A "native" Colorado kid, Karen grew up in Denver and Boulder. After trying to leave the state a few times, she decided that the Rocky Mountains were home and now lives in Steamboat Springs where she teaches at a local elementary school. When not busy with students, Karen gets outside as much as she can. 
A native “Kiwi,” Simon is an all-around sports enthusiast. He has been involved in a wide range of activities in New Zealand, including volunteering with the Onehunga Community and instructing with the Outdoor Education Camp of Motutapu Island. 
An Aussie by birth, Jai has worked with culturally and linguistically diverse youth in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the US. Jai is most motivated by educating people about our global community.Welcome Global Works travelers, parents and friends. We are excited to share with you trip updates from around the world. As our main office receives updates from the trips we will update the page as we receive news from the field.
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Update #1:
We landed in Auckland a few days ago after a rather turbulent flight over the Pacific. As the pilot told us to remember that “some people pay for rides like the one you are about to have”, some of us gripped our armrests and some of us managed to sleep right through the bumps. Glad to have our feet on the ground, we drove to Raglan, a seaside community about an hour and a half from Auckland.
We have spent the past few days getting over our jetlag and saying things like “Wow, we really are in New Zealand,” and we are finding ways to prove to ourselves that indeed we are on the other side of the earth. We have also gotten to know each other better, spent time creating expectations for our adventure, and finding ways to stay warm…. turns out, it’s winter over here- the days are short and it’s COLD!
Stepping out of our comfort zones, some of us have already tried new foods like Vegemite and have voted with an overwhelming majority that it’s just pretty bad. We have also had the chance in the three days we have been here to already celebrate two birthdays. Although they were a day apart, we celebrated them at the same time determining that it was indeed on one day, one person’s birthday in New Zealand and the other’s in the US. We had cake, candles, even birthday hats!
Today we work up excited to begin our adventures at the Raglan Area School. We enjoyed being immersed in the Maori culture and were able to take part in a traditional welcoming ceremony. We then got in small groups and got tours of the school led by the Raglan students. Becoming close to these kids, we realized they are not much different from us! After a yummy lunch in the staff room, we began our service work removing a plant called “gorse” which is taking over much of the native plant area around the school. When we got back, some of us went for a run landing us on top of a beautiful scenic mountain while the rest of us opted for a beach excursion. We ended the night with a combination of Milo (the NZ version of hot chocolate) and a crazy game of Bananagrams. What could be better?!
We have two more days at the school which we are all looking forward to and then we head to the South Island. We will send another update in 4-5 days!
Photos from ANZ:
Update #2:
July 4, 2011: Other than the date on the calendar, it doesn’t seem like July fourth here in New Zealand. The days are short, no one is running around in red, white and blue waving American flags, and we have seen no signs of fireworks. That said, we are happy and safe and have arrived in Wanaka on the south island. We have had many adventures since we last wrote…. to catch you up, here are some updates from our student journal:
June 30, 2011: Finally caught up on our sleep, we had another great day at the Raglan Area School today. In the morning, we went to a short assembly and afterwards went back down to the field and worked with our Raglan students digging holes and clearing out the gorse (a non-native weed that is taking over the field). We then had a delicious morning tea (snack). After that, some students had a chance to go golfing with their students while others went back to work. Others worked on PowerPoint presentations so that we could learn more about Raglan and the students could learn about where we are from. We checked out pictures of our schools and the towns where we live and showed them on maps where we are from. The rest of the day was spent switching between these activities. It was great to spend more time with our new friends and learn about their culture. Everyone is excited for another great day with them tomorrow!
July 1, 2011: Today the group spent their last day at the Raglan Area School. We finished digging holes for the trees, planted native trees and got rid of the last of the gorse. Each Global Worker spent their last hours with their new Raglan friends by exchanging emails and addresses. Some of the kids from Raglan even gave us little presents. Also, we shared the PowerPoints that we made with each other. The school band “The Six Strings” played us some songs before we left. After we left the school, we sampled the local ice cream- tastes not too different from home!
July 2, 2011: This morning we woke up at our normal time, however, we had a new day in store after spending three incredible days at Raglan Area School. First we went to Bridal Veil Falls where we saw a beautiful waterfall. Although the hike was a bit tough… lots of stairs… it was well worth it- the thing was huge… and dropped 65 meters! Next, we went on a windy road adventure all around Mount Karioi* and landed on an amazing black sand beach where many of our fellow Global Workers enjoyed an intense game of Frisbee while others dipped their feet (and their muddy gum boots) into the sea. The views along this road of the Tasman Sea were amazing! Later we went into town for lunch and saw some or RAS students. Then we saw a live rugby game! It was super intense- those guys are crazy! We ended the day back at the lodge getting ready to leave for Wanaka and the next part of our adventure. We are all excited, but are really going to miss Raglan!
*Mount Karioi is the most prominent feature in Raglan and stands over the town. We stayed at the base of the mountain and had spectacular views from up there. There is a Mauri ledgend that says that this mountain is very powerful. Be sure to ask us to tell you about it when we get home!
July 3, 2011: We got up early today, ate a filling breakfast of toast, eggs, and cereal, and piled into the vans to make our way to the airport in Auckland. We all quickly grabbed lunch at the airport and boarded the plane. Once we were in the air on our way to Queenstown, we could see the beautiful mountains of New Zealand known as the Southern Alps. After we landed, we drove to Wanaka and spent the rest of the day getting settled in our new home.
Update # 3:
July 4, 2011
Our first full day in Wanaka today and we were greeted by a very fresh morning with frost on the ground. The group split into two groups to work on separate service projects after a breakfast of cereal, toast and fruit. One group enjoyed a scenic boat trip out to Mou Waho Island where the endangered Weka bird greeted us as we docked the boat. Mou Waho is the last place in New Zealand the Weka bird is found in the wild and the site of a breeding program for the small flightless native. Our project here would involve clearing bracken to make a path to the islands emergency helipad, we would also plant native fruit bearing trees along the path to provide a food source for the Weka.
The second group also did some invasive weed removal and planted natives along the beautiful Millennium Track on the shore of Lake Wanaka. Our group met back at our new lodge to celebrate the fourth of July with a game of Ultimate Frisbee, a walk along the lakeshore and a great stir-fried dinner cooked by participants plus apple pie and ice cream for dessert!
July 5, 2011
Today we moved from our first lodge to the Albert Town Lodge, which has a huge kitchen and great common space for everyone to chill out. We continued with our service projects in two separate groups, our service partners Andrew and Chris both shared their wealth of knowledge about the native flora and fauna, history of the region and local conservation efforts. One group was able to finish early and visit Andrew’s farm to meet his sheep and chickens! Tonight the cooking group made chicken kebabs and caprese salad. Some of the group stayed up with a dvd and we turned in late.
July 6, 2011
Our first activity day in Wanaka was a rainy one so the group slept in a little and headed off to Queenstown for some wet weather alternatives. Queenstown is a great little ski town with a famous eatery – Ferg Burgers! The burgers were huge and after we all ate our fill and toured the town we went bowling followed by a swim at the Aquatic Center. At the pool there was a waterslide and lazy river which are always fun but the waterslide was the big hit today! We came back to the lodge late in the afternoon and the boys in the group cooked Spaghetti Au Poulet. We were a happy group having turned a rainy day into a great one!
July 7, 2011
Another wet day today but the good news is snow on the mountain! We started an active day with an Ab workout and stretch then traveled into Wanaka for some fun. First was Puzzling World complete with mind bending puzzles, head spinning illusions and an enormous maze. After that the group toured Wanaka for souvenirs before heading to Base Camp – Wanaka’s indoor climbing gym. We had some real stars on the climbing walls and participants raced each other up some self-belaying challenges. Dinner tonight was a treat as we ate out at Lone Star restaurant where the meals were huge and most people enjoyed some tasty desserts. Back at the lodge we packed for a big day tomorrow, played some scrabble and turned in early.
Update #4:
G’day from Australia! We have arrived and are enjoying the sunshine! A lot has happened since we last wrote… skiing, jumping off bridges, skimming through gorges on jetboats, and cuddling with koalas and kangaroos.
July 8, 2011: The day started with a mix of trepidation and excitement. We drove to Queenstown and the air was thick…. One student replied to “Good Morning,” with a “It is not a GOOD morning, I am about to throw myself off a bridge with just a rubber band on my legs!” As each student approached, they bravely watched as their legs were wrapped and then tiptoed to the edge of the platform off which they were to jump. The students who didn’t jump were quite the cheerleaders to those who did and everyone had mile wide smiles after jumping. We heard countless times, “That was the best thing I’ve ever done!” and the like. After some time wandering in town and finishing some last minute souvenir shopping, we headed to the jetboats and spent the afternoon being shot through gorges and receiving splashes from the crazy maneuvers of these boats.
June 9, 2011: Finally… after much waiting and some snow dances, the snow has arrived. We woke up early and were all very excited to spend the day skiing. We were surprised to see the amount of snow that had fallen in the past few days. Most of us skied and some snowboarded- everyone had a morning lesson to help us learn about the mountain. Although much of the mountain was not yet open, we made the best of the day. We all agreed that Cardrona was a great mountain and all agree now that indeed skiing in July actually can be snowy, cold and fun!
July 10, 2011: Today due to surrounding storms we were stuck in Wanaka for an extra day. Although the surrounding areas raged with rain and snow storms, Wanaka itself was nice for most of the day. After a bit of a sleep in, we went into town for a scavenger hunt. The questions forced us to go all over town, talk with locals and learn some history about New Zealand. Most of the people we talked to were surprisingly keen to help out. One of the questions asked us to get a video of a local doing the Haka (a traditional Maori war dance). Amazingly most of the groups got videos. Overall it was a very interesting day in town. Later that night we played games and then watched a popular local movie called “Boy”. Overall it was a great day and we have our fingers crossed that tomorrow we head towards Christchurch and then head to Australia!!
July 11, 2011: We waited patiently in the hostel today while arrangements and final weather checks were made before setting off on the long journey to Christchurh. Finally walking out the door in Wanaka at about 12:00 put us into Christchurch at about 9:00 at night. We had a late dinner and went straight to sleep as we have a VERY EARLY wake up tomorrow morning.
July 12, 2011: We woke up early… at 3:20AM to be exact, grabbed our gear and wandered half asleep to the airport to catch the plane to Australia. Many of us slept through the flight and hardly felt the effect of leaving one country and arriving in the next- that is until we left the airport and felt the sun. It turns out that it is much warmer here and we all quickly changed into shorts and t-shirts before setting out to explore Brisbane. Between the early wake up and the two hour time difference, we all went to sleep early dreaming of hugging koalas.
July 13, 2011: Our dreams came true! We actually got to cuddle with the cutest animals on earth. Today we visited the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and had the chance to hold, hug and get our photos taken with koalas. Not only that but there were chances to feed and pet kangaroos and wallabies, meander with emus, and check out wombats, Tasmanian devils and lots of interesting native Australian animals. They were truly amazing and it was the perfect way to spend our first full day in OZ!
Update #5:
July 14th - Today we got up early and traveled from Brisbane to Hervey Bay- a small beach town and the gateway to the world famous Fraser Island. We spent the evening playing games on the beach and watching a beautiful Australian sunset.
July 15th - We mounted our hot pink steeds (otherwise known as 4-wheel drive trucks) and loaded them in time to catch the barge to the World Heritage Site listed Fraser Island. On our way we saw dolphins in the water and a beautiful sea eagle overhead. Upon arrival we bumped our way across the island making stops and historical Central Station and beautiful Lake Mackenzie. Our trip finished when we arrived and settled into our home for the next few days, “Base Camp”.
July 16th – 
We sadly were rained of our service work and instead had the rangers who we were supposed to work with come and chat with us about the history of the island and about what makes it such a special place, the impact of non-native weeds on the island, the research they are doing on dingo behavior and the origins of this special place. We spent a lot of the day listening to rain pelting the metal roofs and competing against each other in team mental and physical challenges. Later in the afternoon, we had a break in the rain and went to the beach where we had our first dingo encounter. This particular wild dog came quite close and even wrestled with our gum boots, socks and sweatshirts that were being used as soccer goals.
July 17th- – We woke up today to a beautiful day which allowed us to head to the ranger station and meet up with Anthony and Amber- our service work providers. They led us along the beach and into an area that needed some attention. We walked in a line seeking out, pulling and cutting down non-native cassia weeds which had invaded this area. After lunch we continued working pulling out weeds along a section of road nearby. On the way up to a shipwreck on the island we had more dingo sightings (which felt more safe from a car) and stopped at Eli Creek on the way home. The beaches on the island are beautiful although we found it a bit sad since they were so rough we couldn’t go in due to riptides and sharks in the water. We sang songs and told stories around a campfire and turned in reasonably early knowing we had an early start.
July 18th- - We woke up to see the sunrise today and then headed off of the island stopping again at Lake Mackenzie on the way back across the island. It was a gorgeous day and the sun was shining. We then made our way back to the mainland and transferred up to our next stop, Agnes Water, where we will be enjoying more sun and some Aussie surfing!
Update #6:
July 19th – We enjoyed a pancake and muffin breakfast this morning, greeted with a bright sunny day. The weather is improving as we move further north in Queensland. Agnes Water is a small town that we were able to explore this morning as we waited for laundry to finish. The group dispersed in small groups to grab lunch at the collection of cafes or Fish’n Chip shops down the street. After lunch was an activity we had all been anticipating…surfing! Our instructors Grom and T-bone were genuinely boiling over with enthusiasm and hilarity ensued during our lesson on the warm sand. The waves here at Agnes Water were small but clean and so perfect for many to catch their first ride. The group did an outstanding job with many up on their feet inside the first half hour! We spent most of the afternoon down on the beach catching wave after wave and laughing at the occasional wipeout. Even after a big day, some group members decided on a sunset jog down the beach before pizza dinner. Most of us strolled down to the beach again after dinner for stargazing before turning in.
July 20th – It was a very Aussie surfer-like morning. We ate breakfast early and headed down to catch more waves by 8:30am. Not needing another lesson, we suited up in our “springys” (knee and elbow length wetsuits) and jumped straight into it. Today every person in our group was able to make it to their feet and some were even working on controlling their boards into turns! Most of the morning and afternoon were spent riding waves and tanning on the beach – a hard life this one! The group grabbed lunch in Agnes Water again and then dinner before packing for a very early morning tomorrow.
July 21st – At 5:30am this morning we jumped into a chartered bus for our run back to Brisbane Airport and a flight up to sunny Cairns. A stop for breakfast at a roadside restaurant at Matilda’s. We had lunch at the airport in Brisbane and after a smooth flight and arrival in Cairns, we explored the town and found some dinner. Most participants went across the road from the hostel to the cinema to see “Bridesmaids” or “Harry Potter”.
Final Update:
G’day for the last time from the other side of the globe. We have had no shortage of excitement in our last few days in Australia.
We finished our service work in the Daintree Rainforest north of Cairns with a park ranger named Dave who taught us a lot about not only what makes this place special but also a bit more about Australian history. We then got our hands dirty planting and painting in the Mossman Gorge- one of the oldest rainforests on earth. While we were working, an endangered cassowary even graced us with his presence, which was a really rare sight. We have been so lucky throughout the trip to see as much wildlife as we have! We had an early night that night as we had to get up very early the next day for our snorkeling and SCUBA adventure.
We arrived at Port Douglas, boarded the boat and set sail for the Great Barrier Reef- one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the largest living organism on earth. Many of us tried SCUBA diving while others enjoyed the view from the top of the water- regardless- it was an amazing day- a highlight of the trip for everyone. We saw fish of spectacular colors, shapes and sizes, lots of different forms of coral, and other creatures like eels, Christmas tree worms, and various bright and flashy animals. What a treat to be floating around in our own personal aquarium!
We then completed our last day of service by finishing planting and rebuilding part of a track in the Mossman Gorge. After that, we headed out for a little crocodile cruise where we got to see a croc sunning himself on the banks of a river amongst mangrove trees. He was over four meters long and looked mean!
e headed down to Cairns this morning for some last souvenir shopping and a final Aussie feast before leaving for home tomorrow morning. We are cherishing the last few hours of our trip- both excited to be coming home and sad that our journey is almost over.
Family and friends at home- we will see you soon. Looking forward to telling you all more about our adventures!