This morning when we arrived to the waters off of the Avarua Harbor, the Captain came on the speakers and announced we had a problem. He said that the tender situation onshore was not a problem, but there was a significant swell at the tender platform of the ship. In his opinion, if he could stabilize the ship in the best position, it may be possible to take over the most able-bodied passengers to shore. So shortly after 8am, they began calling tender ticketed people, and proceeded to load each and every one slowly, but safely.
Originally, we had intended on going to breakfast, but knowing that this operation could be halted at any moment, we forgot eating, and went down to deck A, and boarded the second boat over. And yes, making that transfer to the tender boat was dicey, but with the help of at least four well-trained crew members, we did just fine.
So here is a bit of general info about Rarotonga. It was the Maori from New Zealand that settled in the Cook Islands in the 6th century AD. Their double-hulled canoes have become a part of their traditions. In modern times, the attraction to Rarotonga and the other Cook Islands, is the marine life, as well as the constant warm weather. And we do know that ATV trips up the now dormant volcano can be a real treat.
Shore excursions offered four tours. Two of them involved a lagoon cruise or a beach break. An island discovery tour revealed their culture and legends of the island. Then lastly, a 4x4 adventure went up 984 feet for spectacular views.
However, yesterday we learned that all of the tours had been cancelled, and every one's money had been refunded. Their excuse was that the local tour operators could not provide insurance coverage on any of the excursions. And with today being a Sunday, not much would be opened. Great planning coming here on Sunday.
The Avatiu Harbor was our drop-off point In fact, back in 2016 while on the world cruise, an accident occurred with a tender boat being tossed up on sharp coral while navigating through a tight opening at an alternate entrance. Our friend Barb was on that boat, and said it was the best 3 hour tour she ever had. But because of the damage it caused the boat, and the stranded passengers, the Captain at that time said he would never attempt using that entrance. He would cancel the port instead. Lucky for us, the waters at the regular harbor were behaving.
There were a total of four tents of souvenirs and a very nice info area, where we picked up maps. Checking out some island sarongs, we were told the price would be 1 to 1 with the US dollar. Even though the rate was $1.56 NZ dollar to the $1 US, they took advantage of the benefit on their end. We really did not need anything, so we bought nothing.
We should mention here that the weather was not the best today, although it could have been worse. It was totally overcast and sprinkling lightly. The streets were full of deep puddles, and we found out later that it had been raining here for five days straight. The light drizzle was tolerable, and we never had to use our umbrellas.
With most everything closed including shops, museums, government buildings, and restaurants, our only choice was to take a long walk and enjoy the scenery. What they did have were the island buses which all went clockwise today. And here is the other bit of misleading info, we were told onboard that the fare was $5 for the bus, when in reality, it was $8 for the ride all away around the island. A one way trip to a beach or resort would have been $5. The ride round trip would take about 50 minutes with many stops. During the week, these buses run in both directions, but one way on Sundays.
Our hike turned into walking a dog, probably homeless. He was a bike, motor scooter, and truck chaser. How he still has all of his legs is a miracle, as we did see one dog with a missing back leg. So as we made our way out of the downtown area, we passed many waterside homes and businesses. Each and every one of them had dogs that were running loose. We have never seen so many dogs, and sure did not want to get in the middle of a fight. Oddly enough, this male that stuck to us, and kept the other dogs away. It became comical watching him chase people on bikes, then drive the neighborhood dogs away. Too bad we did not have some food to give him, because we were forbidden to take anything off of the ship. On the way back, he turned and continued walking with us, until a cute local gal strolled by, and he took up with her.
We passed the Tamarind Restaurant we usually have lunch, then continued up the road to a convenience store and gas station. They were opened for business, but every establishment was closed for the day, so we ended up turning around, as it would be a long walk back. Several of the island buses were beginning to pass by on their way for their clockwise ride, many of the guests waving, even if we did not know all of them. People were just happy to have something to do here. We even had a nice local gal stop and ask if we needed a lift, leading us to think that not many folks walk this road.
It is interesting that being closed Sunday in this day in age, since most everywhere else in the world, this would be just another day for making money. Life has a different pace to it on these islands. And the fact that the Cook Islands are the world's second largest producer of black pearls, they sure could have sold many of them today.
One place we did want to stop at was the Cook Island Christian Church, one of the oldest in the islands. Mass was in progress inside, with the overflow of locals sitting outside. We joined them to listen to the lively choir singing, when one nicely dressed lady (completely in white), came over and invited us to a tea following the services. It would be served next door, and we were welcomed to join the large group. That sure made our day, even though we did not have the time to stay that long, the gesture was quite thoughtful.
We also walked to the water's edge and checked out Trader Jack's which is always opened. Well, today it was not, but the dog that had adopted us, had gotten into last night's garbage, and was licking paper plates and tin foil. What a life, and what a mess he made.
There was one small café opened in town, and it was already bursting at the seams. We felt the better bet would be to return to the ship, and have lunch there. Getting back on the tender boat was a piece of cake, but the ride became rough on the way back. It must have taken at least 20 minutes to unload everyone, as the boat was dipping two to three feet, and separating from the landing. We heard later at dinner that a lady had a fatal accident here not too long away, so the safety measures were in full force today. The crew were taking no chances, and when they said "go", we went.
For the remainder of the day, we chilled out on the veranda, and had a nice lunch in the Lido after the crowd had thinned out. Originally, we had reservations in the Pinnacle for an 8pm dinner, but we switched to the dining room because they had prime rib and another new fish, sea bass. Both were excellent….again.
The show tonight was another performance by Abba Fab, the foursome that sing songs from Abba. Boy that sure took us back a long ways……
Well tomorrow will be a day at sea, then we will have several French Polynesian ports in a row.
Bill & Mary Ann
