Paradise Found

Trip Start Feb 08, 2008
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Trip End Mar 10, 2008


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Where I stayed

Flag of Cook Islands  ,
Thursday, February 28, 2008

Our Shuttle picked us up at noon to take us to the airport.  We fly to Auckland, have a short stop over then fly Air New Zealand to Rarotonga, capital of the Cook Islands.  Once again we arrive an hour late (11:30 p.m.).  The air is still hot and humid, and we are very happy to see our shuttle driver (Kimi) waiting patiently for us.  Even at this time of night we receive a warm welcome.  A Cook Islander is playing the ukulele and we are given a lei greeting (fragrant frangipani flowers).  It is a small island so it does not take long to reach our accommodation, our home for the next 10 days. It is a nice self contained unit, it contains a decent size fridge and stove, big bathroom and  combination living room bedroom.  A large patio overlooks one of two pools, the ocean is only a few steps away, we have a great view of the mountains, palm and fruit trees are everywhere - it is going to be perfect.

The morning dawns bright and clear, and very hot and humid.  Because of the international date line we have gone back in time, it is Thursday once again (another bonus).  This is much hotter then NZ (mid 30's) and by the time I reach the open air breakfast area, my clothes are sticking to me, my hairline is dripping and I have very frizzy, curly hair To the Beach
To the Beach
 . I am wearing a skort and a sleeveless blouse, but not cotton, cotton is going to be the order of the day here.    After all the big breakfasts that we have been having in NZ  it is a welcome change to find a simpler breakfast: muffins, toast, cereal and every kind of tropical fruit imaginable.  The coffee is not as good as all those flat whites that I have been enjoying in NZ but still pretty good.

We set off to explore the island and head for downtown (Avarua).  We have not yet decided what we are going to do for transportation, we want to see how we are situated for getting around.  We take the local bus which goes around the island once an hour.  It is $4.00 each way, slightly cheaper if you buy a return ticket.  What they do not tell us is that you can buy a multi ride pass which is even cheaper (which we found out from speaking with one of the other Canadians staying at our resort).  It is only about 12 minutes from our resort to downtown Avarua.  Downtown is larger then what I expected.  There are two harbours (Avatiu and Avarua) and they are fairly close together.  The main street is busy, a mix of bars, restaurants, souvenir shops and lots and lots of jewelry shops.  Most people seem to be getting around via scooter, and lots of small cars (mostly convertibles).  Downtown is just the right size for exploring on foot so we set off to get the lay of the land.  We have heard that Trader Jack's is a good spot so it is first on our list.  The restaurant overlooks the crystal clear turquoise water, it is just as beautiful and clear as in all those postcards that I have seen.  Soon I have a tropical salad in front of me and a glass of white wine in my hand.  It does indeed seem to be paradise found.
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