Here’s a page of stories and pictures from our amazing sabbatical in New Zealand, in reverse chronological order. Click on any picture to see a larger form. (Link to Barbara’s page.)
Last Day in New Zealand May 9
It’s our last day in New Zealand. What an amazing trip it’s been.
Tracy and Tim shared pictures of the two of us giving our CS department seminar last Friday. On Tuesday, we gave a joint brown bag talk in Math and Statistics on teaching with and about AI. (I have so enjoyed giving talks with Barbara — we don’t always know what the other one is going to say, but we roll with it and figure out what might follow. It’s like I’m playing jazz with my wife who gives talks with such energy and charisma.)
The view from the 4th floor of the Jack Erskine Building (where CS and Math/Stats are housed) was amazing, across the autumn-colored trees all the way to the (now) snow-capped Southern Alps. I’m including, too, a picture that we took with Clemency Montelle, head of math/stats and a mathematical historian (which is so cool!). We have been circling back to some our favorite restaurants this week, and I took a picture of the gelato-based Last Supper at Rollickin’ Gellato on New Regents. We went back up to the top of the JE Building last night, to get a sunset-y view, as our last picture from University of Canterbury.
Things To Remember from our New Zealand Sabbatical
Immense kindness and generosity:
We were going home one day in a rainstorm, and we took the bus back. Kat, the department administrator, was already on the bus. We chatted with her, and along the way, she mentioned, “By the way, I have a car that I don’t use during the week. You’re welcome to borrow it.” As remarkable as that kind offer was, that was the fourth offer of a car that we had in New Zealand — including the Nissan Leaf that we did borrow from Tim and Judith for the whole sabbatical.
When we were making our plans for Auckland, Alison Clear noted that we were going to be returning to Auckland after we had traveled to Hobitton and Coromandel. She suggested that we stay in her and Tony’s house. Barb pointed out, “But you won’t be there!” She said that that was fine — she said that she could leave it open for us.
Tim and Judith Bell took us under their wing. They loaned us a car for the whole time (which was amazing — I’ve now been an EV driver!), and even swapped cars with us when we took Jenny and David through Arthur’s Pass. Tim set us up with departmental bicycles which was how we did most of our daily commutes. Judith knew I was an ukulele player and kept me abreast of jams. And we got to play with their adorable grandson with them.
Language I hope to remember:
- Kia Ora (welcome in Maōri)
- Kai (food)
- āmine (pronounce like “ahmeny” — Amen)
- Hokitika and Kaikōura — I worked hard at learning to pronounce those
- Gidday – said to everyone while hiking
- Good on ya, now
- “If you are able, please be upstanding.”
- It’s been sorted
Images and sounds and tastes
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Attending comedy shows at Good Times and cheering for Henry’s stand-up
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So many fantails and wekas.
- The beautiful sound of bellbirds
- Biking through Hagley Park
- Biking through Riccarton Bush with all the ducks on the Avon and people having coffee at the house
- Watching weather change on the Port Hills
- Seeing the calm ocean near Lyttelton and the huge waves at New Brighton and Sumner — and having the ocean 20 minutes away
- Chips with everything, and everything so sweet. People look at you weird when you say you want a sandwich without sweet chili sauce
- Mediterranean smoked meat wraps on New Regent Street, Rollickin’ Gelato, Little High and Riverside Market
- Eels by the Memorial Arch
Our Last New Zealand Adventure: Departmental Seminar and Abel Tasman National Park, May 2-4
Friday May 2 was our departmental seminar. Barbara and I spoke on “Steps to Universal Computational Literacy.” Tim introduced us. We don’t often get to speak together, tag-team — it was fun. I enjoy watching Barb give talks.
That night, we flew to Nelson in the northwest of the South Island. We spent the night there (and visited their Saturday morning market) then drove north to Marahau in the Abel Tasman National Park.
We hiked for 4.5 miles (about 2 hours 30 minutes) the first day. It was a bit of challenge to get dinner and breakfast sorted, because all the restaurants and cafes were closed for the Winter.
View from our cabin Saturday night
We went back up to Bark Bay via aqua taxi on Sunday morning, and hiked down to Anchorage — 8.3 miles (4.5 hours). That was a workout.
The water taxis were really interesting. The tide changes by 5 meters in Abel Tasman (~15 feet). So, in the morning, you load up in the boats in the parking lot, then a tractor pulls you out across the flat. On the way back, you boat right up to shore. The tide is that different.
Abel Tasman is beautiful. Lots of great views. We saw rays in Bark Bay, wekas and silvereyes and bellbirds everywhere.
Starting our from Bark Bay
Along the hike
End of the hike
We drove back to Nelson and had a nice dinner, then flew back to Christchurch at 8 pm. We’re in our last week at the University of Canterbury now. We will stay at the Novotel at the airport the last night, because our flight out to Auckland (and then to Nadi, Fiji) leaves at 5:40 am Saturday.
Matthew and Jack fly back home April 27th
We had a quiet Sunday, doing some shopping and walking around Christchurch. We took Matthew and Jack to the airport in the afternoon, our last visitors here in New Zealand. Barb and I then got back to work.
Whale Watch April 26th
We went on a whale watch on Saturday morning, which was great. We did see a sperm whale. But then, we went to go see dolphins — dozens of them! And a seal eating an octopus! And an albatross! We were blown away.
As we drove back, we stopped for a couple more hikes — and saw even more seals!
Flying back and driving to Kaikōura April 25th
After a last walk on the Hokitika beach, we flew back to Christchurch.
We rented a car and drove up to Kaikōura, which was 2.5 hours up the east coast. So very beautiful! Big waves, snow-capped mountains, and so many seals! Sunset was just gorgeous.
Hokitika Gorge and Franz-Josef Glacier April 24th
First thing Thursday morning, Barbara and I had the (successful!) defense of (now Dr) Zihan Wu. Dr. Wu is holding the flowers in the Zoom screenshot.
Since we didn’t have a lot of time before lunch, we went to the Hokitika Gorge (about 30 minutes out of downtown) which was beautiful.
We then did the two hour drive down to the Franz-Josef Glacier. You can hike up to viewpoints of the glacier, and see all the waterfalls around it. So amazing. The way back was also beautiful as the sun set, and Barb got a great picture of a Weka.
The TranzAlpine Railway and Pancake Rocks April 23rd
On Wednesday, we took the TranzAlpine Railway across the South Island, from Christchurch to Greymouth. Such beautiful views!
We rented a car in Greymouth, and on Alison Clear’s suggestion, drove up to Pancake Rocks. Absolutely gorgeous — huge waves, amazing rock formations.
We drove down to Hokitika and spent the night there.
Wildlife Reserve and Punting April 22nd
We went to the Wildwood Wildlife Reserve on Tuesday, where Jack fed giant eels, and Barbara fed deer. We saw so many animals, including emu and kiwi and wallabies. A highlight for me was when an eel escaped its enclosure and made it to the otters. Five on one wasn’t fair odds, but it was fascinating to watch.
It was an absolutely gorgeous Fall day. Matthew and Jack took a punting ride, and the colors and weather were perfect.
Matthew and Jack arrive April 21st
Matthew and Jack arrived early on Monday the 21st. They were up for adventure, so we went to the Antartica Centre and hung out with penguins.
Easter Sunday April 20th
We had a quiet Easter. We biked to Mona Vale, a beautiful old mansion and garden grounds, where other families were having Easter strolls. We went to afternoon mass at St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, then an Easter feast at Strawberry Fare.
Driving back April 17th and 18th
We drove back through Dunedin and Oamaru, with a stop at the Orokonui Ecoscanctuary. The Victorian buildings were cool, and all the steampunk stuff at Oamaru was really fun. But it was a long slog. Toughest part was through twisty-turny, narrow (even gravel) roads in the rain at the Ecosanctuary. But we made it back, and Brian flew back the morning of the 19th.
Milford Sound April 16th
We’d heard that Milford Sound was spectacular, so we’d been looking forward to visiting it. It was great, but first, we had a five hour coach ride there (and back). The drive in was beautiful with the Autumn colors.
The fjord had amazing vistas, wildlife like seals and dolphins (click for movie), and spectacular waterfalls.
Off to Queenstown April 15th
We flew to Queenstown. The Fall colors were spectacular, and we had an incredible view from our hotel room.
We went up to the Skyline Gondola for a great view of the valley. None of us did bungy jumping, though.
Queenstown is very pretty and probably the most touristy-y place we’ve been to yet in New Zealand.
Brian Arrives April 14th
My brother arrived, and we took him on a tour of Christchurch. One stop was Hutchinson Ford Motors about two blocks from us. Our parents used to work at Hutchinson Lincoln-Mercury in Royal Oak, Michigan.
Back in Christchurch April 12 and 13
We got home late (flight was delayed almost two hours) on Friday night. We spent the weekend recuperating, but still needed exercise. On Saturday, we drove 25 minutes to Governors Bay, and on Sunday, we drove 20 minutes to Sumner Beach. It’s pretty amazing to have short drives to the ocean and mountains.
Talks at University of Auckland April 11
Paul arranged for two talks for us. We had over a dozen CS Ed folks there who stayed for both hours, which was amazing! We had a great visit, and I got a picture taken next to the plaque showing that UoA is the birthplace of R.
Hot Water Beach April 10
After the defense, we drove to Hot Water Beach. There are hot springs under the beach, so when it’s low tide (so the sea water doesn’t mix) people just dig a hole – instant hot tub! It’s a huge social experience. The ones just over the spring are really hot, so you pick your digging spot to set the temperature.
Then we drove down the coast of Coromandel back to Auckland. The roads were scary, but the views were amazing.
We got to Auckland which was really lovely. We had a great dinner with Paul and Cath.
Kayaking to Cathedral Cove April 9
We drove to Hahei Beach in the Coromandel Peninsula after Hobbiton. It was a bit scary — mountainous, narrow, with many switchbacks. Barb and I each had PhD Defenses that we attended in the mornings in Hahei — Noah Cowit for me on the 9th, David Smith for Barb on the 10th. In the afternoon of the 9th, we kayaked for three hours in a tour group to see Cathedral Cove (massive arch/cave) and tour the islands. Absolutely gorgeous day, and we enjoyed the sea kayaks.
Visiting Hobbiton Tuesday April 8
I’m a Disney Park fan. I love the attention to detail in the parks, paying attention to sight lines, and generally constructing a believable world. I loved Hobbiton. It was like that, for Middle-Earth. Of course, it’s all fake — that’s the point. Hobbiton even had the kind of things that are wonderfully detailed that Disney would leave out, like a baby swing and a hobbit toilet with a plunger and newspaper next to it.
Caving with Glow Worms Monday April 7
Barb has gone caving with her friend and Girl Scout co-leader, Theresa Bellamy. She likes caving. I’m a bit claustrophobic. But I love my wife, and she wanted to go with the Black Water Rafting Company into Waimoto Glow Worm Caves.
It was wilder than I anticipated. We crawled on our hands-and-knees, bumping our head across the ceiling. We laid on our floats and pulled ourselves along the rock ceiling. We waded in water up to our chest, and jumped off an underground waterfall. The glow worms were really cool. Barb absolutely loved it.
After we got out, showered, and ate something, we went back into the rain forest to hike. There was an observation platform inside one of the caves.
An Auckland CS Ed Picnic Sunday April 6
Alison invited out Paul Denny and his wife and Andrew Luxton-Reilly and his family to the farm for a “casual BBQ.” She made three kinds of salads, lamb chops, lamb sausages, chicken, and steak. It was a feast, and wonderful to visit with everyone.
We left in the afternoon and drove to Cambridge (south of Auckland) for our next adventures.
Visiting Hunua Falls and picking up Cary and Norma Laxer April 5
Auckland had a ton of rain Thursday and Friday, so when Barb and I took the 3 mile hike to the Hunua Falls, they were terrific. Really full and beautiful. Alison picked us up from the Falls, and we went to the Auckland Airport to pick up Cary Laxer (longtime SIGCSE leader from Rose Hulman) and his wife Norma. Barb and I picked up a rental car for the next phase of our trip. We all stayed with Tony and Alison Saturday night.
Speaking at AUT Friday April 4
Tony Clear (who is leading the ICER Doctoral Consortium this year, and I’ll be one of his discussants) took us into AUT, and we gave a joint talk about our work. I enjoyed doing a one-hour talk with Barb. We know each other’s work, but not all of the details of what each are doing, so it’s exciting for us.
Travel to Auckland April 3
We left for Auckland on Thursday April 3. Alison Clear (current chair of ACM SIGCSE) kindly picked us up at the airport and drove us to her and Tony’s home on a farm. We stayed with them for several days. It was great fun seeing the alpacas and sheep. Alison and Tony were wonderful hosts, and Alison is an amazing chef. We ate so well.
Hike the Bridle Path – March 30
It’s quiet here after our wonderful two weeks of visitors. Saturday, we just caught up on stuff. Sunday was a beautiful day, and we didn’t want to just stay inside. Barb had the great idea to hike up the summit of the Port Hills (the closest extinct volcano to Christchurch). It was really tall (about 1400 feet), very windy at the top, steep, and from start to top and across the summit ridge to the gondolas, it was about a two mile walk. Then we took the gondola back down. A fabulous hike.
Katie and Jash Week March 23rd to 28th – Aoraki Mt Cook and a Helicopter!
Katie and Jash flew in (on the same plane Auckland to Christchurch that Jenny and David took Christchurch to Auckland!) on March 23rd.
We walked around Christchurch and they got to see Avon eels being fed near Riverside.
Monday morning was rough. We learned via texts that our beloved dog Percy had died Sunday morning. After Barb and I taught, we took a drive to Lyttelton to hike around in the calm harbors inside the volcano.
Tuesday, they went to a wildlife park to see kiwis and feed eels, while I taught. Afterwards, we walked around the botanical garden.
Wednesday, we drove to Lake Tekapo and stopped to hike to some cool waterfalls. We heard New Zealand Bellbirds for the first time, which have such amazing calls. We enjoyed Lake Tekapo a lot and visited the hot springs there.
Thursday, we drove to Aoraki Mt Cook National Park to stay at the lodge there. That was amazing. Gorgeous views — and icebergs on a glacier lake!
Friday, we took a helicopter up to the Tasman Glacier and landed up there. That was a highlight for our whole time in New Zealand. We drove back until late, and they left early Saturday morning.
Jenny and David Week March 17 to 23rd
Our daughter Jenny and her boyfriend David flew out Monday March 17. We had an amazing week with them. The weather was perfect on Monday, so we went out to Sumner Beach.
Tuesday’s weather was the pits, so we saw penguins at the Antarctic Center, and went to an indoor amusement park.
Wednesday we celebrated Katie’s birthday back in the US (via Zoom), and we went to the Royal New Zealand Aircraft Museum.
Thursday, we to the Isaac Royal Theater to see “Breaking Plates” which was fun and very Christchurch-y.
Friday, we drove across the South Island via Arthur’s Pass, with a stop at Castle Hill rocks. We stayed in Hokitika and visited the glow-worm dell there and walked on a black sand beach. Saturday, we fed giant eels and saw NZ animals like Kiwi. David and Jenny took a helicopter tour of the glaciers while Barb and I walked the gorge. Then we drove back. Wow! What an adventure!
Cricket and Hanmer Springs March 14 and 15
Friday night, we went to our first professional cricket match, the New Zealand White Ferns (women’s team) vs. Sri Lanka at the Hagley Oval. I enjoyed how much more active cricket is than baseball, but we understood about a third of it. (Read a lot of Google during play.). it was particularly fun when there was a wicket, which was lit up with red LEDs.
Saturday March 15 was beautiful. We drove up to Hanmer Springs in the mountains. We hiked up Conical Hill, and then played in mineral springs and on the water slides. We learned how to figure out the chargers so that we could take the Nissan Leaf that far.
Biking to New Brighton, Kayaking the Avon, and Ukulele Jam March 9-11
Friday, we did a long bike ride (8.6 miles there on the Te Ara Ōtākaro trail along the Avon, and 5.8 miles back on the road, through the residential red zone) to New Brighton and the pier there. Saturday was cold and rainy. Sunday, I went to a ukulele jam in Christchurch (video here), then we went kayaking on the Avon and walked through the botanical garden.
Visiting the Cardboard Cathedral March 5
We went to an ecumenical Ash Wednesday Service in the transitional cathedral, where the Anglican diocese is housed until the Cathedral is re-built after earthquake damage.
We visited the Arts Center which is where the University of Canterbury used to be.
Taylor’s Mistake March 2
Taylor’s Mistake is a bay on the ocean near Christchurch. The bay is lovely, and we enjoyed the walk into the hills around it. We played in the waves on a beautiful 80F day. They looked like a desert. But the road in-and-out was terrifying — many switchbacks, too narrow for two cars to pass, with cars parked along the sides.
Lyttelton and Cass Bay March 1
There are two extinct volcanoes near Christchurch — you can see them clearly on a map. Akaroa is in one, and Lyttelton is inside the closer one. The bays are sheltered and calm, with nice walks between them.
Mary and Sue Visit Feb 20-26
Barb’s sisters came out Feb 20 and stayed the weekend. For Sue’s birthday on the 21st, we went to the International Antartica Center and saw penguins and visited the winter storm room. On Saturday, we drove to Akaroa and went on a dolphin tour — where Sue lost her phone in French Bay. On Sunday, we went on a sunrise kayak then drove back.
Leaving February 5, stopping at Maui and Auckland for Snorkeling
Mark’s iCloud shared photo album
Some videos from Mark
Barbara’s Story