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THE We left Sydney at 6pm on 1st May and flew via Auckland to Rarotonga, capital of the Cook Islands for the penultimate leg of our adventure.
We then arrived at 3pm on 1st May...despite completing two flights and a 9 hour stopover at Auckland, we had arrived 3 hours earlier than when we had set off!!
We had crosssed the international date line and gone back a day..how crazy is that?!
There had been a cock up with the booking when we arrived in Auckland .... we thought we were 'in transit' but it appeared to be two seperate flights instead. So, we had had to briefly enter New Zealand again to collect our luggage and then immediately check in again and go through customs again.
This was a real flying visit and the quickest visit to new Zealand ever! But, another stamp in the passport.
The flight from NZ was pleasant and as we prepared to land when we looked out of the window at one of the most beautiful airport approaches anywhere in the world.
The airport itself was a tiny place with just one room for arrivals and departures.
On a platform in the middle
of the baggage carousel was an old man who was singiing Polynesian songs to welcome visitors!
Apparently he hasn't missed welcoming a flight into his country for 30 years & on his days off he still plays his music!
Rarotonga is the main island on the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. The population is approx 10,000 people. It is 32km in circumference and a lush, green tropical land with dormant volcano mountains in the middle. It is surrounded by a reef protecting the shore which meansthat the waves break 500m out to sea and the coastline has become a huge lagoon where the sea is calm and a brilliant shade of turquise and blue.
We had booked the first 4 nights at the Sunrise bungalows, right on the beach and Brian from Sunrise was there to collect us. As we drove to our bungalow he gave us a quick tour....
There is only one road on the island which follows the coast around the island in a big loop. There is only one small traffic island and one zebra crossing. No traffic lights or stop signs!
Getting around is simple.... Every hour one bus goes clockwise and
one bus goes anti clockwise on the half hour! We'll soon get to know all the bus drivers...... well, both of them!
He also shared with us that the Polynesian families buried their dead in their gardens and that there were
graves in the grounds of his bungalows & all local homes.... although, I wasn't expecting to see a grave right outside the front door of our bungalow!! Check out the photo!
We had a lovely view of the sun rising in the morning from the front patio door ....and graves from the back door. The weather during the first few days was not very good and we had fair amount of clouds and rain although the islanders were actually praying for rain as water storage has reduced to 30% of its capacity so water is scarce.
This place is so laid back, largely untouched by tourism, it is beautiful. Remember the Bounty adverts?
After the hustle and bustle of Sydney and Madam's business meetings it was going to be a well needed rest!
Internet and telephone signals were periodic and the pace of life is slow!!
Our cabin at Sunrise was basic but only a couple of
metres from the sea with a lovely view with a small area of decking and a hammock. Perfect!
There was a tv and a radio in the room but there's only one tv channel and one radio channel!
The bus journies are funny. The fare is always the same and the driver will stop anywhere to let people on or off! Unlike most of the other tourists here, we have no intention of hiring a car or scooter .... where do we want to go in a hurry on a 30km Island & a month to explore it?
The Aussie couple staying in the cabin next to us were pleasant and we enjoyed a few drinks with them on their last couple of nights.... We've met a lot of Kiwis here, a few Aussies and Americans but virtually no other British people.
Our detox plan meant that beer and wine were no longer on the menu but we'd got 4 litres of vodka and gin at duty free .... enough to help us settle into the laid back Polynesian ways!!
But, by Friday (day 2) we'd cracked ..... beaten by the happy hour at the 'High Tide'
bar where beers were only $3 and an all you could eat curry buffet next door (Not quite as good as The Rajhdani!!)
I'm sure the 'High Tide' bar will feature again in this blog - At $3 a beer it would be criminal to ignore it.
By Saturday (Day 3) we had drunk 25% of the alcohol we had brought with us which was supposed to last 4 weeks...But, we spotted that the locals make and sell bannana vodka and coconut vodka if we run out!
The keep fit campaign was still on track - we'd walked over 30km in the first three days -
all the way around the island. So, we were on the right road! (There is only one road!) The Bennisons would be proud of us!
On Sunday 5th May we moved accomodation to a bungalow called 'Are Moe' on the South of the Island.
This had been booked before we arrived but we were pleased because it was much better than Sunrise ...and cheaper. We have booked 27 nights in this place and it was smart, clean, compact with all the mod cons.....a real home from home.
The owner'Don' met
us and immediately gave us a huge, fresh tuna steak... enough for about 5 people!
I thought tuna only came in tins!
This place was situated on a much more upmarket and 'chic' part of the Island and although it did not overlook the beach, it was only a 2 minutes walk from the best beach on the Island.
Don even provided two pink and a blue sets of snorkles, masks and flippers!
And the snorkelling was like an aquarium with hundreds of brightly coloured fish only a few metres away from the shoreline! Even Annie was able to snorkle here.
Mon 6th may was the first day Annie joined me jogging!
Picture the scene at 8am on a Monday morning.....Full Reebok kit, 'fitness first' sunvisor etc ....she looked the part ... and for the first 100m she was fine!
Runners normally warm up before they go running...But I'm not sure about the benefits of putting on lip stick, eye shadow and foundation before leaving the house??
But, the walking is going well and we now get waves from locals who recognise us.
So, 'Are Moe' is going to be home for the next 4 weeks
whilst we contemplate our future .... well, there's worse places I suppose!
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