After years of planning and a great rugby season, we were able to travel to New Zealand with the Snow Canyon High School Rugby Club. The experience was rugby filled, and the country was gorgeous, green, hilly, chilly (Southern Hemisphere, so winter during our summer), sheepy (made that one up), Lord of the Rings Hobbity (that one too), and kia ora welcoming. We were especially lucky because our youngest three sons were all able to travel and even play. Connor had just graduated from high school (awesome kid, High Honors Graduate, Captain of the State Championship Rugby Team . . . I know, it's bragging, but hey), and we were able to experience one great trip together before he leaves for an LDS mission to Peru. The one thing I want to forget is the jet lag (it's 3 or 4 am and I'm wide awake, for the third night in a row). But other than that, some of the highlights I want to always remember are below:
1. Being welcomed into the Maori culture. Our head coach, Michael Pururi, was born in New Zealand and has many relatives who actually welcomed us as family. Coach Steve Howard also lived in New Zealand for eight years, and his friends and former neighbors kindly hosted boys as well. The boys were able to stay in two different maraes, and we enjoyed traditional welcome ceremonies, singing, and massive and delicious meals. I have traveled many places but never experienced this level of cultural sharing before.
2. Going to the New Zealand LDS temple where Coach Pururi was able to perform baptisms for all 23 team members who traveled with us. Rare, spiritual, and amazing. The adults were able to attend an early temple session and then observe. We learned that Coach P's parents met while both were on "temple building missions" in that exact place, his mother from Samoa, and his father from New Zealand. We also were privileged to meet the Temple President, Sid Going, a former All Black (New Zealand's World Championship All Star Rugby Team) who refused to play on Sundays and influenced the team to play on Saturdays (which they still do, decades later).
3. Seeing "Hobbiton," where outside scenes from both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies were filmed. It was as gorgeous as it appears on the big screen! 44 Hobbit structures remain, and the area is set up for Bilbo Baggin's Eleventy First Birthday Bash. The details were fun (fake $1.5 million tree over Bilbo's home with 280,000 leaves, each wired on, then repainted and rewired per Peter Jackson's specific directive). We got to eat in the Golden Dragon and see the 12,000 sheep on the actual property (who weren't "pretty" enough, so different breeds were brought in during filming. Seriously, sheep extras).
Makes us want to watch a Hobbit-based movie marathon!
4. Rugby. We attended a fun professional game, three Junior World Championship Games, and played against some of the best junior rugby teams in the world. Hamilton Boys High School (2,200 boys, 30 rugby teams among them, players from all over the rugby world. Seriously, I never even knew rugby boarding schools exist). Every small town we drove through had a rugby pitch (or two or more). Rugby games are broadcast 24/7 there. It was fun to experience New Zealand rugby. Boy are they good. And BIG. And fast.
5. Running. Every place we went, I spent a day or so learning my way around, and then enjoyed some fun runs. The chilly temperatures actually made for perfect running weather. I got a calf workout barefoot on the beach in Raglan, ran along the waterfront in Auckland, and ran with the horses, cows, and sheep in tiny North Havelock.
6. The Maori hangi (I think I spelled it correctly). It's similar to a Hawaiian luau. The boys helped prepare a pig, dug the pit for it in the morning, and in the evening we had what our youngest son Wyatt called a second Thanksgiving! The Pururi family and local members of our church sang, danced, and fed us so graciously.
7. Church and the Single Adult Fireside concentrating on Rugby, or sport, helping to shape strong, valiant young men. Connor and a couple of his teammates spoke, and Coach Pururi's message was touching as well. And boy, do they put our typical Utah Ward singing to shame! They sing beautifully and with wonderful spirit and harmony!
8. Ascending the Sky Tower to see all of Auckland and the surrounding area.
9. Watching Dylan bungee jump, riding a jet boat race course and a giant catapulting swing with Wyatt. A fun bit of adventure never hurts :)
10. Spending an awesome two weeks (capped off with a 5 hour layover in Honolulu complete with a quick trip to Waikiki Beach--returning wet and sandy and happy) with Scott, the boys, and friends. It was truly a trip to remember.
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