Last Weekend we traveled to Rotorua for the Tough Guy and Gal Challenge. We were two of 7,000 people to participate in a 12K run through the mud in the middle of winter. I beleive the forcast for the day was: "Gale force winds and torrential rain storms." Considering that the events purpouse is to soak everyone from head to toe with mud, the weather forcast simply added to the excitement for the day. The kind of people who are willing to jump into giant swamp ponds, crawl under barb wire, walk a tight rope, and slide down rocky hills on their back sides are not only adventurous but spirited. About 1/2 of the participants choose to dress up in ridiculous outfits just to add to the hystericalness of it all. I think we sighted 5 brides in full on wedding garb, multiple super heroes, a flight of bug like creatures, and two little boys about the age of ten in full on suites and ties. We were a little less spirited but still managed to find Hawaian costumes at the Salvation Army about 30 minutes prior to race time, although Michael's outfit was so disorganized that he was mistaken for a pirate on more than one occasion. In the end, it really didnt matter because we were so covered with mud from top to bottom that our clothes all ended up in the rubish bin.
I cant quite imagine a race like this happening in the United States simply due to the liabilty. As your running you continulously see casulaties slipping, falling, getting their backs caught on barb wire and the highlight, seeing people get shocked by an electric fence while clibming over fences. I still can not believe they left the electric fence on. I guess it just adds to the excitment of the day. At the end of the race every finisher is handed a can of Waikato Draft Beer. A good way to end a race in my opinion. I was even one of the lucky people to recieve a "spot" prize...granted the prize I won was a man's beanie and scarf... but still I never win anything so was truly pleased! Overall, the day was truly a success and a highlight of our life in NZ thus far. I have posted the link for the race just in case you cant fully comprehend the ridicuoluosness of it all: http://www.toughguyandgal.co.nz/

Here a few links to some unique places to stay in New Zealand. My top two choices are staying in the boot or a tree house of any kind! Im dreaming big!

http://www.hapukulodge.com/kaikoura/tree-houses/family

http://www.responsibletravel.com/Accommodation/Accommodation900172.htm

http://www.woodlynpark.co.nz/

http://www.unusualhotelsoftheworld.com/TheBootBednBreakfast

Michael and I ventured out yesterday on a SIX hour hike up Karioi mountain which is ONLY a mere 756 Meters above Sea level. At about an hour into the hike we were getting "sneak peaks" of the view we would get if we reached the Summit and began making a list of people we thought could appreciate the hike..... by the time we made it back down the mountain the list had been edited and only had two names remaining.... because the only two people crazy enough to complete the treck is us. You know that feeling you get when you put the last piece of a 5,000 piece puzzle in place, or finish a final exam in a horrible subject like statistics, or even the feeling you get when you cross the finish line of a half marathon.... WELL finishing the hike felt better than all of those things. Michael said that we managed to break every rule our Mother's had for us as kids: Don't play in the mud, don't hang over that cliff, and don't climb boulders particularly if there is no way to get back down. The path weaved us through a jungle scene that could not have looked more "Lord of the Rings" if a hobbit actually managed to jump out and greet us (although that would have been pretty cool). At about two hours into the hike you come to a spot where the only way to progress is to hoist yourself up a metal chain straight up about 12 feet, only to be thrown into a pit of mud up to your knee caps. It is a good thing I have always been the kind of girl that doesn't particularly mind mud because on the way back, the only way down was to sled down the hillside on our backsides. Michael and I both took a couple of spills but his gracious tumble over backwards into the side of the mountain could have won him a gymnastics gold medal. In the beginning of the hike you could hear our yelps or comments when we fell... by the end, you would just hear branches breaking and bodies crashing into the ground. I guess we should have gotten a clue of how difficult the hike was when at the summit the sign reads, "The satellite tower has been placed here for search and rescue purposes." Then again, by this point we had all ready reached the top and had no choice but to turn around and do it ALL OVER AGAIN. The view from the summit made you feel like you were looking out into the abyss. I swear I saw the edge of the earth yesterday and have to admit it made the journey well worth it. We meant to take an after picture to give everyone an idea of just how muddy we were but by the end we were so tired that all we wanted to do is pass out.... But since the All Blacks are Playing in Hamilton we had no choice but to clean up and head out for some good old fashioned Rugby and the start of yet another adventure.
P.S. On the hike we heard a bird that sang (or chirped) the Rocky theme song. You know the one, "It's the eye of the tiger it's the cream of the fight." AND NO I was not just imagining this.

So Michael told me yesterday that he was going to change the blog name to "Mike in New Zealand with guest appearances from Laura" if I didn't actually post anything. Unfortunatly, I have been so busy with work that the last thing I want to do is come home and write about work but to appease my love and adoring husband and make my mom smile... Here it goes....
Starting a new job is always a challenge, starting a new job in a new country is one of the most exciting and exhausting experiences I have ever had. I am one of those lucky people who has always known what I wanted to do with my life. I have been working with kids and in the social service field since I was old enough to have a job. That being said, my first day at work in New Zealand was the most unique experience I have ever had in any role as a social worker thus far. In New Zealand, when any new worker starts at Child Youth and Family (the equivalent to Child Welfare or Child Protective Services in the State) they hold a ceremony called a Powhiri.
I am posting a link here which explains the powhiri because if you are like me you would have no idea what this is and I surely don't want to offend anyone by getting it wrong:
http://maaori.com/misc/powhiri.htm
The way it was explained to me is that a Powhiri is a way of welcoming a person, recognizing that they come from a family that holds unique traditions and customs, recognizing what they bring to the table (in this case the job), and bringing them in as part of the "family."
The idea behind this is quite a beautiful one especially if you, like me, have felt simply like a cog in the wheel in past work experiences.
That being said, If you could imagine me on my first day of work, being brought into a room with every single co-worker in my office, sitting through an entire presentation that is spoken completely in Maori, and then being hugged and kissed by every person in the room, this was enough to make my stomach tumble with nerves. To say the least, it definitely made the realization that I was in a different country truly set in... IN FULL FORCE.
Just FYI a Hongi is the term used for the nose to nose greeting that is traditionally done in Maori culture. It symbolizes the breath of life is being exchanged and intermingled between two people. Luckily for me, they explained this prior to me going into the powhiri, otherwise I am sure I would have looked like an awkward teenager embarking on their first awkward kiss. As this was being explained, I couldn't help but giggle just thinking about how most Americans would handle this situation. I have several co-workers back home that are huge germ-a-phobes. I can only imagine them putting hand sanitizer on their noses after engaging in this greeting. The thought alone made me feel a little more at ease.
One of my favorite things about the ceremony is that although every bit of it was spoken in Maori there was one word I understood intermingled into the rest.... " American." As the ceremony concluded and I was greeting all of my co-workers with the Hongi, one women whispered to me, "Don't worry, we all know you are really Canadian." I still laugh thinking about that moment and the look on her face when I told her... Nope, I am really American.

And let the weirdness continue.... We have been trying a lot of new things here and also learning some pretty sweet jargon, but some of the little things that you may assume wouldn't be that different, are. The stove top is a hob, a line or place to wait (act of or noun) is a queue, the trunk of your car is a boot, cotton candy is candy floss, a dairy is a 7-11 type convenience store, an entree is an hors d'oeurve, a fortnight is 2 weeks (some may know that one but not us), jandals are flip flops, band aids are plasters, a rubber is an eraser, hiking is called tramping and I looked really odd when asked if I like to go tramping and replying "I don't think I have ever done that...". So to say the least it is a lot a head nodding and smiling because we really have no clue sometimes especially if we are with people at the bar or a loud place.

One of the great things you get to do when you visit/live in another country is experience what "they" do for fun or in their everyday lives. So we take suggestions from everyone and have tried most if not all of what has been thrown our way. Most have been easy like hikes or wine tasting or other things that we do back home. Some are a bit different but in a fun way, like getting the chance to go the an English bar called The Londoner (we have made good friends with the owner Gary who is going to let me play cricket with him and his mates) to watch the World Cup match against the US. They were sold out because to be able to open at 5:45am he had to sell tickets but Gary helped us out and let us in anyway. With your ticket you got the game and a HUGE English "brekky" or breakfast, and the great atmosphere to watch a match that I never would have thought twice about let alone show up to a bar at 630 am and still dark out. They were kind of giving us the what for since we are yanks but then we scored and that all stopped. It was one of the coolest things to watch a sport that so many people around the world care about but not as much at home. We got offered some seats at a table by two guys, one a Kiwi born in Africa from an Indian mother (when you see an Indian but he has only a kiwi accent it throws you off at first, like when you take a drink thinking its water but its milk) and his cousin from London. Great guys, fun to razz back and forth and just another great part of the day since one is helping me find a job.

We have our tickets to the new Zealand game tomorrow night, 1130pm our time.....but it will be just one more of the cool things we get to see and do looking at the world through kiwi eyes. CHEERS!!!
mk

Alright everyone, we are going to try to get some deals on travel and some other little things going with some travel related companies but we need you to sign in as a follower if your not so we can show how many people read this. We appreciate you guys even wanting to hear from us and miss you so much!!

We have not been keeping up on it as much as we need to but were going to get better we promise!! So, we have been here just about 6 weeks give or take a few days, we have got the car got a pretty nice pad and Laura has settled into her job nicely. We have been traveling a lot every weekend with a few very "exciting" experiences camping in the back of the Vectra. We are slowly but surely getting used to the food and more importantly the wine in this wonderful place. They are known for the wine here but it doesn't taste like what we are accustom to, we are still enjoying "researching" wineries to take all of our wonderful guests. The views here in this country are just amazing and can't even be shown properly in our pictures. We did a hike up a waterfall last weekend that was so amazing and just spectacular that we were just laughing at the sheer beauty of this country and the way that they want people to get out and experience all this land has to offer. They don't make the hikes here as commercialized as we do back home with all the hand rails and flat clear walk ways, they make you shimmy along cliffs and walk through mud and over fallen trees to get your chance to see these great places. We didn't think we were even going the right way a few times but then we got to the half way point and view point and saw the map. We finally made it to the top of the falls and they had a platform that was set up and looked OVER the edge of the falls. It was stunning how and where they placed the platform over the falls and you could really feel the power of the water falling but also the windblown water coming up the falls, so weird!!!!

All is definitely going very good for us and we are having a lot of fun and know that this is just such a great time of our lives. We can't wait to get to share all of our new hot spots and beautiful new home with all of you.

I know that accidents happen but when it's your fault it's hard to let it go. Last week I was walking the laptop from one room to another and sure enough, it crashed to the floor. The screen was gone instantly and looks so sad I hate to even look at it. The good news is that the computer part of it works just fine so I had to go buy a TV. to hook it up to as a monitor and waste more money. The one good thing that I had on my side is a patient wife that isn't attached to "things" and just said "don't worry about it tonight and just go get a screen tomorrow" . Such patients! I also had a gift from Bob, A BOOK!!!! I know that sounds crazy for anyone that knows me really well, I read a lot I just hate books. I want news, weather, sports and any weird stuff and move on. The book is about self deception and thinking about other people and not just yourself....... Hmmmmm so not just how I'm frustrated with the computer maybe how my wife is feeling? It was a literary punch in the face to read a book that is about life and real things that happen to you and that has been my whole problem with reading books in the past. I don't want nor care to read fiction but if it's a biography or a history book I'm in.
This whole trip and experience has brought out the best in us so far and it continues to every day. We are trying new things (swing class, painting, BOOKS!) and so far loving the fact that we are the type of people that are willing to try anything once and put our old perceptions of things aside and get outside of the box. We are growing together and as individuals and that is going to keep us strong and happy for a long time to come and is just one more reason this is such a great time in our lives.

One little wonder that we never knew we couldn't live without is a authentic Kiwi Spoon. We have been eating more Kiwi, makes sense right?, and it's really cheap. On one special day at the super market we found a tub 'o' kiwi and for a limited time only KIWI SPOON included! We saw it and both without speaking a word grabbed a case each but did put one back, which was a mistake since we are going back for another one right now. This thing is great knife on one side and spoon on the other and since getting it has made our kiwi eating much more efficient and safer now that we have the proper equipment. Maybe a kiwi spoon could be in your future......?

p.s. picture of the spoon is on its way, something that cool takes a while to upload ;)

mk

This one is a little later than I had hoped but better late than never I always say, and Bob keep quiet I can hear you now ;) Since we are on this little (biggish) island we just had to see the cool little surf towns that are spread throughout the country and we had just found a place so we took a great drive as a treat for working so hard to get settled. Even on the van ride from the airport people had been raving about a little ocean town called Raglan, even one offer to couch surf there from a lady..... with no house!!!! This was also the 3rd or maybe the 4th time drive a great distance and it was like I just got my license at 16 again, butterflies, anticipation, freedom, and pure FEAR. It is tough to get used to the other side of the road and the car so I always just say "stay on the left" to help remind myself and with my great co-pilot with me we got it under control......somewhat. Ok enough about the driving but seriously the drive so fast and fly around the round abouts and sharp curvy roads and the posted speed limits are 100KPH or 60MPH, they are both some of the best and craziest drivers.
Alright back to the point here, we start out on the drive and the landscape here is just stunning. The views are amazing and the amount of open unused country is just incredible. You drive and drive and all you see is farm land with cows and sheep then out of nowhere boom you hit the town with no warning. The greatest way to see the people and culture is to hit the farmers markets, so we went straight there and grabbed a little lunch and bought some pictures from a guy that he took of places here all over the country and he went on and on about what we should see and do and he kept saying the south is even more stunning and if his pictures are an indication then he is so right. A good trip already and we hadn't even gone to the beach or the town yet so off we went and were greeted by helicopters and cars flying through town for the World Rally Championships. Not that we are car people but it's just one more thing that makes a day great.
We hit a few surf shops and got a couple lessons set up for a few months down the road and to the beach we went. It was a black sand beach too, which I had never seen and is really soft much softer than white or our gravel sand back home. First thing Laura does is rip her shoes off and go running towards the water, I must say she does keep it fresh and fun so I had to follow suit. After playing in the water for a bit we started our walk down the beach and couldn't help but see these beautiful shells everywhere and started picking them up and well since Laura was carrying her shoes they became buckets for the shells. Most people wouldn't even think about filling their shoes with sand and water but not LB and we found out just how much a chuck taylor aka "The Travel Shoes" can hold and now thanks to her we have a huge vase full of shells for decoration :) I know I rambled a bit on this one but it's all the little things that don't cost money that you don't plan and let yourself do that make each day great and exciting. Next time you're at the beach don't hesitate to fill your shoes with shells and walk barefoot the rest of the day cause you'll have a great time and we are all better off when we let go a little bit. Love ya'll and missing you guys.

mk

I think I read somewhere that all travel journeys should include the following elements... "Eat, Pray, Love." I am pretty sure I have managed to accomplish the Pray and Love part, but the "Eat" part has proved to be much more difficult in NZ. I have never considered myself a "foodie" or anything close to it, but I have been blessed with a husband who loves to cook. Michael, is the king of spices and for the last few years I have been able to rest assured that every meal will be packed with flavor. Michael can be seen on most occasions tasting a bite of dinner and then adding heaping piles of crushed red pepper to his plate. I hate to admit it, as lovely as NZ is thus far, it truly is lacking in the culinary arts. So far, apart from our family and friends, we are most home sick for FOOD with any sort of flavor. On multiple occasions, we have ordered meals that taste a lot like paper. This is the first experience I have ever had where a meal can actually taste like nothing. Since we have been without a kitchen for our entire traveling experience thus far we have reverted to eating Bananas for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (Well... Bananas and Tam Tams the most delicious cookie ever created). This is all OK, because here in NZ calories are refereed to as "Energy" and you can never feel badly about consuming too much Energy. So, as Michael and I try to survive the foods of NZ we pray you will have pity on us and ship us some items on the craving list: Me: spray butter (Michael says he will destroy any spray butter that arrives, as he is detoxing me for the benefit of our future offspring), ketchup (real ketchup not the sweetened stuff), STEAK, and sugar free red bull. Michael: Hot Sauce, Crushed Red Pepper, COSTCO size version of Chicken Breast and basically anything at all from Costco (including any samples one is able to aquire.). We love you all and felt it was necessary to warn you of the food "situation" before you arrive to visit. With much love and a little bit of hunger... LBTK

Its a good thing we bought a car we can sleep in..... We decided that the 3 days we have until we get our keys to our new place that we would just drive to a couple of spots on the Bay of Plenty and just see what all the fuss is about. We got into Tauranga at 830pm or so and got denied at every backpackers and since we are bringing back the cheap knapps, and don't want to pay for a hotel we just crashed in the back of the Vectra. We went to a grocery store and bought a single sheet set and a fleece blanket and made quite the palace in the back. Though not a move everyone may choose to take, we did pick a great spot, right on the water and next to a TRAIN TRACK!!!!! After the first train went by at 11:00pm, while we were sipping wine from the bottle and just enjoying our time together, Laura looks at me and says "will that happen all night?" I said "I hope not..." Boy was I wrong, 6 trains later and one at 630 am for a perfect wake up call, we had a good nights rest and went about our day of hiking Mount Maunganui and sitting in the salt water hot pools at the base of the mount. Another beautiful setting to spend a few days in, even if we continue to sleep in the car.
See above picture for the view from HOSTEL DE KNAPP.

Oh I know bathroom talk is not appropriate but what about bathroom fixture talk. ....? I know what everyone back home is dying to know, "which direction do the toilets swirl?" THEY DON'T! The water comes flying out of two spouts front and back at break neck speed and never swirls just straight out to sea. I was perplexed and tried a few experiments, try the half flush , the hold the button the whole time flush, added clean paper and flushed, no change just scary amounts of water. So, and this hurts me to say it, the water doesn't swirl the other way, it doesn't swirl at all!

So we bought a car.... A Holden 1997 Vectra Wagon. What is that you ask? Well, We don't really know. It is made only in New Zealand and has been quite popular among Kiwi natives. Perhaps, the car will gain us a little street credibility here. We purchased this beauty at an auction. Auctions are quite popular in New Zealand and you can acquire anything from a house to a large freight of doll pieces or even ten tons of shampoo at this event. People come by the masses to bid on cars and as the only Americans in the room this was quite intimidating. WE made two attempts to purchase a car before we were successful, but got so scared when it came time to raise our bid card that we ended up with a car not exactly on our top ten list. Nonetheless, we have acquired a car that has plenty of room in the back for visitors and for us to spend the night in. We are truly homeless for at least three more days.. so as you can see, this will come in handy. I would like to note that this vehicle is a 1997... so clearly, an upgrade from the 1996 Camry we were previously driving. Also important to note.. We could have bought the 1996 Camry at the auction except this version was in purple (Classic)!

One of the first things most Americans will notice when they come to New Zealand is how kind the people are here. I am not sure what exactly has taught us Americans to be leery of strangers or suspicious of people offering to help us, but regardless of that perspective, when in New Zealand you can't help but embrace this way of life.
Michael and I began to notice this the second we stepped on our flight to Auckland. The steward on the airplane found out we were moving to NZ and automatically befriended us. Towards the end of the flight he brought us a bottle of magnificent wine (told us to discretely hide it in our hand luggage) and demanded that we cheers to our new start as soon as possible. Thank you Air New Zealand, we did have quite the cheers!
Exiting the plane towards security, Michael and I continued to awkwardly finagle all of our belongings (he with one leg and me with no excuse). It is quite surprising how quickly we acquire stuff and how much stuff we feel we can't simply live without. I would like to note, that I have only opened one suitcase since I have been here and have worn the same outfit most of the time. When in route to our hotel with over 500 pounds of luggage, I would have been quite happy to dispose of every last clothing article I own (minus my converse adventure shoes of course).

While we were in line picking up our multiple bags off the carousal. A friendly little dog and security guard approached my bag. Here in NZ they are mostly concerned with people bringing foreign species into the country through fruit and poultry. The security agent asked me multiple times, "Are you sure you don't have a sandwich in there?" Are you sure you don't have just a little piece of fruit or beef jerky?" I didn't, but couldn't help but laugh at the questions or the cute little basset hound licking my purse. I can also guarantee if there was a sandwich in there I would have devoured it prior to it reaching "Bruno." Even the security guard was kind in her pursuit of hidden lunches and offered a "Have a good day mate," prior to following Bruno's lead to the next tasty treat.
It seems as if here in NZ random acts of kindness are a way of life and not the exception to the rule. We have seen it in the random stranger sharing a shuttle ride with us and offering to let us sleep on their couch, the auctioneer who felt so bad we got outbid on a car we wanted he drove us all the way back to the city ( so we could avoid a taxi charge), the hotel worker who has looked up endless car auctions, bank information, and continues to ask us daily how we are getting along. It is the pastor (who knows us through at least six degrees of separation), locating our hotel and phoning us to say "WELCOME to NEW ZEALAND and "Would you like to come for dinner?" What all of this has taught us is there is always an opportunity to extend your hand and offer others kindness. Perhaps, if we could all send our children for a brief stent in New Zealand the world would be simply, a friendlier, happier place. So thank you New Zealand for welcoming us into your country and reminding me daily of the kind of person I always want to be. - LBTK

Alrighty, so we have been in the country for about two hours and are very tired. We get checked in 8 hours early to our hotel and already love the people for allowing us to do that. We have had the nicest bell hop or guest help.... whatever you wanna call him. He could tell we were wiped out and insists he helps us to the room with our half a metric ton of stuff. His name is Adil, he says, in a thick kiwi accent that I hadn't heard much of yet, "what room number?". I hear "whats your name?" and put my hand out to shake and say "Hi there, my name is Mike!" Confused he says "Oh thats nice....". Laura falling over laughing says "Honey the room number not your name. Not awkward at all..... hahahahaha GREAT start.

Adil (said AH-DEAL) or as we call him Advil has been so kind to us. He has frequently called various car auctions for us and gives us hot restaurant tips. Were planning what we want to do to pay him back for all he has done but here its not customery to tip all the time. Thanks Advil! You are the best!
-The Knapps

Ready or not here we come NZ!

Hey ya'll we made it safe and sound with literally 500 pounds of stuff. CRAZY!!! It was an adventure just trying to get me and my brace through security both at seatac then again in LA, o yes we had to go outside and start all over again there. But you know what we worked as a great team and got to new zealand in great spirits. We loved the flight, I know crazy right? The two scardy cats who have to be medicated to fly actually enjoyed the plane ride. The first flight from seattle had a tail wind and got us there 35 minutes early. Then one more trip with our WONDERFUL TSA agents that dont understand "ow ow ow yes those are the screws in my knee that I keep beeping from!" We grabbed some drinks and headed to the plane and got the star treatment and litterally got let on early because I am a cripple. Laura was in heaven on the plane with all the chick flicks she could watch and I could watch the silly action movies, we loved it!! We both took our medicine and were able to sleep for about 6 hours on the plane and with our mis-understanding of the flight time (it was actually 12 hour flight) we ate, slept, ate, watched 1 movie and were landing in our new home. Customs was real nice with my situation and got us through rarely quickly. Laura kicked but gettting our bags all on the carts and me pulling them off the carosel and super wife grabbed a shutttle and convinced the front desk at the hotel to let us in a room at 6 am here so 10 am @ home. we got a shower and a lil relaxation time alone. Its a pretty interesting place already and we havent seen all that much yet. Every time the driver took a free left we both cringed and laughed, were not in Kansas anymore Toto.