Beach Holiday, Rarotonga, Cook Islands - July 2011

A good break in Raro. Only 3 hours from Auckland. Amazing how you can go from winter to tropics in such a short skip. First week we had a stand alone villa. Second week we up'ed (albiet free) to a pool room. Yes, you get your own swimming pool!



"Kia Orana!"




On holiday at last




"cocktail please !"




Cheers big ears




iPod experience




"Leave it alone"




Yes they are real coconuts




I am only standing for the photo then I am going to rest more




Bus around the island




"Help"




What can you say




100 meters to the beach begins to drag




Daily haul to the shops




The hotel is full but deserted - yipee no small humans




First week villa




Gardener provides coconut which you eat with a shell




Second week villa




Beer, peanut, pool - check




I hate doing nothing ... NOT




Should I watch the whales or read the book




So, back to work ?



Diving in Rarotonga Cook Islands

Went diving for the first time this year. The below are a summary of 4 days of diving. Steve's fins are the yellow 3 foot long paddles in the first photo (big feet). The general visibility was mostly superb being able to see the ocean floor some 30 meters down. The dive boat was a small speed boat with backward roll entry. Bounced about nicely in the slightly choppy swells for a few of those days. Last day was flat as a pancake and did a pretty good wreck. Was very pleased to see there were a good variety of Nudibranch (colourful sea slugs). A lot of them did not come out worthy photos for the blog which was a shame but a few of the larger ones came out well. Nudi's are so cool (Victoria we needed your identification book). One day we did 2 dives in heavy surge through several deep caves and many meters of interlinked channels. Enjoyed the channels in particular as it took some buoyancy control to not be smashed into the walls at times and you would swim hard to 30 seconds going backwards, and then fly forward in the surge like a bullet for 30 seconds. Generally although the variety of coral is limited (we are told the 3 cyclones of the last years took a lot out) if you search around there was some pretty magnificent stuff. Enjoy, we did.



"OK, got the kit on board, let's go diving"

"Linda the fish"

"A rare use of oxygen"

Lazy Grouper

Giant Clam

Swim throughs

Giant Clam

Corckscrew Tenticle Sea Anemone with Anemonefish

"Paul, check if that boat is clean underneath"

Exciting caves, channels and surge

Rock Channels - Surge 2 foot, swim, surge 2 foot

Rock Channels

The spray coming over the boat on this day was pretty heavy!

"Hello Sailor"

Yellow-margined moray eel

A 2 foot long Sea cumcumber Strichopodidea Thelenta

Massive, huge! Giant Moray Eel

Steve'o

Spanish Dancer Nudibranch Hexabranchus sanguineus

Spanish Dancer Nudibranch Hexabranchus sanguineus

Wrasse (of some sort we could not identify)

Damselfish

Flounder - Can you see me !

 A Large Nudibranch Phyllidia varicosa

Star Puffer Fish Tetaodontidae

Unknown lazy bugger fish (we can see you!)

Spanish Dancer Nudibranch Hexabranchus sanguineus

Cape Palliser Batch - July 2011

After being hermits in our house for a few months of New Zeland winter, we dug ourselves out and went away for Morag's birthday in their batch at Cape Palliser. Popped out after a light Saturday night to see the seal collony and the lighthouse. We like lighthouses. They are cool. This one had 250 steps up to it and was first lit in 1897, the lighthouse was staffed until 1986, when it was automated.



New Zeland Fur Seals




You can't see the force ten gale going on !




Palliser Bay




 Cape Palliser Lighthouse




Going down with small dog