My favorite NZ landscape photo

 

NZ is a beautiful country and no photo--despite taking hundreds of them, has truly captured the essence.  This was taken in the South Island between Te Anau and Manapouri as the sun was setting and low-lying clouds were everywhere.  (Driving through the clouds in the Mountain was not as fun!)  But before that part of the story...I pulled over to the side of the road and took this from my car.  No wonder Sir Peter Jackson chose to film in his own country.

It is finally May and my time here is coming to an end.  There are so many great things to say and share about my "OE" (overseas experience)~but mostly I appreciate the special Southlanders who have shared their lives, and allowed to me to care for them during their pregnancy, birth and postnatal time.  The Waiau Health Trust and the Tuatapere Maternity team were also exceptional in their support.


E Noho Ra!

More baby parade and appreciation

It would be the ideal time mention how wonderful the American SNM students were for Tuatapere Maternity. Over and over the women/families we cared for mentioned how much they appreciated the extra TLC they received from the very capable hands of~

Pam Parsons from Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing, Amber Price from University of Cincinnati and Karen Tweedy from University of Michigan.  The later two are in the job market right now and lucky the service that gets them.  Pam is in the thick of clinicals and won't be far behind. 

From tiny Tuatapere, New Zealand--deep in the South Island...
 
THANK YOU Pam, Amber & Karen!!!!!!

Tuatapere is the last town in New Zealand to see the sun set

Taken at McCracken's rest... views of the Southern Ocean

Beauty in lots of ordinary things

More interesting things to take photos of~~

More baby photos and a nice rainbow...

Maori culture concert and Ta Moko

I should have been an Anthropologist-- I would have loved an excuse to study people and cultures.

Recently, visiting one of my sweet, newly postpartum couples we had a conversation about prejudice and such--and the young dad mentioned that he is looked upon differently when he is out and about (my MN term) since he is obviously "MAORI," especially on the South Island.  He explained it as sometimes the NZ Pakeha (European descent) farmers are not as nice to him... as if expecting trouble or think he might not show up to work. This young man is a shearer and a good one--if all the certificates in his house indicate!

There is only about 11% Maori on the S. Island.  Interestingly, his partner who is also Maori, but looks "white," as she described herself, said on the North Island--she would be resented by Maori "girls" for being with a Maori guy.

The sculptures were taken at the entrance to the main park in Rotorua.

The food for the meal was cooked in an Hangi--which is underground. Obviously now above ground to cool off.

Sorry the photos were not so great--evening, flash photography, being far away.  I never did get any really nice shots of the women.

  

The "warriors" arrive in their waka (canoe) and the facial tatoos are just painted on--but the body ones are real.  The "chief" has the full thigh and buttocks tatoo which he said took 55 hours to complete with modern technique--apparently the traditional tools of a chisel would have taken longer and involved more pain.

Here is some more information for the curious:
http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/Education/OnlineResources/Moko/Pages/overview.aspx

Again--to give another point of view--especially the section on Moko Today about non-Maori peoples wearing ta moko...{sorry the link won't work for some reason], but it is interesting to consider the concerns that Pakeha are using Maori culture without credit or appropriately. 

If I were Maori I would have a beautiful tatoo on my chin to cover up my dog bite scar!! Traditionally women only had their chin and sometimes, lips cheeks, neck done.

Photo taken from this great website:
mp.natlib.govt.nz/detail/?id=5455


I have several had several interesting conversations with New Zealanders about a movie: Once We Were Warriors~ it still bothers me, and I did have my ears and eyes covered for parts of it... and yet I think it was important for me to watch, particularly to understand some of the background culture of the women I am serving.   Not necessarily to the extreme depicted in this movie, but role of women, substance use/abuse and all that it entails.
I recommend that it be watched...if you who can deal with the violence and have an interest in learning more about gangs, poverty, alcoholism, Maori culture (one facet) it will make you think reallllllly hard:
http://www.filmarchive.org.nz/feature-project/pages/Once-Were.php

What's not to love about the North Island?

My last hour of waiting at the grotty hostel was redeemed by meeting Josh. It was his 19th birthday that day and he has been traveling around NZ to surf. He spent his youth growing up in Zambia and West African countries as his dad worked for WHO as a physician. He was personable, polite, intelligent--a young man to make every parent proud. I wished I had asked him for his mother's email, so I could tell her what a terrific young man he is.  The world is going to be just fine with kiddos like him.

My Birthspirit Workshop was better than I could have imagined and I am renewed with hope and love for midwifery.  I got to spend a week with some of the 9 of the coolest midwives and had two great coordinators...Sara Wickham and Maggie Banks both are PhD midwives and both have a strong belief in normal birth, especially at home.  My workshop attendees included: 2 Aussies, 3 UK, 2 Americans--the other one has residency and has lived in NZ for 7 years...but she trained as one of the little known Certified Midwives at the Downstate program and is credentialed through ACNM. Our brochure and the cottage where we all stayed. 

What I found fascinating was that most of the midwives had traveled or lived in other countries-which added to our worldview.  After the workshop, I spent a couple nights with an awesome midwife--who is a recent graduate in NZ. However, she has extensive years of experience being a doula in the UK and a midwife assistant in Australia. Thanks Penny for being such a wonderful host~~~
 

I had some time afterwards--seeing a bit of the North Island--the best was swimming in the warm sea.  The sheep below was taken in the corrugated sheet metal capitol of NZ.  The stone sculpture was taken in Hamilton--it is a sculpture version of a Maori feather cloak which were highly prized.

 I think this one is obvious...

Ladies lawn bowling in Rotorua and me standing in front of the Rotorua museum...with the very English gardens.

Drove through the Kiwi fruit capitol of NZ and this is interesting to see how they are grown.

Last, but certainly not least for LOTR fans...I drove through the Shire.  Yep, it is quite lovely--but the whole darn country is pretty beautiful!  No, I did not do the tour, as I did not have enough time...but I would have for my children who loved the story and movies.

Lake Tekapo and Mt. Cook in January

Lake Tekapo at sunset

 

 On the way to Mt. Cook the tallest mountain in NZ.  Which this photo does not do justice

Using free internet at a hostel

I am going to be attending a midwife workshop on the North Island, which starts later today. I am holed up in a hostel which was hosting a "bucks" party when I arrived.  "Bucks?" I queried to my host--"what's that?" (Thinking to myself, these probably are not Milwaukee fans). "Oh, a guy is getting married and they are having the party here--but I gave you a room far from them." I then asked the host--"have your guests seen Hangover?"  He assured me that it would not be that bad. I mentioned we call such parties "stag" parties.  He told me he knew that because of "American" movies.  Since we have infiltrated the world with our media and entertainment--so many other countries know lots more about us, then we know about them.

I holed up in my slightly grotty hostel room for the night watching  'Frost and Nixon'--promising myself--that this budget traveler is not going to stay in another hostel where a party is going on. Besides it is not very clean. 

So--to use up my free internet--since I could not/would not go into the lounge or kitchen to fix anything to eat...I am going to post some photos...

These next photos were taken at the Tuatapere A&P Show in February. (I think Animal & Plant)

Real live sheep dog trials!

At the end of competition being loaded up to go back to their farm.

Dog barking competition (she did not win)

Junior division winner!  The baby did not even cry when the dog barked.

Now it is time to exit this room.... now I am in the lounge--really hoping that I do get picked up to go the midwife conference on time... I feel like I am living in a Frat house and that is bleech.

It's Waitangi Day today (sorta' 4th of July but with more controversy) btw it is really Saturday in NZ.

 

Sheep shearing time is at hand.  The "mob" is gathered up and placed

in different pens in the shearing shed.

  

Gulp. She's looking at me!

See the gate?  Behind each gate, there are more sheep waiting their turn.

In this shed there are three shearers and two "rousies" (spell??) Could this be from the word "rouse?"

Anyhoo, the rousie's job is to pick up the wool off the platform and floor and put it in the bins.

They have to do this in a shed, because if they were outside, the wool would blow away.

One of the bins

Please note the cigarette kept in his mouth. Good thing wool is not flammable.  A good shearer can get a sheep shorn in less than 2 minutes. In competition, they are graded for smooth shave, no nicks or blood and some other criteria.  They wear these black shoes, which I mentioned to someone looked like ballet slippers.  "HAHAHAHAHA. You mean the moccasins Kerry?" Yes, I guess I do, but they look like ballet slippers.  Is that to protect the sheep when they accidently step on them?

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA--Kerry, that is to protect the shearer, 

when the sheep step on them!"

Sheep farmer putting them in bales (not sure the correct term)

Reid and Monique, sheep farmer children whose baby sister's birth we attended.

A close shave.

They look naked without their wool coats.

On a truck, for transport to the wool market.

Controversy you ask? Well, imagine if America celebrated the day that they made one Treaty with representatives of the Native American community? Right. There would be some people that are not exactly keen on that.  The Treaty of Waitangi is considered, somewhat like the US Declaration of Independence. But that is still not a complete explanation. If you care to learn more, click on this link:

http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/category/tid/133

Since the sheep industry was originated by NZ Europeans/Pakeha...I will include some photos of a beautiful Marae, which is a Maori meeting house. This one is located in Bluff. I have not had the opportunity to go into one--but I love the carvings and the deeper meaning of what they represent.

I believe that 98% of my Maori patients or their partners work in the sheep industry. 

It is cross-cultural employment.