Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2003
To: AdventureStory@karateangels.com 
Subject: entry for the competition :)

Is this home?

I almost flew down the sand covered steps and on to the
worm soft sand. sand tickled my toes and surrounded my
hands. The beach. I stood up and gazed into the endless
bliss of swaying water, i hadn't seen the ocean science...........
I left for America, one long year i had done fun and
interesting things that dazzled my eyes and cleared my
head, but nothing as extreme as this. This place is so
beautiful I thought to myself as I wandered over to a huge
smooth gray stone, filled with rock pools and in the pools
were harmless sea anemones. The cool wind wiped my face
with sea spray, and the sound of waves crashing soothed my
head with thoughts of home, am I home?

Just up the slopey bank was a bush track that took us
though the naturally green woods. Knowing my parents, i
could know (without knowing), see (without seeing), feel
(without feeling) that my adult guardians who brought me to
life had already started on the track. I put my Velcro sandals
on and began to make my way up the path. The smell of
damp wood was in the air. I tramped along the thin dirt path
surrounded with shrubs, insects, silver ferns and tall Totara
trees. The pollen from the Pohutukawa tree tickled my nose
and along with lots of other things among the wonderful
country, dazzled my eyes. The tree was in full bloom with its
dazzling red flowers. It is the countries Christmas tree, full
bloom in December, the hot summer of December.

Further down the path I saw my Mum and Dad crouched
down peering at a clearing in the silver fern. I tiptoed over
to the clearing and gazed at the feathery creature. It shook
as its long beak dug into the earth.............. "Kiwi" my little
sister yelled. I jumped up and gave her a hard look in the
eye, a disappointed, annoyed look. A look that tells you
without speaking that 'you shouldn't have done that.' I
couched back down. The Kiwi was gone.

We went back to the beach and its wonders, and guess who
was waiting there for us. Hairy McLeary? Close, but not
quite right. The ice cream man. Now there was no stopping
my sister. Her method for this situation was 'no ice cream,
no good behaviour'. So my (wonderful) parents finally gave
up and gave us a hokey pokey ice cream each, along with a
L&P (world famous in this famous country) fizzy drink.

i must inform you that i am going to tell you what country
this is in at the end of this true story.

It was a long journey back in the car. We had to go through
towns. It was almost like a road trip. When we were almost
half way there we came across a farmer and his sheep. The
farmer was herding his lovely sheep to a greener paddock.
"Gid'day mate" I said. Finally we got past the traffic jam of
sheep, and were free to tackle the mountains. As were sent
up the slopes and down the hills around Mount Cook (which
is the highest mountain in New Zealand) snow covered
everything from wheel to windscreen. My ears were popping
as we drove around the side of the mountain.

We stopped three quarters of the way through our journey
at the Pacific Ocean sight; once again the sight amazingly
dazzled my eyes. There were ladies in hula skirts and
sarongs and men doing the Haka. (Maori dance).
Unfortunately we couldn't stay long and before you knew it
we were off again. into this amazing, eye boggling,
incredible country.

Finally we get to home! I sat down and thought about our
trip. We had missed one thing, Rotorua, smelly, and has lots
of boiling mud pools, some bubble and burst and steam
comes streaming out. Of well, we have to save some of this
fantastic place for next time.

So I am home in the largest city in this country, Auckland.
Home, finally. I have missed it so much. So I am writing on
my bed, after a trip from all around, around this place that
is too wonderful for words. I keep wondering if you; the
reader has figured what kind of wonderful place doesn't
have snakes, or any poisonous spiders and is my loved home.
Where I live and love.

YES!!! I am home, my eyes are tired and stretched from the
strain of opening then sooo wide, and as I curl up on the
couch and shut such dazzled things, I think of this country,
the one the only 'New Zealand!'

by
 Emma J Holdaway
age 12 6th grade