11th Sept

Ki orana!

Well hello from the beautiful Cook islands!Got there on Friday evening about 1800, got picked up by hostel, had booked Vara's that morning.Met a nice Milton Keynes couple on the bus so had a good chat with them.When we got there got abit worried as stopped at the office surrounded by nice rooms on the beach and then she took us up the steep dirt track hill!However when we opened the door the hill didn't matter!We have got top floor of a big house, has 3 bedrooms, front room, kitchen, bathroom, balcony and all huge, clean and newly decorated.Sharing our house with a young Swedish couple who are very nice and a kiwi bloke called Joe who is also very nice, was defiantly not what we are used to and only £20/night for both of us!Up on hill means our big balcony has good views of palm trees and sea and also quiet.That night walked along the beach to a restaurant nearby called Sails, was fairly snazzy and food amazing, decided that we were going to like the cook islands!Came back and spent the rest of the evening watching rugby with Joe.

Saturday had planned to get up early to go to the market as advised to get there before 1000 but waking up at 10 put a stop to that!Think it was our massive comfy bed and the fact that the many cockerels had woken us up earlier at 0600!So instead went and rented a scooter so that we wouldn't have to walk up the hill in the dark again!We had to pick the bike up and then go to the police station to get a licence, they say its for insurance??Got it but they told Paul to come back on Monday for a driving test!He says he's nervous with me on the back, think that's a good thing hopefully he will be safer!

So from there we drove round the island (only 32km in circumference), was really cloudy though which wasn't good, especially as our last night in Fiji was so hot couldn't sleep, didn't help that Paul had the top bunk and the fan pointed on him!Anyway was still really nice, we are staying on Muri lagoon on the SE of the island which is the islands best known area.We drove north first which isn't as nice, bit more windy and water less green.The best side was the south, green lagoon everywhere.We found a rope swing at Aro'a beach that was lots of fun but was abit wary of the many coconuts above us.We then stopped at Turoa beach where Paul spent ages determined to open a coconut which are never as nice as they look.We then went for lunch at the Rarotongan spa, had tried to book there but their cheap rooms were booked.After that stopped for a drink at a hotel called the little Polynesian, this place was so nice had a wonderful infinity pool going on to the beach with thatched huts everywhere.Asked them how much it was thinking we might be able to treat ourselves for our last night, $900/night (£360) maybe not, although writing it in pounds doesn't seem so bad!That night had planned to go back to the rarotongan spa for a island night but both of us had very dodgy stomachs, blaming it on the ice in the drinks which we were assured was ok!

Sunday revolves around church in the Cooks so made an effort and did as the locals do!Took the scooter to our local church, lasted an hour and the singing was very nice.Cook islands is both English spoken and Mauri island speaking, so some of the service was in English.We were welcomed to refreshments but ashamedly didn't go on the excuse that we needed to book ourselves accomadation.Drove to the airport, (which has got to be the smallest I've ever been to) and booked ourselves flights to Aitutaki island, a 40 min flight to this amazing island in a magnificent lagoon, read it's the 3rd best in the world, don't know who decides this stuff but anyway looks amazing so we are going for 2 nights.Afterwards went and got a snorkel (was such a bad idea sending ours home from oz) and went to black rock on the islands north west to get away from the winds and thick cloud!Had sun there which is how it should be, only an hour though but better than nothing!Went snorkelling in the lagoon, very shallow with loads of coral everywhere but not many fish, might have been the weather, loads of black sea cucumbers everywhere though, the locals eat them, YUCK!Did a tour of a few resorts afterwards and had a cocktail (Paul had a lovely choc shake) at the Manuia beach boutique which was very nice.That night went down the road to the Muri beach hotel and had a buffet meal and listened to the same guitar singing manthat serenades everyone on arrival at the airport, sweet little man.

Today (Monday) we woke to rain, didn't think bad weather would last 3 days in aplace like this but oh yes.Had to go to the police station for Paul's driving test, what a palaver that was.There was about 50 people and their bikes and after waiting for 45 minutes they started in groups of 6, Paul was in the 3rd group, test was just to drive round the block with the policeman behind him.We then had to queue up to pay then wait to have you're photo taken but just as we were about to go through, the machine broke!Was getting annoyed as just as we got there the sun had come out! We spent the afternoon snorkelling at Aro'a beach, saw some big unusual fish so was cool. That night we went to a restaurant called Flametree was meant to be quite posh but wasn't really, food was good!

Tuesday 11th

Woke at 0600 to get our flight to Aitataki island and sun was just rising over the lagoon, looked quite cool, benefit of getting up that early! Shared a taxi to the airport with an oz couple. So now in lovely Aitataki, rather paradise like but will tell you more about that soon!

LOVE AND MISS U LOADS USXXXXXXXXXX