Neal did a good job of explaining our life over the past few weeks, so I thought I might just keep it simple with a few of my most striking and meditative moments in New Zealand so far:
-- Biting into a juicy, pungent, couldn't-get-riper tangelo
-- Smelling fresh-cut grass and moist new-turned earth
-- The wind between the sheltering trees
-- Annie's shrill but firm voice calling the dogs: "Crocket, Lulu, Flossie!"
-- The spine-creeping feeling upon discovering the cockroach on the toilet seat, its antennae waving at me lazily, immediately after standing up
-- Soft sand between my toes
-- Wind and surf spray
-- The stinging feeling of salt water in my sinuses after wiping out hard (again)
-- The hot New Zealand sun beating down on my shoulders and face as I paint the rafters, and frying my knees as I squat to hammer another row of bricks (don't worry, Mom; I wore sunscreen)
-- The lifting feeling in my stomach and spirit as I look out upon the ever-expanding horizon
My two favorite experiences in New Zealand so far have been on Sunset Beach. The first evening we decided to walk along the beach during extremely low tide to see the Waikato Sand Dunes. The tide had gone so far out that the only sign we were not walking suspended in space was the firm sand beneath our feet. Distance was merely an illusion, and time felt like a dream. The mist coming off of the breaking waves was rising up to form a translucent curtain of contained light and air, giving an otherworldly feel to the distant landscape. The colors were cool and muted, still holding the light of the day while preparing for the oncoming night. I fully understand why they filmed Lord of the Rings inthis country! We walked along the beach in the thick space between sand and water, stepping lightly around jellyfish, tracing shapes with sticks and picking up shells. Suddenly the black-green sand began to mix with a new sand: soft and fine as powdered dry paint and a deep indigo blue. I plopped myself down and ran my hand and arms through the warm moldable softness like a little kid . Neal went off on his own for awhile, and when he came back to gather me I was so sad at the prospect of leaving my happy place that I gathered a handful of the fine, sticky sand into my hat for bottling later. By the time we got to the dunes, the sun was setting and the tide was moving in, so we just stepped quickly into a quiet corner for a brief glimpse and reflection, then headed home for dinner. As we walked out of the dunes, we spotted the marks of horseshoes walking past which had not been there before. Ghost Horse rides again!
The next evening, Dean told us that a bunch of surfers were going out to catch some bigger waves before nightfall, so Neal and I went out to watch. The reef was exposed due to low tide, and we discovered all sorts of unusual sea creatures hiding in the still-moist areas: crabs, anemone, starfish... We climbed on rocks worn down by water to expose the veins of other materials running through; other rocks sharp and jagged and dark as night; and sand with bits of shiny neon shell still gleaming, not yet fully broken smooth ands all by the currents. We passed an older surfer, his face grim and bloodied, walking back to his car. We scrambled on top of the biggest rock we could find, slipping around in our flippy floppies until we could see the whole ocean laid out in front of us. The surfers were few at first, but slowly grew more numerous until there were about 25 dark shapes floating and bobbing between the gigantic waves. An even older man passed below us, barefoot on the rocks with his face and some of his shaggy white hair painted with zinc to look almost like a clown. We watched in awe and admiration as he picked his way delicately between the sharp rocks and battering waves, and paddled slowly but steadily out to join the others. We watched with the wind whipping our faces until we got too cold and hungry to sit any longer, and then we worked our way back home again. The ocean is a magnificent force that is not to be taken lightly, and it very swiftly puts our own size and meager influence upon nature into sharp perspective. Good on ya, surf enthusiasts! We have a whole new level of respect for what you do.
We are now in Raglan, another beach town a bit south of Port Waikato and not much larger. We stay here until Monday, just in time to celebrate Guy Fawkes and light things on fire with the rest of the country! "Forever remember the 5th of November..." And never forget Sunset Beach.
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