Nearly two weeks have passed since November 14th, when a 7.8 earthquake rocked a large swath of New Zealand from Canterbury up to Wellington across the Cook Strait. Finding ourselves amongst the district of Kaikoura, arguably the hardest hit and most cut-off area, it might have been easy for us to react to the experience negatively. But, unbeknownst to us at the time - 12:02am to be exact - this would be the beginning of the most special experience of our adventure thus far.

Colin and I were in our van at the Meatworks beach campsite just 10 kilometers north of Kaikoura, lulled asleep by the nearby ocean waves. Awoken by the first round of disorienting, LOUD tremors, Colin (hesitantly) assured me, “okay…I think we’re okay now.” His hesitance was appropriately and instantaneously matched by another round of violent ‘shaking,’ though ‘shaking’ doesn’t come close to describing the thrusts and drops catapulting us every-which-way inside the cabin of the van. Finally, after 2 minutes that felt like a lifetime, the quake subsided. During those harrowing 2 minutes, I was convinced that the van was going to topple over; thank goodness Bethell held her ground and miraculously made it through unscathed. The fear, however, did not stop then - my heart was pounding out of my chest as I yelled, “We have to get out of here!” Fearing a tsunami and seeing every other nearby van scramble to escape the beach, we frantically threw our loose belongings from our “countertop” onto our bed (many items we later found in different crevices), and jumped into the seats upfront to swerve out of the campsite. Doing my best to concentrate and still my shaking hands, I tried in vain to figure out on my phone where best to go. Immediately, no data nor service to be found. We followed the flock of fleeing vans inland and after just 1 kilometer, were stopped by a local cautioning us that his property was "as high as we could get tonight," inviting us and about 15 other campervans onto his front lawn for refuge. I wasn’t convinced we were high enough if a tsunami did come (which it didn’t), but thank God he stopped us - a bit further and we’d have flown into the deep cracks of a ruined highway. Had we gone the other direction, north on State Highway 1 we would have been met by massive landslides crushing the road and railway line. It will be months before the 110+ km stretch of this road between Kaikoura and Blenheim will be cleared and re-opened.

Once word was received from town about just how bad this quake actually was (really, really bad), the gravity of the situation took hold, with an anxious uncertainty permeating the first few days. How do we get the word out to our friends and families that we’re okay? How much food do we have? How long will our fresh water last? No driving – we need to conserve our fuel. What can you do, but accept the hand you’re dealt, and do your best to make it work? How can we HELP? Of course, the rest of New Zealand, and the international community for that matter, was quickly working on solutions for such questions, and help arrived via military ships within a couple days, having navigated a significantly shifted seafloor.

We were the only Americans in the mix of about 40 other campers that ended up on Andrew & Donna Snow’s lawn that fateful night (more on these incredible human beings later). Interestingly, the majority of the bunch was German (all of whom had a great handle on English), mixed in with some British, Belgian, French, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Kiwis, and a couple from South Africa (more on these two later as well). The whole group stayed with the Snows for a few nights, who graciously fed everyone with a stock of meat that had thawed after the power had gone out. Others chipped in with their remaining parcels of food as well. Most people were vacationing, with their travels essentially coming to an abrupt end. Several missed flights but were eventually able to evacuate via rescue ships and helicopters that were organized days later. The real dilemma that remains after these travelers were able to evacuate will be how to get all the rental vans and cars that remain in Kaikoura back to their respective companies in other cities, as there is still no way of driving out. Those of us who own our vans are not abandoning them, but rather settling in to the isolated life throughout the Kaikoura district for now. Three of us lucky couples (ourselves, an elderly Kiwi pair from Nelson, and the South African couple from Cape Town) have gained the favor of the Snows, and were invited to stay on their hobby farm and become a part of their household until we are able to be convoyed out on the inland road by the military – timing for which is still TBD.  

With the help of a nearby stream, a water pump, a diesel generator, and both wood and gas fires, we have not been suffering. On the contrary, we’ve been blessed with daily warm showers and Kiwi feasts that in other circumstances would’ve cost $100+ a plate – fresh crayfish (a local fave) and lamb, one whose death, skinning, and dismemberment we witnessed. These tangibles are not the only things that have created such special circumstances, however. Chrissie, of the South African couple, is about my age, though unlike me is an INCREDIBLE cook, so everything has been masterfully served. I, of course, contribute with my masterful dish-washing skills, and Colin with his breakfast dish acumen. :) Had we found ourselves waiting things out with the other tourists in town, none of the above would’ve been our reality, yet it is. Certainly, while there has been food and drinking water provided in town by the military and Red Cross, there was no running water in town until November 25th – 12 full days later! Chrissie’s partner, Andries, a top 5 internationally ranked kite surfer, has a knack for being able to do pretty much anything – fixing trailers, re-wiring the generator, and catching sheep to name but a few ways he has kept busy helping the Snows. Between he, Colin, and David (of the elderly couple who own an apple orchard in Nelson), all but one (athletic) sheep on the farm were successfully "crotched" one day (dirty bottoms are sheered to keep the flies and maggots away - charming!). As tasks to bring things back to normal around the property have decreased, we've been keeping busy and active by volunteering in town, with jobs spanning from picking up litter for a waste disposal company, to helping the local council's media department relay info to the public, to conducting data entry for the Red Cross inquiries and in-home welfare checks being collected.

Beyond being able to learn from the skills and initiative of our fellow stranded travelers –  and those of our hosts and the Kaikoura community for that matter – the most impressive intangible that we’ve experienced during this surprise homestay has been the genuine warmth and love we have received. This newly formed familial group threw us a Thanksgiving holiday, cooking up dishes not only typical in America (mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy!), but also items unique to New Zealanders (a delectable pavlova dessert, much like a meringue), with bubbles flowing all night. Donna even printed up adorable "Happy Thanksgiving" pictures and strewn them all about the kitchen, saying she'd "always wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving!" 

Simply put, Donna and Andrew Snow are the epitome of New Zealand hospitality, having been the most gracious, friendly and generous people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. They are so warm, kind, and vivaciously fun - so much so that now, our departure looms with a bitter-sweetness. They’ve created an environment for a small group of us from different parts of the world to become a commune of (otherwise unlikely) great friends. I once asked my late dad what his favorite life experience was, and his response has born so true for myself as well, and is especially poignant throughout this adventure: “rubbing elbows with new people.” And thus, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, my heart is full of gratitude for my newfound Kiwi family, for pavlova, for generators, for fresh water streams, for apple-picking job-offers, for freshly cut lamb, for new friends, for warm fires, and for being a brief part of the incredible Kaikoura community, whose support of each other amidst great adversity has forever impacted my soul.