New Life 2014

What do you do when life throws you a curve ball and knocks you down for the count....

Create a new life on an island!

Admittedly, when your family has land, making the transition is not as disruptive as it could be. So, I packed a 20ft container to freight and flew to the Cook Islands.

MAUKE

Apparently, it's not as simple as moving household items and my PT Cruiser to the Pa Enua, (outer islands) from Rarotonga. Waiting for the barge for two months in Raro wasn't hard, but time is money. D Day was sunny and bright and I flew with the barge lorry driver for the container on a chartered flight. Waiting in the shade at the wharf, I watched the barge slowly moving towards us. I told my friend the barge was sinking. "No way." she replied. I started praying. The barge docked, the driver drove my container off and straight to the homestead. My car was next, I stopped praying when I hopped in and drove home.

A few hours later, my uncle popped in and said, "Come down to the harbour, the barge is sinking." To which I replied, "It's ok uncle, I'm unpacking." A container, new SUV and trailer filled with baby items were lost. Ten or eleven headstones rest beneath the depths of the sea just outside the harbour. I was very sad that day. An investigation was conducted and insurance was paid out.

There were no obvious signs that the barge was in distress, but it was going to happen. Talk on the island was I put a hoodoo on it. - as ridiculous as that sounds, my reputation was sealed.