The three things that will stick most in my memory about Rarotonga
(main island in the Cook Islands Group) are free-range chickens, DIY cemeteries
and sea cucumbers. Oh, and the beautiful
beaches and magnificent mountains, of course.
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| Chicken and Rooster in the main town on Rarotonga |
Everywhere you go around the island, chickens and roosters
roam free. Some of them are very attractive looking birds, some are scrawny
ones. Many of the toddlers staying here
in our hotel are more taken by the chickens (and the dogs that also roam wild)
than anything else. The only other birds
I have seen are those blasted Indian Mynahs, which are as much (or perhaps
more) of a pest as that are back in Australia.
What about these 'DIY cemeteries'? Here in the Cook Islands it is possible to
bury your loved ones on your own property if you own the freehold to that
property. This means that there are small family cemeteries all over the place,
and even the odd grave underneath a carport-type of structure in someone's
front yard! As a genealogist I'm not
sure if this would find making graves easier or more difficult. One thing a guide told us, though, is that
you won't find any from the 1700s or early 1800s, because at that stage the
Cook Islands were still cannibals, and had not been converted by the
missionaries to the need to bury the remains of their loved ones.
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| Grave in the front yard |
And what about the sea cucumbers? Well, our resort here is
on Muri lagoon, and all throughout the lagoon are sea cucumbers, which look
like giant slugs (or something more unpleasant!). They are perfectly harmless, and actually
keep the lagoon clean, and they proliferate all over the lagoon.
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| Amongst the seaweed are several sea-cucumbers |
The hotel we are staying in, Pacific Resort Rarotonga, is
very nice. We've been on a very
interesting cultural tour, followed by an evening show and buffet at Te Vara
Nui village, which was really interesting and enjoyable.
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| Making local medicine on the cultural tour |
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| Evening show |
I've also been on a safari tour around the island, but sadly
Andy had to miss it as he was not well that day (something he ate, I suspect). That
was a pity, as it was really enjoyable.
Our driver, Mr Useless, took us to see a famous waterfall (which had no
water falling!), some of the native crops growing, the Noni factory, to see where
the seven canoes departed Rarotonga to go and settle in New Zealand and then up
into the volcanic mountains to see the most wonderful views. After that it was
a delicious lunch and then back to the hotel for the afternoon.
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| The settlers of New Zealand set off from here |
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| Some of the glorious scenery on the island |
All the people on the island have been very friendly and
it's been a great holiday destination.
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| Barefoot Bar and Restaurant |
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| Resort Grounds |
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| Resort Grounds |
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| Muri Lagoon |
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| Beach |
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| Beach |
