Waking up early, as usual, it looked like the sea swells and winds may prevent a successful tendering to shore today. We gave it a 50/50% chance. What we did have was a nice sunrise, a sign that it was going to be a nice day.
The Zaandam dropped the anchor after 7am, but we had a long wait before we knew if conditions were good for a safe landing ashore. We were halfway through with breakfast before it was announced that tendering would begin. By then, there was a good-size crowd waiting for tender tickets outside the Wajang Theater. The guests who did not get priority tendering had to go the World Stage for their tickets. That made a lot more sense, because once you got your ticket, you had to sit somewhere and wait until your group was called. We heard a comment made that this group had up to a 2 hour wait. It is possible, since there were no ship tours taken off first.
Once again we waited until after 10am before leaving. This time, one of the nice front desk gals escorted us to the tender platform. Until today, we never passed by waiting guests, but that did happen this morning. Too bad she didn't think to take us down the opposite side of the ship where there was no line. We only heard one wise crack remark from a lady who said loudly, "I thought there was one line for everyone". Oh well, that's the beauty of being a President's Club member. Normally, we go off at a different platform and no one is the wiser.
Anyway, the ride over to the Avatiu Harbor was short and not quite as rough as it looked. We were all greeted with "Kia Ora" , the islander's way of saying "may you live on". Rarotonga is considered their little piece of paradise where you can bask in the sun, relax on a golden sand beach, swim in the lagoons, snorkel, take mountain treks, and go deep-sea fishing. Whale-watching can take place from July to the end of October. The wet season is November through April, where there are occasional tropical storms and high humidity. Some of the local cuisine includes raw and lime- marinated fish with taro leaves cooked in coconut milk. Fresh fruits include paw paw, papaya, bananas, dragon fruit, starfruit, mangoes, and coconuts. We saw several mango trees that were gigantic and full of ripening fruit.
Sundays are a traditional day of rest and religious observance. Most businesses are closed including shops, restaurants, and basic markets. A church visit is welcomed as long as you are dressed properly. The language is mostly Māori and English and the singing is reportedly divine.
There are no high rise buildings as nothing is allowed taller than the coconut trees. Visitors this year were 162,000 people, 68% of them from New Zealand, and 20% from Australia. Favorite souvenirs are black pearls, ukuleles, woodwork, drums, pareos, artwork, and coins, notes and stamps. Woven sun hats, called Rito hats, for the ladies are well-known here. However, good luck finding some of these items since many of the stores and shops were closed. Even the high- end pearl shops.
During Covid, many Cook Islanders headed for New Zealand and Australia to find work. Most never returned, so the local business folks had to entice workers from Fiji and the Philippines.
At the pier, we walked right to the information stand and picked up an excellent map and brochure. Further up the way, we came upon a few souvenir tables, but everything was very expensive. We guess inflation has hit here too. The vendors would take US dollars, but may not give you the exchange rate of $1.66 NZ to $1 USD. It was best to have some New Zealand money to use at these stands, or use a credit card like in the restaurants. Just don't expect them to take American Express. Visa or Mastercard was fine.
The weather was pretty nice today, but still warm and humid. There was a 5% chance of rain, so we took umbrellas, but never needed them, of course. We think the island bus was running in a counter-clockwise direction today. The fare was $10 for an all-day pass, or $5 per ride. Not sure if this was NZ dollars, and we do not know if they accepted US dollars. If you were going to a beach and lagoon for snorkeling and swimming, the bus would be the best way to go.
We always walk and stop at several places along the way. Turning left, we went past the Punange Nui Market, which did have a few stands open for business. This spot is filled with small take-away eateries and local arts and crafts stands. It also serves as the produce market, where Saturday is their busiest day. But not on Sundays. We continued up the road to the CICC church which was built in the late 1800's. That stands for Cook Island Christan Church and the mass service had just ended. The church-goers were well-dressed in the whitest outfits we have ever seen. The ladies were in white dresses and jackets with fancy hats, while the men also wore pure white suits, even in this heat. It was truly a day of rest for the locals and their families who were mostly of Māori descent. Further up this side road was the local Museum, also closed, and the impressive Takamoa Theological College. This history of this college dated back to the 1800's as well. Both the church and the college have survived the worst of the cyclones over the years, with the exception of the roofs, which were blown away. An old cemetery is alongside of the church as well as across the road.
Sitting on a low wall made of coral, we did see many birds in flight, but none turned out to be the tropic birds. They were the white or fairy terns that filled some of the tall trees along the cliffsides. There was no lack of colorful chickens that roamed the front yards with their chicks.
Being that today was a Sunday, we figured that many cafes and restaurants would be closed for lunch, and only opening for dinner. So doing some internet research, we were able to find some suitable restaurants that were within walking distance and had good recommendations. On past visits, we walked a long way to the Tamarind House Restaurant, a very nice facility right on the beachfront that is suitable for weddings and other special events. They were closed, so the next best bet was a restaurant with a funny name for Rarotonga. It was The Lazy Trout Café, situated on a hillside in a more rural part of Avarua Town. We doubt there are any trout here, but we finally located the café, and there was a very large comical trout on the outside lawn sitting in a huge lounge chair with sunglasses. It was on a street where the Office of the Prime Minister was located. Following a map we had picked up near the pier, we tried to get our bearings by the street names. Guess what? None of the streets are marked. There were some restaurant signs on the main road, so that did help.
This cafe is part of a small hotel, so it has a nice pool. When the families come here, like today, they can use the pool. We were lucky to get a table for two. We figured the families that were here had come from church, and had planned on spending part of the afternoon here. They were only opened until 2pm , so it was a good thing we did not wait.
We ordered two Heineken beers, only to learn that no alcohol was served today…..never on Sunday. That has to be a first that we can remember that we have ever run into that law. So we ordered Coke Zeros with no problem. Ice water was served also. We shared one cheeseburger with extra fries, which came hot and crispy. Dessert was a shared powdered-sugar dusted brownie with chocolate chips and a scoop of very rich vanilla ice cream. Looking around at the tables – both inside and outside on the patio, we guessed we were the only cruise ship guests there. It was nice spending some relaxing time with the locals who were most friendly.
Then we made our way back down to the main road for the walk back to the ship. We happened to be on the only street that had a street sign – St. Joseph Road. There was a Catholic school by that name a well as the St. Joesph Catholic Church on the main road. We took the time to pay a visit since the mass was over and no one was inside. This church was built in a circular design with a vaulted dome in the center. Most important, it was built to take advantage of the prevalent breeze which cooled off the parishioners. The stained glass windows were pretty.
Passing one of the souvenir stands near the harbor, we asked the price of the rayon sarongs. We were told they were $42 NZ dollars, which should have been $25 USD. However, the vendor was asking for $35 USD, so we passed. One of us needs another pareo like a hole in the head. Yes, they are used at home, but one of us owns about thirty of them.
The line at the harbor moved quickly as a tender boat pulled alongside. Many people had brought their snorkel gear, towels, and who knows what else. Many of them piled these backpacks on the seats, so the rest of the people had to squeeze in to sit down. Good thing the ride was short, although the swells were deeper and the disembarking was more challenging.
We worked on photos and reading the excellent maps and brochures we had picked up on land. Then, one of us went to deck six forward to get more pictures of birds. Captain Smit appeared once again and had a nice chat about today's successful stop in Rarotonga, and the possible storm we might be out-running in the following days. The Captain was happy to report they had seen a few whales very close to the harbor today. Now we will keep an eye out for them.
Then at 5pm, a haircut in the spa was in order. We had been gifted a $50 credit for the spa, and it came in handy.
The Zaandam left quietly as the rain had begun to fall lightly, and we realized what a nice day we had here in Rarotonga today.
Dinner was different once again with quesadilla starters, one tomato soup with a touch of hot sauce, and one Caesar salad. Mains were the same – barbacoa beef and root vegetables. We believe that name barbacoa refers to the gravy on the tender thinly-sliced rare beef, which we guessed was prime rib. Dessert was a shared slice of carrot cake with one scoop of ice cream.
A new entertainer was in the World Stage by the name of Sarah Moir. Her show had something for everyone – rock, pop, Celtic and classical. Or there was a movie, Bullet Train, in the Wajang.
Tomorrow we will have a relaxing day at sea – rain or shine.
Bill & Mary Ann
