New Clothes

Yeah, new clothes! I've got a brand new outfit that one of my friends (a 13-year-old) bought but it was slightly too small. I've got a good feeling that I'm gonna wear it for School Social this year. It looks really nice, and here's my chance to give you a pic of myself (I haven't had a haircut since before Jan 23 and now it's Mar 29.) Yeah.

Here's my new suit (dress top and pants, OH YEAH!):

Maximum Ride Quiz: Book 6: Fang

Hi! Maximum Ride is a cool book series for teens by James Patterson about six kids: Max, 14/15, Fang, 14/15, Iggy, 14/15, Nudge, 11/12, Gazzy, 8/9, and Angel, 6/7. They have wings! They were grown up in a lab named the School and then escaped with Jeb Batchedler, one of the whitecoats from the School. He disappeared two years later, because he turned bad again (described by Max in Book 7: Angel as a turncoat that reacts like, "Oh, today's Tuesday, and evil day." or "Friday again, time to wear a white hat!"

You can either read Maximum Ride, or you can follow James Patterson on facebook. See if you can answer this quiz about Book 6: Fang!

Maximum Ride Quiz: Book 6: Fang

1: Dylan is _ months old.
a:3 b:27 c:8 d:433

2: What age does Nudge turn?
a:9 b:11 c:12 d:10

3: What is Max's gift from Fang?
a:a ring b:a ball c:a gun d:a bouquet

4: Max is cautious with Fang because:
a:he's sick b:Angel said he would die c:she's all lovey dovey d: His wings snapped

5: Fang _ Max.
a:hates b:loathes c:kills d:loves

6: Dylan has _ hair.
a:dark strawberry blond b:pitch black c:orangey chestnut brown d:blood red

Answers:
0-2 right: You're a mutant freak!
3-4 right: Get ready to fly away!
5-6 right: You're Fangalicious!

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The Day I Dreaded- the latest in camp info

THE DAY I DREADED

BY JACK 19.3.12

I wake up at a ridiculously early time. I’m extremely tired- I went to sleep late last night! I pack my bag and hop onto the bus. There’s no delaying or making excuses now- the day is here. The day I dreaded.

The Tongariro National Park is a large area of land just south of Lake Taupo. It features quite a few mountains, including Ruapehu, Tongariro, Pihanga and Ngauruhoe. Tongariro is a 1967 metre tall mountain that is somewhat active, with craters erupting five or six times every thousand years.

Out of the bus and onwards through the Mangatepopo Valley. We walk for an hour then come to a stop at the bottom of the Devil’s Staircase. To the left is a tiny waterfall called Soda Springs. It smells kind of like soda!

Soda Springs is the first checkpoint in the 19.4 km long Tongariro Alpine Crossing. It gets its name from the carbon dioxide in the water, used to fizz soda. It, however, is undrinkable due to the large quantities of sulphate.

I feel like I’m going to die. I’m not very far up the mountain, and the huge Devil’s Staircase proves why. Can’t they have a ski lift? I suppose not.

The Devil’s Staircase is a huge staircase, so horrible it seems like the Devil made it, hence the name. It’s really manmade to allow you to climb the treacherous slope.

Finally, the top! Relief! There’s the second checkpoint, a hill leading to a large crater. Oh no! Mt Ngauruhoe comes into view, and it’s a brilliant red. Red Crater is to the left and a head is another large gravelly hill, leading to yet another large, you guessed it, red crater. Whoever created this part must have run out of ideas!

The huge crater is South Crater, which once erupted. Mt Ngauruhoe   is actually a 2287 metre tall vent of Tongariro. The red colour is formed by volcanic rock. It erupts once every 25 years and is overdue… uh oh! The gravelly stuff is called scree.

There we go; I climbed up a gravelly hill! Oh no, there’s another one, going down. I can see a huge crater and the beautiful but deadly Emerald Lakes. I slowly, carefully slide down the gravel. Don’t fall in the acid!

The Emerald Lakes are three pathetic-looking lakes that actually aren’t that pathetic. They get their green colour (one of them blue) from acid! You can put your finger in, but you can’t stay in for more than ten minutes! You can guess what would happen! Ouch…

It’s past lunch at the ‘Lakes and now it’s a downhill stretch. The terrain is changing from rock to tussock to forest. It’s been two hours since lunch. Are we there yet? Keitetahi Hut looms ahead- the first toilet in four hours! Sheesh! I can’t control my bladder that well!

Six hours down and two to go, Keitetahi Hut is the final checkpoint before Keitetahi Car Park and the end! Keitetahi Springs are a mineral induced selection of streams that cure rheumatic diseases. The walk used to wind through, but now the Maori have bought the land, so Keitetahi Hut has changed place. There’s a tally-counter tripwire hung in between two manmade rocks, and apparently 600 on good days get that far!

Some people are fit! One of the adults told their group to run to the bush line, and we’re there 3 hours later! How? The stream starts winding, my heart starts pounding, my blisters keep growing, and- the end! I’ll never complain about heavy packs or a 1 hour walk again!

Camp Overview

Okay, okay, I admit that the last post was mostly zip about camp and too much about mountains of New Zealand. This post, though, is my overview of camp.

Camp was really fun. There were lots of pros, but also lots of cons. I mean, yes it was cool to see nature, but GETTING THERE... you know what I mean.

On Tuesday we departed from school around quarter to ten. It took ninety LONG minutes to drive there! I have to say, though, it was worth it when we neared the finish of our first tramp... we had lunch at the Taranaki falls, then actually walked under them, to be greeted by a yummy roast dinner. Mmm...

On Wednesday we woke up, at 6! It's WAY earlier than normal, plus we'd gone to sleep later than usual. I couldn't believe it! We set off for an eight hour walk, and it seemed longer. You might think Mt Ngauruhoe and the Emerald Lakes (which are only ten minutes away, okay) are pretty in calendars, but up close? Heaven. We came back to a movie, a shower and well-deserved fish and chicken bites.

On Thursday we went to the visitors centre, and watched two 20 minute long movies. we then had to write about what we saw and heard. Later we went to the possibly scariest thing- the caves! Imagine my fear at the mouth of a tiny, dark, underground, WETA-FILLED cave. EEK! I faced my fear and came back feeling not-so-scared.

On Friday we went for a walk round Lake Rotopanamu. Then, driving back, I felt completely awesome.

The Crossing and other NZ mountains

Well, there you go. I've climbed Mt Tauhara and crossed Mt Tongariro. Phew! I'm so proud of myself, and, faithful readers, I hope you are too. There was a hard stretch of rock, bush, and gravel. 

Did you know that there are lots more mountains in New Zealand? So far I've climbed Tongariro, Tauhara and Pureora.
Other mountains in New Zealand, between 3754 and 107 metres are:

The 30 highest mountains^[1] are all within the Southern Alps, a chain that forms the backbone of the South Island. Mountain heights and names are as shown on Land Information New Zealand's Topo50 topographic maps.^[2] The high, middle and low peaks of Aoraki/Mount Cook are not listed separately, and unnamed peaks are not listed.

1. Aoraki/Mount Cook - 3,754 metres (12,316 ft)
2. Mount Tasman - 3,497 metres (11,473 ft)
3. Mount Dampier - 3,440 metres (11,290 ft)
4. Mount Vancouver - 3,309 metres (10,856 ft)
5. Silberhorn - 3,300 metres (10,800 ft)
6. Malte Brun - 3,198 metres (10,492 ft)
7. Mount Hicks - 3,198 metres (10,492 ft)
8. Mount Lendenfeld - 3,194 metres (10,479 ft)
9. Mount Graham - 3,184 metres (10,446 ft)
10. Torres Peak - 3,160 metres (10,370 ft)
11. Mount Sefton - 3,151 metres (10,338 ft)
12. Mount Teichelmann - 3,144 metres (10,315 ft)
13. Mount Haast - 3,114 metres (10,217 ft)
14. Mount Elie de Beaumont - 3,109 metres (10,200 ft)
15. La Perouse - 3,078 metres (10,098 ft)
16. Douglas Peak - 3,077 metres (10,095 ft)
17. Mount Haidinger - 3,070 metres (10,070 ft)
18. Magellan - 3,049 metres (10,003 ft)
19. Malaspina - 3,042 metres (9,980 ft)
20. The Minarets - 3,040 metres (9,970 ft)
21. Mount Aspiring/Tititea - 3,033 metres (9,951 ft)
22. Mount Hamilton - 3,025 metres (9,925 ft)
23. Mount Dixon - 3,004 metres (9,856 ft)
24. Glacier Peak - 3,002 metres (9,849 ft)
25. Mount Chudleigh - 2,966 metres (9,731 ft)
26. Haeckel Peak - 2,965 metres (9,728 ft)
27. Drake - 2,960 metres (9,710 ft)
28. Mount Darwin - 2,952 metres (9,685 ft)
29. Aiguilles Rouges - 2,950 metres (9,680 ft)
30. Mount De La Beche - 2,950 metres (9,680 ft)

[edit] Other notable mountains and hills

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] Over 2,000 metres

• Tapuae-o-Uenuku - 2,884 m (9,462 ft) - in the Inland Kaikoura Range (highest peak outside the Southern Alps)^[3]
• Mount Alarm - 2,877 m (9,439 ft) - in the Inland Kaikoura Range
• Hochstetter Dome - 2,822 m (9,259 ft)
• Mount Earnslaw - 2,819 m (9,249 ft)
• Mount Ruapehu - 2,797 m (9,176 ft) (highest peak in the North Island)^[3]
• Mount Tutoko - 2,723 m (8,934 ft)^[3]
• Nuns Veil - 2,749 m (9,019 ft)
• Mount Hopkins - 2,682 m (8,799 ft)
• Manakau - 2,608 m (8,556 ft)^[3]
• Mount Taranaki or Mount Egmont - 2,518 m (8,260 ft)^[3]
• Mount Murchison - 2,408m
• Mount Strauchon - 2,391m
• Double Cone - 2,319 m (7,608 ft)^[3]
• Fanklyn - 2,340 m (7,677 ft)
• Travers - 2,338 m (7,671 ft)
• Mount Taylor - 2,333 m (7,653 ft)^[3]
• Ben Nevis - 2,330 m (7,644 ft)
• Mount Aurum - 2,320 m (7,611 ft)
• Mount Ngauruhoe - 2,291 m (7,516 ft)
• Hopeless - 2,278 m (7,474 ft)
• Mount Rolleston - 2,275 m (7,464 ft)
• Faerie Queen - 2,237 m (7,339 ft)
• Paske - 2,232 m (7,323 ft)
• Mount Adams - 2,208m (7,244 ft)
• Mount Hutt - 2,190 m (7,185 ft)
• Mount Olympus - 2,097 m
• Mount Dobson - 2,095 m
• Mount Musgrave - 2,085 m (6,841 ft)

[edit] 1,000 to 2,000 metres

• Mount Tongariro - 1,978 m (6,490 ft)
• Mount Ollivier - 1,933 m (6,342 ft)
• Benmore Peak (Benmore Range) - 1,932 m (6,338 ft) (site of Benmore Peak Observatory)
• Mount Cardrona - 1,900 m (6,234 ft)
• Mount Owen - 1,875 m (6,152 ft)
• Sutherlands Peak (Benmore Range) - 1,846 m (6,054 ft)
• Totara Peak (Benmore Range) - 1,822 m (5,977 ft)
• Mount Arthur - 1,795 m (5,887 ft)
• Mount Hikurangi, Gisborne - 1,754 m (5,755 ft) (highest peak in the North Island, excluding volcanoes)
• Ben Lomond - 1,751 m (5,747 ft)
• Mount Peel - 1,743 m (5,720 ft)
• Mount Mangaweka - 1,730 m (5,676 ft)
• Mount Kaweka (Kaweka J) - 1,724 m (5,659 ft)
• Brown Peak, Sturge Island (subantarctic island) - 1,705 m (5,594 ft)^[4] or 1524 m (5,000 ft)^[5]
• Mitre Peak - 1,692 m (5,551 ft)
• Roys Peak - 1,578 m (5,177 ft)
• The Mitre (Tararua Range) - 1,571 m (5,151 ft)
• Mount Hector (Tararua Range) - 1,529 m (5,016 ft)
• Hauhungatahi - 1,521 m (4,990 ft)
• Mount Lyndon - 1,489 m (4,885 ft)
• The Cairn (Benmore Range) - 1,464 m (4,801 ft)
• Summit Peak - 1,450 m (4,756 ft) (highest point of the Rock and Pillar Range)
• Young Island (subantarctic island) - 1,340 m (4,396 ft)
• The Buscot (Benmore Range) - 1,245 m (4,084 ft)
• Buckle Island (subantarctic island) - 1,239 m (4,065 ft)
• Mount Noble - 1,220 m (4,003 ft)
• Mount Pureora - 1,175 m (3,855 ft)
• Mount Tarawera - 1,111 m (3,645 ft)
• Mount Tauhara - 1,088 m (3,570 ft)
• Mount John - 1,031 m (3,382 ft) (site of Mount John University Observatory)

[edit] Under 1,000 metres

• Mount Ross - 983 m (3,225 ft) (highest point in the Aorangi Range)
• Mount Anglem - 979 m (3,212 ft) (highest peak on Stewart Island/Rakiura)
• Mount Pirongia - 959 m (3,146 ft)
• Mount Te Aroha - 952 m (3,123 ft) (highest point in the Kaimai Range)
• Mount Matthews - 940 m (3,084 ft) (highest peak in Rimutaka Range)
• Mount Herbert (Te Ahu Patiki) - 920m (3,018 ft) (highest point on Banks Peninsula)
• Wharite Peak - 920 m (3,018 ft)
• Maungatua - 900 m (2,953 ft)
• Moehau - 892 m (2,927 ft) (highest point on the Coromandel Peninsula)
• Mount Edgecumbe - 820 m (2,690 ft)
• Maungatautari - 797 m (2,615 ft) (site of the Maungatautari Restoration Project)
• Te Raupua - 781 m (2,526 ft) (highest point in Northland)
• Tutamoe - 770 m (2,562 ft) (second highest point in Northland)
• Takaka Hill - 760 m (2,493 ft)
• Mount Ngongotaha - 757 m (2,484 ft)
• Mount Karioi - 756 m (2,480 ft) (overlooks Raglan)
• Little Barrier Island - 722 m (2,370 ft)
• Mount Pye - 720 m (2,361 ft) (highest point in The Catlins)
• Mount McKerrow - 706 m (2,316 ft)
• Mount Dick (highest point in the Auckland Islands, on Adams Island) - 705 m (2,313 ft)
• Kohukohunui (highest point in the Hunua Ranges) - 688 m (2,255 ft)
• Mount Cargill - 680 m (2,231 ft)
• Flagstaff (Dunedin) - 666 m (2,186 ft)
• Mount Hikurangi, Northland - 625 m (2,051 ft)
• Mount Hobson (highest point on Great Barrier Island) - 621 m (2,038 ft)
• Hokonui Hills - 600 m (1,969 ft)
• Mount Honey (Campbell Island) - 558 m (1,831 ft)
• Moumoukai - 516 m (1,693 ft) (highest point in the Kermadec Islands, on Raoul Island)
• Te Toiokawharu (highest point in the Waitakere Ranges) - 474 m (1,555 ft)
• Saddle Hill - 473 m (1,552 ft)
• Colonial Knob Tawa, Wellington - 468 m (1,550 ft)
• Mount Kaukau Wellington - 445 m (1,460 ft)
• Mount Charles - 408 m (1,337 ft) (highest point on the Otago Peninsula)
• Te Mata Peak - 399 m (1,309 ft) Hawkes Bay region
• Signal Hill - 393 m (1,289 ft)
• Whakaari/White Island - 321 m (1,053 ft)
• Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu - 305 m (1,001 ft)
• Mangere - 286 m (938 ft) (highest point in the Chatham Islands, on Mangere Island)
• Rangitoto Island - 260 m (853 ft)
• Mauao (Mount Maunganui) - 230 m (755 ft)
• Mount Victoria, Wellington - 196 m (643 ft)
• Mount Eden - 196 m (643 ft)
• One Tree Hill - 182 m (597 ft)
• Mount Wellington - 137 m (449 ft)
• Mount Albert - 135 m (443 ft)
• Mount Roskill - 110 m (361 ft)
• Mangere Mountain - 107 m (351 ft)