australia and new zealand - week 2 - new zealand

After our week together, we flew down to New South Wales, where I left Kristie to explore Sydney (scroll down for cool pics from her week) while I went the 2008 New Zealand Architecture Master Class in Abel Tasman National Park. While it couldn't compare with the week we spent in Queensland, it was a learning experience I will never forget. The tutors were amazing, New Zealand was beautiful, and the people I met were so inspiring. I couldn't recommend the class more.

One note on my stay in Nelson the night before the class. I got a room at a great little bed and breakfast called the Baywick Inn. The innkeepers were really cool. When I came down for breakfast, I ate in a room that had been converted into a veritable shrine to the british Royal family. This is what just one corner looked like:

From NZ Master Class

Awesome. About 70 percent of the collection was special edition shortbread cookie tins for royal birthdays, births and wedding anniversaries. I made the innkeeper (thanks janet) hold one of the her pieces for me... there is a picture in the slideshow.

From NZ Master Class

Awaroa Inlet, Abel Tasman National Park. Our site for the week. the lines are where the shells pile up as the tide comes and goes.

From NZ Master Class

Three of our tutors, (left to right) Ian Athfield, Richard Leplastrier, and Peter Stutchbury.

From NZ Master Class

Our project was to design a backpackers hut for the national park, as well as housing and research facilities for a full-time rangers and season research staff. Here we are getting our first introduction to the site.

From NZ Master Class

here is the same place about 4 hours later at high tide. You can walk across at low tide, but you have to time it right, or you could get caught out there as the ocean comes in.

From NZ Master Class

On one of our site visits the tide was too high, so we had to wade across, so I decided to do like I'd seen the Kiwis do, and go "hobbit". My sissy feet + an afternoon walking across a sea bed covered in open and broken clamshells = lots of pain.

From NZ Master Class

Sketching at the site

From NZ Master Class

Me at Awaroa Lodge, where we had our studio

From NZ Master Class

Working in the Studio

From NZ Master Class

The polar bear plunge in 4 degree celsius (39 degree Fahrenheit) water. The only let us go twice... something about my rock hard physique intimidating the other guys in the class.

From NZ Master Class

Working out in the sunlight.

From NZ Master Class

Fancy Dress for the party on the last night of the class. (from right to left, we had Julio, Pierre, Adam, Simone, Scott, Masimiliano, and Mike

From NZ Master Class

The boat waiting to take me back, so I could catch my flight and see Kristie again. This was the longest we've been apart since she was in college, and I missed her a lot. Besides, I was really excited to meet her new boyfriend.


Ok. That's enough about our big trip. It was a lot of fun, and we'd recommend it to everyone.

Here is a slideshow for ya'll...