Campus Orientation

Of all the places that I will be during my stay in NZ, it is a wonder how easy it is to find beauty in this largely undeveloped country. That is not to say that it is not part of the first world, but its advancements are reserved for the cities. In Whakatiwai, (Fa-ka-tea-why) where the EcoQuest camp resides most residents get their water from their roofs, drained from the gutter into a water tank filtered and then pumped into the house. However, we are facing the regions largest drought in over thirty years. It is not estimated to rain until April. For better or worse, this has forced us Americans to truly evaluate what it is to be resource conscious. The campus has it’s own bore system, what we would call a well, so we won’t be without water, but showers and laundry have become a ritual that receives a hard thought before its under taking.

Without further ado, I will briefly take you around campus, my home for the next three months. My stuff finds it’s home in the cabin called Mangrove Front. Apparently when the site was established five years ago, this cabin housed all gentlemen. Just south of it, right in the picture, is the climbing wall. Following that path to the right, slightly turning around are the remaining cabins. You can see, however, that a number of my peers choose to set of their tents to sleep outside. I have not had this urge yet, as the mattress they provide us is significantly more comfortable than the ground and the room is quite circulated with the windows and door open. Beyond the budding fruit trees, producing a plethora of sweet treats throughout the season, is “Granny’s House.” This is the student hangout. Couches, a television, goodies from students-past, and some study place make the area very homey, not that the rest of campus is anything less. Next to granny’s is the staff office, the computer hub, and library.

What you see in front is the campus garden. Time during the program will be designated to working the land to produce a number of vegetables and herbs that we can consume freely. The garden was not as large a I had anticipated, and even smaller now under the pressure of the drought, but almost all of the meat and produce come from farms and local gardens within the immediate region. Next of importance is the Wharakai, (Far-a-k-eye), the eating-house. In here is the kitchen and a room that will constitute the dining room in inclement weather and the classroom. The porch also works for these things in the beautiful weather we have had.


The grounds around the camp are fairly vast, a few acres at least, plenty of room for games of soccer, rugby, volleyball, ultimate, or really anything we want to play at the moment. Some of this area is also a sacred place of the local Maori tribe, a wahi tapu. Although not specifically marked some of this area is more specifically an ancient burial ground, a urupa. Beyond the wahi tapu is the Firth of Thames and the Coromandel. We will hiking the Pinnacle within the Coromandel tomorrow. To finish this orientation I present you with a picture of the region park across the road from campus.

I plan on spending much of my free time here…Please don’t be jelous.


Next will be a story of my tramp (or hike) on the Coromandel.