Coral, turtles, churches

The rest of our holiday was spent at the resort, enjoying the sea and warmth, and reading quite a bit.  We also went for cycle rides around the village and coast.

Dave, me and local woman who came over for a chat

One day Rick, Terry and Dave took the out-rigger canoe out and the resort staff got worried about them so the manager and a staff member paddled out to help them, despite our reassurances that they were fine and could all swim well!   We were impressed with the vigilance of the staff.

Another day Rick and Pippa snorkelled out to the coral garden and when they decided to come back in the tide was on its way out which made for a hard swim back to shore.  Merryn, Dave and I were keeping a close eye on them in case someone (i.e. Davy) needed to paddle out but they were fine, if a little tired.

Merryn, Pippa and I had a trip out on the glass bottomed boat which was a great way to see the coral, and we even saw a turtle, briefly.  The others also saw some when out snorkelling.

Rick did a couple of early morning bike rides to explore the nearby villages.  There are a lot of churches…

One morning the staff and people from the village showed us many ways to use a coconut, including making a basket and coconut cream.

We had a couple of lovely sunsets, and one evening had dinner at the resort next door, where they had a fia fia night.

I mentioned earlier a wee problem we had at our first night’s accommodation. When we arrived at the Airport Lodge we were asked to settle the remainder of our account, and order and pay for breakfast the next morning.  The woman serving us was very fast and didn’t give us a receipt.  When we thought about it the next day (in Savai’i) we realised that altogether we had been overcharged by 100 tala (about $60)…  Terry emailed about it but the lodge denied it.  Just a lesson to be aware of what’s going on and check the account at the time!  I have made a Trip Advisor review and mentioned this, so other travellers should be warned.

All too soon it was time to take the ferry back to Apia, return the bikes and fly home.  When we got back to PN it was 8 degrees again with a cool easterly 😦

Savai’i Island Tour, 15 September 2015

We had booked the taxi company to take us on an island tour, which took most of the day.  A very good road circles Savai’i, which is 190km in circumference.  Our resort is in the village of Fagamalo, on the northern coast.

We set off at 9am and followed the coast, passing through many villages.  First stop was the small Peapea cave where we saw a baby swift bird in its nest.  The coast was lovely, with many bays and in some places man-made swimming pools.

We stopped in the Falealupo Rainforest Preserve for some of the group to walk the canopy walkway, then visited the underwhelming Moses’ Footprint, followed by the House of the Rock. We were guided to the latter by two small children who it appeared had been left in charge while everyone else was working!  There are many caves on the island, used as shelter during cyclones which are frequent.

  

Down the western coast we had dramatic views from the clifftop road, including Lovers’ Leap (actually the spot where a mother and daughter leapt to their death), and the amazing Alofaaga Blowholes.  These were spectacular and we were lucky that there was quite a swell.  An older Samoan man was entertaining visitors by throwing a coconut into the vent, which shot high into the sky when the waves hit (seemed quite risky to us!).

 

Another stop was made at the Afu Aau Falls where Terry, Merryn, Rick and Pippa had a swim in the cool fresh water.

On the way home we stopped briefly at Sara and Peter’s home where they were preparing for a large family gathering to unveil Peter’s mother’s headstone.

The villages are all very similar but it seemed that the north eastern coast was less well off than other areas.  Village life is very traditional and centres on the family.  Most families have their own meeting house in the traditional style with open sides which can be closed off with tapa cloths. There didn’t seem to be too many dogs but there were plenty of pigs and chickens.  Families grow their own crops of taro and coconuts are everywhere.

Back at the resort we had another swim/snorkel and delicious dinner in the restaurant.

Getting to Samoa and Savai’i, 11-12 September 2015

After what seemed like a long cold dark winter our trip to Samoa couldn’t come fast enough.  Finally on 11 September we were off, meeting up with Pippa & Dave, Merryn & Terry at Wellington airport.  We also saw Jamie, and then met up with Jenny & Tessa in Auckland.

We arrived in Apia at about 9pm and felt the warm slightly humid air as soon as we walked out of the plane onto the tarmac (very few airbridges in the Pacific!).  Much better than 8 degrees at home 🙂 We were picked up and taken to our overnight accommodation at the Airport Lodge, where we ordered breakfast and settled the balance of our accounts (more on this later).  The bungalows were basic but clean and we were all pleased to get to bed.

The next day some of us had a dip in the water before a delicious breakfast in an outdoor dining area, surrounded by tropical plants.  Yes, we really were in the islands!

We had arranged to hire bikes here and take them on the ferry to the larger island of Savai’i where we were to spend the week.  Terry, Dave and Rick cycled to the ferry terminal while the rest of us went in the taxi with our bags, arriving in plenty of time to get on the ferry.  It seemed pretty full with mostly Samoans and a few tourists.   The hour-long trip was mostly smooth though as we approached Savai’i the weather deteriorated a little into misty rain and the swell was bigger.

From the boat the village of Saleloga appeared spread-out and low rise, and in fact we discovered later that the largest buildings on the island are churches.

We were met by the taxi company we had booked, and they took us to the local market so we could get some fruit and veges for our stay. Then we drove for about 45 minutes around to the north of the island to our accommodation at Savai’i Lagoon Resort.   The couple who owned the taxi were very friendly and told us quite a bit about the island and the festival to mark 175 years since the arrival of Christianity which was to be celebrated in the next few days (hence all the people on the ferry).  They pointed out their village as we drove through, and we saw several Manu Samoa signs, for the Samoan rugby team who were off at the World Cup.

We passed through several villages, all in the traditional style with houses, churches and meeting houses, and some with shops.  There were flags lining the road in places, for the festival, and the roadside was neatly mown, though we also saw quite a bit of rubbish.  In one area we crossed a lava field, dating from an eruption in 1905; houses had been built on top of the lava but there were large bare expanses where little grew yet.

We arrived at our resort and were met by the friendly Aussie managers. The others had stayed here a couple of years earlier and were keen to go back, and we could immediately see why! We had three bungalows very close to the water, very spacious and with lovely outdoor/indoor bathrooms.

We quickly settled in and went out for a swim/snorkel in the lagoon.  It was all very beautiful and we knew we were going to have a relaxing week ahead.

We enjoyed pre-dinner drinks at Rick’s Bar, just outside our room, which would become the pattern for the week, followed by one of our home-cooked meals (we had brought food for some meals and planned to eat out for others).

Rail Trail Day 4, Wednesday 22 April 2015

Kokonga to Middlemarch and on to Dunedin

We were served an excellent cooked breakfast which kept us going for most of the morning, and just as well as we had 42km of cycling to reach Middlemarch by 3.30pm – plenty of time as it turned out.  The first section followed a small gorge, and took us through a tunnel and across bridges so was pretty and varied, and we were soon in Hyde where the white clay is still quarried for glazing china.

We stopped for a late morning tea at 11.30 then it was off again on the long stretch to Middlemarch, 28km away.

It was downhill most of the way, and we churned through the kilometres (with Rick pushing me along so we could keep up with the others!).

We arrived in Middlemarch at about 2pm so had time for a leisurely lunch and some time at the Cycle Surgery office where we got changed and chatted to Pip about the business.   It started out as a cycle repair company (hence the “surgery”) in Dunedin, and has been organising Rail Trail trip for about the last 5 years.

Dave drove us across the stunning rocky landscape to Pukerangi where we caught the Taieri Gorge train back to Dunedin.   It was lovely to be on the train and not cycling, and the gorge was amazing.  In Dunedin we settled into our comfortable house in Cargill St, ordered takeaways and relaxed.

Coffee in Dunedin

Rail Trail Day 3, Tuesday 21 April 2015

Oterehua to Kokonga

We were on our way by 9am, slowly making our way up the 7km incline to the highest point on the Rail Trail, at 618m.  We crossed the 45^th parallel line twice on this section.  It was starting to rain so we didn’t hang about, but started the fast descent to Wedderburn where we were looking forward to a good coffee and scone…however it was not to be as the only place open was a self-service store (very trusting) with self-service coffee machine which no-one was tempted by!  So we pressed on to Ranfurly, 13.5km away.  Here we found a good café and spent some time looking at the excellent Art Deco Museum, Info Centre and railway station.  Interesting to read the history of the town and area – Ranfurly was created as it was a convenient stop on the railway line, and was largely rebuilt in the 1930s as a series of fires destroyed many original buildings (the art deco connection).

From here it was another 18km to our accommodation at Kokonga, mainly downhill but with some uphill which some of us found tiring at this stage of the day!

We were booked into the Kokonga Lodge, a rather luxurious choice and a treat for our last night.  We had arrived at 3pm so had plenty of time to rest and relax before we were served a gourmet meal – pumpkin and tomato soup with spices and coconut cream (a meal in itself), oven-baked salmon with grated carrot and zucchin salad, followed by pear cake.  There was another couple staying there, from Wellington, and we had a fun evening with them, assisted no doubt by Central Otago wines!

Rail Trail Day 2, Monday 20 April 2015

Omakau to Oturehua

We set off just after 9am for a 5km side trip to the lovely historic town of Ophir.  A gold mining town, the main street had beautifully quaint old stone houses, some now offering accommodation.

We had a “tour” of the delightful one-roomed old post office, still operational.  We headed back to Omakau via a picturesque old bridge, and had coffee at the Muddy Creek café before setting off for Lauder, 7km away.

It had started to rain so we were glad to stop at the Station Café for an early lunch.  The next 22km section on to Oturehua is regarded as the most interesting of the trail, passing through a stunning gorge with several tunnels and viaducts.

We climbed for several kilometres, stopping frequently to take photos and admire the scenery.  At one point we were surprised to meet a group from Palmerston North going in the opposite direction, including Rick’s cousin Warren and his wife Sonya!  We detoured off the trail to see what remains of the tunnelers’ huts (small, damp and cold!).

Once past this section (with Rick pushing me up the hills) it was a long slog downhill and along the flat to Oturehua, not helped by a cold head wind and rough trail.   At Oturehua Liz and I continued on to our accommodation (stopping briefly in the village to get directions at the delightful general store, with floor-to-ceiling old-fashioned shelves) while the others visited Hayes Engineering Workshop where they had an excellent tour of both the workshop and various inventions (including the wire strainer for making fences), and the homestead.  We were staying at Inverlair Lodge, a very comfortable and spacious new purpose-built lodge for cyclists, complete with outdoor spa which we all enjoyed very much.  There were two other couples staying there and at 6.30 we were all picked up by Graeme from the Oterehua Hotel where we were having dinner.  We relaxed with a glass of wine by the fire, chatting to Barbara and John from Warkworth and going over the sights and challenges of the day.  We had a delicious dinner (puy lentil pie and lamb shank) and were entertained by Graeme’s stories.  This area is famous for curling and there are frequent competitions (known as the bonspiel).

Rail Trail Day 1, Sunday 19 April 2015

Clyde to Omakau

We were up early for our 8am pick-up for the hour’s drive to Clyde where we were to start the trail. It was stunning countryside, with several vineyards, the Kawerau Gorge, Cromwell (where we were excited to see the Wooing Tree Vineyard and the tree itself!), and along Lake Dunstan to Clyde.  Here we were warmly met by Dave from Cycle Surgery.

After being allocated our bikes, helmets fitted and seats adjusted and an intro to the trail, we were ready to set off.  It was a cool morning (about 10 degrees), with a grey sky but thankfully no wind.  Looking at the map and realising a lunch stop was 25km away (about 2 ½ hours) at Chattoo Creek, we decided that coffee and scones were in order to start us off.  We chose the Bank Café in one of the town’s beautiful historic buildings.

We had a little trouble navigating our way out of Clyde so saw some of the town before finding the beginning of the trail.  Then we were off!  This was an easy start to the trail, flat and with a good surface.  We rode over delightful wooden bridges, past farms and lifestyle blocks on the 8km from Clyde to Alexandra. There were a few other cyclists around, all very friendly.  It started to rain along this stretch so we were decked out in our rain gear and warm gloves, but it didn’t really bother us.  At Alexandra Liz and I pressed on across the river while the others made a short detour to see the Shaky Bridge; we didn’t have time to explore the town itself.

  

It was a very pleasant 17km ride along the flat of the Manuherikia Valley to Chattoo Creek, with several stops at information posts on the way.  We would find these all the way along the trail, giving details about the immediate area and its history, flora and fauna. We were pleased to reach the Tavern at Chattoo Creek where we enjoyed a late lunch (it was now about 1.30pm) and a glass of beer/wine/cider which some of us later regretted as it made us feel sleepy! The tavern was full of locals enjoying Sunday lunch and some other cyclists.  The next 12km stage onto Omakau took us up Tiger Hill, the steepest section of the trail.  I was starting to feel quite tired at this point and wondering if I should call Dave to come and pick me up.   But Rick said he would push me up the hill, and this gave me the impetus to continue.  It was a long slow ascent through rocky outcrops, with stunning views across the valley.

We stopped frequently to rest and admire the scenery, and then we were at the top, below which was a seat called Richard’s Rest, looking out across the farmland.

From here it was a fast descent into Omakau where we were greeted by Mandy at our accommodation in the centre of the small town.  We had a delightful cottage with a small outside area where we all gathered for drinks after a welcome shower and change of clothes.  We ate at the nearby Commercial Hotel and were all in bed by 9pm after a very good first day.

Queenstown, Saturday 18 April 2015

We flew down to Queenstown early in the day with Wayne and Tracy, arriving at 10am.   Billy and Liz had come down the night before, arriving to heavy rain, but we had bright sunshine – though it was still cold in the shade.  We spent a very pleasant day walking into town along the lake, wandering the streets and gardens, enjoying the outdoor market and music, having lunch.  The wind got up in the afternoon so we were glad of the warm fire at our house which had magnificent views over the lake (despite its odd design!).

We were in Queenstown to cycle the Central Otago Rail Trail, a 152km cycle trail through some of the prettiest countryside in New Zealand.  The trail itself is free, maintained by the Department of Conservation with support from the Otago Central Rail Trust.  Opened in 1993 it is a grade 1 or easy trail, so very accessible.   The trail has revitalised Central Otago, bringing in around $15 million to the region each year.

We had booked with a company called Cycle Surgery, who provide bikes and helmets, arrange accommodation and transfers, and support if needed when on the trail.  A few months before our trip I had some surgery so I was a bit under par when the trip came around; it was great to know I could be picked up along the way if necessary.

 

Atiu, Cook Islands

We had a short visit to the tiny island of Atiu in the Cook Islands, in October 2014, with our friends Merryn and Terry. We were interested to get a taste of life on a small island, and while our visit of two nights was short, we saw most of the island and gained some idea of the challenges facing the inhabitants.

The first example was that our flight to Atiu was delayed by two hours, due to engineering problems on one of the aircraft on the popular Aitutaki route. Apparently it happens frequently that flights to Atiu are bumped in favour of Aitutaki, which understandably makes the Atiuans grumpy! Tourism is important for all the islands and Atiu arguably needs it more than Aitutaki.

However, we happily whiled away the time at the lovely outdoor waiting lounge at the Avarua airport, and enjoyed the 45-minute trip up to Atiu.

We were highly amused by this sign at the airport, given the strict security elsewhere in the world!

On arrival we were met by one of the staff from our motel, and given a tour of various places on the way to the motel.  The island may be small but there is a lot to see!  Taro fields, the wharf with its man-made harbour and swimming pool, and through most of the villages, of which there are five.

There are now only about 570 inhabitants, who mostly earn their living from fishing, coffee and tourism.  Also known as Enuamanu, which means bird island, Atiu has a distinctive ecology which the locals are very keen to preserve.

We were staying at the Atiu Villas, built and still owned by a fellow Kiwi Roger and his Atiuan wife Kura.  Beautifully designed with local timber the villas are set in a lovely garden and have cooking facilities.

We really only had one day to explore, as our flight back to Rarotonga was brought forward from midday to 7am, again due to the disruption of the Aitutaki flights.

On the first night we had dinner at Kura’s Kitchen, run by Roger’s wife.  It was delicious, with local fish and produce.  Roger joined us and we learned a lot about the island and his life there.  While it was wonderful to visit I can’t imagine living on such a small island, but Roger clearly loves it.  The locals can struggle to make anything more than a subsistence living, as cash is hard to come by.  Nevertheless they are passionate about preserving both their lifestyle and the flora and fauna of the island.

On our full day Terry and Rick went on a visit to a cave with Marshall to see the local birds and especially the swift which nests inside the caves.

Meanwhile Merryn and I cycled down to the coast (the flat middle of the island is just 70m above sea level) and along a short way which was fascinating, if somewhat hot!

After a quick lunch we joined George the Birdman on an island tour.  He showed us many plants and explained the history of the island, topped off with a home-made feast of taro, chicken, pork and taro leaves in coconut milk, with papaya, banana and coconut for dessert.

All too soon it was time to leave; we all felt we could have stayed longer.  We then had a wonderfully relaxing stay back in our favourite spot on Rarotonga.

Moray eel snapped in a rock…

Dubai-Palmerston North, Saturday 31 May-Sunday 1 June

We were up at 6.30 and had a light breakfast before being taken back to the airport. We hadn’t realised, but at check-in were told we could use the Emirates Business lounge because of our frequent flier status. So we spent a happy 45 minutes drinking wine (Moët for me, my first ever!) and having second breakfast, then boarded through a separate gate directly from the large lounge area. Our seats were right at the back, and by good fortune the row in front of us was empty. So we moved forward, allowing the woman seated with us to have a row to herself. I had the window seat which didn’t have a seat in front, so was very spacious, and Rick was able to curl up on the other two seats for a rest.   We had spectacular views of Dubai after take-off, and also over Oman.

The journey went well, though we didn’t sleep much, as it was mostly in our day-time. We both watched The Book Thief, which we hadn’t seen and which was particularly meaningful after our time in Central Europe. We had about an hour and a half in Melbourne and I did sleep a little on the way to Auckland, lying down myself on one of the many empty rows on this sector. We had a 3-hour wait in Auckland and were by now fairly sleepy, so that we both slept nearly all the way to PN, where we were met by our niece Tara. This perked us up enough to last until 10.30pm, and we enjoyed a lovely evening and welcome home dinner with our PN family.