Today we spent the day wandering around the streets of Wellington, both learning more about the culture of the city and shopping for gifts to bring home to our family and friends. We explored the cities bohemian and graffiti filled shopping district, called Cuba Street. We also did some shopping on Lambton Quay, another street filled with more fashionable apparel. Read more
Spent the day in Josie’s home town of Napier at Mr. Dee’s. We were able to fill our own delicious doughnuts with jelly, chocolate, or custard!
A beautifully decorated fountain in the center of Napier just outside of the market where the team bought plenty of rich New Zealand chocolate.
One of the first stops on our tour of Wellington was the spot where many other tourists and a few Hobbits have visited. New Zealand is where Peter Jackson, a New Zealand native himself, filmed many of the scenes from the world-renowned Lord of the Rings.
We went to the top of Mt. Victoria where we got a three hundred and sixty degree view of the entire city, looked out over the oceans surrounding New Zealand, learned about the city, and took some magnificent pictures.
The team got together with Josie’s friends and family for a barbeque upon arriving in her hometown of Napier.
Tuesday was the highlight of the Colgate Tour for me. It was the day that I got to visit my high school, give back to the community and showcase our basketball team to all of the people who have supported me for years.
Upon arriving in New Zealand at 5:45 a.m. on Thursday, I think it’s safe to say that the team was feeling two things: relief from the 13 hour plane ride and excitement for the trip ahead. After making it through customs, we were surprised and delighted to see Adrian Stockill, Josie’s father, welcoming us at the arrivals gate. There’s nothing like seeing a friendly, familiar face in a completely foreign land. Soon after seeing Adrian we departed on our bus to begin sightseeing.
The view from the top of Mount Eden on a breezy Auckland morning.
First, we went to Mount Eden where we were able to exercise our stiff legs by climbing to the top. Mt. Eden is not only a dormant volcano in New Zealand, but its summit is also the highest natural point on the Auckland isthmus. From that vantage point, we were able to admire the immense Auckland skyline and the landscape surrounding it. In the pictures we’ve taken, it is easy to spot our hotel. The Sky City Hotel is marked by the gigantic tower in the skyline. Mt. Eden was definitely a sight worth seeing, both for its natural beauty and the perspective it gave us of Auckland.
The last couple days has continued to be packed full of surprises and adventure. Saturday morning we were greeted by a native Kiwi smile: Josie was finally here!
Randyll Butler ’16 and Josie Stockill ’16 meet up in Auckland!
The Raiders warm up before their game against the Harbour Breeze.
We began our day with a game against the Harbour Breeze. We made sure to spend extra time warming up because of the cold gym!
Here are a few photos of the team on the way to New Zealand, as well as during our first day exploring the home country of senior Josie Stockill ’16.
Click the photo below to launch the slideshow.
The Women’s Basketball team took in the thermal hot spring in Rotorua.
Day two of our New Zealand excursion was spent in Rotorua, New Zealand at a cultural center home to the indigenous Maori people. The photo taken is of the team in front of the Pohutu geyser which erupts daily surrounded by some mud baths fueled by the area’s geothermal activity.
We left Hamilton at 5am for JFK airport where we got on our first flight heading for LAX. This was the six-hour flight, which was the shorter of the two flights.
We had a five-hour layover at LAX, so we used the time to explore the exciting airport, read, play cards, watch movies, and get ready for our next 13 hour flight!
After a long wait we were very excited to board the plane and be on our way to Auckland!
Finally, after more than 30 hours of travel we made it to Auckland, New Zealand! When we arrived it was 6:00am. It was time to finally begin a fun day of sightseeing!
After flying for a total of 19 hours, we finally made it to New Zealand at 5 a.m. and we were ready to start our first day of adventuring.
Our first stop was Mt. Eden, a beautiful mountain in Auckland that we climbed just in time to see the sun rising over the city. The hike up the mountain was exactly what we needed after a long flight, and the view was spectacular.
Next, we headed to Cornwall Park, which is located in the heart of Auckland. We stopped at the Cornwall Park Cafe for breakfast and had our first experience with New Zealand food. We tried macaroons, sausage rolls, and quiches, among other things.
After we fueled up at the park, we went on another scenic hike.
Later in the day, we headed to the Harbor, which was filled with hundreds of sailboats.
Our final stop of the day was the War Museum, which is a tribute to the soldiers who fought for New Zealand throughout its history. It was a fun-filled first day and we can not wait to see what is in store for the next nine days.
The Raiders arrived in New Zealand and were greeted by Josie Stockill’s ’16 father Adrian at the airport.
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Mackenzie Carroll ’19.
We left Hamilton at 5am for JFK airport where we got on our first flight heading for LAX. This was the 6 hour flight, which was the shorter of the two flights.
Editor’s note: Prior to the start of the semester, the women’s basketball team is traveling to play in New Zealand, the home country of senior forward Josie Stockill ’16. The players are writing about their athletic, cultural, and educational experiences.
This post was written by Steph Poland ’17.
The moment became real as twelve of us eagerly returned to campus: we were actually going to New Zealand. The excitement was overwhelming as we jumped into each other’s arms, not having seen each other in months. Being back on campus was so exciting and really catapulted us into the reality that we would be traveling across the world to reunite with our teammate Josie in New Zealand. Our coaching staff had been planning this trip longer than our team even realized and the moment was finally here.
