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Published: April 22nd 2009
George the Eel
At the entrance to the breakfast area there is a pond where George the Eel resides. Here he is asleep, upside down - yes, he's not dead - that's just that way he always sleeps! He's about three feet long.A Day in the Life of the Most Perfect 10th Anniversary Ever!!
We were woken by a wake-up call at 6.00 a.m. to ensure we would be on time for the transfer to the airport for our day in Aitutaki! The weather was absolutely beautiful, especially after it had rained all day the day before, which was when we had originally wanted to go - God was certainly looking after us by making sure the tour was full for that day!!! We went for an early breakfast and then boarded the bus for this special day.
At the airport we met Rarie, who worked at the Reception of our resort, with her baby grandson Paul, who was absolutely gorgeous and didn't stop smiling.
On the plane we were all given window seats, which was perfect to ensure we all had an uninterrupted views of both Rarotonga and Aitutaki Lagoon. The mountains of Rarotonga looked fresh and clear in the morning light, especially after the rain from the day before, and then we enjoyed the exceptional views of Aitutaki Lagoon at our 8.50 a.m. arrival, while enjoying morning tea on the plane.
After arriving at Aitutaki Airport we went
Another Beautiful Sunrise!
Sunrise over the lagoon - at about 5.30 a.m. - a spectacular sight! for a tour of the villages and then on to the markets for a quick souvenir stop until we arrived at the boat for our day of cruising these beautiful crystal clear waters at 10.30 a.m.
The colour of the water was just magnificent and we enjoyed views across the lagoon, especially to the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa, which is where we stayed for four nights last year - pure luxury and indulgence - and where Catriona Rowntree and her husband spent their honeymoon a month after we were there in 2008! Seeing it brought back some wonderful memories of a fantastic holiday.
Our first stop was at Moturakau Island where we walked around for about 30 minutes. The island is covered with 100 year old mahogany trees - speading their thick, spirally branches to form a canopy over the centre of the island and a great nesting spot for the hundreds of white terns that call the island home. The views were just spectacular and we spotted several wild birds, including heaps of white terns and other seabirds. We also saw the hut where the private interviews with the contestants on the TV series "Survivor, Cook
Another Sunrise Shot
I couldn't help myself and had to take extra shots! Islands" were recorded.
Then we were off to a section of the pure white sandy bottomed lagoon for brilliant snorkeling - crystal clear water with visibility for about 50 feet. Mel was enthralled as she hadn't snorkelled since living in New Guinea, and all of us were dazzled by the whiteness of the sand and the clarity of the water, with an abundance of fish thrown in for good measure! In some parts the water was only waist deep and Yellow Threadfins were everywhere you looked! It was a snorkeller's paradise and well worth the money spent to get there. We spent about an hour snorkelling around the bombies, just enjoying this amazing part of God's beautiful creation.
Next we were back to the boat to enjoy a wonderful BBQ lunch on board. It was delicious, and there was plenty of food for everyone to share.
Our next stop was One Foot Island - another location for Survivor, Cook Islands - where we were able to wander around the island or snorkel to our heart's content for about two hours. Jeni and Steve walked right around the island with a lovely Danish couple while Mel soaked up
A Church Near Avarua
One of the many churches on Rarotonga - on our way to the airport. the sunshine (and became "Mrs Black"!!).
We then snorkelled for about an hour, all up and down the channel. There was not the amount nor variety of fish that we had found out in the middle of the lagoon but it was so clear and still several different sorts of fish to "spy on", including a gigantic flounder, and by 'gigantic' I mean GIGANTIC - it must have been about two and a half to three feet across - certainly the biggest we'd ever seen or even heard of, and also a massive puffer fish, again about three feet long and about one foot across. They both hung around the bottom of the boat for ages and we were able to watch them for about 15 minutes. We also saw several hundred largish fish schooling all around. Mel just loved it and snorkelled for ages in the channel.
Just before boarding the boat for home we had our passports stamped with the "One Foot Island" stamp and then we headed back at about 3.30, ready for our return home. It was wonderful cruising around the lagoon and seeing familiar sites from our last visit, as well as just
Mountains in the Morning
The beautiful mountains in the morning sunlight. drinking in the beautiful colours of the water and tranquil islands we motored past.
When we arrived at the airport we had a Lemon and Paeroa drink and then boarded the plane at 4.40 p.m. We were seated in the back row, with Tiki (our tour guide for the day) between Mel and Jeni and we chatted to him on the way back to Rarotonga. He knew the woman on the plane who Jeni and Steve had sat next to between Brisbane and Auckland, and said he’d say hello to her for us as her family were going on the cruise the next day. Also, he was the youth director at his church and he knew Elizabeth, whom we met while staying at the resort on Aitutaki last year, and who is now in NZ with a church group.
As an added anniversary blessing, the day tour to Aitutaki, including transfers, flights, tour of the villages, cruise, lunch, and all our snorkel gear, is normally priced at $NZ499 but for that week only it was discounted to $NZ429 so that was a real blessing. It sounds expensive but for what you get, where you go and what you
Rarie and Baby Paul
At the airport we met Rarie, one of the receptionist's at the resort, with her beautiful grandson Paul. see it's certainly worth it - especially as it is so far from anywhere else and most people never get to experience this beautiful part of the world!
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