Sunday 25.5.2008
After a heavy downpour at dawn, we rise to bright
blue skies and a fresh breeze. Straight into the car in search of a church
service – we soon find one in an old, coral built church. Brian and Annie
go in while the heathens of the crew go for breakfast. The service is a feast
for the eyes and the ears - it’s a full congregation of all ages, and
all the women are wearing their traditional woven hats decorated with flowers.
The unaccompanied hymn singing is exactly what we were looking for - harmonic,
soulful and very moving. The minister welcomes the overseas visitors and when
we come out we’re invited into the neighbouring hall for tea, triangle
egg sandwiches and home-baking, including a fantastic pineapple meringue
pie….even Stewy and Ian come in and join us for this – you can
picture the scene! Next we’re off on a tour round the island (32km)
stopping at the Rarotonga Sailing Club for iced coffee (yes, iced
coffee…..no licence until 6pm on a Sunday!). We also stop to look at the
beachside Raratonga Rugby ground. Tallulah Ruby are cycling round the island
but we later pick up Paul who has turned back and take him with us for lunch at
the On The Beach restaurant. Later we end up back at Trader Jacks and meet some
of the other crews and a few local expat characters – Harry Enfield and
Dick Emery Types – oh dear!
Annie gets chatting to some of the local kids who are
jumping off the jetty and gets a few good photos. We’re going to be in no
rush to leave here……
The Cook Islands are
15 tiny islands bang in the centre of the Pacific and covering a vast area . Rarotonga is the capital with a population of 14,000 who
speak both English and Maori. Everyone seems to be smiling here, the island is
mountainous, has lagoons and motus, white sand beaches on the south coast,
dense green jungle , flowers and fruit in abundance, farmland and taro
plantations. This island is beautiful. Unfortunately we’re not going to
have the time to explore the Northern Cooks, and many of the smaller islands
are either atolls which are too shallow for us to enter, or they have no secure
anchorages.
Monday 26.5.2008
Stewy runs Annie and Ian up to the start of the Cross Island
walk. Ian’s been persuaded into going but is not entirely happy. Stewy chortles
that it’s like taking a little lad on a walk he doesn’t want to go
on. They set off regardless, and in silence… Shortly after the start,
the rough track ends and it’s a small footpath through dense undergrowth,
giant ferns, flowering trees and palms. The path then develops into a very
steep climb where you have to pull yourself up by wiry branches. There’s
not a lot of chat, other than Annie telling Ian – too often apparently
– “we’re nearly there” and “it’s not far now”.
We eventually reach the needle and are rewarded by spectacular views of the
surrounding mountains and the sea on each side of the island. After a little
while, Ian starts talking again and we’re soon joined at the top by a
local guide, Par, and a South African couple. Par is a 67 year old blond rasta
haired local who tells us he first climbed the needle when he was 4 years old.
He tells us he has a son with a woman from Aberdeen
, another of his sons has married into a mafia family in Sicily, and he was married to a Polish
Princess who painted the Virgin Mary in the local Catholic church, which, if
you touch it and pay your respects, will bring you health and happiness.
Bare-footed, he tells us he “walks with his eyes”, which causes Ian
much amusement a while later when Par ends up on his backside on the way down.
By this time Brian has also arrived at the top and he too gets chatting to Par.
Par tells everyone they must turn right at the big tree, but of course we
don’t and end up a bit lost, having to turn back. Luckily we meet Par and
we head down the right track together. It’s a scrabble (an assault course
– up and over branches and trees, slipping and sliding) – an
endurance test,according to Ian! We eventually reach the waterfall, Brian and
Annie jump in – it’s cold! – Ian has gone quiet again but
cheers up when Brian produces a Hinano Beer that he’s carried all the way
as a reward especially for him! While Brian and Annie are in the water, Ian
meets a family from Yorkshire who are
travelling around the world for a year. Jonathon and Ann Barton, two teachers,
and their children, Ellie and Rowan, have given up their jobs and sold their
house. We invite them over to see the boat tomorrow. Meanwhile, Brian gets more
chat from Par who also feeds him. Par is a character – we are very
grateful to him as we would have been well lost if we hadn’t met him! He
is a mine of information about the island and also shows us a beautiful flower
which only grows on Rarotonga, a Puanami.
After the swim, we carry on down to the main road
–( Ian is less than pleased when he hears Brian declined the offer of a
lift from Par!) – and reach the Vaima Restaurant where we’ve
arranged for Stewy to pick us up. It’s closed – we get some water
from a wee shop and when Stewy rocks up we find a great café and enjoy lunch
– where we bump into the Barton family again. While all our hiking has
been going on, Stewy has had a busy day fueling up, gassing up, clearing
customs and exploring duty free! Later ,we have a few drinks at Trader jacks,
fish and chips at the quay, then a drink aboard Andante of Mersey with their
very jolly crew.