Days pass so quickly that blogging takes too much time to do well. I haven't added much in 4 days.
At Mystery Creek we found a small 10 acre farm and Motel, owned by Kees's distant cousins. Kees called ahead , and luckily, Henk and Lieda denHartigh welcomed us for a visit. We stayed overnight in one of their comfortable motel units and spent several hours swapping stories. Gina really impressed wee one year old Sasha, one of their grandchildren. She was a cutie! The six dairy cows, which gave excellent milk, were also very interested in Gina, while I was more enthralled with the gardens. The denHartighs were lovely hosts and asked us to stay longer, but we had only 3 days left in NZ, and miles to go. The next morning we headed off to the Coramandel Peninsula northeast of Auckland, leaving our new friends behind.The drive took longer than expected, not that we hurried. We stopped for a break at a small shop where Gina could have an ice cream and see some animals, like strange chickens and a very cute baby llama. Onwards, after a wrong turn and some backtracking, we found The Crazy Cow Cafe' and had to sample their wares. We stopped at a small winery as well, nestled in a valley as we went through a mountain pass. Should have investigated that area more, as we learned later that there were interesting bike trails through tunnels and past waterfalls in that region. We pushed on and drove through many more dizzying switchbacks to find the mining town of -----?-----, where over 100 years of excavating for gold had created an open pit gold mine of nearly a kilometer down and the same across. Huge dumptrucks and cranes appeared ant-sized from across the crater, working to fill truckloads of rock to be crushed. Each massive truckload still produced at least one ounce of gold, currently valued at $1600.00 per oz. I wish we had spent more time to learn all about it at the visitor center, but the day was drawing to a close and we had many kilometers of serpentine road to cover before finding somewhere to sleep.
We headed east on some of the most twisted roads ever and pulled up to Wahia, a stunning beach with surf suitable for big boards. It was close to dinner time, and the lifeguards were using a dune buggy to move their elevated chair back from the incoming tide. We walked out some of the travel stiffness, too intimidated by crashing surf to attempt a frolic in the chilly sea. Kees went straight for the beach club to quench his thirst and chat up the locals. We were directed to the next town up the coast, Whangamatta(?) which proved to have an even more impressive beach. That night and the next we settled our travel weary selves in a beautiful B& B. We had the entire house to ourselves, next to the host's home. Gorgeous beach strolls, lazy sleep-ins, gentle weather and time to email or enjoy a book were all treats we indulged in. Takeaway butter chicken that night was yum, but next day we cooked fresh fish and enjoyed making our own salads for a change. Who knew I would tire of eating out so much? After a couple of days just relaxing at this pretty beach town, we had to push our reluctant butts back into travel mode and head to the Auckland airport for departure.
New Zealand has so much more to offer than one can cover in a week! We knew that, but gave it all the time we could. It is such a beautiful part of the world that Kees thinks we should aim to retire there. I think he's on to something!
Wednesday 25 January 2012
Friday 20 January 2012
Jan. 19: Black Sands, Green Me
We had a plan. We had heard that, with a bit of digging on the black sandy beaches west of Otorohanga, hot spring water would create beach baths, so off we went, armed with a chopped off milk carton and a pop bottle fashioned into diggers. The hour of hairpin turns made me quite nauseous, despite gorgeous scenery all the way there. I had to take a time-out in Kawhia, while Gina and Kees enjoyed burgers and fries. Ginger beer helped me feel a bit better. So did the walk over dunes and down a vast beach, where the tide was out and a bit of cloud cover kept us from frying. Fresh sea air was very therapeutic.
Our little diggers were not very useful, but visiting with other locals who knew what to do was a very effective strategy! It was great fun for a couple of hours, but the chilly ocean and fresh breeze dissuaded us from immersing any more than feet. See Kees's most excellent movie of our experiences, to be linked here soon.
We headed inland on a southern road, one that again had just stunning views, I managed the twists and turns well for most of the trip, as we stopped for waterfalls, a natural limestone bridge down a jungle path, 35 million year old oyster beds and another amazing cave, but this was all self-guided.
By the end of the 94kms of hairpin turns out of the region, I was in bad shape again. It took an hour for the nausea to pass. We spent most of that time back at the best free wifi spot on Main Street, Otorohanga. Kees managed to Skype Oma and Opa successfully, but I wasn't feeling very chatty! I wish I had been able to visit, too. I miss visiting with my folks, as well.
As Gina skyped friends, Kees called a distant denHartigh relative, who has a dairy farm and B&B at Mystery Creek, minutes from Hamilton. That turned into an invitation to visit, so our evening's destination is set. Off we go to meet Henkand Lieda denHartigh.
Our little diggers were not very useful, but visiting with other locals who knew what to do was a very effective strategy! It was great fun for a couple of hours, but the chilly ocean and fresh breeze dissuaded us from immersing any more than feet. See Kees's most excellent movie of our experiences, to be linked here soon.
We headed inland on a southern road, one that again had just stunning views, I managed the twists and turns well for most of the trip, as we stopped for waterfalls, a natural limestone bridge down a jungle path, 35 million year old oyster beds and another amazing cave, but this was all self-guided.
By the end of the 94kms of hairpin turns out of the region, I was in bad shape again. It took an hour for the nausea to pass. We spent most of that time back at the best free wifi spot on Main Street, Otorohanga. Kees managed to Skype Oma and Opa successfully, but I wasn't feeling very chatty! I wish I had been able to visit, too. I miss visiting with my folks, as well.
As Gina skyped friends, Kees called a distant denHartigh relative, who has a dairy farm and B&B at Mystery Creek, minutes from Hamilton. That turned into an invitation to visit, so our evening's destination is set. Off we go to meet Henkand Lieda denHartigh.
Wednesday 18 January 2012
Rotorua, Taupo, Waitomo & Otorohanga
Days filled with action fly by so quickly that time for reflection and recording is not yet routine. Keeping up with a blog is not easy! I'm very glad that Gina and Kees are both picture snappers extraordinaire, so that some day I might import a few to this blog to help fill in the gaps.
Three days ago we left the lovely town of Matamata and began the short 2 hour drive to Rotorua. Dozens of touristy distractions held no interest for us, such as zorbing, luge rides, expensive spas, gondolas, jet boat rides, etc. The point was to experience the geothermal wonders, but the town has become a Mecca for all sorts of privately owned overpriced oddities, including most of the geothermal sites. We opted for a stroll through a city park first, amply fenced around many steaming vents, bubbling mud pots and bottomless boiling hot springs. The most charming parts were the public foot baths, where anyone could slip off shoes and dangle toes into blissfully warm pools, nicely tiled and conveniently rimmed with wooden bench seats. These pools were sometimes covered like our picnic shelters in Canada, but much cozier, often with lovely views of the surrounding parkland. They made ideal spots for communal chats with anyone who shared the pools. We really enjoyed visits with young families, local seniors, a couple of young travelers from Vancouver and a Kiwi bloke who gave us good advice on sights to see next. We were able to share our recent travel experiences as well, which makes me think that such footpaths would make a fine addition to any place needing a sense of community. Imagine the instant appeal of free warm steamy footbaths at all shopping malls! Add them to all Starbuck's shops as a public service...it's really a shame access to Canada's geothermal wonders are so limited.
Aside from a challenging hunt for a reasonably priced lunch, which really didn't seem to exist in Rotorua, we found no reason to stay in that town. After a walk through a bit of old growth redwoods, we had seen enough. As we headed south towards Taupo, the varied scenery continued to impress and amaze us, from dense glades that the highway tunneled through, to rolling emerald hills with steep valleys that seemed straight out of fairy tale illustrations. We stopped at one river that had some swimmers in it, who were clearly enjoying themselves almost too much. It was at a point where a very hot thermal stream joined a cold one, so pools like perfect baths could be enjoyed by all, under charming overhanging trees. We saw a spot like this again nearer to Taupo, where hot springs joined the Waitomo river. Each time we happily waded in and chatted at length with other travelers.
In the morning we left Taupo, with it's holiday atmosphere not unlike Kelowna, in search of glow worm caves. On the way we found Haka Falls, a pretty diversion of boiling waters, where Lake Taupo drains into Waitomo River. Kees took some fine pictures and movies before we moved on.
Finally, we made it to the famed Waitomo caves, where the only way to see these privately owned wonders are by tour. The Visa card took a hit, but we all loved the magical glow worm caves, seen by boat, and the Arahiu caverns full of stalactites and stalagmites.
A long day of travels led us to an ok motel in Orotahanga and finally some good Internet access, so we could try to catch up on correspondence.
Three days ago we left the lovely town of Matamata and began the short 2 hour drive to Rotorua. Dozens of touristy distractions held no interest for us, such as zorbing, luge rides, expensive spas, gondolas, jet boat rides, etc. The point was to experience the geothermal wonders, but the town has become a Mecca for all sorts of privately owned overpriced oddities, including most of the geothermal sites. We opted for a stroll through a city park first, amply fenced around many steaming vents, bubbling mud pots and bottomless boiling hot springs. The most charming parts were the public foot baths, where anyone could slip off shoes and dangle toes into blissfully warm pools, nicely tiled and conveniently rimmed with wooden bench seats. These pools were sometimes covered like our picnic shelters in Canada, but much cozier, often with lovely views of the surrounding parkland. They made ideal spots for communal chats with anyone who shared the pools. We really enjoyed visits with young families, local seniors, a couple of young travelers from Vancouver and a Kiwi bloke who gave us good advice on sights to see next. We were able to share our recent travel experiences as well, which makes me think that such footpaths would make a fine addition to any place needing a sense of community. Imagine the instant appeal of free warm steamy footbaths at all shopping malls! Add them to all Starbuck's shops as a public service...it's really a shame access to Canada's geothermal wonders are so limited.
Aside from a challenging hunt for a reasonably priced lunch, which really didn't seem to exist in Rotorua, we found no reason to stay in that town. After a walk through a bit of old growth redwoods, we had seen enough. As we headed south towards Taupo, the varied scenery continued to impress and amaze us, from dense glades that the highway tunneled through, to rolling emerald hills with steep valleys that seemed straight out of fairy tale illustrations. We stopped at one river that had some swimmers in it, who were clearly enjoying themselves almost too much. It was at a point where a very hot thermal stream joined a cold one, so pools like perfect baths could be enjoyed by all, under charming overhanging trees. We saw a spot like this again nearer to Taupo, where hot springs joined the Waitomo river. Each time we happily waded in and chatted at length with other travelers.
In the morning we left Taupo, with it's holiday atmosphere not unlike Kelowna, in search of glow worm caves. On the way we found Haka Falls, a pretty diversion of boiling waters, where Lake Taupo drains into Waitomo River. Kees took some fine pictures and movies before we moved on.
Finally, we made it to the famed Waitomo caves, where the only way to see these privately owned wonders are by tour. The Visa card took a hit, but we all loved the magical glow worm caves, seen by boat, and the Arahiu caverns full of stalactites and stalagmites.
A long day of travels led us to an ok motel in Orotahanga and finally some good Internet access, so we could try to catch up on correspondence.
Monday 16 January 2012
Auckland to Matamata, Jan. 15-16
Landing in Auckland with no clear plans was just not my style, but Kees is planning this portion of the trip, so I must zip it and hope for the best. I sat beside a nurse who was returning to her home in the Kiribati Islands, which are near the Marshall Islands, right on the equator. I had to look them up, as I'd never noticed them before. I also met a young man from Tuvalu, another island I'd never heard of. Clearly, I have much to learn about the South Pacific!
Kees did a fine job of renting a Toyota Rav for the week, a very comfy set of wheels. While he dickered with Budget Rentals, I wrangled with Hertz and Gina kept an eye on our luggage. It pays to shop and compare. In all, the price came down over $500 for our combined efforts over 30 minutes. What a team!
After only a couple wrong turns, we made our jolly way down the highway to a small country market, where we wandered through tables laden with veggies and books, jewelry and handmade woolen items. It's very easy to avoid
purchasing when our suitcases are already too full, but some of those mohair sweaters sure did appeal, at $50.00!
We snacked on chicken satay and sushi, then headed off to find the town of Hamilton, our destination for the night. Sunday evening in Hamilton is extremely quiet, so we all checked email on very limited 'net access and crashed early.
It's a good thing I spent a few minutes on TripAdvisor, as I read about the lovely hidden gem of Hamilton Gardens, not to be missed. Kees found a Starbuck's while I checked an i-Site office for directions to the gardens. We were all extremely impressed with the beauty of Hamilton in general, with it's river walks, lush flowers on every boulevard, very clean and clearly marked roadways and general air of being cleverly planned. Gina wants to live there!
The gardes were fabulous. Mere pictures cannot show the delight we found in discovering secret paths to amazing themed areas, microcosms of Japanese, Italian, Chinese, English, Maori and Indian gardens, plus Sustainable, Kitchen, Herb and Perfume gardens. There were so many more, plus gorgeous waterways and labyrynthine pathways that opened up to awesome parks and trails, huge trees, clever sculptures...one needs much more time! Even the washrooms surprised and delighted the eye, with wall sconces of fresh buds and a glass wall facing a private garden view where one expected to see a boring tiled wall with maybe a towel dispenser. I just had to take a picture, much to Gina's annoyance, as she has inherited our general avoidance of most things touristy. She changed her tune at our afternoon's activity, however!
By choosing a different road than the tour bus ahead of us on the highway to Hobbiton via Matamata, we stumbled upon the trendy Kaikai Cheese Cafe, which required thorough investigation. In an area of impossibly scenic green rolling hills, we'd been passing herds of dairy cows, which led us to surmise that there must be great dairy products in NZ. Indeed, our lunches of chicken cashew salads topped with fresh feta and cheese bread strings were excellent! Not cheap, at $57.00 for three lunches, but holidays are meant for a few such indulgences. We left happy!
Onwards for just another 1/2 hour brought us to Matamata and the ticket office for the Hobbiton tour. We had to take a bus in to the site and sign nondisclosure waivers that prevent us from publishing any photos of the movie set, but Kees and Gina will find a legal way to share all our photos some day. We all snapped constantly! It was both exciting and charming to be in a place where filming has just taken place for the multi-million dollar movies, within the past month. It doesn't take much imagination to believe that furry footed hobbits might stroll past at any moment. We'll be watching the LOTR movies again with keen interest once we have some downtime again. The first of two "Hobbit" movies will be out in December this year. You can bet we'll be in line for that movie!
It was quite a day. I was so glad that Kees chose an easy fix for our accommodations. As I was searching maps and trsvel guides, he popped in to a motel across the street and declared it quite suitable. Indeed, we are still here! Clean, cool and well appointed, the Broadway Motel in Matamata has served us well. Showers, pizza and a couple of tv shows (yes, we succumbed!) was a fine way to spend the evening. Kees, true to form, rigged free 'net access for us with his own wireless router and enabled us all to catch up with correspondence. A good night's rest and we'll be off to the stinky sulfur smells and amazing geothermal activity in Rotorua.
Kees did a fine job of renting a Toyota Rav for the week, a very comfy set of wheels. While he dickered with Budget Rentals, I wrangled with Hertz and Gina kept an eye on our luggage. It pays to shop and compare. In all, the price came down over $500 for our combined efforts over 30 minutes. What a team!
After only a couple wrong turns, we made our jolly way down the highway to a small country market, where we wandered through tables laden with veggies and books, jewelry and handmade woolen items. It's very easy to avoid
purchasing when our suitcases are already too full, but some of those mohair sweaters sure did appeal, at $50.00!
We snacked on chicken satay and sushi, then headed off to find the town of Hamilton, our destination for the night. Sunday evening in Hamilton is extremely quiet, so we all checked email on very limited 'net access and crashed early.
It's a good thing I spent a few minutes on TripAdvisor, as I read about the lovely hidden gem of Hamilton Gardens, not to be missed. Kees found a Starbuck's while I checked an i-Site office for directions to the gardens. We were all extremely impressed with the beauty of Hamilton in general, with it's river walks, lush flowers on every boulevard, very clean and clearly marked roadways and general air of being cleverly planned. Gina wants to live there!
The gardes were fabulous. Mere pictures cannot show the delight we found in discovering secret paths to amazing themed areas, microcosms of Japanese, Italian, Chinese, English, Maori and Indian gardens, plus Sustainable, Kitchen, Herb and Perfume gardens. There were so many more, plus gorgeous waterways and labyrynthine pathways that opened up to awesome parks and trails, huge trees, clever sculptures...one needs much more time! Even the washrooms surprised and delighted the eye, with wall sconces of fresh buds and a glass wall facing a private garden view where one expected to see a boring tiled wall with maybe a towel dispenser. I just had to take a picture, much to Gina's annoyance, as she has inherited our general avoidance of most things touristy. She changed her tune at our afternoon's activity, however!
By choosing a different road than the tour bus ahead of us on the highway to Hobbiton via Matamata, we stumbled upon the trendy Kaikai Cheese Cafe, which required thorough investigation. In an area of impossibly scenic green rolling hills, we'd been passing herds of dairy cows, which led us to surmise that there must be great dairy products in NZ. Indeed, our lunches of chicken cashew salads topped with fresh feta and cheese bread strings were excellent! Not cheap, at $57.00 for three lunches, but holidays are meant for a few such indulgences. We left happy!
Onwards for just another 1/2 hour brought us to Matamata and the ticket office for the Hobbiton tour. We had to take a bus in to the site and sign nondisclosure waivers that prevent us from publishing any photos of the movie set, but Kees and Gina will find a legal way to share all our photos some day. We all snapped constantly! It was both exciting and charming to be in a place where filming has just taken place for the multi-million dollar movies, within the past month. It doesn't take much imagination to believe that furry footed hobbits might stroll past at any moment. We'll be watching the LOTR movies again with keen interest once we have some downtime again. The first of two "Hobbit" movies will be out in December this year. You can bet we'll be in line for that movie!
It was quite a day. I was so glad that Kees chose an easy fix for our accommodations. As I was searching maps and trsvel guides, he popped in to a motel across the street and declared it quite suitable. Indeed, we are still here! Clean, cool and well appointed, the Broadway Motel in Matamata has served us well. Showers, pizza and a couple of tv shows (yes, we succumbed!) was a fine way to spend the evening. Kees, true to form, rigged free 'net access for us with his own wireless router and enabled us all to catch up with correspondence. A good night's rest and we'll be off to the stinky sulfur smells and amazing geothermal activity in Rotorua.
Saturday 14 January 2012
Tuesday: Scooters and Glass Art
Eager to gain a working knowledge of scooter skills, Kees and I took off early, leaving Gina to sleep in and nurture her slightly sunburned nose for a while. We checked out the unremarkable market, then headed uphill toward the airport to see if we could catch D'arcy's incoming day trip. He was not on the flight as planned, so we buzzed over to Koru Cafe, a place we had heard so much about. It was just ok, with nice ambiance, pricey food and very
little character.
Next, since Kees was keen for a longer ride, we went hunting for Neibaa's Store. Again, we were underwhelmed by the selection and appalled at most prices (9.50 for a dozen eggs?!?)
Happily, it's such a small island that Tutapu was also there and guided us to her friend's place, who is a glass blower. After cake and coffee, Stephanie showed me her small
studio, where I could have spent a lot longer and come away much poorer!
She does lovely work with recycled glass as well as with pearls. I bought aqua green glass earrings for me and a funky glass beaded keychain for Gina, hoping to return with her another day.
little character.
Next, since Kees was keen for a longer ride, we went hunting for Neibaa's Store. Again, we were underwhelmed by the selection and appalled at most prices (9.50 for a dozen eggs?!?)
Happily, it's such a small island that Tutapu was also there and guided us to her friend's place, who is a glass blower. After cake and coffee, Stephanie showed me her small
studio, where I could have spent a lot longer and come away much poorer!
She does lovely work with recycled glass as well as with pearls. I bought aqua green glass earrings for me and a funky glass beaded keychain for Gina, hoping to return with her another day.
Dive Day One
TeKing's tour was worth every penny. At first I was disappointed that Kees
had chosen not to join us, but the beauty of impossibly perfect turquoise ocean surrounding us for as far as we could see was completely mesmerizing. Aqua so clear that coral heads, multicolored fish and one large sea turtle seemed to all fly by. Only pristine palm-fringed islands broke the horizon, exquisite emerald gems strung on invisible sand strands. Paradise!
We made our first stop at buoys that marked a small fishing boat wreck amidst coral and masses of fish. TeKing went through his safety talk, entertaining us with quips. He then asked one honeymooner the color of her husband's skin. She admitted that it was rather white. TeKing held two slices of white bread up and dramatically tossed them in the ocean, claiming that the fish don't like "brown bread". The water boiled with activity as small zebra striped humbug damsel and bright yellow thread-fin butterfly fish devoured the food. He was able to hand feed them later on.
Gina and I dove in to water as warm as the air. Visibility was about 10 meters, not perfect due to wind and wave action, but quite fine for us. Corals were not as colorful as I'd hoped. We saw dozens of fish species ranging from humbug damsel, six bar wrasse, 3kinds of parrotfish, oodles of butterfly species, unicorn fish, sugeonfish, triggerfish and one honking huge giant trevalley, well over a meter long. That one turned out to be a pet, not afraid to pass us within inches, just for that sweet white bread. It was rather unnerving to have schools of fish swarming as bread was tossed near me at the end of my swim. As I approached the boat's ladder, I'm sure my squeaks and squeals that came trumpeting through my snorkel kept TeKing and the others quite amused.
Our second dive was also amidst corals and zillions of fish, but this time we anchored near a farm of giant clams, sponsored by Australians who hope to help repopulate the lagoon. These clams also lacked the colors that I recalled fro diving these waters 30 years ago, but a trip to the marine reserve later in the week answered many of my questions ( different species have varying colors and shells). We stopped at a pristine sand bar near Honeymoon Island and waded for about 20 minutes under blazing sun to reach the boats again, which carried us to nearby Maina motu for a wonderful fresh feast of island foods and tuna steaks. Very impressive! We loved the tropical fruits and salads, grilled veggies and delicious tuna. All utensils and plates were reuseable, all foods were served on palm leaves or giant clam shells and all bottles and cans were removed from the island. Scraps were buried or burned, so we left with hardly a trace. Again, very impressive!
Our third dive site was a marine reserve, where I saw deep purple corals, many fish and one remarkable porcupine fish, about 700 cm long, but very shy. He was hiding under a ledge that I had to dive down to, at about 2 meters. Fun! He had small blue streak cleaner wrasse friends giving him a nice wash.
We had time to visit and stomp around 3 other perfectly picturesque uninhabited islands that day and had fun snorkeling a bit around in the currents of the sandy beach at One Foot Motu. We saw another sea turtle from the boat and I saw crabs and a flounder as well. After getting our passports stamped, we were ready for deadheading straight home, as the lagoon was quite rough due to a rising wind.
It was absolutely one of the best days of my life.
had chosen not to join us, but the beauty of impossibly perfect turquoise ocean surrounding us for as far as we could see was completely mesmerizing. Aqua so clear that coral heads, multicolored fish and one large sea turtle seemed to all fly by. Only pristine palm-fringed islands broke the horizon, exquisite emerald gems strung on invisible sand strands. Paradise!
We made our first stop at buoys that marked a small fishing boat wreck amidst coral and masses of fish. TeKing went through his safety talk, entertaining us with quips. He then asked one honeymooner the color of her husband's skin. She admitted that it was rather white. TeKing held two slices of white bread up and dramatically tossed them in the ocean, claiming that the fish don't like "brown bread". The water boiled with activity as small zebra striped humbug damsel and bright yellow thread-fin butterfly fish devoured the food. He was able to hand feed them later on.
Gina and I dove in to water as warm as the air. Visibility was about 10 meters, not perfect due to wind and wave action, but quite fine for us. Corals were not as colorful as I'd hoped. We saw dozens of fish species ranging from humbug damsel, six bar wrasse, 3kinds of parrotfish, oodles of butterfly species, unicorn fish, sugeonfish, triggerfish and one honking huge giant trevalley, well over a meter long. That one turned out to be a pet, not afraid to pass us within inches, just for that sweet white bread. It was rather unnerving to have schools of fish swarming as bread was tossed near me at the end of my swim. As I approached the boat's ladder, I'm sure my squeaks and squeals that came trumpeting through my snorkel kept TeKing and the others quite amused.
Our second dive was also amidst corals and zillions of fish, but this time we anchored near a farm of giant clams, sponsored by Australians who hope to help repopulate the lagoon. These clams also lacked the colors that I recalled fro diving these waters 30 years ago, but a trip to the marine reserve later in the week answered many of my questions ( different species have varying colors and shells). We stopped at a pristine sand bar near Honeymoon Island and waded for about 20 minutes under blazing sun to reach the boats again, which carried us to nearby Maina motu for a wonderful fresh feast of island foods and tuna steaks. Very impressive! We loved the tropical fruits and salads, grilled veggies and delicious tuna. All utensils and plates were reuseable, all foods were served on palm leaves or giant clam shells and all bottles and cans were removed from the island. Scraps were buried or burned, so we left with hardly a trace. Again, very impressive!
Our third dive site was a marine reserve, where I saw deep purple corals, many fish and one remarkable porcupine fish, about 700 cm long, but very shy. He was hiding under a ledge that I had to dive down to, at about 2 meters. Fun! He had small blue streak cleaner wrasse friends giving him a nice wash.
We had time to visit and stomp around 3 other perfectly picturesque uninhabited islands that day and had fun snorkeling a bit around in the currents of the sandy beach at One Foot Motu. We saw another sea turtle from the boat and I saw crabs and a flounder as well. After getting our passports stamped, we were ready for deadheading straight home, as the lagoon was quite rough due to a rising wind.
It was absolutely one of the best days of my life.
Vaka Dive Day Two: Bookended by Downpours
Kees has made a fine video of the day,
You can friend him on Facebook or G+ and see his albums and videos.
Aitutaki Sunday
Sunday we couldn't find anything open for breakfast, so we skipped straight to church, as we'd heard that was the thing to do on this island. An hour of that was plenty for me, but we lasted 2 hours before our escape. Kees took some films and pics to prove that miracles do happen. We found some lunch snacks, then the rest of Sunday we spent touring the island by scooter, lawless and free. Ok, I'm the lawless one without a driver's license, but I am getting important amounts of experience! We have only been lost once, when Kees took a wrong turn that led down a dirt trail. I managed the day without mishap, except one slow motion slip on wet sand as I tried to park on a grassy area. No real damage, but it was an embarrassing topple!
As Gina was happier left at home with movies on a laptop, just Kees and I
explored the village and backroads before finding the beach at Samade for a cool drink. What perfectly clear weather we enjoyed!
Sunday evening we happily found Puffy's cafe, where the salads and grilled fish is excellent. We even managed to catch a few good shots of a gorgeous beach sunset before total tropical darkness set in. Within 1/2 an hour, a brilliant full moon lit our way home.
As Gina was happier left at home with movies on a laptop, just Kees and I
explored the village and backroads before finding the beach at Samade for a cool drink. What perfectly clear weather we enjoyed!
Sunday evening we happily found Puffy's cafe, where the salads and grilled fish is excellent. We even managed to catch a few good shots of a gorgeous beach sunset before total tropical darkness set in. Within 1/2 an hour, a brilliant full moon lit our way home.
To Aitutaki Jan 7th
The day dawned breezy and warm, with plenty of sun promised. We were certainly not hungry after the island feast of delicious traditional foods last night at Highland Paradise. I'll post the movie some day, highlighting the Polynesian history of Rarotonga, from the tribal days of human sacrifice and cannibalism, to the introduction of Christianity in 1840. We were all suitably impressed with the whole evening, from the shuttle service at 5 pm to the informative tours of the original ancient maraes, introduction to native herbal uses and traditional ceremonial offerings. They use fruit now, not maidens! The guides, master of ceremonies and serving staff were all humorous and happy, genuinely proud of their heritage. Fabulous drummers, talented singers and beautiful dancers kept us entertained until we were dropped at our doorstep at 10 pm.
This morning we packed up and cleared out of the Absolute Beachfront Villa, leaving D'arcy to move into the "shack" for a week while we investigate Aitutaki. He'll manage fine, with an ample beer supply and many variations of BBQed meat on a stick to keep him happy, plus gorgeous sunshine on a tropical island!
He was kind to help us move bags to the airport, where we checked them in early and then took the bus into town.
Saturday market is not to be missed! We picked up green leafy veggies to
take out to Aitutaki and enjoyed fresh young coconuts for a cool drink. Cafe Salsa, with the only free wifi on the island, was a cool spot to spend an hour at before we boarded Air Raro to my dream island.
Ocean of periwinkle and lagoons of turquoise are even more enchanting than all the pictures promise. Miles of coral strewn beaches, bleached a blinding white in the sun, contrast with the warm tropical waters and lush emerald greens of mangrove, palms and jungle. If this sounds like a travel brochure that is hard to believe, in truth, it's more gorgeous!
David and Tutapu meet us at the airport with Cook Island hugs, kisses on one cheek and sumptuous garlands of gardenia, frangipani and blossoming island basil. My delight is hard to contain!
Our rental house is spartan and functional, but very clean. We all wish it had the spectacular oceanfront views of our villa in Rarotonga that we've been so spoiled by. Now it's time to appreciate the basics of island life: learn how to ride a scooter and explore this island!
First stop is the beach, a short walk across the road and down a sandy lane. Blistering midday sun scorches our skin and only allows for a short look at the ocean before we return home for a drink, sunscreen, t-shirts and bathing suits. After a short but glorious dip to cool off, we headed home to avoid the intense sunshine and rest up before dinner.
Sunset views on the beach in front of Puffy's Cafe is beautiful, with a full
moon rising behind us. Priceless.
This morning we packed up and cleared out of the Absolute Beachfront Villa, leaving D'arcy to move into the "shack" for a week while we investigate Aitutaki. He'll manage fine, with an ample beer supply and many variations of BBQed meat on a stick to keep him happy, plus gorgeous sunshine on a tropical island!
He was kind to help us move bags to the airport, where we checked them in early and then took the bus into town.
Saturday market is not to be missed! We picked up green leafy veggies to
take out to Aitutaki and enjoyed fresh young coconuts for a cool drink. Cafe Salsa, with the only free wifi on the island, was a cool spot to spend an hour at before we boarded Air Raro to my dream island.
Ocean of periwinkle and lagoons of turquoise are even more enchanting than all the pictures promise. Miles of coral strewn beaches, bleached a blinding white in the sun, contrast with the warm tropical waters and lush emerald greens of mangrove, palms and jungle. If this sounds like a travel brochure that is hard to believe, in truth, it's more gorgeous!
David and Tutapu meet us at the airport with Cook Island hugs, kisses on one cheek and sumptuous garlands of gardenia, frangipani and blossoming island basil. My delight is hard to contain!
Our rental house is spartan and functional, but very clean. We all wish it had the spectacular oceanfront views of our villa in Rarotonga that we've been so spoiled by. Now it's time to appreciate the basics of island life: learn how to ride a scooter and explore this island!
First stop is the beach, a short walk across the road and down a sandy lane. Blistering midday sun scorches our skin and only allows for a short look at the ocean before we return home for a drink, sunscreen, t-shirts and bathing suits. After a short but glorious dip to cool off, we headed home to avoid the intense sunshine and rest up before dinner.
Sunset views on the beach in front of Puffy's Cafe is beautiful, with a full
moon rising behind us. Priceless.
Thursday 5 January 2012
Week Two: long and detailed
We have had some glorious sun, but now the forecast is for a week of rain. That makes for dull photos, but it's still a warm 26C on this jungle island, so we will make the best of it. We'd be wet snorkeling anyway!
It looked like we had a chance for Gina to work on her scuba license this week, but timing is off with all the public holidays here. She can't dive to get certified within 24 hours of flying, so our trip to Aitutaki cuts short the week as well. She will have plenty of time near the ocean this year and so far, the snorkeling is keeping us all enthralled. D'arcy has taught us how to feed the reef fish frozen peas, which brings schools of colorful fish all around. Fun! Gina found it much better to snorkel than walk at Muri Beach two days ago. As she waded through a shallow channel, something bit her three times! She said it felt like mosquito bites underwater. Tiny bite marks were bleeding once she hopped out and vowed never to enter again! We asked at a nearby dive shop and they said it was the Picasso trigger fish, protecting the holes where they had laid eggs. Now she's no longer afraid. We snorkeled at our own beach yesterday and have now seen how the trigger fish come out of holes and scoot back in when we swim by. Who knew we were so threatening?
Market day was Saturday, when all the locals are out at stalls in Avarua, selling all kinds of delicious cooked foods, fruit smoothies, fresh produce and a multitude of island crafts. We enjoyed it a lot, but found it extremely hot. Taking the bus there was easy, but just not as much fun as scooter rentals, so D'arcy and Kees took their test for Cook Island driver's licenses and have been keen chauffeurs ever since! I had really hoped for a ride to the fireworks on New Year's Eve, but the guys started celebrating in mid afternoon, when the villa owners came by with champagne to toast our anniversary! That was very thoughtful! We enjoyed visiting with them for a couple of hours, then had a delicious fresh fish dinner here on our gorgeous deck, overlooking the beach. After that, there was no hope of anyone driving scooters anywhere! It was a lovely time just walking the beach in moonlight, anyway.
So much has happened since then, but our routines have become simple. We enjoy fresh coffee and fruit outside, then read or go beach combing, shop a bit, then maybe get out to see sights by scooter. We love to get back here to the villa and go for a swim, snorkel or kayak, then wash off the salt in the outdoor shower and sit under the shady palms to dry off. One never really dries off, with such high humidity. Love it!
I tried a Zumba class on Tuesday night and loved it! Although the humidity made me soaked by the second song, I somehow managed to complete the hour of exercise, which had many elements of Polynesian dance to it, much to my delight! I may try it again tonight, since it's full of amused locals and not tourists. The women are all shapes, sizes and ages, but have amazing gracefulness, strength and stamina. Nobody there will ever see me again, and so far, there have been no bad reviews of my less than graceful dance efforts reported in the local papers!
I must report on how friendly and kind all the neighbors around here are to us. Walking down the road one day, I was amazed to find a tree growing star fruit! The owner was very friendly and implored me to take a handful home. I returned with a small box of chocolates for her and we had a grand chat. Mary has recently retired after 40 years of teaching on this island! I plan to return for another visit today and see what general news she has for me.
Another neighbor we met while beach combing. She invited us to see her collection, then insisted on giving us about a dozen fine shells! It would have been rude not to accept, although we only wished to admire, not own. Such is the local tradition here, so one must not admire too enthusiastically, which is a skill I must learn!
We visited with a third neighbor for a lovely long chat yesterday, about her family and life on the islands. She lives a short walk down the beach and was enjoying the view from a lovely hammock, which I admired. She made sure we knew that we were very welcome to use it any time! (when will I ever learn!)
It looked like we had a chance for Gina to work on her scuba license this week, but timing is off with all the public holidays here. She can't dive to get certified within 24 hours of flying, so our trip to Aitutaki cuts short the week as well. She will have plenty of time near the ocean this year and so far, the snorkeling is keeping us all enthralled. D'arcy has taught us how to feed the reef fish frozen peas, which brings schools of colorful fish all around. Fun! Gina found it much better to snorkel than walk at Muri Beach two days ago. As she waded through a shallow channel, something bit her three times! She said it felt like mosquito bites underwater. Tiny bite marks were bleeding once she hopped out and vowed never to enter again! We asked at a nearby dive shop and they said it was the Picasso trigger fish, protecting the holes where they had laid eggs. Now she's no longer afraid. We snorkeled at our own beach yesterday and have now seen how the trigger fish come out of holes and scoot back in when we swim by. Who knew we were so threatening?
Market day was Saturday, when all the locals are out at stalls in Avarua, selling all kinds of delicious cooked foods, fruit smoothies, fresh produce and a multitude of island crafts. We enjoyed it a lot, but found it extremely hot. Taking the bus there was easy, but just not as much fun as scooter rentals, so D'arcy and Kees took their test for Cook Island driver's licenses and have been keen chauffeurs ever since! I had really hoped for a ride to the fireworks on New Year's Eve, but the guys started celebrating in mid afternoon, when the villa owners came by with champagne to toast our anniversary! That was very thoughtful! We enjoyed visiting with them for a couple of hours, then had a delicious fresh fish dinner here on our gorgeous deck, overlooking the beach. After that, there was no hope of anyone driving scooters anywhere! It was a lovely time just walking the beach in moonlight, anyway.
So much has happened since then, but our routines have become simple. We enjoy fresh coffee and fruit outside, then read or go beach combing, shop a bit, then maybe get out to see sights by scooter. We love to get back here to the villa and go for a swim, snorkel or kayak, then wash off the salt in the outdoor shower and sit under the shady palms to dry off. One never really dries off, with such high humidity. Love it!
I tried a Zumba class on Tuesday night and loved it! Although the humidity made me soaked by the second song, I somehow managed to complete the hour of exercise, which had many elements of Polynesian dance to it, much to my delight! I may try it again tonight, since it's full of amused locals and not tourists. The women are all shapes, sizes and ages, but have amazing gracefulness, strength and stamina. Nobody there will ever see me again, and so far, there have been no bad reviews of my less than graceful dance efforts reported in the local papers!
I must report on how friendly and kind all the neighbors around here are to us. Walking down the road one day, I was amazed to find a tree growing star fruit! The owner was very friendly and implored me to take a handful home. I returned with a small box of chocolates for her and we had a grand chat. Mary has recently retired after 40 years of teaching on this island! I plan to return for another visit today and see what general news she has for me.
Another neighbor we met while beach combing. She invited us to see her collection, then insisted on giving us about a dozen fine shells! It would have been rude not to accept, although we only wished to admire, not own. Such is the local tradition here, so one must not admire too enthusiastically, which is a skill I must learn!
We visited with a third neighbor for a lovely long chat yesterday, about her family and life on the islands. She lives a short walk down the beach and was enjoying the view from a lovely hammock, which I admired. She made sure we knew that we were very welcome to use it any time! (when will I ever learn!)
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