Counting down to island time

Time has a habit of going fast enough these days without doing anything to encourage it, but we’ve just booked a holiday for November. This will further hasten the year along and be a nice reward after a busy few months ahead.

This short break is to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. Most Kiwis that seek island sun go during the NZ winter, so roughly the middle of the year, however not us because we’re going to a wedding. Some of the wedding guests caught up today at a girls’ lunch in Wellington…

Girls' lunch featuring a number of wedding guests including bride-to-be Sally at bottom left

We were sitting with the travel agent confirming the booking when news of the Christchurch earthquake came through. In a split second our high spirits took a dive as it felt a bit off doing something so frivolous when people were trapped and dying. We completed our business there and went straight back to work to check the news.

Relaxation holidays – and no visit to the islands could be anything else – aren’t something I commonly do. I love them but when there is just so much out there in the world to see and do, they seem like an indulgence that get shunted down the priority list. But the wedding is a good excuse!

The only other time I’ve been to the islands was Fiji for a girls’ trip in about 2000. In honour of the approximately 10th-ish anniversary of that brilliant holiday I’ve scanned (scanned!) a couple of photos…

My friend Hannah and I at Plantation Island Resort, Fiji

Hannah and a little friend

A page from my photo album