14th - 22nd April 2019 # Cook Islands, Rarotonga

After being constantly on the move for the past three weeks, we are looking forward to taking a break and staying in one place for more than three days. Rarotonga, the main island of the Cook Islands, is an excellent place to relax. During our first visit here two and a half years ago, we were totally impressed by the easy-going atmosphere in a tropical environment and the relaxed attitude of the islanders. That was one of the reasons why we decided to stop here again.

So on Monday, 15th April, we board an Air New Zealand Dreamliner and have a wonderfully relaxed flight to Rarotonga. When we arrive, it's Sunday again, 14th April, fantastic. If only it could always work like this, but unfortunately we can't change the date line so easily. From now on, we are 12 hours behind the time at home.

In the early afternoon, we land on time at Avarua Airport and realize that almost nothing has changed. That makes orientation much easier. Before passing through immigration, we quickly do some duty-free shopping. It pays off, as you only get two packs of cigarettes outside the airport for the price of one carton here. Yes, even bad habits need financing.

Our pick-up greets us with flower garlands, as is customary in the South Seas. It's a pity that they usually don't survive the next day. Since our villa from the last time is not available, this time we stay at Sunset Palms, managed by Nootoa and his mother Anni. A stroke of luck. The two of them make every possible effort to make our stay as pleasant as possible. It's a shame that we only briefly got to know Nootoa. Due to his second job at Qantas Air, he is almost always traveling. Already during our extensive email contact in advance, he made a very sympathetic impression, which was completely confirmed here.

When we enter our beach bungalow for the first time, we don't want to leave. Apart from the fact that it has been furnished with great attention to detail, it is the view that takes our breath away. From the bed, you have a beautiful view of the palm-fringed sea. This is exactly how I sometimes imagine my retirement home. The large outdoor terrace has a privacy screen to the neighboring bungalow, so you actually feel as if you are alone. So we are not in a hurry to develop any activities, but just let ourselves drift.

In the evening, we are too lazy to cook for ourselves. Luckily, the Cast Away Resort (named after the movie with Tom Hanks) is only a few minutes' walk away. In the beach bar 'Wilson's' (where else) they have pizza day on Sundays. And it's happy hour when we arrive. So we did everything right. :-)

The next day, we rent a scooter for 20 NZD (~11 €) per day and go shopping first. At the large Food Markets, we get everything we need. Of course, you can tell by the prices that most things are imported. But it's within limits. In the afternoon, we stop by The Dive Center, the dive base. Sabine, the German owner, recognizes us, is happy and scolds us for not announcing our visit. They are currently so fully booked that we can only book a diving tour for Thursday morning. That's okay because we want to take it easy anyway.

And that's exactly what we do. Whenever we feel like it, we cruise around the island on our Honda. We have already ticked off all the tourist highlights on our first visit, so we don't feel any pressure.

On the third evening, after having our sun-downer in the sea, we are invited by a nice local family from the neighboring resort to join them. The two senior members of the group have already had their first sun-downer at noon and have been watching several sunsets since then. Nevertheless, they are doing well and we have an animated conversation about this and that. When we try to say goodbye several times, as we are getting hungry at some point, we are repeatedly forced to tease a shark, kidding, have another 'Heineken' with them. When it gets dark, we no longer feel hungry. Instead, we go with Henry and William (one of the seniors) to the Roadhouse, where it's karaoke night tonight. It becomes a long evening and we perform quite a bit. Among the locals in the audience are some who can sing really well. It's even more awesome that we get the most applause from those people, aside from a New Zealander who enthusiastically (or drunkenly?) hugs us after we attempted 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen. It was great.

The next day, we are naturally glad to have no appointments. Maike goes back to bed after breakfast, while I work on the blog for a while. In the afternoon, we go to Avarua again to buy some groceries. Unbelievably, fruits are more expensive here than meat, even though we are basically at the source. On the way back, we are surprised by a downpour and are completely soaked. The weather seems to be changing, but we still prepare our diving equipment for the next day.

At 8 o'clock sharp, we are at Sabine's place. After the paperwork is done and the other three dive guests are taken care of, we drive to the harbor. It drizzles from time to time. Because of the strong winds last night, we don't expect outstanding visibility. That's why we left the GoPro at home. The two dives, about one hour each, at Black Rock and the Sunset Caves don't offer anything spectacular as expected. Nevertheless, we are glad to have our heads underwater again after a long break and enjoy the rocky landscape.

Tomorrow is Good Friday and all the shops are closed. That means we have to go to Avarua for shopping once again. Our scooter only has a small trunk, so we can't do huge shopping trips. When we arrive at Foodland, we are soaked again to the skin. Don't trust a small piece of blue sky when it's gray all around. In the meantime, it's stormy and it's pouring rain. But on the way back, we experience the spectacle of the landing of the large Air New Zealand plane, which crosses the coastal road at less than 30m height just before touchdown, attracting many spectators every day. When we reach the spot, the jet is still about 10 seconds away and is at a 45-degree angle to the runway. Only at the last moment do the pilots straighten the plane. It's a pity that we weren't there half a minute earlier, it would have been a great video for sure.

We spend Good Friday sleeping in and taking a leisurely ride around the island. When we want to have a coffee, we have to search for a suitable place that is open for quite a while. Holiday is also a holiday here, and nobody wants to work if they don't have to. We finally find a place in the tourist hotspot at Muri Beach. Afterwards, we visit the Mairie Nui Gardens, a small botanical garden with a fine restaurant. The operator is of Asian descent, and accordingly, the chicken curry is delicious.

Saturday is finally market day in Avarua. We have been looking forward to it, because thanks to our experience, we know that there is a stand at the Punanga Nui Market where Victoria sells extremely delicious black bread. After weeks of abstinence, it's a treat. But we have never seen the market so crowded before, like today. Overnight, a cruise ship docked in front of the harbor and is continuously spewing out mostly pale Americans, flooding the whole city. Nevertheless, we spend the whole morning at the market, where you can buy not only food but also local clothing, ukuleles, and other tourist knick-knacks.

In addition, we support the local fire department. They are currently raising money to participate in a charity event in Auckland. The challenge is to complete the 1134 steps in the Sky Tower there in full gear as quickly as possible. The record is apparently 8 minutes, very impressive. Good luck!

In the afternoon, we visit our friends from 'Polynesian Tattoo'. After all, they should see what has become of their artwork. Clive is visibly delighted when he recognizes the whale that he gave me. On the way back, we also visit the local brewery. We get to taste and as a result, we have a PET bottle filled with the tasty Lager.

The last day on Rarotonga is dedicated to culture again. We want to circle the island one last time and come across the small Te Ara Museum. The founder, Stan Wolfgramm, is very committed to preserving the local environment, especially the reefs. We are happy to support that and take a look at the small but fine exhibition on the history of the Cook Islands. It's very interesting and informative. Off the main road, we drive through the original landscape of the island once again. Here, you only occasionally meet a local, but otherwise, it's pretty deserted. At lunchtime, we find a store that offers delicious chicken pieces. Since our stomachs are growling, we are glad that the owner is Indonesian and doesn't mind working on Easter Sunday. And he is happy when we utter a few phrases in his native language.

At Black Rock, where you can watch humpback whales playing from July to October, we take a few more photos before returning our scooter earlier than agreed. When our bags are packed, we sit on the terrace all evening and look out over the ocean. Given the beautiful surroundings, it's not difficult at all to do nothing and still enjoy every moment. Tomorrow there will be new territory to explore again. We want to go to Aitutaki, about 40 minutes flight away. Hopefully, it will be as beautiful as here.

Airplane restroom Somewhere in the middle of nowhere Flower reception Small refuge Beautiful view Maori deity Soldiers' cemetery Inactive volcano Old map? Surface interval Diving team Diver's hut Duck your head! On tour Good Friday rush Kiter at Muri Beach Coffee machine Giants Punctual Delicious Hardworking Cruise ship 'Maasdam' Body artist Brewery Nice Easter egg :-) Bamboo sea chart Silent witnesses Green landscape At Black Rock Relaxed Last sunset on Raro