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

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

Children and Water

The children had an exciting day learning about coral and colourful fish.  They will be experts regarding the fish by the end of the week, but for now, I am enjoying"I saw a yellow fish", and "I saw some purple fish" and my favourite, "I swam with striped fish!"

3 boys chasing fish

4 children chasing fish

Picaso Trigger fish, and Rainbow wrasse

Anneke banging rocks together to attract fish (sounds like fish feeding on coral)

Oscar in deep water

Quinn chasing baby baracudda

Tighe swimming after a trumpet fish

Coral and fish that I was inspired by.

Yellow butterfly and Rainbow wrasse

Oscar in shallow water

Surgeon fish, better known as "Dory" in Finding Nemo

Rarotongan Holiday

The tail end of Winter, cold and wet, in Rotorua, so we are off to Raro for a week of fun, rest and snorkelling.  Erik says he will do some walks. I am just going to enjoy the sun and 24 degrees.  We arrived at Rarotonga at midnight, so the children had no idea what to expect when they woke up in the morning.  Sunshine!

Tighe's and Oscar's first flight - 4 hours to Raro from Auckland

Puiakura Reef, 100m from the house - perfect

Papaya for breakfast!

Where we spent most of the holiday.... snorkelling!