Addendum
This trip has been everything I could have wanted and more. When I was planning it, I had some goals:
- Relax! The main purpose of this trip was to de-stress.
- Do something new and outside my comfort zone.
- Work on my extroversion - talk to everyone!
- Have fun!
This was the longest trip I’ve been on by myself and I can confidently say I achieved all my goals. I didn’t want to feel rushed with a full agenda of activities, but at the same time I didn’t want to be completely unprepared or not leave the hotel - I wanted to experience the island!
In preparation for the trip, I created this list, knowing that it didn’t matter if I didn’t do any of them and if I felt like sleeping all day or walking by the beach I would do that, but when I felt like doing something more interesting, I was ready.
The List
- Get a Local Motorbike Licence
- Hire a Scooter
- Kite Surfing
- Kayaking
- Photography
- There’s a waterfall
- The sky will be really clear - try star trails!
- Buggy Tour
- Scuba Diving
- Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP)
- Lagoon Tour (glass bottom boat)
- Party Bus
- Massage
- Punanga Nui Markets (in Avarua)
- Muri Night Market
- Cultural Night - Dinner and Show
- Coco putt (mini golf at a really good restaurant)
- Try Ika Mata (raw fish in coconut cream)
- Light Up SUP, Night Lagoon Tour
- Paddleboard Yoga
I managed to do all of this, except for the last two!
Prices
I always refer back to my blogs to see how much stuff costs and I never include prices, so now this trip gets it own pricing section!
- The Black Pearl accommodation (14 nights): $1932 NZD
- JetStar flights (MEL -> AKL -> RAR -> AKL -> MEL): $890 AUD
Key Points
Just like in previous blogs, I thought I’d do a summary post of some of the things that stood out to me or stuck in my memory. This should help with planning future trips (because I definitely want to go back!)
- Kia Orana == hello
- Nu == coconut
- The Black Pearl was nice accommodation, although Muri seems more central
- Winter is pretty good here, rains a fair bit but normally not for too long at a time
- Chickens, dogs and geckos everywhere! But especially chickens! …beach chickens
- Bus drivers are really entertaining - take a bus!
- Scooter licence requires more effort than I first thought. The written test requires local knowledge and practical test requires the ability to ride slowly around cones without your feet touching the ground. Make sure to have a read of the “Road Code” before doing to the exam, the rules are different to Australia.
- Scooting around the island is so awesome - definitely get a scooter!
- The water is still a bit cold this time of year, so it requires some adjustment time, but it’s not too bad.
- Groceries are expensive - not too bad, but more than I expected
- Jet blast area is not like the ad
- So many kiwis!
- More families, older people and couples than younger party goers (still some)
- 5 digit phone numbers
- Food is awesome, common food are:
- BBQ meats with tomato or mushroom sauce
- Chop Suey (noodles)
- Rakau (Rarotongan spinach aka taro leaves soaked in coconut cream)
- Home made desserts
- Prawns
- Marlin
- Ika Mata (raw fish with coconut cream)
- Really nice bread (normally bakery fresh)
- Local beer is Matutu, they have a pale ale and a lager
- Weather report is generally not to be trusted and changes regularly, although windguru.co.nz did a pretty good job of predicting the wind a week ahead for kite surfing
- Animals don’t try to kill you here, most things are safe, including swimming in the lagoon, the sharks are on the other side of the reef!
- Power points are the same as Australia
- Uses New Zealand money, with the addition of the Cook Islands Triangle coins!
