Cook Islands - Part I

The last two weeks of Mum's visit were spent in the Cook Islands, more specifically, on the island of Rarotonga. The island itself is located in the South Pacific, and is surrounded by a large lagoon. Rarotonga is fairly small, with a population of around 13,000 people. There is one main road encircling the island (around 30km long), and just two main bus routes - clockwise and anticlockwise!  Our accommodation was a beach-front studio apartment located on the west coast, roughly a 10 minute scooter ride from the capital city of Avarua. 

The view from our apartment was fantastic, and we could step straight out on to a beautiful deserted white sandy beach. We had our own private decking area complete with BBQ which looked out over the water.

The apartment even came with its very own dog. She was very friendly, and came looking for leftovers every day. She would even come and sit with us when sunbathing, and loved to come swimming out in the lagoon with us. Yogi (as I decided to call her) had just 3 legs, but that certainly didn't stop her from running alongside me when I went cycling. I just wish I could have brought her back to New Zealand with me.

Our time in Rarotonga was extremely relaxing. I spent most of it eating, drinking, sleeping and snorkelling. On Saturday mornings there was a food market held in Avarua, full of local produce and delicacies. Mum and I tried several new foods including raw fish (white fish marinated in lime and coconut cream - absolutely DELICIOUS!), Soursop (a fruit that tastes like an apple and banana smoothie and looks like a spiky mis-shaped pear), and breadfruit (a round, lumpy looking fruit that is actually more like a potato - it is very starchy, and is eaten boiled, baked or fried). I also ate a lot of paw paw, had some fresh coconut, and mum enjoyed some juicy pineapples.

For the two weeks we were there I hired a bicycle to get around the island and explore. I saw many interesting things - far too many to put on here, so I've just selected a few pictures that I took on my travels. I took photos of 'Black Rock' (a well-known snorkelling destination), the local Courthouse, an interesting looking bus stop, the Cook Islands Football Association, the residence of the Queen's Representative, a nice looking church, Pa's Palace, Wigmore's Waterfall (complete with local in the photograph) a few of Avarua, and some very beautiful scenery.

This is just a brief selection of photographs and stories, part II of Rarotonga shall include some snorkelling images and some really beautiful sunsets - be sure to look at the next instalment!

The Not-so-new Accommodation

I suddenly thought that after nearly 5 months, I should probably get round to posting some pictures of my 'new' accommodation. I moved here back in October and have certainly not missed living in the city. I now stay in a small suburb called Glen Innes, which is around a 20 minute walk to the beach and probably a 15 minute drive to the city. There are plenty of shops in the area, the train station is close by, and there are regular buses to and from the city centre. Although I don't have transport, my flatmates are really kind and often let me borrow their cars, or if I'm a really good girl Blair lets me loose on his Honda VFR 800!

Despite the lure of the beautiful motorbike, I quite often cycle to and from university. Not too bad on the way there as the majority of the 9 miles are either downhill or flat......bit of a killer on the way back though, particularly when it's 26 degrees and sunny. My new bike makes everything a little easier though, I chose one of the latest designs that has 29" wheels instead of 26", and with a much lighter frame than my old bike. Now all I need to do is change the pedals so I can clip in using my special cycling shoes, and hopefully I won't even break a sweat.....wishful thinking!

The house itself has six bedrooms and seven occupants, and is a very multi-national household. There are 2 Germans (Isabell and her 17 year old son Marco), 2 French (Guillaume and Max), 1 South African/Portuguese (Victor - born in SA but parents are from Portugal), 1 Kiwi (Blair), and me. We all have quite similar interests and personalities, and all get on really well. The house is very modern, and everything in it is less than a couple of years old.

As you can see the garage is huge, which is good as it's full of kitesurfing gear, bikes, fishing rods and various other sporting equipment. We also have a key-less front door; not sure what I'd prefer after a night out, trying to get a key in a lock, or attempting to remember AND type in a code..... For extra security we also have an alarm system and a large pin-code security gate to access the driveway. 

The house is very open-plan, with entry from the door straight into the hallway. It's pretty big, so we had to add a couch to make it look less empty!

Once past the hallway (complete with kiteboard in the right hand corner), you move on to the dining/kitchen/living areas. We have two living rooms, one at either end of the dining area. They both have fire places for those (not-so) cold winter evenings, and one is reserved for TV and stereo, and the other is often used for reading or general relaxation. The kitchen is huge with a really great stove and oven, and breakfast bar.

Upstairs, all the bedrooms are pretty similar, apart from the 2 master bedrooms which are en-suite. I share a bathroom with Max, and we're very lucky as we managed to get the one with the jacuzzi bath!

My bedroom is really nice, much better than my old place. It has a built-in double wardrobe, and is much bigger than my old room, it even has carpet - what a luxury! The pictures I've uploaded are a bit dark as the room gets all the morning and afternoon sun, and this was taken in the evening. You'll just have to use your imagination!

Although there is not a lot of space outside, we do have a large deck (complete with hammock), a vegetable patch, a good area for BBQs, and an excellent view of the fields behind. We are currently growing spring onions, leeks, carrots, tomatoes, rhubarb, lettuce, various herbs, peppers, melons, butternut squash, and beetroot. The first person to locate the melon in the second image (and yes there is one there) wins a prize..... and no it's not an all expenses paid trip to come and eat the melon....

There is actually one more flatmate I feel needs a mention - Spyro our little house dog. We think he's a whippet x terrier, but are not too sure. He's 12 years old, really loves his cuddles and is very well behaved. His favourite trick is to sit at the dining table and listen in to our conversations. Other hobbies include relaxing on his beanbag, going paddleboarding, taking in the fresh sea air, digging at the beach, and looking cute!

So, just to summarise - having a great time, and really pleased with my current flat and flatmates!