The End

Looking back on our year in Paradise I can only sum it up (somewhat lamely) by saying we had great times and made some great friends.

So, we are well and truly back in NZ, having returned on July 3. (I've been unable to update the blog due to technical problems.) And yes, it snowed the day after we arrived...

To anyone out there thinking of trading in traffic lights for star light, your concrete jungle for real jungle, then GO FOR IT. They say Life's a beach and Raro is maybe as close to that as possible.

One Week to Go

We are packing and cleaning the house so we can hand it (and all the cats) over to the new guy and his family. I hope they enjoy their stay as much as we have.

It's our last week here in Paradise and today is Chris's last day as the CITC pharmacist. With our last few days we are planning on doing lots of touristy stuff and lazing on the beach. Good times.

Last Day at Work

work, work, work.
chocolate cake, speeches.
Patted the printery cat farewell.
then I walked off into the sunset



at least that's how I remember it.

The Mullet is a dodgy fish

You know the mullet, right? No, not the fish, the haircut. Anyway, there's this expression about the mullet, describing the hairstyle as "Business up front, Party in the back"

And that's what I think of when I go past this building in Avarua harbour.

One building. One item in common. Two very different... facades.

Chris makes a new friend

Parking Etiquette

When I first saw this parking sign (middle) outside the Muri Sailing Club, I was amused. A bicycle was chained to the pole where the main sign parking was, & to me it appeared that the sign referred to the small area around the pole and not the area in general.

Then when I got home and looked at my photo I noticed the other parking signs in the background. The red sign says "No Parking - Sailboats only - others will be sunk" and the "Motorbike Park" has been ignored, and the area is used for parking boats.

Then I read the middle sign again... And it didn't read quite how I first thought. I thought it said "Members' Parking" but it is saying parking members...

At least that only happens on Saturdays...

Countdown

Just 2 more weeks at work for me, 3 for Chris, then we will be heading back to NZ on the 4th of July. (cue the fireworks) Save some frost/slow/sleet/hail for us - we're gearing up!!!

In Raro they Call a Spade a Spade

Bey tinking bout actin', Mon?

One Month's Notice

In case you haven't heard, Chris has not renewed his contract. So we will be returning to Dunedin soon-ish. Won't that be...cold - I mean, cool. I mean FREEZING.

I've given my one month's notice at work and I've been told I may keep my uniforms.
I did feel obliged to say, "No, no, I should leave them for someone else" - Even though I was secretly hoping to keep at least one - as having a Hawaiian shirt on hand solves all my party costume requirements forever.

My generosity was met with laughter and I was told my shirts wouldn't fit anyone else. Ever. While I would like to think this is because I am 'slender' I think it's probably I am considered "child sized" if you know what I mean...

Flametree in the backyard

Coral Club

One of my favourite restaurants, The Coral Club, opposite the airport, is on the beach but wedged in between 4 large aeroplane fuel storage tanks. They still manage to pull off a good sunset and they do a great chicken Caesar salad.

Got Rats?

Wild Flowers

Happy Anniversary

Chris and I have been busy entertaining visiting friends and family for the past month, but I am back online now. Here we are celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary at Tamarind House restaurant - conveniently located next door to us.
& no need for the curling tongs on Raro, the 80% humidity makes my hair curly all day long.

Situations Vacant

So, you want to live and work on a beautiful tropical island like me? Then check the Pacific Jobs website...

What's Wrong with this Picture?

I wondered why I kept getting shocks of the DVD player and the computer...

Hanging out with Chicks

Cool Again

I thought working for 7 hours in 30 degrees was hot, but last week peaked at a staggering 34 degrees. (Inside where I work, I mean, not just outside in the sun). I think I only managed to survive the entire day as it happened to be pay day. (Old fashioned pay packets here, folks).

But the searing heat is in the past. The aircon was fixed this week, praise be. Work is now a mild, I might even say, chilly, 24 degrees. Long may it continue.

One Drama over while another Saga continues

Well the ship on the reef has been rescued * Huzzah * How? A temporary gravel road was built out into the lagoon, then the ship was craned onto a big truck and towed away. OK, my construction jargon is a little fuzzy on the details, what am I? A dude?

More important to me is the air con won't be fixed for at least a week as they have to "send away for parts". Yeah, they all say that. That's jargon for "Stop phoning me! I can't fix it. You're annoying. I want you to suffer in the heat! Hot HOT HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!" well, maybe not.

It was 30.8 degrees at work yesterday I was so HOT - and I had even brought my own fan! And my thermometer, that's how I knew the temperature. What am I, a nerd?

...Well... yes.

News Flash

Last night another ship was stranded on the reef - barely 300 metres from the other one, and as misfortune would have it, owned by the same guy. Despite the crew's valiant efforts today at high tide they were unable to get her off the rocks.

Working Hard or hardly Working?

Well at last, I am a lady in uniform and I can feel like a real local in my Pareu (flowery) shirt, my CI News work shirt having been altered now fits perfectly. How I chuckled and dished out many Magnum PI quips when we first arrived and Chris was presented with a Hawaiian style shirt for a work shirt... I should have known karma would give to back to me. The bonus with my shirt is it's also handy camouflage should I ever require it, see below.

Picture 1: All Unformed up and working studiously at my CI News desk (can you see my feet tucked under the desk - I'm wearing jandals. And sometimes, sometimes I even kick off the J's and go barefoot. Ahhh the good life) Picture 2: Where am I? Where am I? Work shirt / Camo gear.

Spoke too Soon

The air con at work conked out again. Poot!

Winter on its Way?

Currently it's 9.42pm at night and we are sitting on a mild 25.6 degrees with 77 percent humidity.

Today was the lowest recorded temperature since records began - which was last week when we brought back a shiny new thermometer from our recent NZ trip - a chilly 24.7 degrees, with the high not going over 27 degrees.

Most of last week the temperature hovered around 30 degrees during the day, with our hottest day reaching 31.2 degrees. Oh & did I tell you the air-con broke down at work last week? Thank goodness it was fixed promptly.

Oh, & I have worked out that Cat Hot is roughly 30 degrees.

Tonight's Sunset

Click on Image to see them at a bigger size

Frangipani

My favourite flower on the island - the Frangipani. I didn't know until I came here the frangipani is a flowering tree (you know, like magnolias). I walk past these ones in the evening on my way to volunteer at the the Cook Islands Library.

Meet the Crew

The new uniforms at work have been delivered. Here is a photo of the CI news team in their lovely new shirts. Mine didn't fit :( but it's being fixed.

Near Miss

We have just come back to Rarotonga after a 2 week holiday in Dunedin on Saturday. Chris and I realised something odd had happened while we were away when we drove past the Met station on the Sunday and saw a few trees shredded and a large piece of roofing iron impaled into the above branches. We thought WTF?

The mystery was solved when we watched the local news. While we were flying home to Raro the weather was leaving its small but dramatic mark on the landscape and lives of several Raro families. A very localised storm, possibly a twister, struck the island (next to the Meteorological centre- ha!) and proceeded inland and ripped the roofs off three homes in a ten minute blast.
Fortunately no one was hurt.

Picture copyright the CI News

Happy Valentine’s

Raro has happily adopted Valentine’s day. Most of the restaurants are having themed dinners and almost all of the adverts I have been creating for the newspaper are also themed with hearts, cupids etc. I thought I would add a touch of glamour to the blog by including one of the photos that wasn’t required from one of the advertising promos. So…. Happy Valentine’s!

Cat Hot

WTF? The temperature reached 32 degrees in Dunedin last week?!? How is that possible?
The annoying thing is, I don’t whether to be jealous or not, because I have no idea just how hot it has been getting here in Raro.

Since November the local TV news has not been including the day’s temperature in the weather reports.So, I have started categorising the days myself. For example, a “Swim hot” day means we have to go for a swim after work. Not want to go, have to go. It’s that damn hot. But my favourite category is when the temperature reaches “Cat Hot”. That’s when the cats lie upside down and pretend to be dead. That’s hot.

180 Degrees of Separation

Rarotonga is a place of contrasts. Nowhere is that more evident than at the airport. Stand on the sideroad behind the airport and face east and it’s pastoral view of Taro patches, cows, pigs and grass as far as the eye can see. Turn 180 degrees and face west and it’s a broad expanse of manmade construction augmented by the deafening thrum of a triple 7.

Ye New Stone Wall

When life gives you lemons, make G&Ts with a lemon twist. When the sea surge dumps rocks in your garden, build a sea wall to protect your home from the next high tide. Ok, maybe 'seawall' is overstating the matter. It's a border a best.


BTW it turned out that a Red Ant colony had been planning on making their new home under some of the rocks and they weren’t too happy to be moved on. Ouchie!

Ye Olde Stone Wall

Pictured: Stone wall bordering the local Chief’s Palace, that I walk past on my way to work.
Click picture to view at a larger size.

Coconut Tide Line

The seas have returned to normal and we are left with the mess to clean up. The high tides swept coconuts, debris, sand and rocks on to our lawn, including several sizeable chunks of coral.

Immigration The Saga continue

Well my work permit has been approved and paid for and today my passport was returned safely. Only thing is I discovered the passport hasn’t actually been stamped with my new worker status… sigh. I must face my nemesis, the staircase, once more.

High Tide

Well the tropical depression has now passed us by and did not develop into a cyclone. But the seas are still fierce, and quite a bit of damage occurred to the wharf around Trader Jack’s at last night’s high tide. At our place the sea has reshaped the beach and managed to sweep up on to the fringes of our lawn.
Pictured: 7.30 last night. The waves surge over the decks of Trader Jack’s and litter the car park with chunks of concrete and coral.

Batten Down the Hatches

With a tropical depression heading our way, and after the stormy weather last week left one ship straddling the breakwater, all the boats that can have been lifted out of the harbour. Pictured: Chris peers through the window of the glass bottom boat.

It was a dark and Stormy Night

It was quite stormy last night, very windy and for about half an hour the rain was belting down with wind of 30 knots. A reassuring message posted on the TV during Shortland Street (we are still waiting for the killer to be revealed) assured us it was NOT a cyclone, just bad weather.

Bad enough at one stage to strand a ship on the break water in the harbour (pictured below), and to rip the roof off one of our neighbour's home, and to knock over the Christmas Nativity outside the Catholic church. Baby Jesus last seen heading south-west.

Permitted

Just heard yesterday that my work permit has been permitted, so I am now an official member of the CI news team. No, not as a journo, I'm the Graphics Assistant. That means creating the supermarket and other shops ad layouts etc.

A Picture is Equal a 1000 words

Current Events

Cook Islands flag at half-mast outside the courthouse after Sir Ed’s passing is announced earlier this week.

Harvest

Everywhere I look around the island there are pawpaw trees laden with fruit. Except in our garden. We have five trees and a few months back one tree finally managed to squeeze out a fruit. I’ve been watching that pawpaw’s growth like a vegetarian hawk. Watching it grow. Watching it stubbornly remain green, week after week. But at last it turned yellow, signalling the time of harvest was at hand…

Ideas are welcomed for what we should now do with it. Eat it raw? Blend it with crushed ice and vodka? Maybe bake it with brown sugar and serve it with ice-cream?

Aitutaki Day Tour

Our New Year’s day adventure – the Aitutaki Day Tour - went without a hitch. We had a great time cruising the beautiful giant lagoon that encompasses the cluster of Aitutaki islands. Chris saw Eagles rays and a sea turtle and, while he was snorkelling, a unicorn fish. As for me, I finally had an excuse to wear a cowboy hat.