Coconuts, churches and chickens - a week in Rarotonga, Cook Islands

 A lovely warm week away from winter, three and a half hours flight north of NZ into the Pacific.

Went for the resort experience. Pool pretty but blimmin cold and it did have a nice backdrop of palms and mountainous interior.

In and out faster than Bruce Willis on an asteroid.

Indulged in a hot stone massage (quite nice but don't need to do that again) and a cultural night with drums dancing and banquet (ditto) and much reading of books. Ate out at cafes and the night food market down the road, scoring delicious paw paw salads and freshly caught fish, and coconut water direct from a coconut, mmm mmm.

Coconut palms everywhere.

And coconuts. Don't park your car under a coconut palm.

And chickens. Everywhere.

Also dogs. This one is hanging out in its own yard, the others are strolling about town or chasing chickens.

Snorkelled with turtles out at the reef's edge and tropical fishes nearer shore, and saw whales passing from the slightly elevated Black Rock lookout. Kids practising diving at Black Rock - they were good too.

Those colourful wee fishes - it was like swimming in an aquarium.

Just back from turtle experience with sea scooters. The scooters are little motors you hang onto that propel you through the water. Bit of fun.

It was delightfully warm in the island's lagoon. We hired a car for a few days and jumped in the water at different spots. 

Bussed around before we decided a car was a bit more flexible. But did enjoy the jangly bouncy bus with its open door and locals going shopping.

Had a 4WD tour of a cocoa subsistence farm and its chocolate 'factory'. The factory was a small old shed with cocoa beans at every stage of the process, including the ones drying on the roof, and a pot of churned sugarless chocolate. The tour was just us and one of the farmers who gave us lots of info about the island and its plants and the effects of climate change on Rarotonga's crops and fishing.

Here's a freshly cut cocoa pod - you scoop out a handful of the fleshy white seeds and suck them. Quite pleasant; vaguely chocolately.

Enjoyed other warm climate flora and fauna like bananas and butterflies and the geckos outside our door. Not many birds though. 

A relaxing week away!