Amelie at the Titahi Bay Surf Life Saving Club

Amelie is now a member of the Titahi Bay Surf Life Saving Club. At age 7 she can begin competing with the other clubs in different competitions like relays/sprints, beach flags, water activities centred around swimming/life saving and learning to handle the surf environment; eventually being a qualified life guard at age 14. The competitions, called carnivals here in New Zealand, have participants from 7-70. It only costs 30 dollars a year with a couple of hours every Sunday spent either at the beach or the pool training. Mike is also volunteering, so a new stage of parenting has begun for him where every Sunday will be spent till April helping out with the kids.

Amelie getting suited up in her "togs"

Learning how to run in the surf..."get those knees up kids!"

That's Amelie in the middle

Mike directing the kids coming out of the water

Amelie running the relay

Amelie getting ready for a race.

This event consists of a number of rounds. In each round, a group of competitors, starting from lying face down on the sand race for a limited number of batons representing beach flags. Those who don’t secure a baton are eliminated from the contest.

Amelie makes it through the first round

Here the kids line up, run through the surf and jump through a hoop.



Boards up!

Amelie learning to ride a wave....



One exhausted kid. The water is still pretty cold here too, but it didn't stop her getting a hokey pokey ice-cream cone.

Cook Islands - Aitutaki - Part III

Aitutaki is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. No photo can do it justice. We also met some really great people here and even though there wasn't a kids club on the resort we stayed at like in Rarotonga, Amelie hung out with some great kids and had a blast. The lagoon is so clear and reflects every shade of blue. The Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa took up the whole motu (little island called Akitua) that we stayed on, so we shared an island with only ~30 other guests! We had to take a little ferry boat to get on and off the island. When we first arrived we were greeted with a traditional welcome similar to the Maori welcome, and then we were given little towels and coconut milk to cool us off.

Boarding our little plane to take us from Rarotonga to Aitutaki. The take off was a bit bumpy but the rest of the flight was relaxing.

Our view of the lagoon from the plane. The dark blue part in the right hand corner is where the reef seperates the lagoon from the open ocean. From all of the islands you see the breakers and huge waves crashing in the distance as you look out over the crystal clear and totally calm waters of the lagoon.

We had coconut milk waiting for us when we got off the plane. And the flowers we all were given to wear around our necks had the most wonderful scent.

Amelie and Mike arriving on the island where we stayed.

This is our amazing beachfront view. Just to the left of the frame are some hammocks to relax in, though watch out for falling coconuts. Relaxing can be quite dangerous you know.

Angie looking out over the lagoon. The water is so clear that the lagoon looks like a river here, its just that there is a little sand bar, but that does not rise above the water. I kayaked to the motu you see in the distance, and we did some snorkeling here later in the day.

Mike went deep sea fishing and a woman on his boat caught this 13 kg Tuna. (Mike was supposed to go first but gave in to requests for ladies first...never again!) So, he didn't reel it in, but we all did get to eat heaps of sashimi and tuna steaks for lunch which we shared with our mates back at the resort because the woman, a nice Yank from Florida, felt guilty.

Amelie hunting for coconuts.

Sunset...ahhh paradise.


The ferry from our island to the main one. This was a great place to snorkel.

Our friend Lynne hanging out with Amelie after making coconut leaf hats. Lynne's granddaughter Kayla was sooo sweet and caring with Amelie. Mike had some great debates regarding New Zealand politics with Lynne's husband Ian, and Danielle's father Michael, over dinner. We are having an election in New Zealand in November and the good conversation with experienced Kiwis was eaten up by Mike.



Amelie and her mates, Danielle, and Kayla, from left to right on the ferry to the main island to have dinner.




Amelie and Danielle in the back of a truck on our way to a boat tour around the lagoon. Danielle's parents Mohini and Michael, and their son Arun joined us on the tour. Arun was very tolerant of Amelie, he even sat in the truck with her on the way back and listened to her talk his ear off I am sure.

One of the most beautiful places in the world, One Foot Island. They filmed Survivor here.

Four feet enjoying the surf on One Foot Island.

One of the women on our tour was a Cook islander and she made these incredibally cool pinwheels from some coconut leaves for the kids. Islands are so kid friendly. Everyone looks out for them and they are welcome everywhere. We found Fiji to be the same.

Now if you know Mike, he wouldn't stand for Amelie and Angie to just hang out and relax on a cushy resort without some adventure and danger. Angie learned how to ride a motor scooter (not automatic) and the family headed out to Aitutaki to explore the bush. We rode around the island and up to the highest point for the view, and then went into the bush to find an old marae (sacred spot built by ancient Cook islanders)


Amelie and dad on their sweet as... scooter.


Amelie, princess of the jungle....

A cool old church in one of the little villages that dot the island. The Cookies are quite religous and everything is closed on sunday. We found some expats to rent us the scooters, and the seventh day adventists had a little supermarket and takeaway open and that is it. You can't even buy petrol. All of the locals at this church were dressed in their white Sunday best.

After cruising down some rocky dirt roads dodging chickens and pigs (no creepy wild dogs in Aitutaki) we found the ancient Marae. Yep, human sacrifice and probably a little cannibalism occured here. Very cool. Angie found us a coconut and we opened it up and had a little feast of our own.

Angie finally felt comfortable enough on her little motorcycle to put Amelie on the back. She can totally change gears now and is a confident rider.

I almost killed myself trying to get this picture. Try driving 40k on a rocky dirt road with one hand while taking a photo. Great pic though....

Pork...yum. Island pork is the best.

Cook Islands Lagoons- Part II

We spent alot of time snorkelling in the lagoons and near little islands around Rarotonga and Aitutaki. We saw heaps of interesting fish, giant clams, and colourful coral. Below are some of our photos and videos.




Angie took this video while snorkelling just in front of our bungalow in Rarotonga. Mike makes a quick guest appearance.



Giant Clam, these are so cool, this one is in the marine reserve by the Rarotongan.






Lots of these guys about. Very pretty fellas. Picasso Triggerfish I think.

These butterfly fish were very friendly and we saw quite a few large schools.

Blue starfish were pretty common as well.

Coming up for a breather. Though some parts of the lagoon here are deep, mostly not more than around 1-2 meters.

Angie heading out towards the reef

Amelie is quite the snorkeler now, but we didn't get any pictures with her in all her gear. Angie took her out to see the giant clams when Mike was in the bush with the camera, and when she went out in Aitutaki whoever was in charge of keeping her alive generally couldn't be trusted with the camera as well. This is her practicing in the pool in Rarotonga. Notice how the swimming pool is not as clear as the ocean around here.

Swimming in ocean is niiiice.

Angie, mermaid queen of the south pacific.

Angie diving down to get a better look at a giant clam.

Angie's favourite fish were these little black and white ones that loved this coral. She watched them for a long long time. They are called humbugs.

Sea Anemone, ouch...

These long clear ones were cool.

The rest of the pictures below are in different spots in Aitutaki Lagoon somwhere between Aitutaki and One Foot Island.



Another Giant Clam

We went through a big school of these stripeys



Brainy looking coral.


Pretty coral.

These guys have little flashlights on their backs.

Big clam with blue lips...

Pretty one here making kissy face.

Nice coral.

A puffer fish and a million sea cucumbers.

Cook Islands-Rarotonga Part I

THE NATION of the Cook Islands comprises 15 islands spread over 850,000 square miles (2.2 million square kilometres) of ocean smack in the middle of the South Pacific between Tonga to the west and the Society Islands to the east. The Cook Islands consists of two main groups, one in the north and one in the south. The southern group is nine "high" islands mainly of volcanic origin although some are virtually atolls. The majority of the population lives in the southern group. The northern group comprises six true atolls.

We spent 8 days split between Rarotonga and Aitutaki both in the southern group, just above the Tropic of Capricorn. The Cooks are the definition of South Pacific paradise, fantastic weather year round, warm calm lagoons, great people, good food that drops from the trees and a super laid back atmosphere. The native cookies speak a similar language to the New Zealand Maori who are their descendents, so Amelie knew a lot of the words since she has learned Maori in school.

Amelie at the airport pointing out on the map where we are headed.

This is a picture of The Rarotongan Resort and Spa where we stayed for the first 3 nights. We didn't take this photo. The lagoon in front of the resort is a reserve with incredible snorkling. We saw giant clams and heaps of very colourful fish. The building on the deck over the water is where we ate most of our meals.

This is downtown Avarua the main town on the North Coast. Our resort was on the South West Coast. Mike did the cross island trek through the bush and over the mountains in the background from Avarua to the other side of the island. There are two buses which go around the island, one clockwise, one counter clockwise and they will stop and pick you up anywhere along the main road which runs around the islands perimeter. We hopped on when they were full of school kids.

Angie having a walk on the beach.

Our beach in front of the resort with a view of the main dining area.

Angie and Amelie in the garden near our room.

The two of us relaxing over brekkie while Amelie hangs out in the kids club.

Angie making a pareu, similar to a sarong, worn by the islanders.

Amelie having a yummy mocktail.

Mike getting a massage during cocktail hour.

Sunset.

Partying down at the Island Night celebration with dancing, great food (we ate parrot fish)

Amelie hanging out in the kids club with one of her mates.

Amelie wearing the flower wreath she made in kids club from flowers she picked herself.

Angie looking like a beautiful islander on our porch.

Amelie and Mike heading toward Muri Lagoon, a really beautiful part of the south east coast of the island.

Muri Lagoon is surrounded by little motus, islands that you can swim or kayak to that lie within the reef.

This is the cook islands main god, Tangaroa. You see this virile guy all over the place. He is even on one of the coins. The Cooks use NZ dollars but have a few of their own coins as well.

Enjoying a swing by Muri Lagoon.

Chillin out at Muri Lagoon.

After walking for about 3 hours through really dense bush, and nearly getting lost a number of times Mike approached the needle at the top of the mountain on the cross island track.

The amazing view from the top

Mike shared his lunch with this persistant chicken at the top of the mountain. Rarotonga is teaming with wild roosters and chickens, and creepy wild dogs which roam everywhere.

Cool tree.

The trails coming down were not very well marked, and the bush was really really dense and hard to get through.

The plant life here is amazing. In some ways similar to New Zealand except for all the coconuts and fruit trees like Paw Paw, and Breadfruit.

I stopped here for a dip in the cool water coming down off the mountain. Followed this river down to a big waterfall at the end called Wigmore Falls.

This coconut is sprouting. These are actually good eating and quite different than a coconut that is not sprouted. The meat is soft and spongy like sponge cake.

This bush is so green and prolific. Everthing grows so fast here, probably why the trails are so overgrown and easy to get lost on. Luckily the island is pretty small and if you just head down hill you will eventually hit the lagoon.

After coming down the mountain I walked through some awesome farmland to get back to the beach and make my way to the resort. This is a banana orchard.

Amelie Can Now Ride A Bike With Only 2 Wheels!

Amelie is now a full fledged bike-rider. Now I just need to get her fit enough to keep up with us and we can finally go on family bike-rides. I've been waiting 5 years for this...yipeee! Although she did her first actual ride without wheels a couple of days before this is the longest she has gone and can now stop and start on her own. It was so cool to see it suddenly "click" and then all of a sudden she went from not being able, to taking chances, jumping off curbs, going fast down hill etc. Once she learns something she just starts pushing the envelope immediately...same with swimming, reading, etc.






Triumphant biker!

School girl...

Chillin out in the Bay...

Tramping with Lars (our favourite Canadian, we miss your apple crumbles) and Michelle (our favourite Brit, Amelie wants more Cawt-idg pie can you send one via airmail?)

Cows, Sea, Hills, what more can you ask for...

Here is a video we took from the top of one of the hills in the bay, it has a 360 view of where we live.