Tramping in Manapouri

This weekend, Kate, Celia, Christoph, and I headed four hours outside of Dunedin to Manapouri for a little bit of tramping.

Celia was the trip leader and planned out a nice loop for us to walk.  This required a water taxi ride across a small river to the start of the track to Hope Arm Hut.

We paid "Skipper" $20 each to take us from one side to the other

We walked for about 2 1/2 hours.  Along the way, we got some great views of Lake Manapouri.

Then we continued through the forest.

During one small stretch, we saw this stuff hanging all over everything.  What on earth is it?  It was really pretty; I half expected little fairy people to pop out from it.

Just before sunset, we arrived to a spectacular view of snow capped mountains across from the beach just beyond our hut.

Right before the sun went down the air temperature dropped substantially.  We all made an effort to keep the fire going in the wood stove in the hut, but it didn't do much - hours after the fire was built, we were sitting in 41* air temperature indoors.  Brr.


Kate and I took on the responsibility of making dinner (well, I sort of volunteered us).  We brought pasta, broccoli, brie cheese, garlic, butter and pine nuts for an "easy" dish.  Unfortunately, our canister of gas for the stove was a little on the empty side.  We spent the better part of an hour waiting for the water to boil.  

Kate took over boiling water. She didn't trust me with the second pot.

When it was almost ready, I stood up to get the pasta and proceeded to knock the whole pot of almost boiling water over.  Man, I've got some smooth moves.  Eventually, we ended up with boiling water, cooked pasta, and ultimately a garlicky dish of yumminess.  (Note to self, do not make cheesy dishes on tramping trips.  They are a p.i.t.a. to wash after the cheese has cooled down!)


Before we climbed into our sleeping bags for the night, we took a trip down to the water for some star gazing.  It was freezing, so we didn't plan to stay outside long, but wow what a sky!  Just being able to see that many stars makes a trip to New Zealand worthwhile.


The next day we walked back to meet "Skipper" to take us back across the river.  On the way, we had to cross a river using a "bridge" made out of a thick wire rope.  So, we had to walk it like a tight rope and use two similar ropes on either side for balance. Celia went first.  As she was walking we heard gunshots.  Odd.  I froze and wasn't sure what to do.  

Soon after we heard several more shots.  Turns out, two farmers were in the woods hunting deer and pigs.  One of them turned up at the bridge just as Kate was about to cross.  He was pleasant while I made small talk; he was staying with his mate at Back Valley Hut (this is the hut Celia originally planned on us staying at - I'm SO glad she switched to the other one!).  It made me a little nervous that he said his hunting skills were "rusty".  This gave me extra motivation to zip across the river to get out of the way of the hunters, pronto.


The weather wasn't as good as the day before, but it was hard to tell in the forest.

We made a quick stop to check out the beach one more time (one of its inhabitants was the most obnoxious bird ever) and then carried on our merry way.

On the way back to Dunedin, we stopped in Te Anau.  Unfortunately, the lake was under a blanket of fog, so we couldn't enjoy the scenery.  I did get to enjoy a kick ass cup of coffee at the Sandfly Cafe, though!  It was the BEST coffee I've had in New Zealand so far. M'mm. And, the best part for me was that the coffee came in a large size!  This sounds silly, but if you're the kind of American used to all those size options at Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks and then you're cut off from those choices only to be given coffee in a dinky sized cup, you learn to appreciate the opportunities to get a nice big hot cup of Joe when you can.

Four hours in the car passed by quickly with such great scenery.

All in all, it was a great trip!  I have another tramping adventure coming up this weekend and again the following weekend.  I am a tramping machine. =)

Beached Whale

It's always fun to meet new people and try to guess where they are from based on their accent.  It's even more fun to mimic accents.  Talk like a Brit? Sure, no problem.  Talk with a Spanish accent? Got it covered.  But, for some reason, I cannot replicate a kiwi accent!  So, I thought I'd give my readers an opportunity to listen to a kiwi accent (through a beached whale in New Zealand) and see if you can give it a shot yourself.

U.S.Heeey! Top 10 Most Wanted Foods

Happy birthday, America!  Yesterday at Abbey College we celebrated by adorning our faces with stars and stripes and watched Team America.  Heck yeah!

For me, it was a day of reflection on that whole life, liberty and pursuit of happiness thing.  What makes someone happy?  Choices!  By that, I mean food-related choices.

It's funny that when I think about my return to the U.S. I instantly conjure up a list of foods that I've been deprived of which I will instantly seek out when my feet hit American soil.  Living in a catered residence hall means that I'm at the mercy of whatever the cook has on the menu.  Don't get me wrong, Nigel (our cook) does serve some deliciousness.  But, every now and then I get a strong hankering for particular things.  Some are available in New Zealand, but most are not (at least not here in Dunedin...the word on the street is that Auckland has some of my favorite American delicacies). *sigh*

So, what are these cravings, you ask? Here they are, in no particular order:

• Heinz ketchup
• Life cereal
• Reese's peanut butter cups
• Jif peanut butter (really, just about any peanut butter brand)
• Morningstar and Boca burgers
• Whole in the Wall pesto
• Ben & Jerry's chubby hubby
• Funfetti cake
• Harpoon beer (raspberry hefeweizen in particular)

You can't really tell that I have a background in nutrition based on my list, can you?!  Nevertheless, Mom, if you're reading, feel free to drop a package of Reese's cups in the next care package.

☺

A Birthday Abroad

My birthday was this week.  Besides my 10th birthday that I spent with the Girl Scouts in Arlington Cemetery I've spent each birthday with family and friends.  Recent birthdays have been celebrated with a nice dinner out and a slice of cake topped with a scoop of ice cream.  What would this year bring?

I made a reservation for one at Luna Bar & Restaurant in Roslyn.  For one you ask? Yes.

Months ago, I ran past Luna and admired the view of the harbor.  I suggested Luna as a pit stop on a girls night out, but others felt it was too far out of the way. Fair enough.  Since I was making plans for my birthday, though, I was going to do what I want even if it meant hiking up a long, steep hill in a nice dress and heels in the cold and wind all by myself.

I had to work at MInT on my birthday, so I hurried to finish things up and make it to Luna for my 6pm reservation.  Before I left, I double-checked directions to get to the restaurant.  Google maps told me it'd take 40 minutes to walk there.  It was already 5:40pm. Oops.  I decided I could make it on time if I hustled - the time estimates are for slow walkers anyway.

I definitely didn't make it on time.  I zigged when I should have zagged (not my fault, the roads aren't marked very well and so I missed a turn) and I underestimated how long and steep Stuart Street is.  I actually stopped partway up the hill to assess the situation: why on earth is this place so far away and why did I think it'd be a good idea to walk there and do I really want a glass of wine and piece of cake this bad?!  Needless to say, I looked rather disheveled when I arrived (I think I looked as if someone had been chasing me) and the kind bartender asked what I wanted to drink even before I found a place to park myself.

So, this was my idea of a sophisticated birthday, huh?

I ordered a glass of Mt. Difficulty Roaring Meg Pinot Noir and the chocolate pudding with a brownie and vanilla ice cream. Then I immediately spread out a bunch of research articles and started highlighting important looking parts to make it look like I was a pro at eating by myself in nice places.

I'm sure I could have asked other people to join me, but the walk to the restaurant was long and treacherous; I don't think people would be too pleased with me.  On top of that, it was a little pricey.  I spent $25.50 on my glass of vino and dessert.

Contrary to popular belief, I think I did enjoy this time by myself.  I wanted to treat myself to something nice for all that I've gone through recently.  The great views of Dunedin and the chocolatey goodness filled that need just fine.  Plus, I tucked this experience away with the other things that I've been nervous to do by myself, but did it anyway to prove to myself that I can.

I didn't stay too long.  I had a date with my friends at Abbey and New Girl.  Here's a picture from outside the restaurant: a vague idea of how beautiful the city is at night time:

My birthday adventure didn't stop there, but I know my mom reads my blog and so I don't want to worry her with my tale of...

...walking home by myself in the dark; cutting through paths that required me to keep hitting buttons on my cell phone so that I could see where I was walking; saying aloud how thankful I was that it was too cold for homeless people to come out and attack me in these unlit woody areas; bushbashing up a bank and falling in the process...

Only I could end up in situations like these.

And guess what? It was snowing!  Not enough to stick to the ground, but how many people who have a June birthday can say they saw snow on their birthday?!

Back at Abbey my wonderful friends had bubbly drinks to share.  It was a delight when the room full of people from all corners of the world started singing Happy Birthday to me.  I acted embarrassed, but I secretly loved every minute of it!

Next year is the big 3-0.  *gasp!* I do NOT plan on spending any second of my birthday by myself.  I want to go on an adventure, but not the kind that requires jumping off a bridge attached to a rubber band or hurtling through the air after jumping out of a plane.  If you have any ideas, please send them my way!

How not to find the Pineapple Track (on the first try), but still have fun anyway

Once upon a time, someone told me I'm just like my dad.  He had this, "I'm going to X place at Y time with or without you" 'tude.  Unfortunately, I also inherited the Dennis Boucher curse... something that should take 30 seconds ends up taking 3 hours.  In my case, I decided to go on a quick walk to the Pineapple Track when my other weekend plans fell through.  That quick walk ended up requiring a 2 hour detour 6 miles away...

Each day that has passed since I arrived in Dunedin back in February, I've looked out my window to see a pretty mountain that gets prettier depending on how the clouds, sunset, snow, etc. alter its appearance.  Often, I say to myself, "I want to go there and check it out."  Today just happened to be THE perfect day to do just that.

I've been to the Ross Creek Reservoir a few times and no less than four people have told me, "Just take the road past the reservoir to the start of the Pineapple Track."  It sounds so simple, doesn't it?

I decided that I'd start walking towards the track around 10am and then take my time on the mountain until I was ready to come back.  I packed enough stuff to be prepared for anything: map, rain coat, rain pants, flashlight (a.k.a. "torch"), two sandwiches, two bags of nuts, mueslix bar and an orange.  Off I went.

Hard to believe that today is the Mid Winter Carnival when it was this green on the way to the reservoir...

Now, here's the point where things got a little hairy.  I walked past the reservoir and followed "the" road.  But, I didn't find the start of the track.  I did find a mountain biking path that would take me to the start of the track, but no walkers were allowed. Hmm... I noticed the light gray dashes on my map, indicating trails that would take me to the Pineapple Track, so I started walking down Wakari Rd to look for signage for one of these little trails.... and I kept walking... and walking... and walking...

New Zealand needs a little help in the signage department.

I realized that I had walked past the three trails that would get me to the track. *grumble* It seemed easier to just walk to the car park at the start of the Flagstaff summit walk. So I did. This meant a drastic change in scenery...

 I walked through this residential section for so long that it reminded me of the orphans who walked all the way to Daddy Warbuck's house in search of Annie.  (They walk forever, realize they found the correct street, and get terribly sad because they have to walk many, many more blocks to the correct house.  Sorry, couldn't find the related YouTube video.) Eventually, this sign gave me hope that my adventure on one of Dunedin's great Skyline Walks would soon begin.

There was still more walking to be done before I reached the track, so I chowed down on my cottage cheese/beet root sandwich (I know, How delicious! you're saying to yourself) and enjoyed the sunshine.

A nice couple was walking their beautiful fluffy white dog when I reached the start of the track.  They told me to avoid the mucky trail and take the one with better views instead.  I think they did a good job pointing me in the right direction!

Only problem (and it was minor) was the wind.  I tried to pick a video with the least amount of wind whooshing in the background to share.

The trail was VERY easy to follow.  I'd recommend it as the perfect trail to walk if someone wants to get out and has to go by him/herself.  There were few enough people that it was peaceful, but enough people that if I fell and broke a leg I wasn't worried about being stranded.

This is where I had to hang right to head back to the city.  Someday I'll see where the trail on the left goes.

Total trip time was about 4 1/2 hours.  Total distance walked was about 12 miles.  Absolutely worth it!

Eureka?! Me vs Traffic: A Lesson in Behavior Change

What do eating behavior and crossing the street have in common?  I'll give you a second to ponder that (cue the Jeopardy music)... 


Are you ready for it?  

They are both things that, in general, we do everyday.  Not only that, BUT when we try to change how we do them something in our little mind goes: Whoa, buddy! Something's wrong here!


Genius, right??

So, this thought came about when I was walking down Cumberland Street in Dunedin today.  I was recapping a conversation that I had with my supervisor on Monday.  Before our meeting I was trying to think of things we could talk about related to the research and other just chit chat topics.  I was preparing for things he might ask me such as, "Sara, how are things going?" to which I'd reply, "Well, I  only have an outline for my literature review (I was supposed to have a first draft completed at the end of May) and I have a first draft of my manuscript on the use of financial incentives with a mailed survey (I started it in February and haven't done anything related to the statistics section yet), but I'm crossing the street much better!"  I assure you, he'd find this last part funny. On one of our walks to our building a few months ago I was not at all used to traffic coming at me from the "wrong" direction and admitted I'd have to follow his lead - even at cross walks.

Well then why does this make me think of eating behavior?

Lately, I've been reading some disappointing articles about the efficacy of weight management programs.  Years after Ancel Keys taught us that restricting our caloric intake (similar to dieting) isn't all it's cracked up to be, we still have research coming out where researchers are trying to tweak dieting programs to achieve safe, successful, long-term weight loss.  It's just not happening.

So, now we've got a few of us out there thinking about weight maintenance.  But, if I'm supposed to develop a weight gain prevention intervention for my PhD thesis, how on earth can I move forward knowing that brilliant researchers haven't come up with anything spectacular already?!

I think we need to stop thinking like researchers with specialty knowledge in diet and exercise and human behavior.  Instead, we need to think like the average Joe and start there.

That's what got me thinking about things that we do so often that it'd be a downright pain in the butt to change them.  Like, for example, putting on socks. Or...crossing the street!  Americans are taught to "Look left. Look right. Look left again."  If you do that in New Zealand, you're going to be flattened into a pancake during an attempt to cross the street.  Things are not hopeless, though.  Luckily, after enough practice, it becomes more natural to look right first for oncoming traffic.  Then, over time, you can cross the street with confidence!

In my experience, I needed to be aware that traffic patterns are different in this new country.  Then, I had to recognize the situations where I'd have to adjust my behavior.  Next, I needed practice changing where I looked for oncoming cars.  Now, I'm almost in a maintenance phase of naturally looking in the "correct" direction for the traffic.  It was like a Crossing the Street Correctly in New Zealand intervention!  I think the same can be said for any new behavior, but particularly for eating-related behavior.

The real challenge now will be deciding what behavior(s) to focus on (e.g. speed of eating, portion size, mindless eating - all of which, and more, are being examined through our survey) and figuring out how to approach that behavior change the way I approached my own street crossing behavior.

I really think I'm on to something here...

Highland Dancing Shoes

My research assistant job can be unpredictable, but in a good way!  Today, two brothers came in to the office, but just one is in our study.  "Mum" explained that the family goes for Highland dancing practice each weekend.  What on earth is that? I thought to myself.

So, rather than wait until I could Google it, I asked about the dancing.  Instead of an explanation, the boys took turns showing me some moves.  It was awesome!  Here's a link to some girls Highland dancing, but the boys were doing it a little differently.  They both skipped around in a circle alternating hitting one heel with the other foot.  I was pretty impressed.

The other thing I found interesting is that the boy in our study had a BMI that put him in the "orange" zone (overweight), but his waist:height ratio was perfectly "green" (average/"normal").  I plotted the results and went over them with his mom.  She stated that he's "dense" because he's muscular from exercise.  I thought the same thing, but kept it to myself - I try to be matter of fact when I go over the results and refer families to their primary care physician ("GP" here) if they have questions.  When parents start speculating about why the results are the way they are, I just smile and nod.

I've long been suspicious of using body mass index to predict health risks.  In this study though, for the most part, kids are usually the same color zone for both comparisons (age/BMI and height/waist circumference).  When I plot results for families and those points on both graphs fall in the same colored zone, I don't think much about it... it seems straight forward... if families keep following their current lifestyle, I'd guess that those zones will both stay green, orange, or red down the road.

But, what will be down the road for a child whose BMI/age is "orange" and his waist:height is "green"?  I'm not sure... I'd usually be happy to speculate, but I'm still recovering from a head cold.  Anything I come up with risks being gobble-di-gook (a.k.a. nonsense).

What do you think?