Islandoftiki's Hawaiian adventure!

[Islandoftiki]

Yesterday we dropped off both cars at the port in Tacoma, Washington, so they're on their way to Hawaii now. About 30 minutes ago, they picked up the shipping container with all of our worldly goods. We ran out of room in the container and sadly, a few of my aquarium items didn't get shipped. My 1/10 hp chiller, my 10 gallon micro-reefs tank and my RO/DI storage container. Bummer. The rest of it made it.

 

So, now we good sized handful of stuff we need to attempt to sell, donate or throw out in the next couple weeks before we leave.

[Sk8n Reefer]

Congrats and Good luck with everything! My wife has been trying to talk me into the move for a few yrs. now- she's been to the Big Island twice now and loves the Kona and other areas - she's been to that beach you posted a picture of. I think I just need to go there and check it out. That's great you found work that is in your field and has a decent wage. I will be following along- now my wife is interested in my reef forum

[Islandoftiki]

Well, I've been so busy that I haven't had much time to update everyone on the adventure!

 

So, here's all the news that's fit to print:

 

Almost all of our stuff is gone (Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean) and we're spending our time picking through the remaining items to figure out what we want to mail to Hawaii, what we want to sell on Craigslist and what we're going to donate.

 

 

 

Here's what we're calling a bed right now. Like the nightstand?

 

 

 

We're down to these few items that we're trying to sell on Craigslist. We managed to squeeze two of the nicest green chairs onto the container, but two didn't make it. Are they not amazing?

 

 

 

Here's my rendition of an airline approved parrot cage. Since they don't actually sell an airline approved parrot cage, I had to make a couple. These were once airline approved cat carriers, they've been metal reinforced to prevent the parrots from biting through the plastic window slats. Perches, water and food dishes have been added as well as an extra layer or door protection to prevent them from biting through what will come last--just before they are delivered to the airline. Mosquito netting. Hawaii is horribly afraid that they will get West Nile virus, and thus, the parrots must be quarantined at the veterinary office in a mosquito proof room 7 days prior to our leaving. Then the vet will certify them disease free and we will seal them in their cages with a layer (or two) of mosquito netting taped to the outside of the carriers so they don't magically contract West Nile virus between the veterinary office and the airplane. In November, in Oregon. If they arrive in Hawaii and the mosquito netting is compromised at all, they will be shipped back to the mainland on the very next flight.

 

 

 

That's about it, a few things left to go and less than two weeks to go.

[FlowerMama]

Then it's Goodbye cold weather, goodbye jeans, goodbye sweaters to hello sandals & shorts and sunglasses. Enjoy!

[Islandoftiki]

Then it's Goodbye cold weather, goodbye jeans, goodbye sweaters to hello sandals & shorts and sunglasses. Enjoy!

 

After the rain storm of biblical proportions we had today in Portland today, I'm ready. Water started seeping into the basement it rained so hard for so long. Two words: Urban flooding. Not that it isn't currently raining in Kona right now, but it's 53 degrees here and 84 degrees there. That's an order of magnitude difference.

 

Today, one job prospect dried up... they hired a local guy. And while that job prospect dried up, another one popped up the same day. Considering I've hardly scratched the surface of the job market there, I'm excited about the opportunities.

[BulkRate]

I would have a hard time choosing between being unemployed in a tropical paradise or living in Portland with a stable income come chilly fall monsoon time (isn't that actually a year-round thing?). Wait... no, I wouldn't.

 

Seriously, a man of your many talents will not have trouble finding something gainful, especially once the "I'm gonna move, I swear" aspect is gone and you're local to your prospects. Lots of businesses are hesitant to commit to hiring someone who may not even show up due to relocation issues, through no fault of either party. It's just how it is, unfortunately.

[Islandoftiki]

Yesterday we got a call from the container shipping company to tell us that our container arrived at Kawaihae harbor in Hawaii a week early! Wow! That's great for a couple reasons... One, the ship didn't sink and our stuff make it there safely. Two, we've been able to schedule the container to be delivered to our rental house the day after we arrive and the movers will come unload it the next day. Woohoo! Our cars should be there this week and ready to pick up when we land.

 

We fly out next Tuesday! Stay tuned for updates!

[kimberbee]

One, the ship didn't sink and our stuff make it there safely.

 

That would be my biggest worry!!

[Islandoftiki]

My fiance made a last minute purchase before we head to Hawaii: 2007 Mini Cooper S, 6 speed manual transmission, 39k miles. She has good taste in cars.

 

As Portland heads into it cold damp miserable 8 month rainy season, she picked this up for an amazing deal. Nobody in Portland wants to buy a convertible at this time of year. The weather is horrible.

 

 

A friend is going to help us ship it to Hawaii as we're out of her on Tuesday at O-Dark-Thirty.

[Islandoftiki]

Aloha friends!

 

I feel like I'm way overdue for an update, so here goes. The past week has been a mixture of excitement, craziness, exhaustion and fun.

 

We started out on the 4th of November at Oh-dark-thirty in the morning preparing our African grey parrots for transport to the islands. We picked them up from the veterinarian office the day before where they went through a week long quarantine process. I had already built parrot-proof airline approved cat carriers. The wee hours of the morning before the flight we were scrambling to mosquito-proof the carriers with window screen and duct tape before we took them to Alaska airlines cargo at 4:30am. They were left in the hands of the cargo folks and we headed to the main airport to check a half-dozen bags of parrot supplies, sleeping bags, clothing and other necessities for our first few days in Hawaii.

 

Here is a photo from the middle of the Honolulu airport-- Yes, this is in the airport.

 

 

 

When we got to Honolulu, we had to collect the birds from the agriculture department. This was a difficult place to find. It involved walking down what were clearly areas where people were not supposed to go. Construction zones, dotted the walk to the agriculture department office. Fortunately, all of our paperwork was in order and the birds were released to us after a half-hour wait. We were able to remove the mosquito netting and then we had a 4 hour wait for our flight to Kona.

 

 

 

Ahnie and Dory were absolutely enthralled with the whole adventure. We were extremely worried about Dory as she is a chronic feather plucker; we expected her to be plucked naked by the time we arrived in Hawaii. When we arrived in Honolulu, she hadn't plucked any feathers at all. She really seemed to be having a good time!

 

We tried to arrange an earlier flight to Kona as we had a 4 hour layover, and that's when the drama started. The Hawaiian Airlines people suddenly told us we could not take parrots on Hawaii airlines! Of course, we had arranged all of this months ago and had reservations. Managers got involved, and after about 20 minutes of hassle, they finally conceded that you could indeed take Parrots in cargo to Kona, but not Hilo (the East coast airport 3 hours from Kona). Sadly, all of the earlier flights were booked solid, so we had to wait... and wait... and wait.

 

 

 

There wasn't much to do in the airport. Not much in the way of people watching.

 

Pamela bought a yogurt parfait to share some of the yogurt with Ahnie and Dory as a treat for doing to well on the trip. Dory's carrier had clearly been knocked over at some point during the flight and her food and water were all over the floor of the carrier. She didn't seem to mind too much and ate some of the soggy seed and pellets. While she was feeding the birds, a dove flew into the airport and became extremely curious about the parrots. Then, when Pamela started feeding the parrots, the dove had to come over for a closer look...

 

 

Then, a tour group from Japan showed up and EVERY single person's bag was overweight, and they proceeded to shuffle their belongings from one bag to another to avoid baggage fees. Some people started layering clothing to help reduce the last few pounds from their bags. Fortunately, nobody had to resort to wearing their underwear on the outside.

 

 

 

 

A couple hours later, we got the birds through the special TSA screening and boarded the short flight to Kona. Here are the birds loading onto the airplane.

 

 

 

We arrived after dark. I waited in front of the airport as Pamela got the rental car. Here are the birds and our silly amount of luggage as we waited:

 

 

 

We got to the rental house and set up the birds' temporary cages and slept in sleeping bags on the hardwood floor. Ouch!

 

 

 

The next morning, we were greeted at 6:30am by this view:

 

 

 

Then I got a chance to look around outside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next day, we drove up to Kawaehae and collected our cars from the port. We left my car in Kawaehae and drove the rental car and Pamela's car back to Kona. Later that evening, we went back to get my car after turning in the rental car...

 

And I'm getting too tired to share any more, but there's much more to come! This has been a whirlwind of a week!

 

 

 

By the way, tide pool pictures to come when I have time, and much more story!

[RollaJase]

Wow, looks like an awesome place. I have always wanted to visit Hawaii let alone live there. Perhaps I'll book my next trip there. I'm very much looking forward to those tide pool pictures.

[Tamberav]

We had a snow storm today so you can just imagine how envious I am of you right now....

[kimberbee]

I want to go to there...

[Dr.Brain Coral]

Beautiful place. That Day gecko is super pretty

[FlowerMama]

a beautiful dream, that's what it looks life. Nice reality!

[Islandoftiki]

Here you go... a little tide pool action with crabs, gobies and zebra blennies. More story about the move tomorrow when I have time...

 

 

[Sk8n Reefer]

Cool little vid! Seems like your settling in good? looking forward to more

[Mr. Microscope]

Sounds like one crazy 24 hours. I'm glad everyone made it okay. Fun tide pool video. Congratulations tiki. You're living the dream.

 

Have you managed to pick up your tools yet?

 

BTW, I think you need to change your N-R profile. It still says Oregon.

[Islandoftiki]

Sounds like one crazy 24 hours. I'm glad everyone made it okay. Fun tide pool video. Congratulations tiki. You're living the dream.

 

Have you managed to pick up your tools yet?

 

BTW, I think you need to change your N-R profile. It still says Oregon.

 

It has been quite a whirlwind since we arrived.

 

My tools are in the garage now and will be delivered to the Honda dealership where I accepted a very nice job offer.

 

Profile updated. I'm hoping to meet some other local saltwater enthusiasts in the area in the months to come. There doesn't seem to be a local saltwater club like there was in Portland and I suspect that's because most people just go snorkeling or tide pooling when they want to see ocean life, but I'm extremely curious to discover more about these tidepool creatures in an aquarium environment where they can be watched more closely. There's no shortage of interesting stuff to learn about. Some of these tidepool gobies and zebra blennies live in some of the worst conditions with whacked out salinity and temperatures in some of the upper tidepools. They are very hearty. I'm going to look into getting the 2 gallon tank set up in a couple months when we find a more permanent home.

[Islandoftiki]

Ok, here's an update to pick up from where I left off before...

 

On our first night in Kona, we went straight to Costco to pick up a few basic supplies before driving up to the rental house. Fortunately, despite the long day of travel, I had the wherewithal to imagine that our rental house would not have one single roll of toilet paper in the place and we bought a large pack of TP. Good thing! I was right; no toilet paper! We only had our six checked bags the first night and nothing to sleep on except for a couple of beach towels that we bought at Costco and two sleeping bags. That's not a lot of padding on a hardwood floor! Despite some minor bruising to my hip bones, we were tired enough that we got a little bit of sleep.

 

The next day, we picked up our cars at the port and Kawaihae and it's a good thing I put a fresh glaze coat, wax coat and special top coat on my paint before we shipped the cars because while our cars were inside containers on the trip to Hawaii, they were not in containers on the barge from Honolulu to Kawaihae harbor. Needless to say, both cars were very salty when we picked them up and my car had salt creep that fell down from the window seal on the passenger seat!

 

 

Also, this day, our container was delivered between picking up the first car, returning the rental car and going back to get the second car.

 

Fortunately, we had thrown our air mattress as the last thing into the container and we were able to retrieve it for our second night. It was so much more comfortable!

 

 

 

We also scored a couple of chairs to sit on! This picture pretty much depicts our level of exhaustion at this point:

 

 

 

The next day, we had movers scheduled to unload the container, which took the better part of 4 hours:

 

 

 

 

 

They had to get a few more guys to safely unload my tool box, which easily weighs 1000 lbs.

 

 

The view that evening helped to make up for the long day:

 

 

 

The next morning we started unpacking and found the box with the coffee in it!!

 

 

 

And just for good luck, we had a gecko visit the house!

 

 

 

The next day we spent the morning enjoying some beach time.

 

 

 

 

More to come...

[Spiderguardnano]

man this makes me so home sick

 

if you dont mind me asking tiki what do you do in hawaii?

[Islandoftiki]

man this makes me so home sick

 

if you dont mind me asking tiki what do you do in hawaii?

 

I'm an automotive master technician and I've taken a job at the Honda dealership. My services are in high demand on the islands.

[Islandoftiki]

I'm still alive!

 

It's been a couple of hectic weeks with starting my new job, and we have to move again in a month because our landlord decided to sell the place as soon as we paid the first month rent. And there are no parrot-friendly rentals in the area. Nothing. There are hardly any pet-unfriendly places to rent. Ugh.

 

Anyhow, aside from those issues, we're doing pretty well. We're enjoying the insanely beautiful sunsets every night. Getting some beach and snorkeling time in on the weekends.

 

Here are a few pictures of the sunsets:

 

 

 

 

We have one local saltwater fish store besides the Petco. Unfortunately it's not the cornucopia of colorful corals that we have on the mainland. Here's one of the few pieces they had for sale:

 

 

Not bad, eh? That's like 12 to 15 aiptasia for 30 bucks! Honestly, I think most people collect their own zoas and palys here.

 

While doing some exploring South of Kona, we ended up getting lunch at a local outdoor cafe where they are nice enough to feed the geckos little tins of jelly:

 

 

And here's a little zen moment from the rocky area just north of Honomolino beach:

 

 

 

Hopefully this weekend, I'll get to do some tidepooling and share the pictures with you!

 

Cheers!

 

[RollaJase]

That's pretty cool that they feed the geckos, such an intense green on that one. The aiptasia rock is a pretty good bargain as well haha.

[pilotrob]

Stockly's? Glad to see they're still around. I kinda thought they'd close after petco came in. Check out Place of Refuge down south. Great place to snorkel, caught a toby with a 5 gallon bucket for my tank. Also check out Pine Trees surf spot near the Kona airport. Very rocky but some cool tank stuff. I left my live rock with zoas and clove polyps down there when we moved to Oahu. I've lived in every county in the state and honesty Kona is the best place to be. Oh one more thing, find Hyashi's You Make the Roll sushi joint off Ali'i for some fantastic but affordable sushi.