WHAKAPAPA, New Zealand — Multiple classroom sessions and a tour highlighted the final days of Vanderbilt swimming’s international education trip to New Zealand.
The Commodores attended classroom sessions four straight days in Rotorua before departing for Whakapapa on Wednesday. Once at the last of three destinations on the trip, Vandy student-athletes took part in a 20-kilometer hike through the Tongariro National Park and a class on Mount Ruapehu. The final event of the trip featured a visit to Hobbiton Tours.
Commodore student-athletes documented the final days of the team’s journey.
Journal entry No. 7 — May 31 — Hannah Weissman (Maple Valley, Wash.)
On Wednesday, the Vanderbilt swim team made its way down to Whakapapa from Rotorua. Our first stop of the day was a little outside of Rotorua at Lake Tarawera. There, we learned from Darren—a professor at the University of Canterbury and an expert in volcanology—about effusive and explosive eruptions that occurred on Mount Tarawera, which is in the middle of the lake. We then continued on our journey south and stopped to look at some mud pools. After that, we landed at our outcrop for the day, which was at the tip of Lake Taupo. We examined multiple beds of rocks and discovered that there were mixes of pyroclastic falls and flows that came from a nearby volcano. We finished our day at an overlook over Lake Taupo and ended up in Whakapapa, where we were for the next four days.
Today I learned about the specific nuances between pyroclastic fall and flows as in the previous days we learned more about the basic differences between the two. I also learned about the differences between effusive and explosive eruptions from Darren. His expertise and knowledge of New Zealand volcanoes has been incredibly helpful throughout this entire trip and I cannot wait to learn more from him as well as the amazing Professor Guil and TA Liam.
I feel grateful to learn from such knowledgeable people and experience this with my teammates. We are learning so much about a field of study in which not very many of us are knowledgeable in while also getting to experience the beauty of New Zealand. Every day we see something new and gorgeous that is unlike anything in the U.S., and we become more immersed in the culture and appreciation for these wonderful landforms. I will be forever grateful for this experience and the appreciation I now have for the wonders of nature and its processes.
Journal entry No. 8 — June 1 — Maddie Smith (Lafayette, Calif.)
Today was our first full day in Whakapapa and we explored the Tongariro National Park! We woke up in the Forest and Bird cabin, and to prepare for a full day outside we all packed our lunches together in the morning. It was so fun to hang out in the kitchen together preparing for the day and eating breakfast. It was pouring rain, so before departing we played board games and worked on a puzzle.
I felt like we really got to bond during this time. We did not have service where we were staying, I think it was a blessing in disguise as it allowed us to disconnect from our technology and be present with each other!
For our field investigation as part of class today, we explored an outcrop where we talked about pyroclastic flow, falls, and lava flows. We learned the difference between rhyolitic and basaltic magma, as well as the power of relative aging. It was super awesome to be in the presence of surrounding volcanoes and seeing evidence of eruptions up so close. The weather conditions all day were rough, as it was around 35 degrees and raining. We all got pretty wet as we hiked and climbed the rocks, but the views were beautiful and it galvanized us to be there for one another during this challenge.
I think this day really pushed us out of our comfort zones, but proved that we are better when we are together. I know we grew immensely from this experience!
Journal entry No. 9 — June 2 — Jenna Ravarino (Concord, Calif.)
Today was full of class work and a little bit of relaxing. When we woke up this morning the weather was terrible and we weren’t able to go into the field right away. So, we took our time making breakfast in the lodge and getting ready for the day. We had a class discussion in the “living room” of our lodge, and prepped our maps for an assignment we would do later on in the trip. Once the weather cleared up around 11, we loaded up the vans and headed to an outcrop.
The outcrop was kind of far away, but it was okay because we got to look at the scenery as we drove. On all the long car rides I enjoyed talking with my teammates to pass the time. We would talk about some of our favorite memories from the Vandy swim team, college in general, high school and our childhood. The car rides helped us get closer and learn more about each other!
After our hard work at the outcrop, Guil and Liam (our professors) drove us to a lookout point at the top of Happy Trails. It was so pretty, but also so windy. We all had fun seeing how far we could lean back without falling because the wind was holding us up! After the lookout, we headed to the lodge to freshen up for dinner where we went back to the Skotel and met the coaches and graduates. After dinner we all sat around the fire at the Skotel and played cards, reminisced on what we learned and drank hot chocolate. It was the perfect end to an amazing day!
Journal entry No. 10 — June 3 — Kailia Utley (Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Describing today is much like explaining every mantra that explains hard work paying off. Instead of pouring rain that drenched the last few days, we woke up to howling wind. However, the only activity on the itinerary was a 20 kilometer (12 mile) hike. Because of that, everyone found themselves to be a bit nervous. Our professor planned for an alternative activity if the conditions became unbearable, but we were still going to try the hike for as long as we could. Knowing we would climb over 2,000 ft in elevation during this hike, we bundled ourselves in every layer we could find and headed out to the vans.
The anticipation began to rise on the 30-minute drive to the trail. However, when we got there, the clouds covered most of the mountain. The wind had died down quite a bit, though, which brought us all a little comfort. We began to warm up as we started walking toward the base of the volcano. We made many stops to grasp an understanding of the scenery around us. Since we were taking part in a geology class, we identified a few different lava flows and their relative ages. This helped distract us from the volcano that lay ahead of us hidden beneath the thick clouds. Slowly, we moved closer and closer to it, continuously becoming more familiar with the terrain by pointing out geological features we had now grown accustomed to noticing. Our professor even showed us the evidence of the most recent eruption of this volcano that occurred in 1975.
Up to this point, the hike had been relatively flat. But, after a quick stop for lunch, we realized the only way to go now was up. At first glance, it seemed that it was going to take us ages to hike up such a mountain. Nonetheless, we started the trek. Thankfully, our training in the pool helped us greatly with the physical aspect of the steep incline. The daunting glance over the side of the cliff, though, was enough to keep the heart rate high. We all moved together in silent unison up the mountain and into the clouds. When we reached the top, all we could see was fog and ice-covered vegetation. All of us felt like we were on the moon. The wind picked up again and the moisture of the clouds began to dampen our coats.
Fortunately, we decided we needed to keep going. The trail flattened out as we entered into a crater. Still consumed by the fog, the hike felt more and more mystical. Eventually, our professor stopped us near the middle of the crater to speak on its history and why it looks the way it does today. As he was educating us on this area of the hike, the clouds started to move. The sun poked through the clouds and we cheered. However, something better was about to reveal itself to us.
When we turned around, we saw that the clouds were clearing and in their place stood the crest of Mount Ngauruhoe in all its glory. We erupted in awe and disbelief. Many of us were admitting that we didn’t think we had seen anything more incredible. It made every second of the long hike worth it. Even as the clouds moved back into the crater blocking the view of the mountain’s summit, the image of what we had just seen was burned into our minds. Even though the view did not last long, we couldn’t stop talking about what had just happened. No one even minded the 10-kilometer hike back to the vans, since we got to see something so incredible.
Today was a day I don’t think my team will ever forget. It granted us a greater appreciation for the opportunity we have to challenge ourselves every day. It taught us to take advantage of every moment offered to us. Most of all, it reminded us to push past our doubts and take on the unknown world.
