Rafting and Christchurch

I'm so glad all my travelling worked out, because when I woke up on Tuesday morning in Christchurch there was a bus waiting to take me to the Rangitata River... to go white water rafting! Sweeeeeet. We all got there and got suited up in wet suits, poly pro, windbreakers, life jackets and helmets, then headed down in a huge van to the river. Four rafts were going, and since I wasn't with anyone I got put with a group of 4 blond-haired blue-eyed girls from Sweden. Go team Sweden! They were all really sweet, and since none of us knew what we were doing, we got a really experienced guide (Ben) who was really funny. He kept making fun of the other guides, jumped out of our boat a couple times, and was pretty happy to have 5 pretty girls in his boat to scream when we hit something big :)

The river itself was amazing, it goes slow, then starts to progress down a gorge. We hit Class 5 rapids! Woo! None of us fell out, and we always got to go down first so we could watch the other rafts coming down. It was a gorgeous sunny day too, and not far from Lake Tekapo, so really beautiful scenery. At the end of the rapids there is a part where you can jump in and swim down in a really strong current, then you swim to the left and climb a huge cliff (30 ft) called Jump Rock. And then you jump off. And I did! It was pretty freakin' cool. After that we got a barbeque at the lodge, and got to see the photos from the trip. It was such a fun time! I'm missing lots of stuff because so much happened, but you get the idea. Here is a picture from their website:

Just pretend that's me in one of the rafts :) Ok, I'm about to run out of internet time. It's off to breakfast with a guy from England I met on my rafting trip, and then a 6 hour bus ride to Dunedin! Write you later :)





Team SWEDEN! Me with Emily, Emilie, Erica, and Malin :)

Leaving Rarotonga

The last few days in Rarotonga were absolutely amazing. We found a great spot to snorkel, and I saw parrotfish, needlefish, cornet fish, puffer fish, starfish, damselfish, and an eel :) We also hiked up Raemaru mountain again and this time scaled the cliffs to get to the top. It was an amazing view, but definitely made you feel like you were in the middle of nowhere. On Friday night 6 of us from the backpackers went out on the town, and had a legendary night. We got picked up by a tour bus going bar hopping in town, so we didn't have to pay for the bus. Plus it stopped at every bar in town throughout the night! We got to dance, and had quite a few rum and cokes (we're on an island, remember?). The best part was that we had a really hot Maori tour guide that took a liking to yours truly ;) I spent Saturday packing, hanging out at the backpackers with my friends, and going to the market in town with Paoa on the back of his motor scooter. Soo much fun! It was really damn hot though, I had to jump in the pool every 5 minutes.

On Sunday, Paoa took me around the whole island on his scooter, which is only about 20 miles. It was so nice to see it all before I left, and drive past all the places I had been. We stopped at a resort where he used to work and he talked with his friends for a while in Maori. I had no idea what they were talking about :) Oh, and the best part is that because the island is so small, he knows almost everyone on it, including the people in the pictures in my guide book! So hilarious.

My flight out yesterday was delayed a half hour, but I still made my flight to Christchurch. I got to travel with a girl named Katie from the backpackers, and both of us had to stop each other getting off the plane! Palm trees, lagoons, mountains, boys on scooters.... who wants to leave? Maybe I'll stop there on my way home ;) Ok, this is long enough, and I have to go white water rafting today on the Rangitata River! Kia orana!

~Kate

Snorkelling at Aro'a Beach:












Climbing down the cliffs of Raemaru Mtn. with Elly from England:












Rarotonga Backpackers... Hillside!









Sunset from the backpackers:









Paoa on his scooter:












Rarotonga out the plane window:

Hiking, Biking, Swimming, Snorkelling

Hello! Again, internet is expensive here so I can't type for long! The last couple of days have been great; Pam and I found some really good spots to snorkel and saw a blue starfish and some eels, as well as triggerfish and lots of little colorful angelfish. We've rented bikes which is really fun, and a lot easier to get around. Yesterday we hiked up Raemaru in the rain, and couldn't do the cliffs at the end because it was too slippery, but the views of the valleys and the coast were really nice. It's been cloudy which is AWESOME because the sun is so hot here. I'm pretty tan, but with my SPF 55 I haven't gotten really burnt yet. Everyone at the backpackers is really nice, and we all get on really well. Someone rented Borat last night, and we all sat around drinking Cook Islands Rum and coke and watching the movie. So fun :) This is my last post til I get to NZ, so I hope everyone is well! Talk to you soon :)

~Kate

Frangipani flower, found all over Rarotonga:









Me with my bike on Aro'a Beach:









Hey! I found a Sugarloaf sticker! I just can't escape...









Which way is the beach?









Pam and I on our way to Avarua:









South Seas mural on the side of the library:

Made it to Rarotonga!

Just a quick entry, to say I made it to Rarotonga! It is hot hot hot here, I got burnt on my nose and hands yesterday! Have been snorkeling twice, swimming under a waterfall, have sat on the beach, watched the sun set from the hill where my backpackers is, it's so beautiful! In the airport I met a girl named Pam from CA and a guy named Martin from Germany, we are all staying at the backpackers together, and we have been running around doin' stuff together. Everyone gives rides here! Hitchiking is so nice, and it's cheaper than the bus. Ok, my time is up, I will spend more time online when it isn't sunny :) I'm trying to imagine the snow, but it's very hard!!

~Kate

Here are Pam and Martin, arguing about which bus to take:

A Very Happy Valentine's Day... From LA!!!

Hey, I made it to LA!! And oh the trials and tribulations I have been through. Let me tell you about them. First of all, thanks to a massive blizzard that I am sadly missing (doh! I want to snowshoe!), I decided to leave for LA a day early. I booked a flight on Monday from Portland to Newark to Charlotte to LA. Not ideal, but it would get me out before the storm! The first part of the trip was great. I got to see snowy Mount Washington, frozen Lake Winnepausakee (how the hell do you spell it?), and the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan Skyline!

But then, Newark happened. My flight to Charlotte was cancelled so I freaked out, then found out I was put on a direct flight to LAX. Whew! But, where was my suitcase? Hmm. I freaked out some more, as I only had 3 hours to get everything sorted out. I took the Air Train back to terminal C to get my boarding pass, then back to terminal A to get my suitcase (some stroke of luck, I found it just in time!), then back to terminal C to check my bag and go through security. Because I was wearing 18 layers from leaving -20 degree Maine that morning, I was wiped out by the time I boarded my plane. But! It took off, and got to LA early, and I found my shuttle, and got into my hotel, and everything was good. What an exhausting day! Ok, my internet time is about to run out, so I've got to go. The hotel I'm at is the Hacienda Hotel near LAX, if you want to look it up, it's nice! I'll put up pcitures later :) Talk to you all next time from the South Pacific!!!

Love, Kate

Cook Islands Location and History

Since not many people (including myself!) know much about the Cook Islands, I wanted to post about where they are and what their history is before I leave. This map of the Pacific sums it up fairly well. The Cook Islands are directly south of Hawaii, and south of the equator. They are an eight hour flight from LA, but only a 4 hour flight to New Zealand! There are 15 islands in the Cook Islands group, but I will only be staying on Rarotonga, the capital island. There is about 240 sq. km of land total on the 15 islands, but they are spread out over 2 million square kilometers of ocean. I'll definitely be in the blue latitudes...

So a short history is that the Cook Islands were first inhabited by Polynesians in the year 500AD. In the year 1300AD, Pacific islanders from Tahiti and Samoa reach the islands, conquer Rarotonga, and divide it among 6 tribes. In 1773, Captain James Cook reached the islands and charted most of them. Missionaries arrived on the islands in the 1820's and were very successful. Most of the island population is now devoutly Christian, to the extent that no stores in Rarotonga are open on Sunday! Oooh, and another cool fact is that the Maori of New Zealand came directly from the Cook Islands, so they share a common language and customs. The Cook Islands themselves are a protectorate of NZ.


Here is an image of Rarotonga from space. It's about 6.5 miles across, and about 20 miles around, with only one main loop road. It's a young volcanic island, and there are still quite a few mountains and trails. The whole island is surrounded by a lagoon, so you can go snorkeling anywhere! I'll be staying at Rarotonga Backpackers the whole time I'm there. I'm not really sure what I'll be doing, no plans yet, but I want to visit the Takitumu Conservation Area to see the rare Kakerori, an endemic flycatcher :) Below I put a picture of the flycatcher, and a view of the mountains of Rarotonga. The next time you hear from me I'll hopefully be writing from an internet cafe in Avarua! Talk to everyone soon!


~Kate

A Little Background

Hello everyone! The background for this blog is that I just spent a great year living in Maine and working for the Maine Natural Areas Program, as well as hiking, swimming, sailing and everything else you can do in Maine. I met some great Maine people. I had some good Maine times. I love Maine :) But! I grew up here, and was feeling like I needed to spread my wings. Where better than in the South Pacific!

So, I am travelling to the Cook Islands on February 14th (happy valentine's day to meeee....), and then on to New Zealand on February 25th! I want to see new birds, learn about conservation methods in different countries, go "tramping" and visit old friends and places. This will hopefully be a great way for everyone to see what is happening with me, and for me to record my trip. My email that I will be checking is my gmail one, but feel free to leave comments on the blog as well. I will try to update once a week, at least ;) Haere mai!

~Kate