Day 9: Mystery Day - Will Write More When the Mystery is Revealed!

I think they are in Christchurch today but I am not sure what they are doing.

The itinerary is annoyingly vague.

It could be they are doing some extreme sport activity or the service activity. We'll have to wait and see - the references to "physical fortitude" and "heart pounding" are intriguing.

The temperature got pretty low last night; I hope there were warm blankets on the beds because our California kids were in the negative numbers if you use Celsius. And as the day played out, it doesn't seem to be getting much warmer!

Nighttime temps got low!

In the meantime, for those of us at home or at work (for me, that's both), you can have some fun monitoring the near-steady earthquakes jiggling the Christchurch area. They have had two today but they are really small and chances are there are sneezes and laughing causing more motion that these little tremblers.

Speaking of quakes, if you have a minute, watch this video that shows how many earthquakes happened just prior to, during and then after the big quake in June 2011. It will start out slow, but if you watch, the big one will hit and then yowza - the map just comes to life. You can pause the action in the upper right.

We should hear from the kids tomorrow when they get free wi-fi at the airport as they make their way to Sydney. Can't wait to get the texts and see the pics from a very busy week. I mapped out their route in New Zealand and the covered a lot of territory in a week. There's a map below.

UPDATE: Sheila just posted a note!

Having a fantastic time;-) 

Destruction from earthquake in Christ Church was sad, but the people are such realists and SO VERY PRACTICAL. Businesses are being run out of shipping containers...they only took down the restraining fences two weeks ago.

We've have great memories of New Zealand. 

Ambassadors are off "Ab Sailing" (repelling) and I have stayed behind with Ann as there was no access for her to walk other than hiking in to rough slippery terrain and then fairly steep to repel down. [Note: Poor Ann tore her ACL two weeks before the trip but her Doc okay'd her to travel!] 

Here at Pudding Hill Lodge they have skydiving too, but not for us. Snow is on the ground...it is cold, but not so much on the ground...we are right at the base of the mountains. Off to Australia tomorrow and a bit warmer weather.

From the People to People Itinerary:

• Rise and prepare to sharpen your mental focus and challenge your physical fortitude as you participate in Full On, a day-long program specially designed for People to People delegates.
• Boost your confidence and self-awareness during Full On interactive workshops that promise to get your heart pounding. 

Christchurch from space in 2001.

Auckland to Rotorua to Wellington to Picton to Methvan to Christchurch (and everywhere in between).