February 22, 2011

The Earthquake

We got the news of the earthquake in Christchurch last night, first by text from Griff and then by email from our Flyinn hosts who said that their location (100 or so miles southwest of Christchurch) was not affected by the quake. We didn’t know the extent of the deaths and devastation until I checked my computer. The Prime Minister is calling it their “darkest day,” with 65 deaths and more anticipated, buildings collapsing on their occupants in the middle of a work day, and some buildings collapsing on buses traveling by. We join all of you in grieving for their losses, and send our condolences (and for us, our bodies) to New Zealand. We fly out tonight at 10 PM destined for a 13 hour trip to Auckland in the North Island. We don’t go to Queenstown in the South Island until Saturday (your Friday). We had tentatively planned to go to Christchurch after our Flyinn adventure, rent a car and strike out from there. We’ll decide later whether we will stay on that plan.
We awoke this morning to a flurry of emails and text messages, all asking about our welfare and whether our plans would change. Sugar and I were both very touched by the concern of so many who not only contacted us but also called Bay or other family members. So we leave the shores of the USA with the love of you all in our hearts. Thank you.
Joshua Slocum wrote this advice for those preparing for transoceanic voyages: “Know the sea. Know that you know the sea. And never forget that it was made to sail upon.” The same is true of life - it was meant to be lived, eh?

Aotearoa

This is what Kuramarotini, wife of the great navigator, Kupe, cried out when New Zealand was first discovered by Maoris from their original homeland of Hawaiki. What does it mean? What would you first see (even before seeing land) when you approached land from a double-hulled ocean-going craft or any other ocean-going craft? That is what the word means, and that was the Maori name for New Zealand. And that is your quiz, so many of you having done so well with yesterday’s quiz. When Europeans first arrived, in the person of Abel Tasman in 1642, he named it Statenland, assuming it was connected to Staten Island near Argentina. Later, it was named after the province of Zeeland in Tasman’s native Holland. 4 of Tasman’s men were killed by the Maoris in their transfer to another boat (likely story!), and the Europeans didn’t return to New Zealand for 127 years in the person of James Cook and other assorted French and English explorers.

All Blacks

The most famous of their sports teams is the rugby team called the “All Blacks.” Black seems to be the color for NZ sports teams. The Black Caps are the name of the cricket team, the Black Ferns are the women’s rugby team, and at one time, and for a very short time, their badminton team was known as the Black Cocks (for shuttlecocks, I imagine). And then, on the other hand, there are the All Whites (isn’t that the US Senate’s nickname?) which is the name of the NZ soccer team, and the Silver Ferns, the women’s netball team.

So, it’s time to pack and get ready to leave for LAX. My next blog should be from NZ. Until then, I remain etc., etc., Nat, Dad, Matt, DB