Sunday, July 23rd 10:45am New Zealand Time/Saturday 6:45pm (Kalamazoo)
Our final morning in Auckland we were welcomed with sun and clear skies. After assembling in the lobby of the hotel we headed toward the bus. Today we are scheduled to visit the Hobbiton movie set where the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings set which is about a 2 hour trek from Auckland.
The climate of New Zealand ranges from subtropical (North Island) to subantarctic (South Island). We are only on the North Island during the trip and being winter in the south hemisphere our days are usually between 50 and 60 degrees with consistent rain. On Saturday (USA v Vietnam) and our trip today we have been fortunate and there is no rain in the forecast. The subtropical environment means lots of greenery including lots of palm trees and ferns. Before the journey the days were described as late April and early May in the midwest. Living the experience a more accurate comparison would be a late October day where the temperature remains pretty constant for the entire day. It does cool off in the evening but being closer to the equator there is less variance during the day. It is quite pleasant traveling, sightseeing, and playing a little bit of soccer. This is especially notable as it looks like 90 degrees is the predicted weather in Kalamazoo for the week.
As we travel along the motorway the cityscape transitions into a lush green countryside. The skies are clear as we pass along acre upon acre of greenspace and livestock (sheeps and cows). In the distance are mountains, surrounding us on all sides. To provide an accurate comparison of the landscape would be the greenery of Ireland and Rocky Mountains of the American west. After further consideration there really is no comparison, this is New Zealand After a relaxing two hour trip we arrive at Hobbiton. We started off our visit with a Hobbit feast. The menu included slow roasted beef, marinated chicken, lamb casserole, battered fish, creamy pesto pasta, tomato and vegetable curry, seasonable vegetables, gourmet roasted potatoes, bulgar wheat salad, garden fresh salad, hobbit slaw and steamed rice. Those familiar with Tolkien’s writing are aware that Hobbits eat up to 12 meals a day. It was nice to get in an phenomenal meal prior to our tour, a relaxing Sunday afternoon dinner.
We have a very knowledgeable tour guide during our tour of the movie set after lunch. He has watched the movies 33 times, read the books 17 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Hobbit origins (seriously, you can not make this stuff up). The scenery was amazing and provided the group with a plethora of photo opportunities. We are blessed with an incredible dry and clear day. A couple fun facts.
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All the houses are fake (movie set), essentially there is nothing behind the doors
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The richer you are the higher that you live on the hill
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The area was scouted via helicopter (a road had to be built to film the movie)
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It was one of 12 sites that was originally contracted for the movie but the only that was actually used
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The original shire (set) built for the Lord of the Rings was torn down during filming and then reconstructed for the Hobbit. Same place, new set. This was what we visited
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Hobbiton actually faces east, which created issues as a number of scenes were filmed with the houses facing the setting sun in the west (move magic)
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The movie set generates an estimated 78 million NZD (New Zealand Dollars) for the local economy each year!
After a great meal and excellent tour we boarded the bus for a hour long trip to the city of Rotarura and where we will be based for the next 3 days. Being winter the sun usually rises around 7am and sets a little before 6pm. Our final travel leg was southeast from the movie set. Most of the hills and mountains are volcano cones so random abutments dot the green pastures and countryside. With pastel shades of pink and red filling the sky and volcanic cones all around we made the final approach to Rotarura in the Waikato region. Rotarura is located on Lake Rotarura (lake that is a volcano crater) and is known for it’s geothermal features, mud pots and hot springs. The smell of sulfur from these geothermal activity fills the air. We unloaded, settled into our rooms and then met for team dinner and to celebrate the 21st birthdays of two team members, Maddie Coffman and Frances Trimble. We are looking forward to exploring Taupo tomorrow and our match as Kalamazoo will match up with Melville FC tomorrow at 6pm NZT (New Zealand Time).
Saturday, July 22nd 11am New Zealand Time/Friday, July 21st, 7pm (Kalamazoo)
We had initially planned a team training session for Saturday morning. When you have the opportunity to see your National Team play in a foreign country at the World Cup you are willing to make some concessions. To avoid any travel hiccups after breakfast we did not train and the team met in the lobby and departed for the game shortly after 11am. On our final approach to the stadium lots there was red and white and blue everywhere. The group entered the stadium around 11:50 a.m. and settled into our seats which were row seven, eight and nine just up from the field. It was an extraordinary experience to know that we were just an hour away from watching and cheering on the US. Our players streamed down to the edge of the stands to get pictures of the field. With an hour before kick-off, some of the women stayed around to watch warm-ups, others went to grab concessions, and plenty of damage was done at the souvenir stand as well! The stadium began to fill will Americans, locals, with a smattering of proud Vietnamese throughout the crowd. As the team took the field for warm-ups right in front of us the excitement continued to build. Everyone was able to settle in their seats before team the team presentation and there is nothing quite like being able to sing your team’s national anthem prior to a meaningful international game.
The US was heavily favored in the match and there had been a lot of references to the team’s groups 13-0 group stage victory in France at the last tournament. Vietnam was well organized and proved to be a formidable opponent. They had only lost to Germany 2-1 last month. The Vietnamese were physical and defensive minded. The US would not be deterred by the physical play. Sophia Smith broke through on a goal in the 14th minute. Alex Morgan missed a penalty kick in the 44th minute but Sophia Smith added a second goal seven minutes into first half extra time and the US went into halftime with 2-0 lead. The first half reflected the pressure that the national team face. They have never finished lower than 3rd at the World Cup and while the rest of the world continues to improve it is pretty incredible that our women have been able to maintain such a high standard. However, there are also challenges and sometimes there is an assumption by fans that the team can just win and win in style by just showing up. While the US may have struggled to finish their chances, you also do not necessarily want to be playing your best at the beginning of the tournament. Performing well is important but growing as a group and improving to find their best form will be important as the games take on greater meaning in the days ahead. In the second half the US continued to control the game and in the 77th minute Lindsay Horan would find the back of the next right in front of our seats. Fan favorites Rose Lavelle and Megan Rapinoe both subbed on in the second half and were both unfortunate not to find a goal. At full time the USA was victorious 3-0!!! What a phenomenal experience to see your National Team compete in a World Cup game half way around the world with some of your best friends, WOW!
After the game we headed back to the hotel for an hour of free time and then headed to the SkyTower. SkyTower is 1,076 ft tall and is a signature of New Zealand skyline. It has two observation decks. The team traveled to the top and was able to take in some incredible Saturday night views of the city. This included the port of New Zealand, the extinct volcano cones in the distance, ocean, and the harbor bridge (which has LED light colors celebrating the World Cup). After about 45 minutes at the tower the team headed to dinner at a local pub and team members had a selection of Korean chicken, chicken tenders, fish tacos, or fish and chips. The food was filling, the match between Japan and Zambia playing in the bar, it was a moment to catch our breath. After dinner some team members went to explore the Auckland night while others headed back to the hotel to continue working on adjusting our biological clocks. Tomorrow we are headed to Rotura to see the “real” New Zealand. This reference is to the countryside and beauty of the country. We have had an incredible couple of days in Auckland and anxiously await the next part of our time here.
Friday, July 21st
Friday was a recovery day for the group. We had breakfast in small groups at a cafe just outside of our hotel CityLife Auckland. Our hotel is in the heart of downtown and adjacent to Queens Street which includes the business district and and a popular shopping area. On the agenda for the day is an e-bike tour of the city and then a team dinner in the evening.
Our travel group divided up into three groups and the tours went throughout the day. Again, winter in New Zealand means 50-60s with rain. The early morning rain was quite heavy and albeit soaked, the first group managed the conditions while the other two groups had a wet but not quite soaking experience. It was a fantastic way to see some different parts of the city and learn more about both Auckland as a city and New Zealand as a country. As we biked around the city there are soccer fans everywhere. Plenty of red, white and blue too, in anticipation of Saturday’s USA v Vietnam match.
A couple fun facts:
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The total population of New Zealand is around 4 Million residents (Metro Detroit is 4.3 Million)
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Auckland is the country’s largest city, 1.7 million (Metro Grand Rapids
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The city of Auckland is constructed over an extinct volcanic field (lots of hills, e-bike was a lifesaver!) that once consisted of 53 different volcanoes
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The Maori name for Auckland is Tāmaki Makaurau, means desired by many. This name refers to the abundance of natural resources, strategic vantage points, portage routes which attracted the initial settlers.
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There are over 200 different ethnicities present in Auckland which is really reflected in the diversity of their culture and food
Thursday July 20th 7:00pm New Zealand Time/3am EST (Kalamazoo)
Norway v New Zealand, Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand.
The evening was overcast and damp but the bright stadium flood lights were solar beacon in gloomy evening ,drawing locals and internationals to what is start of largest women’s sporting event in the entire world. The team was able to settle into their seats just as the opening ceremonies began. Pretty incredible to think about our last 40 hours and where we are now! The national sport of New Zealand is rugby and cricket is also popular, there is a love of soccer here but not quite what might be found in the US and especially some of the soccer crazy countries in the rest of the world. Although New Zealand has participated in several World Cup Tournaments they have never won a game. Expectations are very tempered as the team has only scored three goals in their previous nine games in the build up to the tournament. Norway has won the tournament in 1995 and has a team made up of women that play in Europe’s top leagues. Over 42,000 fans were in attendance and although Norway had more possession the Football Ferns (one of New Zealand’s team nicknames) began to work themselves in the game creating a couple chances and gaining confidence. Our team joined the locals in cheering on the home side, enjoying the occasion. This included but was not limited, starting the wave, a number of stadium cheers, and dancing to the music played before, during, and after the game.
With the boost in belief of the Ferms you could also sense some frustration from the Scandanavians that things were not coming as easy as they hoped. A 0-0 halftime scoreline assured a competitive second half. Three minutes into the second half New Zealand would find a goal and the stadium exploded in excitement. There was no longer a sense of hope that the team might win but they could. The second half was quite even but Norway struggled to find an attacking rhythm. New Zealand earned a penalty that would essentially secure the win with about ten minutes left in the game and they hit the crossbar, Norway would hit a crossbar of their own. The official indicated nine minutes of extra time and after some tense moments the official whistled full time and the entire stadium exploded. New Zealand First World Cup Win! What a moment. Several locals (Kiwis) thanked us for our support and implored us to enjoy their country during our time here. We made the journey to the team hotel in downtown Auckland and finally settled into rooms for so much needed sleep in a real bed! What A Day!
Thursday July 20th 2:55pm New Zealand Time /Friday July 19th 10:55pm EST (Kalamazoo)
We have finally made it to Auckland. After gathering our bags, passing through border control our team met up with our tour guides right outside of International Arrivals. The Norway v New Zealand game is scheduled for 7pm. Initially we were planning to check-in to the hotel and then head to the game but the timeline was going to be pretty tight so the group utilized the bathroom facilities at the airport, ate some food and then boarded the bus for Eden Park and the official start of the Women’s World Cup 2023! In the southern hemisphere it is currently winter. The winter is not quite the same as the Midwest, rather temperatures consistently between 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit and a steady complement of rain. Traffic was heavy and you could sense the energy and excitement as we approached the stadium. Eden Park is the National Stadium of New Zealand and famed home of the All Blacks Rugby Team.
Thursday July 20th 6:55am MEST (Melbourne Eastern Standard Time)/Wednesday July 19th 4:55pm EST (Kalamazoo)
We officially arrived in Melbourne which is 14 hours ahead of Kalamazoo. The plane landed before 7am which was actually 5pm on 7/19 in Kalamazoo (What happened to July 19th?) We lived through the day (7/19,) but it was mostly spent on an airplane over the Pacific Ocean. Lots of sleep and screen time. It was a relief to get to Melbourne and although we still have yet another flight, we are looking forward to arriving in Auckland and the World Cup Experience! We are almost there. After about two hours in Melbourne we boarded for Auckland! The flight is little over three hours but will be a blink of an eye compared to our flight from LA to Melbourne.
Tuesday, July 19th 4:30pm PST/7:30 EST (Kalamazoo)
We arrived at LAX at little after 4:30pm Pacific Time, with our next flight to Melbourne not boarding until 9:30pm we had plenty of time to walk to our next gate, grab some food, and explore the International Terminal. To pass the time we played some mini-soccer tennis and mini-pickle ball. There continues to be excitement about the trip but certainly a little bit of uncertainty as we prepare for the longest leg of our journey and a flight time of close to 15 and a half hours.
Tuesday, July 18th, 2023 9am
The team met at the Athletic Fieldhouse at 9am, boarded the K Bus and headed to O’Hare for a early afternoon flight. We arrived at the airport at 11:20am Central Time and then completed the simple but arduous process of checking a large group in for our flight.