The Final Post - Parting Thoughts...

Loren

What was my favorite part of the trip, you ask? Even if you didn’t ask, I’m going to tell you it was Whakapapa. Whakapapa was not what I expected and truly surprised me, which probably contributes to it being the best. After a day of driving and fixing a flat tire, we basically sprinted up the long and steep trail so that we could make it to the top before sunset. I’ll be honest, I was not impressed at first. It was just a foggy, flat area with a few small hills. Then, all of a sudden, the fog lifted and WOW—we could see Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe towering above us. I was in awe, and it only got better from there. We finally reached the top, which was well worth the sprint. Surrounded by sparkling lakes and impressive volcanoes, I knew this week would be a good one. Not even the promise of a mapping exercise later that week could discourage me! The entire next day was spent on Ruhapeu, learning the basics of volcanoes. I had been excited about the volcano portion of the course, and it was finally happening. I left that day amazed by the incredible lava flows and dikes of Ruapehu. The following day provided us with an authentic New Zealand bushwhacking experience as we learned about pyroclastic flows and falls. We climbed a large hill to get a fantastic vantage point of the valley, which revealed remnants of the last super-eruption. The next day was also full of excitement as we raced to gather more than 900 data points with the volcanoes looming in the distance. In Whakapapa, we were introduced to the spectacular Taupō, and we saw its impact almost everywhere we went, often in the form of lightly colored scoria. Finally, it was the big day—the Tongariro crossing. We had heard about this the entire trip from Guil and Lydia, and now it was actually happening. The views were indescribable, so I won’t even try. However, I will say that I was blown away by both the wind and the geology. The crossing lived up to everything it was made out to be and more. While we were not able to see through the fog during some of it, the portions we did see were well worth the trek. I could go on for much longer about Whakapapa, but I’ll end this by saying I was devastated to leave our cozy little Skotel.

Beth

Our New Zealand maymester was incredible. New Zealand has some of the coolest geology in the world and we had the privilege of being taught by numerous people who are experts on this country and particularly the volcanic systems at play. The trip had a million highs, but my personal favorite part was the Tongariro Crossing. This 20 kilometer hike is one of the most famous day hikes in the world and attracts many people. Although daunting, we were able to complete the whole hike together as a group. The first five kilometers of the hike were in the Mongatepopo Valley and we were able to see numerous volcanic features, including evidence of the Taupo ignimbrite and different historic lava flows. Walking through that valley made us realize how big of an impact volcanic systems can have, especially in shaping the landscape around us. We made our way to South Crater and learned that the area used to be a lake, but no longer is. Many steps uphill, we found ourselves at red crater where unfortunately the cloud blocked our view. However if they had been gone we would have seen an impressive dike. My favorite part of the hike came next, the emerald lakes. The lakes were stunning in color and made the trip uphill worth it. We had a fun time wandering down and back to the car park. It was a great day because we got to see a lot of geologic features, but we were also able to engage in a fun hike together. A close second favorite on the trip was the log activity. We went to Desert Road and saw the Taupo ignimbrite once again. We were struck by how far reaching the ignimbrite was. We discovered charcoal and then saw many logs from trees that had been deposited in the ignimbrite. This was caused by the ignimbrite traveling through a forest and destroying and burning the trees. We broke into teams and had a blast collecting as many data points as we could. It felt so exciting to be part of this research and meaningful to actually be collecting data that might be used. In total we got around 920 data points, which was just about every log we could find and was about double our goal. However, the absolute coolest part was when we saw how lightening can affect the appearance and structure of rocks. We saw an area of the ignimbrite that had been struck by lightening and the resulting rock was glittering and had the prettiest colors. A final highlight of the trip was seeing the Alpine Fault where there was an 80 foot wall constructed between the Australian and Pacific plate boundaries. It was just so cool to literally be standing on two different plates at once. This trip was truly once in a lifetime because we all got the opportunity to see how insanely intricate and incredible the earth can be. Sometimes geologic features can be hard to wrap your head around because the earth can do incomprehensible things. We got to see so many mountains, volcanoes, outcrops and rocks that had incredible features because the earth is able to over time work in a way that produces these beautiful landscapes.

Ellie

Wow. What a month. 25 days of the most wonderful places on Earth, unexpected friendships, and of course rocks. I didn’t know what I expected to take away from this maymester the days leading up to departure but as we round out the last few days it’s even more than I could have ever imagined. My motives for going on this trip not only extended from my interest in geology but also my wanting to reconnect with nature and deepen my appreciation for how purely extraordinary our planet is. It’s so difficult to materialize earth processes in a classroom setting but having a month of hands-on geological experiences with some of the most knowledgeable instructors in the field has solidified my passion for our world and given me the tools to think critically and purposefully. Truthfully, I have learned more here than I have or ever will learn in a classroom setting. I owe all that I have learned here to all the amazing professors, TA’s, post-docs, Liam’s, and frontiers abroad faculty that accompanied and led us on this trip. You knew exactly where to take us and how to challenge us intellectually. You guided us through times of frustration and took genuine responsibility of the material along the way.
Guil and Lydia, I am so thankful to have gotten to know you both personally before Earth Materials in the fall and to have confirmed that you are both grade A badasses. Thank you for pushing me to focus on the big picture and the tiny details as well. I could have asked for more goofy, talented, and kind-hearted professors to lead us on this trip. Sweet Brad, you are the kindest person I have ever met and I’m so glad you come to New Zealand with us. You brought such a light-hearted and fun energy to our group and I am so amazed by the positive life you live. I hope I can “kick it with you soon” and I can’t wait to see you around the department.
Dear my fellow maymester friends. Thank you for allowing me to be my authentic self with you and giving me some of the greatest memories during our time here. Going from strangers to friends was one of the absolute best things about this experience and I will never forget the moments of pure laughter, momentary frustrations, and genuine care for one other that filled the long days in the field and the nights when we explored each city. Conrad, Beth, Loren, John, Emma, and Margaret— thank you for being part of the best month of life. I’m so sad our communal lunches and mapping dates have come to an end but I hope that we can all stay connected this summer and as we venture back to Vandy in the fall.
As the sun goes down on our last day here I feel rather sad to leave a place that has been such a comfort to me over the past month. This trip has given me the chance to step away from the stresses of everyday life and immerse myself in what I am truly passionate about. New Zealand you were lovely and gave me a month to remember. I hope to see you again some day.

Margaret

New Zealand was beautiful, if a tad hard to navigate with a sprained ankle since day 5. Nevertheless, I made it to 99% of the outcrops, getting the whole maymester experience. We had a perfect tiny group who somehow managed to not get sick of each other. We also were able to squeeze in some history and culture of New Zealand, spending both our first day and our free day in museums. One of my personal favorite moments was when Loren and I spent a relaxing couple hours reading in beanbags on the waterfront of Wellington on our day off. The month was not all smooth sailing, there were highs and lows suited to the volcanic topography of the country (and we didn’t get to see a kiwi). I’m here a few more days with Emma and then heading back from New Zealand with experiences I won’t soon forget.

Emma

What a month! Despite the long treks and cold days, it turns out I have a soft spot (very) deep in my heart for the great outdoors after all. From the beaches of the South Island to the volcanoes of the North Island, I feel like each part of the trip offered something uniquely pretty and cool. Every time we moved on to a new field site I was like, “No way will this new place have anything to offer me after what we just saw!” but I kept being proved wrong. My personal highlights were the emerald lakes at the Tongariro crossing, Zealandia (aka bird paradise), and the natural hot springs in wai-o-tapu (although I’m still somewhat worried about The Amoeba™), but it is super hard to pick a favorite place. Guess I’ll just have to go back. Shoutout to our instructors & the best group to ever exist, y’all are truly the only people I could ever handle a month of bushwhacking and hiking and rock-hammering with. Shoutout to Dave too, thanks for all your hard work. And, shoutout to all our special bonus guests.
P.S. I never saw a kiwi & I’m a little bitter about it.

John

Wow this trip was crazy. I didn’t really know at all what to expect coming in or what a “field investigation” even was, and I was worried for the first few days of the course that I didn’t have the knowledge to keep up with the fast-paced learning and influx of experiences. I was pleasantly surprised though, and by the beginning of the third week of the trip I was amazed at the crazy geology discussions we were having within just the students and also by the conviction that I felt about my own observations and interpretations. I feel pretty smart now which is cool. My favorite location was probably whakapapa and the skotel, it was super sick seeing some absolutely bonkers volcanoes for basically the first time in my life and it was just so pretty there. Also the skotel was really cozy and I loved the group dinners we had every night and hanging out with dan. The group was definitely one of the best, if not the best, aspects of the trip and I really liked being with a group of people who were way cool and fun and interesting and also pushed me to work hard in the field and rethink all my ideas. I’m sad to leave the trip but happy to be coming away from it as a person much more confident as a geologist and in my interest in the earth sciences (sometimes I guess it takes a trip to one of the most geologically amazing places in the world to remember why you’re doing it) and I’m especially happy to have gotten to know everyone, including the professors (both from the us and nz) who made my experience what it was. 

Everyone