Tighe's 7th Birthday

The great thing about sharing your birthday with your child, is that celebrations are fun and superhero size.  Tighe's 7th birthday was for Superheroes, so there a Ninja Turtle, Spiderman, Ben 10, the joker (super villian), Captain Jack Sparrow, a Power Ranger, Supermum (me) and Super Tall Man (Erik).
The important thing for Superheroes is to show no FEAR, so there was "fear factor food" for them to try - worms, dirt and eyeballs....

Bowl of worms

Dirt, worms and eyeballs

Of course, there were little red sausages for Tighe, popcorn and chips for the rest of us who don't like eating worms!

Phillip and Joe

Making the wish

Happy birthday Tighe.  I hope you like the bike with gears.

Party games - whose team are you on Tighe - white or red?

Both teams!

Mystery Gift

A surprise birthday gift for me.  All wrapped up in velvet, hanging from a 5m ceiling.  I wonder what it is... too big for chocolate perhaps!

Last day in Rarotonga

Gina throwing sand at me...

the last sunset

The last sunset

Farewell magical island in the sun, we will be back.

Finally a Moray Eel

Erik, Gina and all the children have seen Moray Eels, spotted honeycombed ones.  On my last snorkel today, I was floating with some Moorish Idols(my favourites), and happened upon this creature.  Amazing patterns on the skin.  Wasn't sure if it was a seasnake or moray eel.  The fin along the top of the body suggests that it is a moray eel.

Moray Eel?

Taking the bus into town

Gina and Tighe

The bus into town is an adventure in itself.  The one bus goes clockwise, and the other one anti-clockwise around the island.  There is no air conditioning, and the driver always has a story to tell.

Kids having fun

Tighe and Quinn's amazing sculpture

Building the sand castle

Finding another coconut

Erik's new addiction

Erik had not been snorkelling before coming to Rarotonga.  His new eyes have now made it possible for him to see underwater.  I think he is addicted.  He goes snorkelling before breakfast, and only stops for food breaks, and rest breaks...He is recovering from surgery, so does need to stop once and a while.
Erik saw a Manta Ray and an Moray Eel before breakfast today.  He couldn't stop describing them at breakfast.  I guess all the children will want to see one now...

Papaya verses Pawpaw

So what is the difference between Papaya and Pawpaw.  Not much.. Papaya is more pear shaped, and Pawpaw is longer and thinner.  They taste the same.  They taste even better with a squeeze of lemon.

Papaya

Pawpaw cut in half

Sliced Pawpaw

Star fruit are crisp like an apple, but with a melon flavour.  We liked to have fresh fruit everyday, the fruit/vege market was about 800 metres up the road.

Papaya, lemon, tomato, and star fruit

Cutting the star fruit

A plate of star fruit!

Coral

Look for the purple kina

Brain Coral

Green lipped clam

Giant sponge and striped damsel fish

Pink Coral

Puffer fish

Out of the water

Banana Palm

Papaya plantation

The "Needle"

Wonderfully delicately fragrant

Crabs and Geckos

Hermit crab on beach

Gecko

Moko

Had to go crab hunting at night along the beach.  The crabs scattered when we arrived in the dark.  Children enjoyed seeing the crabs go down the holes, and then pop out again.

The geckos came out at night when I was having a hot chocolate on the patio.  Moko would curl around the handle, and enjoy the heat from the ceramic mug.

Eating Raro Style

Needed to get some supplies, so took the bus into Avarua this morning.  The children enjoyed souvenirs shopping, and I looked at the black pearls, (which according to Tighe, "look like poop")
Supermarket shopping was an adventure. Cereal $10 a box. Bread $5 a loaf. I will never complain about the price of bread again!

The boys had pancakes and pawpaw for lunch, I had Tuna in Lime juice with Taro chips.
Oscar had a meat pie, and Anneke a smoothie and a roll.

Oscar and his pie

Tighe enjoying lunch at Mama's Cafe

Quinn, pancakes, bacon and pawpaw

Tuna in Lime juice with Taro chips

Gina goes SCUBA diving

The Puaikura Reef lodge offers a SCUBA lesson once a week.  Gina decided to try it in the safety of the pool, enjoyed it, so took a guided 2 hour trip out into the lagoon for a dive.

Learning to breathe

First try in the water

Gina getting her balance

Tighe enjoying refreshments

When diving in the lagoon, Gina saw a Lionfish, giant clam and a moray eel.  The water was 24 degrees.  She loved it.