Rarotonga Uncovered
Trip Start
Dec 29, 2007
1
37
42
Trip End
Ongoing
Where I stayed
Rarotonga,
Southern Cook Islands,
Cook Islands
Friday, March 27, 2009
Greeted with Kia Orana & a guy strumming a ukelele singing island songs in the airport, safe to say at 4am we felt welcomed in humid Rarotonga. Varas staff collected us & whisked us off to our beachfront studio 20 mins away where we befriended Pedro, the resident gecko. First impressions ..... scooters wizzing by, a gravestone in most front gardens, ubiquitous palm trees ... yep, it was like Cork alright!
Our first morning drew us to the Punanga Nui markets in the main town/capital of Avarua. As the island is reliant on tourism souvenirs are generally overpriced. Each stand was selling exotic fruits, black pearls, woodcrafts, pate drums & the sacred coconut. It's so multifunctional they use it in cosmetics, ashtrays, drinks & even bras. Despite the rainfall, a cultural show was running as we looked on beating drums, throwing shapes & unhusking coconuts.
Locals are completely laid back & very friendly. As large as islander guys are, the ladies almost outdo them complete with a gardenia, in their hair. It's apparently a result of the cheaper meat alternative, tinned corned beef & spam.
Punanaga Nui Market rain
Due to it's location, everything is exported so supermarket prices are double those of Auckland. Avarua itself is a sleepy town. Virtually nothing is open Sunday. Shops close at 4pm otherwise. Every second shop sells black pearls. The Empire cinema shows the latest 3 month old movies. Internet rates are $6-7/hr. Raviz is the best & only indian. It takes an intense 15 minutes of walking to see its entirety. Unfortunately the rain persisted heavily the first few days so beach time was non existant which helped me finally lay the Count of Monte Cristo to rest. Island life is slow moving literally. There are 2 buses that transport folk round the 32km island for $7 return, aptly termed clockwise & anitclockwise. If you want to drive, you will need a Cook Islands driver licence for $10. The local currency is the Nz dollar so it saved us converting.
When the sun eventually appeared we were treated to a spectacular sunrise. We didn't need any alarm clock during our stay as the cocks congregating outside our window woke us on cue every morning at 6am and crowed for an hour despite me chucking coconuts at them. Many families keep poultry so it's commonplace to see them strutting around.
Our sunnier days were spent snorkelling & kayaking along Muri lagoon or walking the majestic white sands. You can rent the gear for $10-20 a day. The coral reef is stunning almost resembling Finding Nemo; all we were short was David Attenborough's voice-over. This clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRy4P9_-Q-A gives a taster.
In the lagoon there are several idyllic islands where the water is so shallow you can walk to them. As you paddle along the shoreline you can't help noticing schools of fish swimming at the waters edge an inch deep. Additionally you can't miss the amount of holes in the sand dug by sand crabs who camouflage in. I was quite taken with the array of crabs either rocketing along the beach or congregating in groups.
Eating out is a fraction more expensive than supermarkets but we did sample the local cuisine at Sails, The Point & The Flame Tree which average $25-30 a main. Some island resorts offer a buffet dinner with an island show pretty much replicating what we saw at the market for $40-60. We dropped in to the Pacific Resort the last night to catch one. The majority of those frequenting the island are honeymoorners, attending a wedding or celebrating their anniversaries so going there as Billy-no-mates is a cry for the lethal injection. For me a week was more than enough. I had got an adequate fix of paradise, isolation & my faithful compadre, sunburn.
