A wild weekend

Referring to the weather. We have had it damp and windy in Wellington but up north they have had a good hammering. Last week the weather was almost spring like. The garden is starting to blossom. Here is our daphne bush,some primulas are flowering

while the garden gnomes have seen it all before.

Noreen is taking advantage of the weather to stock up on soup. Note the modern woman that she is – using her laptop to access recipes for carrot soup on teh interweb.

More part 3

These are definitely the last from the Cooks (until we go again). All from Aitutaki, starting with the renovations to the Tautu church.

The thing from the lagoon.

Noreen feeding the fish.

Honeymoon Island.

Maina.

A sprouting coconut. They float and can survive months at sea.

One of the traditions on Honeymoon Island is that newlyweds plant a coconut.

The wreck of the Sutherland. It went down in the 30s carrying a load of Model T Fords.

Here's one for Sam. Fishing at sunset (taken from our room).

Maina and Honeymoon taken on the flight out.

More part 2

The other reason for this rush of posting is that we have a new internet connection which is faster. So I am testing how good the upload is and can report that it is far superior.
Here is a view of the coastal cliffs on Mangaia as we flew in. These are only 10-20 metres high. The really bigs ones are inland.
Noreen at Tuaati Rock Pool

and some shells and bits of coral from the beach.

The road to the interior has been cut through the makatea.

Arrival in Aitutaki.

The old (1828) church).

A young taro plantation

and papaya.

On Rarotonga and Mangaia there are lots of dogs. Aitutaki has the distinction of having none. (Reasons are unclear but may stem from a leprosy outbreak in the 19th century for which the dogs were blamed.) To compensate there are lots of cats. Here is a friendly mog that seemed to own the resort we stayed at.

A lovely flower we found by the wayside.

More from the Cooks

Nothing exciting is happening here this week so I thought I would share some more of the several hundred frames from the Cook Islands. These are all from Rarotonga. The first day there we walked back from the airport into the main town of Avarua. Here is a typical view looking over the buildings to the impressive interior scenery.
A tourist holding a coconut. They were still a novelty at this time (coconuts - not tourists!).

This up market establishment on Muri Beach is called "Rumours of Romance". For the prices they charge I would expect more than rumours.

Here is our gecko that lived in the unit. They are all over the islands and make strange chirping noises at all hours of the day and night. This fellow blotted his copybook by hiding in our muesli but they do a useful job keeping the flies down.

More food - at the Saltwater Cafe on the south coast. Noreen has a jug of iced tea and pumpkin soup. I have tempura prawns.

Chickens everywhere - we decided they took the place of sparrows in more temperate climes.

Resting on the first stage of the cross island walk. We were off track here as I wanted to get to the top of something and the track goes through the bush on the valley floor.

A view on the second stage of the walk.

I spent a good half hour sitting on the side of the main street in Avarua taking photos while Noreen went shopping. Here is a typical local bring the groceries back on her scooter. Helmets are not compulsory if you keep below 40Km/h (the maximum anywhere on the island is 50).

An aerial view of Muri Beach lagoon. Our unit was slightly to right of centre above the V shaped fish trap.

The Cook Islands

The Cook Islands are set in the South Pacific Ocean. They lie in the tropics between about 9 and 22 degrees south, 155 and 165 degrees west. There are 15 main islands with a total land area of about 241 square kilometres spread over 2 million square kilometres of sea. The distances between the islands are vast. To get from the main island of Rarotonga in the south to the northern most island requires a four hour flight. Total population is only about 14,000 although over 80,000 Cook Islanders live overseas, mainly in New Zealand but with a sizable number in Australia. Originally settled by Polynesians about 1500 years ago, the southern group islands were named the Hervey Islands by Cook in 1773. A Russian cartographer labelled the group in honour of Cook in the 1820’s. They became a British protectorate in 1888, were annexed by New Zealand in 1901 and became independent within the Commonwealth in 1965.

We have just spent 12 days there. Here are a few photos to give a general flavour of the place. More details will follow in entries for the three islands we visited –
Rarotonga
Mangaia
Aitutaki.

The Cooks are a wonderful place to eat and drink, with local produce of tropical fruit and vegetables, abundant fish and meat both local and imported.

The lifestyle is relaxed

visitors are welcomed and made to feel at home,

every one wears a flower in their hair

and there is lots of wildlife.

We got about by plane, scooter and bicycle.

The scenery is varied, from tropical beaches

to dramatic landscapes

and interesting buildings.