Facts and Finale

Our time and mission in New Zealand for now is finished.

We did get to spend a it of time in Australia before we flew home.

FACT:

Australia is a different “beautiful” than New Zealand. The Opera House is an architectural masterpiece,

Sydney

the emu, kangaroo and koala are unique,

...and the time in the Sydney temple was literally “divine”.

I would say we are “home” but we’ve learned much about the statement

“home is where the heart is”.

Home can have more than one location and be as full of many wonderful and loved people as your heart can hold. But it’s a fact that we are back with our dear family and friends in Utah again.

We have the chance to report our mission this Sunday June 9, at 12:00 noon in the Farmington Canyon View Ward (850 North Compton Road in Farmington). Our good friends Lynn and Ann Summerhays have opened their home (nearby in Farmington at 942 Oakridge Drive) after at 2:00 so we can spend some time getting reacquainted with anyone who wanders up. We have also been invited to speak in our former Ridgecrest Ward (2400 North) in Layton on at 9:00 a.m. on June 23 (we’re nothing spectacular so no worries about needing to come from our perspective).

Thought for a last blog we would just throw out a few facts we have learned in 2 years about the amazing country of New Zealand and about our time here (a mix of our pictures and better shots from the web *).

FACT:

FACT: New Zealand is the first place on earth (Gisborne if the first city)

that you can see a New Year’s sunrise. *

FACT: NZ is home to many movie sets, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian, The Lord of the Ring, The Hobbit, The Last Samarui, The World’s Fastest Indian,

The Piano, even parts of King Kong and Avatar.

Hobbiton

FACT: NZ is the only known country to have a country wizard. In 1990 the Prime Minister of NZ appointed

Ian Brackenbury Channell as the official Wizard of New Zealand. *

FACT: South Island landscape, fiords, alps, thousand waterfall and lupine are unique and breathtaking.*

FACT: NZ is home to the worlds largest hot pool or lake called Frying Pan Lake (sometimes called Waimangu Cauldron). The lake is located in an old volcanic crater and its acidic water has an average water temperature of 131°F . *

FACT: It is the home of the Maori tribes – haka's, hangi's, tattoos, and beautiful people. *

Maori Chief *

FACT: Cape Rianga at the end of 90 mile beach (which is really 90 Km long and only 56 miles long)

where Pacific meets the Tasman sea. *

FACT: NZ claims the city with the world’s longest name is in Hawks Bay- 85 letters Taumatawhakatangihangaoauauotameteaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupo-kaiwhenuakitanatahu, is the longest place name found in any English speaking country. Roughly translating too, “the place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as the land-eater, played his nose flute to his loved ones”. *

FACT: Taupo NZ is the place of the world biggest volcanic eruption in last 70,000 years spewed 15,000 times the volume of material ejected when Mount Saint Helens in Washington State erupted in 1980._[creating lake Taupo today .

Also note: there are more McDonalds per capita in New Zealand than anywhere else in the world except the US.

The Taupo McDonald’s is unique…an aeroplane. *

FACT: Wellington, New Zealand, is the southernmost national capital in the world. The national capitol building houses the 5 political parties that make up the 120 member parliament
led by a prime minister is called the Beehive.
Invercargill, a NZ city on South island is the southern most city in the world.

FACT: Sheep were first set ashore by Captain Cook in 1773.

There are 7 sheep to every person in NZ, and NZ is the 2^nd highest producer of wool in the world,

next to Australia. Cows came in 1814. There are many native birds but the only native mammals are bats. There are no snakes in New Zealand.

FACT: The giant Moa birds, now extinct, were flightless birds that were native to New Zealand. The largest species, the giant moa, reached about 12 feet (4 m) in height and weighed about 550 lb. (249 kg). Some of the largest birds ever to inhabit the earth, they were hunted to extinction by the Māori by 1500. Reminds us of “Kevin” in the movie “Up”. *

FACT: The NZ Takahe was once declared extinct. *

FACT about Kiwi’s: The people of New Zealand got the nickname during the first world war when their soldiers were distinguished by calling them “kiwi’s”. NZ produces the Kiwi fruit but it was imported hundreds of years ago from China. The flightless kiwi bird is native to New Zealand. In relation to the bird’s body size, the kiwi’s egg is the largest egg in the world, weighing approximately one-third of the female bird’s weight. The kiwi is the only bird in the world that has a sense of smell. Its name comes from the male’s distinctive, shrill call. *

Rotorua – city built on geysers…Whakawerawera village

built on top doesn’t need hot water or stoves as it uses the hot water from geysers

to bath and clean, and the hot steam to cook their food. *

FACT: There is a Redwood forest treewalk in Rotorua. *

In Rotorua many Maori make traditional Maori skirts from the sacred flax plant

FACT: Scientists say the curious round boulders (called Moeraki boulders)

found on Koekohe beach in New Zealand are over 60 million years old. *

FACT: The native pohutakawa and rata trees are hearty trees and one of the few trees that can easily

grow on volcanic fields and along the rocky coastlines of New Zealand.

They sport their big red blossoms around Christmas time and so are called

the New Zealand Christmas tree. *

FACT: There are heaps of glowworms in New Zealand. The glowworm (Arachnocampa luminosa) is actually the larva of the fungus gnat (relative of the mosquito), which attaches itself to cave roofs in New Zealand. The bluish-green glow the larva emits comes from the sticky silk threads on its body, which it uses to trap flying insects. The hungrier the larva is, the brighter it glows. *

FACT":New Zealand boasts the worlds heaviest insect, the giant weta, “Wetapunga” is its official name, Maori for God of ugly things. It’s a HUGE cricket, loves carrots and can weigh as much as an adult sparrow or very large mouse. *

FACT: There are over 50 volcanoes in the city of Auckland. None of these volcanoes are expected to erupt again in this area. The latest one is Rangitoto which is over 900 years old. The volcanoes originated from a magma source which is located 100-kilometres under the city and have provided the city with some truly remarkable landscapes. *

FACT: Auckland is also known as the ‘City of Sails’ *

FACT: It has the highest boat ownership per capita in the world. On the last Monday of January,

the Auckland Anniversary Regatta takes place. With more than 1,000 entries,

it is the world’s biggest one-day yachting event. *

FACT: Auckland NZ will host the 2022 America's Cup sailing race

FACT: Russell New Zealand was once the capital of NZ. Here is the Russell harbour

FACT: Hot Water Beach in the Coromandel is a place you can dig your own spa. *

FACT: The world’s steepest road is believed to be Baldwin Street, with a 38° gradient,

in Dunedin, New Zealand.*

FACT: Auckland NZ has the largest Polynesian population in the whole world. *

FACT: They make up around 28% of the Auckland population and invite the city and its visitors to enjoy their culture at the Otara and Matakana and Manuwera markets and the yearly Pasifica Festival *

Pre-mission camp Henderson Stake, beautiful Kiwi's

Kiwi missionaries

Kiwi institute classes...

More Kiwi's

FACT: We have fallen in love with these Maori, Samoan, Tongan, Niuean, Indian, Chinese, Korean and Kiwi’s.

_{FACT:Niue is an incredibly beautiful tropical island.}FACT: Life there is just not a big holiday like the magazines portray, but full of not only coconuts and crabs but also hard things and of challenges as well.
But ...
its also full of good people and great adventures.