People who know me well will know that I don’t do beach holidays and I don’t do tropical islands so you may be wondering why I am spending a week in the Cook Islands as part of this trip.
The trip originated with Janis wanting a walking buddy. Spring or autumn in New Zealand are ideal for walking. So far so sensible. Then I started to follow my swim coach, Dan Abel, on facebook and then I started to browse his company Real Swim Adventures. And then I decided that a week’s swim trip in the Cook Islands was a sensible add on to three weeks in New Zealand. I opted for NZ autumn as I thought the water would be warmed by the summer (ahem) and the April Cook Islands trip. (I’ll explain about the LA leg of the trip when I get there).
Unfortunately Real Swim Adventures had to cancel the April trip but all my flights and accommodation were booked. Janis was coming too and she has always wanted to visit a Pacific Island so she was happy to stick with Plan A. I decided to transfer some of the cost of the swim trip to a charter hire of a boat in Aitutaki and that was all arranged with Dan’s help.
Rarotonga, where we have spent most of our time, is 36 km round. Mostly there is one road, with a few roads into the mountainous bush and a couple of places where there is a second road running parallel to the main coast road.
We spent our first three nights at Royale Takitumu. The lagoon straight in front of our villa was incredible. Within feet I felt as if I was swimming in my own private tropical aquarium. I have acquired a couple of charts showing Cook Island fish and I have seen a large number of them. It is difficult to know how big they are when you are swimming in such clear waters and the depth below you is difficult to estimate. One of my favourite moments was over swimming a piece of coral that looked like a maze. The little black and white fish which congregate around the coral seemed to be swimming along the paths of the maze. I was mesmerised. I have never wanted an underwater GoPro but now… instead I offer you this video link (Click on the word video)
Other than the fish there was plenty to occupy us. We sat and watched the palm trees in the wind. On our way back from dinner on our second night, further up the beach, we encountered various large hermit crabs and lots of little sand crabs (the one in the photo looks particularly surprised – he is apparently a form of ghost crab).
The buses go round the island, one clockwise and one counter clockwise from 7 in the morning until 11 at night. We took the clockwise one into Avarua Town at the north of the island. I made Janis leap out at Black Rock. In New Zealand I had declined the five hour drive from Russell to Cape Reinga (it is on the list for my next visit). Similarly, Black Rock or Turou is traditionally believed to be where the spirits of the dead start their voyage to the afterworld (Avaiki). The experience was somewhat spoiled by the snorkellers in the waters around the rock and the litter on land. We then got caught in our first rain storm and eventually took shelter in a corner store where Janis (with permission) took the shot of the woman on her moped with her ei katu on her head.
The rain eased and we made our way round the edge of the runway along the sea shore to a tivaivai store. Janis and I both bought some tivaivai goods and the owner Anne offered us a lift into town. From there we started at the post office, browsed the pearl shops and found ourselves a decent coffee.
On Tuesday afternoon we flew from Rarotonga to Aitutaki and were greeted at the airport by a member of staff from Aitutaki Village resort where we would be staying. She presented our arrival ei in the traditional way, raising them above our heads and framing our faces before placing them on our shoulders. We were then somewhat upstaged as the chef was on the same plane with her two day old baby and our guide rushed off to present the chef with her ei.
We had a lovely evening on Ootu beach in Aitutaki. We found delight in the tiny hermit crabs (of which more anon) and were absorbed watching the fish leaping in the light from our restaurant, being chased by trevally
The next day we were due to go swimming and snorkelling in the lagoon and in the ocean beyond. Unfortunately bad weather set in and our boat trip got cancelled.
I have been away from home for nearly 4 weeks and I must be well and truly unwound because although calling off the boat trip was disappointing at no point did I regret the decision to come to the Cook Islands and to spend a day on Aitutaki.
We watched the rain, the fish, the herons and sandpipers. We spent half an afternoon at a local café, Koru, drinking coffee and then went down to the Pacific side and beachcombed (leaving everything when we left the beach). We watched more hermit crabs which just fill us with joy.
When we got back to Aitutaki Village we had our first (successful) go at paddle boarding. I had a second swim, somewhat more challenging than the first as I chose to swim between Ootu beach and the island opposite and got caught in the current in the channel between the two. It was a good lesson in reading the water as the current was tough in the waves but as soon as I reached smoother water it was impossible so I allowed myself to be swept back into the choppier water and swam diagonally to the shore from where I alternated walking along the beach and swimming close the the edge. I got back to our room, tired, content and in one piece.
We flew back to Rarotonga this morning and are now happily ensconced in Muri. It is busier and more commercialised than the area around Royale Takitumu but our room is lovely and we are being very well looked after. We have been back into town to buy fabric for Janis’ tivaivai project and I have swum most of the way to the reef (avoiding the sailing school and the kite surfer). Though it is harder to find the “aquarium” here there are other compensations (We have half of this villa and the gardens are amazing).
Tomorrow we are going to hire a car for the day and take a road trip before going our separate ways (for all of 10 days before Janis returns to the UK).
Natasha's minigap 