do.

we're studying them. i promise.

Even though the tone of this post is really negative this trip had its good moments. Singing Christmas carols at the top of our lungs in the van, the endless amounts of pesto-turkey-roast beef sandwiches, playing Settlers of Catan, hiking Copeland Valley, star gazing, and kiwi hunting were a few highlights.

mmm. pesto-turkey-roast beef-avocado-lettuce-and brie sandwich.

I'm basically two pages away from finishing this stupid paper. Don't get me wrong I still love New Zealand. I'm just having my first crappy day in New Zealand. I've got a cold and I bruised my toe nail. AGH!