closing the books on the cooks and 2 days in gods country

Hey all Internet has been spottier here in New Zealand than we anticipated but then again we're living in a van. We're fine to post but are anxious to get our super awesome picks and vids up for you guys and will do so just as soon as we can. We're having a blast and are getting closer to all of you one day at a time. Below is a breakdown of the last few days in Rarotonga and the first 2 in NZ. Any referenced pics and vids will be up as soon as we get some free wifi yo.

We miss and love you tash and sean.

M.A.G.S

Another great day in Rarotonga began with a quick tropical rainstorm with sideways rain. We went out and ran around in it like five year olds and then decided to go ahead with our plans to do a snorkeling trip with Koka lagoon cruises (www.kokalagooncruises.com if you’re in the neighborhood) who have a glass bottom boat and leave from the beach right outside our hotel. We were nervous about the weather but it turned out to be another one of those small risks we take that ends up paying off big time. Some great snorkeling with the highlight being a giant moray eel named “Rodger” as well as live Polynesian music from the crew and a dude climbing up and down a coconut tree in 7 seconds flat. (see video and pics). On the cruise I met another Sean who was there with his family from New Zealand. After doing the secret handshake he clued us in to the fact that a high school team from New Zealand was on the island to play a few local teams and there was a game that night. We scooped up katja (our new German best friend) and headed down to the game. $2 a piece got us into game and after petting some puppies and a 3 legged dog (named tri-pod) I was wandering around the clubhouse area looking at plaques and trophies when I met the vice president of the Cook Island Rugby Federation. We talked for a bit and being a Cook Islander and thus overly friendly he invited us to stick around after the game for a bite to eat. The game began with the M.A.G.S team doing the Haka (Mount Albert Grammar School for those of you not up on your New Zealand High School Rugby). The Haka has its roots in the indigenous Maori culture and would be performed to intimidate opponents before battle. Its commonly done before Rugby matches and is really cool to see. I decided to put in the video even though I shot it with my go pro and it seems like they are 100 miles away (but look at the HD on those blades of grass close up). Here are some links to other haka’s so you can get a better Idea….. Not surprisingly this display led to a team on team fistfight about 30 minutes in, but this must be par for the course because nobody was thrown out. A few tall cool Heinekens later and the M.A.G.S had beat the local boys 23-0. The sky opened up and they were still selling beer after the game so we stuck around. Both teams got together and there were exchanges of gifts and speeches. The mood was very friendly in spite or perhaps because of how rough the game was and the last speech was from the M.A.G.S Head coach Chris who thanked the Cook islanders for their hospitality and noted that “there was a couple all the way from America here to see the match” (I’m totally serious) next thing you know we’re standing and waiving to applause and then we’re pushed to the front of the buffet line with the teams. Not a bad night for 2 bucks. Totally blown away by this night and by the stuff like this that you can find when you’re not really looking for it.

 Cross Island Hike & Work Day

Yesterday we got up and rented a moped so that we could tackle the “cross Island” hike up to a peak called “the Needle.” In classic Deiter style we chose to not take a guide because of the cost and because we’re awesome, to hike the day after a huge rain so the trail was good and muddy and to make sure to wait until the heat of the day set in before departing at noon. We dropped the bike at the finish and took the bus around to the start or more precisely 2.2K’s from the start which apparently converts into 25miles. So we were good and tired before we hit the trail head. We were a muddy sweat ball by the time we reached the needle which offered a beautiful panoramic view of the island and instantly reminded me that I am afraid of heights. The way down was steep and tedious with ropes to hold onto in spots. We crossed and re-crossed the same stream like 20 times on the way down which was great because indecisive tash came out in full effect (see hilarious video). We made it down safe and sound and really enjoyed the hike. That night we soothed sore muscles with some wine and giant plates of cheap-ish food at the open air market like a block from our hotel.

The next day was a “work day” which means that we had to get up early (no problem thanks to our rooster friends) and do laundry, grocery shopping and other wise prepare to finish our time in Rarotonga and get ready for New Zealand. “Work” was brutal and lasted all the way till noon where we cracked the first beer and had another F.O.B sandwich. (#1 on trip advisor for a reason). We did our best lazy beach dog impression for the rest of the day, swimming and sunning by our hotel. We did Sunset at the Aro’a beach bar where the sunset was way less impressive than the bloody mary (it was cloudy and they use Clam-ato juice, yum). Still a great time and well worth the trip. Then it was back to the hotel for some more beach blanket/beach dog time. Not a bad days work

Get away day-

Today is our first get away day and as I type its 6:07 local on Saturday and were resting up for our flight tonight that leaves Raro at 0045 Sunday morning and arrives at 0605 Monday morning in Auckland. It’s a four hour flight, but it crosses the international date line and I’ve spent more time than I’m proud to admit trying to figure out how that relates to Eastern Standard time because somewhere in America it’s my nephews birthday and the browns are on. We got the room for half price today which is great and we made sure to get our first real scorchingly painful sunburn before our flight. The good news is that we can cook the last of our Raro Grilled cheeses on my horribly burnt shoulders. I am now the leading cause of global warming. One actual cool thing that happened today is that I found a crab in the kitchen (see pic). Even cooler was when the cleaning staff caught him with salad tongs to boil and eat later on (for reels dawg).

So in between was the day that  our flight got canceled and then we got skunked on Sir Richard Bransons' dime then cut to NZ 

Auckland to Coromandel peninsula in the “Happy Diwali”

Picked up our campervan today (pics and vids to folow). Its called the “Happy Diwali” and has a Hindi theme with Ganesh the elephant god on one side and a female multi-armed goddess on the other. We were glad to have both of them along for the ride as we eased out of the campervan place directly onto the New Zealand equivalent of I-95- in what feels to us like the wrong lane. Right out of the gate we realize we’re going to love this place. We grabbed some breakfast on the road (I had my first New Zealand Lamb and it didn’t disappoint) and then we made our way up the Coromandel peninsula which runs up the right side of the North Island. The road was so jaw droppingly beautiful that many people must plunge to their deaths snapping pics as they drive. This place is outrageous. Less hobbits than you would think though…maybe in the south Island. Late lunch was Giant green lipped muscles in Coromandel town and then up to the Department of Conservation camp sight where 20 bucks a night buys you own private beach. We are cooking our first camp sight dinner as we type and are listening to the “tash-pod” (Tom Petty’s American Girl) and drinking a $6 bottle of delicious NZ pinot noir. On the agenda tonight is staring at stars on our desolate beach and planning out the rest of our time in the North Island.

 Day 2: Coromandel to the Mount.

Woke up at 730 after snoozing the alarm 3 times. The Happy Diwali is surprisingly comfortable to sleep in but ask me again in 17 days. NZ will be a total change from Rarotonga. Loud roosters replaced by quiet sheep and cows, warm weather replaced by cool, and lazy days replaced by tight schedules as we try and take in some small part of what this place has to offer. This place is outrageously beautiful and if we stopped to snap everything that was pic-worthy we would never make it anywhere. Boom, awesome mountain scape, boom then another, then another but this one’s wraped around a beach, now it’s a green grass valley with big fat cows and sheep (why are they all smiling), then a story book town, and on and on and on (we get it New Zealand, you’re awesome).  We eased our big pink boat out in the direction of New Chums beach which is one of the ten best in the world (according to somebody) and is in the general southern direction that we’re taking towards Wellington and our Ferry to the South Island on Sunday. The beach is super secluded and is a 30 minute walk off the road over a beach covered with boulders and then a mountain ridge. It was stunning even for a place that is over the top beautiful and well worth the hike. Then being good budget travelers we ate the rest of last nights stir fry and headed to “hot water beach” where as you might infer from the name you can dig a pit in the sand and hot water (heated by geothermal activity) will fill it. So basically we built our own hot tub on the beach. Outrageous. We got back on the road in the afternoon and made our way to Mt. Maunganui or “the Mount” where we are happily camped at a “holiday park” which is a little pricier than the D.O.C sites but has hot showers and a kitchen. Our camper is situated about 20 yards from a beach with “the mount” a tiny mountain by NZ standards off to our left. When we got here we decided to hike up the mountain path and were rewarded with a full horizon to horizon rainbow (first one I've ever seen in my life) . Tomorrow we head to Roto Rura which is home to a bunch of thermal spas and hot springs. I'm sure it will be terrible. Oh yeah and were still in the north Island which everyone says is not as pretty as the south island.