Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Kia Orana one and all from a very hot and sunny Rarotonga.

What can I say so far I am having a brilliant time. Arrived early hours of Tuesday morning which was a bit like ground hog day as I had already been through Tuesday in New Zealand. Met Sarah on the bus to the hostel and once we got there I found I had been upgraded to an ensuite room until my beach hut was ready on Thursday, RESULT!!!

After a few hours kip I was up and met Laura and Sarah (again) chatting and Laura said there was BBQ on that night NZ$10 each so we chipped in and later on went with Laura to get the food. Buses are interesting here, it is only 32km roudn the island so they have 2 buses one goes clockwise and the other goes anti-clockwise and you get one of each every hour apart from between 4pm and 6pm. We chilled round the pool for a bit when we got back before showering and starting prep for the BBQ where I met Ollie, Alex, Claire, Matt, Charlie and Smed.

Dinner of sausages, burgers, bread and salad was greatly received and washed down by quite a few cold beers (Tui) before we started on the silly games - Irish snap first followed by a drinking game called Smoke and Fire (I have the rules written down so I shall be teaching all who are game for it when I get back ;-)) The result from the whole evening for me was that every single person round the table thought I was 28 or under ... ha you should've seen their faces ;-)

Surprising didn't have a sore head the following day but spent the day chilling before walking along the beach to the Rarotonagan Hotel to use the ATM ... blimey what a walk 45 mins each way on not very pleasant sand, who needs a pedicure!! Quite evening and an early night.

Thursday Sarah and I had signed up to go diving. Jason picked us up at 7.45am and we were in the water by 9.10am at Sand River where we ahd only been in the water a few minutes before we saw an octopus and almost immediately after a white tipped reef shark. After an horus surface interval involving a very welcome hot chocolate and biscuits (the water is not warm here and I had a 5mm shortie on) we were back in the sea this time diving on a wreck who's name escapes me right now but here we met Red the hawksbill turtle and towards the end of the dive we saw a massive maori wrasse plus all the usual stuff. After Devon dropped us back at the backpackers Sarah and I went to the supermarket before catching some rays. Just before sunset (they are spectacular here) we wandered down to the Mauni Hotel where they had a n offer on cocktails and sat by their infinity pool sipping on our various sexually explicitly named cocktails and then heading back for dinner and a few more beers. Ollie, Alex, Matt and Claire left this evening.

Friday Sarah and I caught the bus round the island and stopped off at Muri beach where there is a lagoon which is nice but I have to say I have seen nicer ... lsiten to me I've been so spoilt! 45 mins round the island and we headed back to flop on the beach and chill before we got ready for our big night out. About 8.30pm we caught the bus into town and went to the 'Whatever' bar where all the drinks were cheaper at the bar downstairs and when cnofronted with this they agreed and couldn't explain why so I'm sure you can guess where we got our beers all night. After this we headed to THE club 'Rehab' where we shook our thing for a few hours before catching the last bus back at 2pm the long way round the island.

Saturday was a little subdued and we spent the day on the beach for the most part and then in the evening Laura, Sarah, Charlie, Smed and I went to the island night at the Edgewater Resort and made light work of the all you can eat buffet and then sat rubbing our sore bellies whiilst we watched the island dancers.

Today have been out for 2 more dives this morning and then tried to lie on the beach but its just too darn hot!!!

Have taken some great photos and some amazing ones of the sunsets but you will have to be patient on the photo front I'm afraid as can't upload them here.

Hope all is good wherever you are, sending you all lots of love
Hx

When I last left you I was heading off to Hahei (har-hey) for the weekend which is in the Coromandel (central east coast of the north island). I packed up my newly aquired belongings and said my good byes to Howard, Jeanne and Julia and set off on the bus to Auckland to met Amy. After a bit of light shopping we headed back for a takeaway with Sarah and then headed off at about 7.30pm to miss the traffic and arrived in Hahei at about 10.30pm where Sarah's Mum, Janice, her sister, Michelle and Michelle's boyfriend, Ewan had already arrived and an hour later we were all tucked up in our beds, some of us snoring LOUDLY ;-)

Saturday brought lots of lovely sunshine so after a walk to the Luna Cafe, a quick drink and a walk along the beach we settled in for the day on the deck and beers where cracked open about 1pm and it was pretty much slowly downhill from there. We headed over to some friends of Sarah's family for "fivesees" which is like sundowners in the UK just 3 hours before sun goes down and it was at this point that Graham one of the owner of this bach and Sarah tired to convince me that in New Zealand they milk frogs, you will be pleased to know that at no point did I believe them but we did have a good laugh. Sometime after the sun went down we staggered back and somehow managed to pull dinner together without burning the bach down (I don't remember eating dinner) and after dinner entertainment was an ABBA tribute night courtesy of us girls and some kitchen utensils for mics.

I'd like to say that Sunday was cancelled due to lack of interest but no such luck, after a good brekkie of bacon and eggs we headed out to Cathedral Cove where I had been the following weekend but the weather was better. After lunch we headed over to Whitianga to the Lost Springs for a soak in the thermal pools and sip a cocktail, great way to get over a hangover. Ice cream on the way back it was time for a quick shower and to pop a few more bottles of bubbles, fivesees was at 'our' bach this time although a lot more subdued. BBQ dinner went down a storm and an early night for us all.

Monday was Labour Day holiday here and like a good old British Bank Holiday it only stayed fine a few hours before it started raining, but in the morning Amy and I went for a walk on the beach and then we all headed over to the Hot Water Beach Cafe for lunch and a wander round Moko Gallery. The rest of the day was reading, lounging, clearing up and packing up. We headed back stopping for dinner in Tairua where I had the worst fish and chips I've ever had in my life. Evenutally arrived back and Amy and Sarah's at just before 11pm and straight to bed.

Tuesday morning I headed into Auckland with Sarah on her way to work and my stuff and after some final bits of shopping and sorting I caught a bus to Raglan via Hamilton at 12.30pm and arrived in Raglan at 4.40pm where the lovely Diane Cederman picked me up. For those of you that don't know I met Diane, her husband, Brent, their friend Andy and his wife Mary-Ann, who sadly didn't make it out of the tsunami, the night before the tsunami hit. So it was great to see them again and to recount our different stories and piece things together over some good food and a glass of wine or two. After dinner we hoped in the hot tub on the deck ... gotta get me one of those when I come back.

Wednesday Brent took me on a driving tour of Raglan, Manu Bay, Karioi and Bridal Veil Falls which was fabulous, such wonderful landscapes here in parts so similar to the UK and then so different. After lunch I decided to walk into Raglan form Diane and Brent's house which took me about an hour, where I had a look round the town and had an ice cream down by the wharf before Diane picked me up on her way home from work. Dinner was courtsey of Andy this night and was delicious and more wine and stories flowed.

Thursday Andy and his friend Steve offered to drop me in Hamilton as they were heading out that way anyway and after that I caught a bus to New Plymouth in Taranaki (central west of the north island) where Julia's Mum, Cheryl and her gran, Joan picked me up with big hugs and kisses to welcome me, it was like coming home. After an hour we were at Brent and Julia's fabulous 'peach coloured' farm house, I had serious house envy although nothing compared with the house envy I had when we got to Julia's parent's house later that evening. Walking round the corner I was greeted by a peacock and I think my exclamation was something along the lines of "Oh my god there's a peacock in your back garden", their response "Oh that's just Pete" ... after I picked my jaw up off the floor. We had a glass of wine or 2 whilst we watched Richard, Julia's brother and Jeff put the lights up for his 50th birthday bash on the Saturday. This was followed by another yummy dinner and an early night .. I keep saying I'm having these early nights and whilst I'm going to bed early I have been reading like its going out of fashion, Julia has got me into the Twightlight books (vamprie, werewolf love story ... yeah put like that, but they're good I'm on the 4th) so haven't been asleep much before midnight most nights.

Friday Jules and I headed out for a spot of lunch and after a few errands we climbed the Hawera water tower. 215 steps later (54.21m) we were at the top with some spectacular view not only of Hawera but as far as the eye could see. Only once we came down did I find out that the tower actually leans by 3 inches so Hawera has its very own leaning tower ;-) Around about this time we found out that Jules had passed one of her modules at uni so we headed back to the farm armed with a bottle of bubbles and sat in the garden lapping up the sun. Aother fairly quiet evening which believe me was the quiet before the storm.

Saturday morning Julia and I watched the first Twighlight movie and slatted it, nothing like the book they missed so much out the worst adaptation I have ever seem. Anyway then the preparations began after a few bits of last minute shopping we headed to Julia's sisters house, Sarah, and spent the next 2 hours icing fairy cakes Halloween style for Jeff's birthday cake before getting our glad wrags on for the Halloween 50th party which kicked off at 2pm ... we were fashionably late. All is a bit of blur after this there was lots of drinking, laughing, fireworks (courtsey of someone else), singing of "Alice who the f*ck is Alice", dancing, eating, and generally debauched behaviour. I'm sad to have to confess that I did actually smoke for the first time since I quit which seemed like a good idea at the time but don't worry I won't be going back there anytime soon I felt awful the next day physcially and with myself for doing it. Other than that though it was a cracking evening.

Sunday was not pretty, I now know why they call them the Taranaki Hardcore! Brunch was a t Jeff and Cheryl's and was well received but not before I had yet another jaw dropping moment when we saw what Richard had ought his Dad for his birthday .... 2 alpacas, Harry and Pedro ... it was at this point that my suspiscions that they were all mad was confirmed!!!! The funniest bit was when Jeff discovered that not only does he have to sheer them and cut their toe nails regularly he also has to grind their 6 fighting teeth down ... laugh? did we!!!

Jules and Brent headed home to do a few bits on the farm and Jeanne and Howard took me on a trip part way up Mnt Taranaki/Egmont and to Dawson Falls and then on the way back we stopped off at a vintage car shop ... photos are for you Dad x.

Once back it was nearly time for dinner so we all helped set up and enjoyed emensly before an early night as it was an early start for everyone in the morning.

8am Monday morning and I was on my way with Jeff's brother's (Brian) girlfriend, Diane and her Dad to Hamilton again, this time I was catching a bus to Rotorua where I planned to spend 3 nights before heading to Napier.

Arrived in Rotorua about 5pm rang round a few backpackers and eventually found one and once installed nipped out to Pak N' Save (it had been a while) grabbed some food and cooked myself some tea before hitting the sack or should I say reading a few more chapters of my book ;-)

In the morning headed straight to the post office as had to send m blackberry back to the UK becasue its broken as Lulu said its the unluckiest phone in history, new one should be with me by Christmas! Next stop was the i-site to book a trip to Waitomo cave for the following day and a geothermal tour. Once that was done I pulled out the Lonely Planet and headed down to the museum in Government Gardens to start one of their walking tours. As I entered the park there was a Maori ceremony of some sort taking place in the bandstand so I stood and watched what was happening, great songs and music and the clothes they were wearing were a combination of cloth, flax and bird feathers.

Headed into the museum which in its hay day had been a bath house (although was never finished when it was openend and is hopefully going to be finished by 2011). First things frst we settled down to watch a video of how Rotorua ended up as it is today ... well I nearly went running for the hills when unannounced the benches started jolting around as they would in a earthquake as part of the film!! I did eventually get my breath back but you can feel the tremors from the pews moving all through the building so I was a little on edge for the few hours I was there. Other than that it was fascinating and a great building. Particualrly enjoyed the Maori exhibition at the end where we learnt how the traditional costumes are made, what some of the stories, symbols and implements are and looked round an exhibition of black and white prints of Maori people. Such a shame the the Pink and White terraces that were believed to be the 8th wonder of the world, were destroyed in the 1886 eruption of Mnt Tarawera. They were terraces of spa pools as shown in the artisits impressions, must have been amazing. Apparently they are trying to rebuild them.

After a picnic lunch I headed down to the lake to see the black swans and along to Ohinemutu a Maori village and after a donation was allowed to wander round and take photos ... slightly disappointed that there were no signs of what things were or what they meant or even someone to ask.

Next headed up to Kuirau Park and wandered round the thermal pools ... so strange to see these bubbling, smouldering pools so close to the town. I did stop to dip my feet in one of the purpose built pools but it was way too hot for my tootsies. After that it was back into town for a wander and then back to work out a plan for the rest of the week.

Wednesday was an early start I was picked up at 7.25am outside the hostel by a slightly annoying englishman who spent most of the journey to Waitomo chatting away to us or trying to get us to sing. After a very painful 2 and a bit hours we arrived and I headed out on my first trip to Ruakuri (2 dogs) Cave where you can black water raft but I decided just to do the walking tour although it did look like fun might have to head back there when I get back. Anyway we descended the spectacular sprial entrance and then we were in the caves. It was really quite cold and earily quiet but wow was it beautiful my photos don't do it justice. There were also quite a few glowworms but you're not allowed to take photos of them but imagine a match stick stuck to the wall and the end with the phosphorus on is the glow worms bottom that's the bit that glows as its poo glows in the dark to attrack its prey, the hungrier it is the brighter it glows. They have lots of long stick threads hanging down which catch the prey and they then pull it up to eat. They do this for 9 months before hatching into a fly which lives for 3 days, lays 100s of new glow worm eggs and dies ... what a life!!

This tour took a couple of hours but was fabulous and went really quickly. Next I headed to the glow worm caves which is really for kids but the boat through the glow worm caves in the dark at the end was magic like having millions of fairly lights over your head. Once back in Waitomo village I had 3 hours to kill before the bus came to pick me up, I was very glad that (a) the sun was shining and (b) I brought my book there is next ot nothing to do in Waitomo. Eventually got back to the hostel at 6.30pm knackered so ate, did my washing and hit the sack ... worst nights sleep since I left the UK my room was between the reading room (internet access in here), the lounge, a toilet and the phone and also on the route to the front door, kitchen and showers ... even with my ear plugs in it felt like no one slept that night.

8.30am on Thursday I was picked up for my Geothermal tour and despite the poor weather and my lack of sleep we had a great time. Robbie our guide was really good fun but also incredibly knowledgeable. Inbetween taking the preverbial out of the Aussies and the Pomes he took us to the boiling mud pools, Wai-o-tapu (sacred water) famour for its champagne pool amongst many others, we then headed to Lady Knox Geyser for 10.15am where she obliged by 'blowing' on time and Waimangu Volcanic Valley where we walked down into the Volcano, breath taking in more ways than one ... the smell is unbelieveable it was starting to burn the back of my nose by the time I left but I wouldn't have missed seeing them for the world just wish the weather had been better as the colours would have been so much more vivid.

Robbie and Herman and Gail the American couple I met on the trip said they'd give me a lift round to the i-site when we got back as it was a little tight for me to get a ticket and a bus out of Rotorua to Napier and I had to get that bus. 3 hours later and through some more amazing scenery I arrived in a very sunny Napier and checked into my fabulous art deco backpackers, it was perfect ... dinner however as not so perfect but I didn't care I'd had a wander round looking at all the art deco buildings and was feeling really excited about looking around more the following day - for those of you that don't know I love art deco!

Friday morning I was up early and waiting outside the i-site first in the queue at the queue at the i-site. I booked myself onto a wine tour for the afternoon, bought an art deco walking guide and booked my next bus ticket back to Auckland for Sat morning and off I headed with a spring in my step. Took me about 2 hours to walk around and I have hundreds of photos of anything and everything art deco. After a sushi lunch I headed up to the i-ste to meet Mike our guide for the day and then realised I'd left my ticket at the hostel so dashed back and Mike said he'd pick me up from there as he was picking some others up and that's when I met the lovely Jo and Matt from Jersey.

We first headed out to Mission Bay winery which was very impressive looking and had all the granduer that you would expect from a winery that has been around for centuries. We tasted some loevly wines and surprising wines as well a Riesling in particular stood out which I would normally avoid. Mike said not to worry about not drinking all the wine if we didn't like it but in true British style we didn't waste a drop ... as we laughed is it any wonder the Brits have a reputation! Next stop was Moana Park winery where we tried the best wine of all the wineries we went to, their Sauvignon Blanc was beautiful as was there Syrah, Merlot and Merlot Malbec mix. A tiny winery it had bags of character and a real family feel to it with pedro the boxer running round like an idiot, eating stones in amongst us all. Next stop and starting to feel a bit light headed now we went to Ngatarawa winery which is in historic stables once owned by an irish man who maried a maori princess. Well I think it all got a bit out of hand as there were too many groups and we were a little worse for wear so I don't think we did their wines justice really. Finally we headed to the Vidal winery where we were given food of fresh seafood, steak, breads all antipasti style sitting in their little garden at the back ... gorgeous and the perfect end to the trip.

Once back at the hostle Matt, Jo and myself headed to the Hog's Breath for a few beers (Speights) before nipping back to the hostel to make arrangement for our early check out in the morning and then for dinner at Chai (SE Asian cuisine) which Matt and Jo very kindly bought me. After a long but thoroughly enjoyable day I fell into bed at not long after 10pm.

Yet another sore head in the morning and Matt, Jo and I caught the 8.30am bus out of Napier, they were headed to Taupo and me to Auckland. 7.5 hrs later I arrived in Auckland and walked down to the Britomart and caught a bus out to Mission Bay where Helen Gibbs picked me up. Helen shares a house with Becky who I met in Samoa and Becky's cousin also called Helen (yes it gets confusing (HRH, Cousin Helen and I'm TSu-Helen), but Becky is in the UK at the mo but the girls had said come and sta whenever so I took them up on their offer. Quick catch up and some takeaway terriyake and HRH and I headed out for few beers but I was almost falling asleep at the table so we weren't late.

Yesterday I was up early and went for a run round the bay to St Helliers which was great, have really missed some proper exercise. Then showered and after breakfast I nipped into Auckland to get some things for Rarotonga and then back to Mission Bay before HRH dropped me at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell for the Tsunami Memorial Serivce organised by John Keyes government and as guests of Andy (Mary-Ann's husband). Was blown away by the Tongan Choir who were amazing and was good to catch up with everyone again.

Today I'm sorting out stuff for my insurance claim before heading out to Whangaparaoa to see Jeanne and Howard again and pick up a delivery form the UK and hopefully my sunglasses and am staying the night with them before my flight tomorrow to Rarotonga.

Have really enjoyed the time I've had in New Zealand so far despite the weather, everyone has been lovely and looked out for me brilliantly and subsequently I have seen and done some things I might not otherwise have done so a big thank you to all of you.

Now for that beach holiday that never happened, catch you on the otherside.
Hx

P.S. All my photos are now stored on Snapfish - Link below if you want to look at ALL of them only a few will be on Facebook and even less on this blog.

http://www3.snapfish.co.nz/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1999123006/a=87322564_87322564/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/