During our first day in Auckland, we sang at the local yacht club for Auckland's American club and various other people. After our concert, we chatted with the audience and learned about how best to spend our last days in New Zealand.
Sunday, June 7th
Joel and my host mother surprised us by washing our clothes, including our white tuxedo gear. My gloves looked brand new! During the day, the Whiffs hiked all around the southern tip of the New Zealand's unbelievable north island, which included beaches, forests and mountains! That evening, we sang for a music festival at St. Kentigern College, a prep school. The high schoolers who also performed in the festival gave us a tremendous reception.
Monday, June 8th
We left our gracious hosts and moved into a hotel in downtown Auckland. Since the weather prevented us from going out during the day, about ten of us saw Star Trek at an IMAX theater! (This was my second time seeing it-- I'm tempted to watch it again!)
Tuesday, June 9th
Jay F., Rex and I visited Auckland's museum to see a Maori cultural performance. Impressed by the presentation's authenticity and the museum's wildlife exhibit, we told the rest of the group about the indigenous people's struggles in New Zealand as well as the troubled history of the various extinct animals that once roamed the countryside (e.g., the moa). That night, we sang at our hotel for its owners and also visiting travel representatives who wanted to learn more about New Zealand's profitability as a tourist attraction.
Wednesday, June 10th
The Whiffs go hard when we can. This day was no exception. In the morning, we traveled to Waitomo to go blackwater rafting. Though I generally had a brilliant time in the caves, I had a bit of a claustrophobic attack when we crawled through a particularly tight, ~10m long passageway. Scary stuff. After hours in the cave, we drove two hours back to downtown Auckland to sing for the posh Northern Club.
Bye, New Zealand!
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