The port of call today was Aitutaki, Cook Islands. It took extra time to get cleared by the local authorities, then it took more time to drop the tender boats, and even longer filling them, we heard later. As we said yesterday, the ship had to stay offshore, but did not drop their anchor. The depth of the ocean is far too deep, so the ship was held in place with the side thrusters….not anchors. There is a designated channel that has been cut into the coral reef, but it is not all that wide. So only one tender boat could go to shore at a time. The boat coming back to the ship had to wait until the channel was empty before returning. There were three tenders used today so the wait was as minimal as they could keep it. We do know from previous stops here, that we are always lucky if we can go to this island due to the tides, reef, currents, and winds.
After breakfast, we went out on deck six forward in search of the tropic birds which frequently will fly over the ship from the trees to fish for their food. Within 10 minutes, Captain Smit came down the stairs from the bridge to see how we were doing. A coincidence or not, we enjoyed our conversation with him about our previous visits to this island. We also shared our experiences with the tricky landing in Rarotonga, which he agreed the winds could be a problem there. He had no plans on going ashore today, which was too bad, but his job was to keep the ship in place for the day. He wished us a good day, then went back up to work. Then we went to deck six aft, and actually spotted a whale blowing in the distance. We waited like forever for it to re-surface, but we never saw it again. The humpbacks are here, but you have to know where to look for them. We did see some tropic birds and many white terns.
We left the ship by 10:30am, where we had a 10 minute wait at the most for the next tender boat. Open tenders were not announced yet, so it was to our advantage that we left prior to that. Sometimes a large group of guests will wait for that message, and the line is long once again.
Aitutaki is the second most populated island in the Cook Islands with about 1712 people (2016 census). There are 15 islets in a lagoon that spans an area of up to 29 square miles. The land portion is a mere 7 square miles. And it is total beauty, making this island the second most visited in the archipelago. We have yet to see such gorgeous lagoons of sapphire/aqua waters, except maybe in Bora Bora.
There were no ship tours offered here. We have always understood that most weekends, many places are closed. Even the dock workers can refuse to work on a weekend. So we were lucky to be allowed onshore. Now the locals will offer private tours, either through Ubers or their own vehicles. There was also an open-air bus that took folks around the island to beaches or cafes for a price. Last year the going rate may have been $40 to $50 a person. In addition, we saw another island bus offering a ride to a beach for the day, then they pick you up at a designated time for the ride back to the pier.
We have always taken a long walk on the main road that parallels the lagoon and sandy beach. It goes on for several miles. Once we left the small village of Arutanga, we passed by a few shops, a church, and homes out of town. Rather nice homes lined the road and many of the residents were sitting on their porches or working in their gardens. There were some ruins of older buildings and homes that must not have stood up to hurricanes or winds. And as in other South Pacific islands , some of the older properties had relative's graves in the front yards.
One thing you will not see in Aitutaki are dogs. They are forbidden to own them. Now cats are allowed, and we did see several of them. The biggest number of birds we saw had to be domestic chickens – hens with chicks and many roosters. Mynah birds are everywhere. Other animals we spotted were some goats and one steer or bull. They were tethered in people's front yards. It was so green and lush here that they are well-fed.
Along the way, we passed by some shops for car or motor scooter rentals, a gas station, one fix-it car repair place, and a few small supermarkets. There was a bakery and a couple of coffee shops as well. Most of the walkers got as far as the shops and cafes, then stopped. It was warm when the sun came out fully, and there was a breeze most of the time. With all of the palm trees, casuarinas, frangipanis, and Norfolk Island pines, there was some shade along the way.
It seemed like miles before we passed a very nice resort buried on the hillside. Many folks that like to walk made it this far. But we kept going until we reached a smaller resort that is tucked in the trees and is built on the beach. There is an open-air restaurant where we have eaten lunch every time we come here. Today at noontime, we had the whole place to ourselves for about an hour. Taking a table for two where we could watch the lagoon waters and some people snorkeling there, we ordered Tui beers, followed by a shared club sandwich with extra French fries. One of us was very happy to be able to update the Kindle, which had several favorite games expire. The resort guest wifi was not working all that fast, so our waiter connected us to their corporate wifi. That worked just fine. That should be good now until we get back home.
We could have easily stayed here longer, but the restaurant was filling up with their guests, and we knew it was going to be a long hike back. All aboard the final tender was 4:30pm, but you never want to wait until that late. Taking our time, we followed the sandy beach back most of the way. The sand is so fine here, it packs well, making the walking much easier. We did have to dodge hundreds of seashells and broken coral and rocks, so it was not in our best interest to take off our shoes. The lagoon water was crystal-clear and we could easily see some tropical fish and some sea slugs. Many swimmers were literally walking many yards off of the beach, since the water was so shallow.
Now the big treat for us was spotting many tropic birds that were nested in some trees at a resort. They have a habit of flying out of these tall trees to go fishing nearby. If there are chicks in their nests, both males and females will feed the young. There were many white or fairy terns in the flocks as well. They seem to have the same feeding patterns as the tropic birds.
The heat along this waterline was so intense, we had to go from tree to tree for some shade. There was no way sunbathers could lay in this tropical sun or they would burn to a crisp. For that reason, we saw no one on the sandy beach….only in the water submerged while snorkeling or floating to keep cool.
We made it back to the wharf area by 3pm, just missing a tender boat. We only had a 15 minute wait for the next boat to come. Then a stream of people appeared from somewhere, and filled the boat rather quickly. On the way through the narrow opening of the channel, the boat driver sped up, hitting a wave, and got a lot of folks wet from the sudden spray. Good thing most everyone had worn their swimsuits, so no one complained.
The Zaandam left the lagoon area by 5pm without the hassle of pulling up the anchor. We were on our way to the next port of Rarotonga, 142 nautical miles away. If the winds do not cause problems, we should be outside the tender harbor by 8am. Last year due to high winds and a deep sea swell, we could not tender to shore. Time will tell for tomorrow.
We worked on photos until dinnertime. On the way to the upper dining room, we passed by many very casually-dressed guests on their way somewhere. It was not the dining room, but they were headed for the World Stage where a one movie time of 8pm was starting shortly. They were showing The Notebook. In addition, there was another movie in the Wajang Theater at 8:30pm called The Disappearance of Mrs. Wu.
Back to dinner, we tried different appetizers. One was a pork and seafood spring roll, and the other was won ton chicken soup. Two different salads were served, followed by mains of a smoked porkchop with cooked cabbage, carrots, and boiled potatoes. Different for a change. Desserts were one sundae and one scoop of orange sorbet. We think the heat of the day along with the long hike will help us sleep very well tonight.
Bill & Mary Ann
