A Hobbit Holiday

During the past week, our students set off to explore what New Zealand has to offer. How did Janine Coelho (Messiah) choose to spend her term break? Here's her account of the adventure:

"Spring Break was a great time for all of us to scatter across New Zealand and drink in its beauty. I don’t know how much we all rested since most of us came back with colds, but we sure had some excellent adventures. I departed with Kate Hoffman [Messiah], whose father and sister had come over from America to visit and explore. After receiving a shower of hugs and goodbyes from our fellow students, we were off. It was bittersweet pulling out of the Old Convent driveway, ready to go on adventures but sad to temporarily leave the people we’ve grown so accustomed to living with.

Kate and I, the major nerds of the Convent, had our trip strategically planned to hit three fantasy film locations; two from the “Lord of the Rings” and one from the Chronicles of Narnia. The four of us piled into the rental car and set out to/ across New Zealand’s North Island by way of the Picton Ferry. We shared laughs, life stories, and stresses over maps and schedules. It wasn’t long before I felt like I was a part of the family. We drove the long way to Turangi, and headed out at the break of dawn to summit Mount Tongariro, aka Mount Doom from the “Lord of the Rings.” It wasn’t the easiest track but the sense of accomplishment was huge at the end. 

Janine (Messiah) at Tongariro National Park.

A couple of days later, our nerdy hearts almost exploded with joy when we went to Mata Mata and stepped foot onto the Hobbiton movie set from the “Lord of the Rings.” We definitely had a lot of fun running from on hobbit hole to the next, seeing Bilbo’s house at Bag End, and finally ending up at the Green Dragon which was converted into a functioning pub and restaurant. 

Just a look at Janine and Kate's (Messiah) fantasy-filled trip.

A day later we ended up at Cathedral Cove, which was featured in the second Narnia movie: Prince Caspian. My breath was taken away as I turned the corner and gazed through the majestic tunnel on the beach. That sight was unaltered from the movie and it was easy to see why; Cathedral Cove was by far one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen in my life. The teal water with its massive boulders beckoned Kate and I to come running in and wade for over an hour. It was paradise and a gift to our sight. We ended the trip with a flight to Christchurch, saying goodbye to Kate’s family and a bus ride back to the Old convent, ready to see our friends and share stories of our adventures after our week away."