Blogs from Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Oceania - page 30

Day 22: Rarotonga Market day in Avarua, the capital, is the best for shopping and after much mucking around trying to find the bike licence place, not knowing that you actually needed to have the bike with you at the time of a licence test, we decided to go with a car licence and hire one for two days. But not any car - we hired a small convertible, but the effect is somewhat lost when the speed limit is 60 kph. There are some 40 kph zones as well, but and most people just do 45 everywhere. Seat belt discipline seems largely non-existent. We wondered about the road toll - perhaps there is none? Avarua is a very small place right on the sea (all of Rarotonga is!) with a single row of shops. From ... read more

Day 20: Auckland-Rarotonga We were able to wake late and have a lazy half-day in Auckland after a long day’s travel yesterday, and with another long one today. The morning was taken up with the logistical task of repacking our case and bags, with everything we need for a Pacific island replacing kilograms of thermal fleeces and bulky knits, which we left with the hotel to be picked up on our return. We had brunch down on Auckland harbour, then set out for the airport in plenty of time. So we thought. Auckland must have one of the most confusing sets of street and freeway signage in the world. We took wrong turns on three separate occasions. The worst was caused by the fact that there is a minor airport on the way to the major ... read more

until my pick-up ride to the airport for my 1am flight, luckily i've started gettting into the type of trashy novel that gets left around hostels, I'm sure though that reading these novels are the first step on the road to a sex change, ahem. be warned I'm moving very quickly for my week in fiji, i've employed the 'feejee experience' to whisk me round in a week and they assure me that they will meet me and find me accomodation on my 3am sunday morning arrival in fji, i'm crossing the date line so i technically lose a day, so i could say anything happened on saturday and you would not be able to prove it didn't happen. handed in the scooter safe and sound, so no kissing the tarmac or muffler burns, i have ... read more

Having the scooter definately makes getting around easier, went for a very civilized supper last night, some friends from my last hostel have a little chalet type thing so went round for a 3 course meal!! (i provided the wine and cheesecake) a very pleasant touch of normality, we could of been back in blighty, apart from the humidity and the gecko lizards on the ceiling. Scootering back in the dark was a little nerve racking, all those shadowy figures at the side of the road, trouble with the scooter is the speedometer does not work, is deliberate so it keeps the mileage down so they can resell for more, fiendish! Not much else of interest right now, just looking forward to getting back into the action in fiji, may not get much change to update ... read more

Yawn, great, supposed to join a group last night to get up at 3am and go over to a sports bar to watch the FA Cup Final live, 4 of us from my dorm were going so i thought that one of them woudl wake up, but no, not until it was 4.15am and thus we had missed the lift, fantastic! Looked like a good one too, nevermind. Yesterday was a funny one, my kayaking round the little islands on Muri Beach was a satisfying if exhausting experience, think that maybe the 2 week booking in Raratonga was a little too long, nevermind, i'll go town today and get some reading material then it does not matter if I just sit on the beach all day. Weather not that sunny either, moan, moan, moan. And the ... read more