Raro day 2: relaxation & drinks with the girls

Day two dawned overcast and with the same breeze/wind as yesterday. I could see my opportunities to grab some colour before the wedding on Saturday dwindling. We did the breakfast thing and were greeted with rain spits on the way back.

With no particular plan for most of the day we hung around the resort. The weather obliged a little and there was some lounging around outside. I finished one book and discovered that the other book I brought I had read before. Hate that. We eavesdropped on the unit above us where a bride and her entourage were getting ready.

Pausing on loungers near the kayak station

One of the locally crafted artworks at the resort

Is this a hibiscus? I'm useless with flowers. There are loads of things in bloom here, tis all very pretty.

In clusters around the resort are tons of these stones which mark each wedding held here.

I also did a fair bit of wrestling with internet access. No matter where I sat the bloody wireless hotspot eluded me and I soon realised I should abandon any ambition of more regular blog updates.

There was a rough plan to catch up with Sally the bride-to-be and some of the (ex-)Wellington girls also here for the wedding. Eventually plans materialised and Sally picked me up on her rented scooter to meet the others at their resort. Drinks, nibbles and gossip ensued for a couple of hours until we headed out for dinner.

Sally arriving to pick me up. I did manage to fit on the back but not without sustaining a huge bruise in the process...

L-R: Megan, Danielle, Fleur, Michele, Glenda, Sally, me, Michelle

Huddled around Dan’s mobility scooter (...on account of her sprained ankle!)

Most of us continued on to a bar/restaurant located near the Avarua township. This turned out to be a $45 taxi ride which I think took us all by surprise as it was probably less than 10kms. Located right on the waters’ edge, Trader Jacks is a fairly rustic building and was rebuilt after a hurricane flattened it a few years ago.

We enjoyed a few drinks first and the girls were quick to scope out members of the French navy in town… Rarotonga is apparently a two day sea journey from Tahiti. But focusing back to the main reason for the outing: our meals were all seafood based and not only excellent quality but also excellent value.

On account of the wedding the next day it wasn’t a big night. The island buses run clockwise once an hour at night (Raro is only 32km full circle) so similar to when we arrived, my first exposure to the other half of the island was in darkness. I couldn’t wait to see it in daylight.

Sprung this fella crabbing through the closed downstairs cafe area on my way back through our resort.