On Raro time

Oceania » Cook Islands » Rarotonga
April 2nd 2009

Published: April 6th 2009

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Picture perfect

Our time in Rarotonga is quickly coming to an end, and our only regret is that we had more time here. On our second day here, we set out for Rarotonga’s most famous landmark Te Rua Manga (“the Needle”). Really just an impressive rock formation jutting out of the majestic mountainside, the climb there is half the experience. Met with another hot and humid day, we started out 450 metres below, with incredible views of the rainforest, mountains, and our destination. After about an hour grueling steep climb uphill, we were met by the self-acclaimed ‘keeper’ of the Needle. A handsome rooster, who proceeded to strut his stuff until he was satisfied we’d gotten the point. After another 50 feet uphill, the landscape opened up and we stood in awe at the spectacular view: nothing but incredible, lush mountains, and the magnificent Pacific Ocean beyond. The view was well worth ever steep step up.
The rest of our time so far has been spent relaxing on the beach, exploring the island, and hanging out with some of the great people we’ve met thus far. We rented bicycles one day and rode around the island, stopping to cool off at some of

Pool area

Second guesthouse.

the numerous secluded beaches. We rented a scooter one day to drive around the island. It took us a bit to get used to driving a scooter, not to mention driving on the other side of the road, but it was a great thrill once we got the hang of it. We also checked out the local Saturday market for some fresh fruit and veggies.
When it hasn’t been downpouring, the lagoon is beautifully clear and you can see all the creatures of the sea - well, mainly just the hundreds of small fish. There are three small motus (tiny uninhabited islands) surrounding the lagoon area, so we took a kayak out to one of the motus the other day to snorkel.

The food here is fine, though we’ve been cooking most of our own meals, so we’ve been able make use of the abundance of fresh fruit growing everywhere, as well as all of the veggies. There are some things that we’ll have to get useed to on this side of the planet. i.e. ketchup here is called tomato sauce. We mistakenly bought a can of tomato sauce’ to cook with our spaghetti. We quickly realized the err

All dressed up

Meg's bday dinner.

of our ways, so we ended up with a nice experimental meal that night. We’ve also eaten fish here! We went out for dinner on my birthday and both ordered a delicious line-caught tuna meal. We had previously decided that we would try fish while we were here, considering our location. We admit, it was good. But to be honest, we haven't felt any desire for meat or fish since.

All in all, we’re having an amazing time here and will be sad to leave. We’ve enjoyed the scenery, the laid-back attitudes of everyone around us, the lovely fellow travellers we’ve met - both young and old - and the places we’ve stayed. We hope to come back to this amazing little oasis. Now, it’s onto Auckland for a few days then finally, Australia!

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