After 28 hours of travel, including transit and flights from Auckland, New Zealand, the Cook Islands Robotics Team has arrived in Athens, Greece.

The team and their robot will be participating in the FIRST Global Robotic Challenge from September 26-29.

Throughout their journey the Robotics team “Cocobots” wore beautiful everlasting ei katu weaved by Tarani’s Crafts, receiving numerous compliments and curious stares from fellow travellers intrigued by their unique attire and purpose to Greece.

The all-girls team of Uleina Eraio, Ruby Newport, Evah Sosene, Kimiora Vogel and Purotu Enoka, accompanied by Miimetua Nimerota, director at the Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT), and Jim Nimerota, coach and technical mentor, departed Rarotonga last Friday at 3am for Auckland.

Waiting for 14 hours “trans-sitting” in Auckland, the team then caught the 17-hour flight to Dubai, spent five hours transit there before their final five-hour leg to Greece.

FIRST Global volunteers in Athens warmly welcomed the Cook Islands team in Athens two days ago.

Yesterday, Miimetua Nimerota said the team spent the morning recovering from jetlag from the nonstop travel.

That afternoon they visited the Statue of Athena at the Green Park in Athens then visited the National Archaeological Museum, the largest museum in Greece and one of the most prestigious in the world.

“The girls learned about Greek history, and the origins of engineering science and technology in astronomy,” said Nimerota. “It was a fun culture and historical tour.”

Yesterday the team was scheduled to tour the Acropolis and Parthenon – an ancient religious temple the Athenians built for the Greek goddess Athena.

The Robotics team is “very grateful” to their parents, families, businesses and the community of Rarotonga for all the support they received to get to Athens.

Follow the First Global – Cook Islands Robotics Team on Facebook as they share updates of their journey and livestream links to the competition coming up in two days’ time.