Yesterday I went bouldering with the tramping club. I have never really climbed before (not counting indoor rock walls) and so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Luckily there were a variety of difficulty levels among the boulders. The climbing shoes I rented were amazing, greatly increasing my climbing abilities.

Climbing

With bouldering you don’t use ropes, but climb easier rocks or lower down so that if you fall you’ll be cushioned by the sand.

But we also did climbs that were a little more difficult and so for safety used ropes and harnesses.

Baring Head

The bouldering site was beautiful, about an hour from the city, it was situated on a lovely blue-watered beach. You can see the boulders right along the ocean.
One of the girls contemplates crossing between boulders.

Baring Head is located an hour or so from Wellington. We took several cars and drove there. Here’s a picture of the people in my car. We bonded over discussions on differences in driving cultures (stop signs vs. roundabouts) and our homes (New Zealand, Mexico, and the US).

Wildlife

Along the way, I saw fields of sheep. There are more sheep than people in New Zealand, so it wasn’t unexpected, but it was the first time I had personally seen the sheep. Here’s a picture of a few “naughty sheep” as Mae (pink hat) called them for having escaped their fencing.
On the walk back I saw a seal lying on the beach. I almost walked past it as it was camouflaged by the sand.
The seaweed was also very different from anything I’ve ever seen at home. It looked more like huge octopus tentacle, all sprouting from a base stuck onto a rock, and as the tide came in and out the long limbs moved in the water, almost as though they were conscious.

Location: Baring Head, Wainuiomata South, New Zealand