Blogs from Cook Islands, Oceania
Good Bye New Zealand, Hello New Beginning.
Published: March 5th 2012Oceania » Cook Islands » Rarotonga
March 5th 2012
We’ve left New Zealand. We’re feeling good about it too. This past year has been life altering beyond words and I believe we really won’t understand the full effect of how this year has changed us until we settle back home. Honestly though, we’re on the E of D-O-N-E. I just want a freaking place to keep my tooth brush for longer than a month, I really want my electric tooth brush back. We’re both ready to buy property and settle done a bit. The past two months in New Zealand were unbelievable. The beginning of February brought us to a fabulous festival called Luminate. It was on top of a crystal mountain in the middle of nowhere, outside of Nelson, with about 2,000, earth loving, spiritually enlightened individuals. The festival was composed of both music ... read more
February 13th 2012
Our week here in Raratonga is coming to an end and we are now on our last day. The week here has gone very quickly indeed and on our last full day we have been treated to fabulous weather. The sun is beating down on us with the heat tempered by a warm island breeze, making it a perfect day for spending on the beach. The last 24 hours have been exciting, as we have been in the middle of a tropical storm the name of which we cant remember, but it had previously been over Fiji and decided to drop in on us during Friday night. We awoke at 3am to the loudest rainstorm we have ever heard. So Saturday we got up early to watch the Rugby and were disappointed to learn that it ... read more
February 13th 2012
Det har altid været en drøm for mig, at opleve en ægte Stillehavs ø, sådan lidt i stil med det man ser i Robinson, dog under lidt mere ordnede forhold, og dog uden der bliver alt for kommercialiseret. Derfor vidste jeg, da rejsen igen gik til New Zealand, at jeg måtte bruge nogen dage til at finde sådan en, da New Zealand nok er det tætteste ”land” man kommer disse øer. Derfor havde jeg hjemmefra udset mig Cook Øerne, som min destination, som ikke er så kendt og opskruet som Fiji eller så dyr som Tahiti. Den er dog heller ikke helt ukendt, hvilke jo også har noget at sige, da jeg gerne skulle kunne betale mig fra at komme dertil J. Efter billetten var købt fra Auckland til hoved øen Rarotonga, gik det lidt op ... read more
February 10th 2012
The Leader of the Pack Since our last blog we have been eaten alive at the waterfall by mosquitos and although it was a pretty sight we got the hell outa town as soon as those little critters got a taste for our blood. You have never seen a sight like it with James jumping and moaning and me laughing so hard at his response and the little Nissan Micra had never moved so fast. We have been enjoying the sunshine on the many beautiful beaches which fringe the whole island but have found our local beach to be one of the best' which is handy as we can pop home for lunch. The downside to this piece of paradise seems to be that we have been adopted by a pack of local dogs and they ... read more
February 8th 2012
We arrived at 6:30 am and as we walked off the plane the heat and humidity felt like we had a hot wet blanket thrown over us. Quite a contrast from the temperature on the aircraft. Why is it that they try to freeze you to death on any flight, you would think it costs extra to heat the cabin to a reasonable temperature. Anyway, that aside, Rarotonga is a stunningly beautiful tropical island surrounded by white sandy beaches with several lagoons to swim and snorkel in. The pace of life is majestically slow and everyone seems very friendly, Yesterday we took the local bus ride into the capital Avarua. The bus route follows the only road on the island; one bus goes clockwise and the other anti-clockwise. The route round the island is only 32 ... read more
December 31st 2011
so nothing much happened in Pension California. i ended up sitting around, reading, and going to bed early. the next morning i stopped in a bakery on the way out and bought some AMAZING foccacia bread! the name of the bakery is french, and its rigt around the corner from pension, towards the malecon. so then i headed out of la paz towards cabos. the drive was actually pretty cool! after hitting the mountains the foliage changes and becomes much morelush. the coastal views are beautiful, but the resorts line the whole coast...not my scene. after oicking sophie up we swung around the tip and found an amazing place right across from playa cerritos. the complex was called Surf Camp, and is owned by an ex-pat gringo named Jaime. the people staying/living there were all super ... read more
July 29th 2011
Where in the world would you hear someone say ‘may you live long’ upon meeting you for the first time, but in the Cook Islands - the Cook Island greeting Kia Orana, means exactly that. It is a unique first gesture of friendship from a special Polynesian people, renown for their hospitality and warmth. This we experienced as soon as we set foot in this island paradise being greeted at Rarotonga Airport with smiles and song even at the late hour of midnight, which was the time we finally arrived. The Cook Islanders have their own Maori language and a population of about 13,000 scattered over 15 islands. They are believed to be related to New Zealand Maori and it is thought that they arrived in the Cooks about 500AD. Later the land was divided among ... read more
July 6th 2011
Pa's Cross Island Hike Today is going to be a big day! Hiking across the island through the mountain trails. I am nervous not knowing what to expect. Pa and his driver pick me up at the guesthouse and the driver is a Kiwi and rather normal in appearance however Pa's is an interesting man. He is native and a herbalists. He runs his own hospital specializing in cancerous tumors. States he has only had one fatality in all of his patients. He uses plants for the most part but swears in the healing power of Vicks vapor rub and lozenges. He is very religious and as most natives he is very respectful of nature. He points out medical plants as we hike. He prays, to the gods for a safe hike and he talks ... read more
July 5th 2011
What is rare here, well the beautiful orange flower only grown here in Raratonga. Fast Speed Internet is also a rarity. I was not able to send my blog out while on the island. To upload 20 pictures it would take 6 hours. The connection will only last about 15 minutes before severing. The cost per hour for internet is 10 NZD. A no brainer-I will have to wait to get to Auckland. Rarotonga is in the southern group of the Cook Islands and hold half of the population just under 20,000 people. It is the largest island at 67 sq. kilometers and the coastal road being 32 kilometers. One of the highest peaks is the “Te Rua Manga”aka the Needle is 653 meters. The island is encircled by a reef with a lagoon that ... read more
July 4th 2011
Raring to go in Rarotonga The flight to the Cook Islands was a 9 hour flight with Air New Zealand. I requested a seat change and was given the last seat literally the last row but the nice thing was no one sat next to me and I was able to spread out to sleep with 2 pillow and 2 blankets over the 2 seats. Just about as comfy as you can get on a plane unless you get three seats or first class. Just not gonna happen for me. They feed us dinner at midnight and breakfast at 7 am. There is a 3 hour time difference from LA and 6 from home. I arrive at 5:45 AM local time and it is pitch black no moon nor stars. There is a slight cool sea ... read more
