Blogs from Cook Islands, Oceania - page 37

So it's the Saturday 11th November, exactly one year on from when I was sat in Heathrow about to start this huge adventure. Today I'm sat in Nadi airport to catch a flight to Rorotonga a small little Island, part of the Idilic Cook Islands in the middle of the South Pacific. I arrived in Rarotonga on Friday 10th November. Extremely confusing for you as it is for me. By travelling this way around the world we have managed to gain a day in our trip by crossing the Dateline, therefore we celebrate being away for a year not once but twice. I am now writing in past tense as it was a very long time ago since I was actually in Raro'. What did we do in Raro?? To be honest not very much. When ... read more

We're in the cooks now, updates may be getting a bit thinner for the next week or so as the computers here are steam powered and it's ar too hot to sit at one - 31 degrees in the shade! Gorgeous! but hot....... This place is amazing, island looks like the centre of lost, beaches are perfect, got a hostel that's a little tree house on the mountain side with a pool! Which some people actually sit by when the most beautiful beaches are a 10 min walk away! Wht not just go to spain????!!!!!!! Havn't actually seen much of the island yet (it's only 32km around) as we've been doing our PADI open water course, 7.45am til 6 pm! and knackered by ther end of it! So we've been little reclusives in our tree house ... read more

So... we left Perth and travelled to the Cook islands. It was a funny journey because we actually crossed the timeline and went back a day. We left Perth on the 21st, transferred in Auckland on the 22nd and arrived in Raratonga on the 21st - six hours earlier than when we had left Perth! The flights and transfers took about 15 hours but time disagreed. Weird. Anyhoo... not much point talking loads about Raratonga because essentially it was a Paradise Island, we spent most of the time jetting about on scooters with my parents leading the way, sun bathing, reading books, playing cards, sleeping... and oh yeah... brother number 2 (out of 4, me being the 3rd) got married to Sister-in-law no.2... (Helen being sister-in-law No.1 of course). The main reason I thought I should ... read more

We took a four hour flight from Auckland to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands and then flew to Aitutaki, a beautiful small island surrounded by a coral reef and lagoon. The water here is clear and turquoise, and full of colourful tropical fish that swim around your ankles as you paddle in the lagoon. We stayed in a thatched villa next to a white sandy beach and spent a lot of time just lying around in the sun. It really was like some kind of unspoilt paradise out of a holiday brochure and much of the time we had the beach to ourselves. When we got bored of lying on the beach and drinking the bar dry (it's a hard life), we borrowed kayaks and explored the lagoon. We also went out on a fishing boat ... read more

Missa saa merinakoalan hostellihuoneen ikkunasta, joka on myos kuvattu postikorttiin? Missa omaiset haudataan omalle pihalle? Missa noin 99% ruokatavarasta tuodaan ulkomailta (lahinna Uudesta Seelannista)? Ja missa eletaan epatavallisen huonoa parasta turistiaikaa? Olemme kokeneet Cookin saarten hyvat ja pahat paivat... Cookin saarille ei passaa laskeutua lentokoneella, jollei luota lentajien taitoihin 100%:sti. Laskeutuminen Rarotongan saarelle nimittain alkaa aivan meren rannasta ja jatkuu lahes koko saaren lapi! Kun koko Rarotongan saari on ymparysmitaltaan vain 32 km, ei kiitorataa passaa luistella yhtaan ylimaaraista. Pari reissaajaa kehui, etta on hieno tunne seista kadulla kun kone lentaa vain hiusten mitan verran paan ylapuolella, mutta valitettavasti kuulimme tasta vasta kun olimme jo itse nousemassa yhteen koneeseen joten emme paasseet itse kokeilemaan. Sukeltamaan sen si... read more