Kia ora! Greetings from Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud, a/k/a New Zealand. Much as Polynesian voyagers traveled several thousand miles north to Hawaii from the Marquesas and Tahiti, they also navigated south across the vast Pacific to the three major islands of New Zealand: Te Ika a MÄui (“the fish of Maui,” or the North Island), Te Waka a MÄui (“the canoe of Maui,” or the South Island) and tiny Te Punga a MÄui (“the anchor of Maui,” or Stewart Island).
The MÄori (as it’s spelled now) of New Zealand also call the South Island Te Wai Pounamu, “water of the greenstone,” for its prized jade, and you’ll sometimes see “Te Ika O Maui” and “Te Waka O Maui” and other variants … but that’s not what really matters to those with an interest in Hawaiiana. It’s the fact that this is the same Maui who figures in so many Hawaiian legends and lent his name to the Valley Isle…Â More info
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In April when snow begins to melt, Kern River Outfitters’ general manager Keith “Luther†Stephens will be on the Kern River surrounded by two dozen guide-hopefuls. The young men and women will be participating in the 2009 Kern River Outfitters Whitewater School – an annual six-day course designed to teach the basics of being a whitewater rafting guide and a sort of “on-the-water interview,†as Stephens put it.
“Each summer we hire about five or six new guides for our Kern River rafting trips,†said Stephens. Kern River Outfitters is anticipating more applicants for their guide school, which is slated from April 18 through April 23, and to hire more guide school participants than ever before.
“Most of the participants we have had are college students who want to work in a fun, exciting, and outdoorsy environment… More info
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Cape Town, South Africa – Like a predator stalking his prey, Patrick Davids’s eyes rarely stray from the choppy green sea, and his radio is always at the ready.
While the assortment of sunbathers, swimmers, and surfers may not know his name, they know what he does and that one day they may owe him their lives.
Mr. Davids, or “Rasta” as he is better known, is a shark spotter who helped set up one of the world’s only shark-monitoring units along beaches in Cape Town, South Africa.
From a cramped beach hut, Davids has helped build up a network of full-time shark spotters on nine beaches, watching over one of the world’s most shark-infested shorelines.
Nearly seven years ago, the former …Â More info
The Sixth Annual Jamaica Bay Kayak Fishing Tournament Hosted by Captain Kayak – Long Island’s Premier Kayak Fishing Source.
The Sixth Annual Jamaica Bay Kayak Fishing Tournament will be held on Saturday, May 16th, 2009. Last year’s tournament was a great success, even though bad weather hindered the actual turnout, kayak fishermen from all over enjoying the many activities and great fishing with the cooperation of all three targeted species – bluefish, striped bass and weakfish. This year the event has been moved back 2 weeks but fishing still promises to be great. The event is geared both toward, the serious competitive kayak fisherman and the person who just wants to learn more about this fast growing sport… More info
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