Friends & Family,
Hot chocolates in hand, our students are nestled around the central wood burning stove of the lodge at the base of the mountain-- they are busy playing games, reading, and chatting the night away. After a day of travel through the scenic South Island countryside, everyone is settling in for the night and getting ready to hit the slopes of Mt. Hutt early tomorrow morning. A weather system passed through over the past few days so there should be plenty of fresh powder to carve.
Since the last update, our Putney Student Travelers have finished their homestays in Oamaru-- there were many rave reviews-- and moved onto the ski fields of the Southern New Zealand Alps. During in homestay, students woke up early to do chores on sheep farms, milked cows, and spent time with local kids their age. One of the more eventful events of our time here included an earthquake! Although its epicenter was located many kilometers away, some of us felt the ground rumble and roll slightly. At the end of our days in Oamaru we spent a fascinating afternoon at the site where the Narnia movies were filmed and then gathered with all of the families gathered for a farewell potluck dinner.
Having said their bittersweet, and even tearful goodbyes, our students boarded a bus to travel on to Lake Wanaka to get fitted for boots and boards and prepare for the next day, our first day of skiing. Cardrona was the first mountain we conquered on a beautiful sunny day. Unfortunately inclement weather prevented us from a second day at Cardrona, but instead we spent the day exploring Queenstown, one of New Zealand’s finest ski towns. The next day we skied at Treble Cone, and we were graced with another day of sunshine and a whole bunch of fresh powder.
After we shred the slopes of Mt. Hutt tomorrow, we will be carrying on to our final stop in New Zealand, historic Christchurch. To cap off our New Zealand experience,we (Merrill and Tom) have planned a beautiful farewell dinner at the Chateau on the Park in the city center tomorrow night. The next morning we will fly to the island nation of Fiji for the final four days of the program before coming back home.
All is well here. Sending our best from the other side of the world!
– Merrill and Tom
