Last few days of Raratonga
Jackamy
Paul & Derry Harper
Wed 16 Jun 2010 22:01
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Wednesday 16th June
We'd managed to hire a couple of scooters
after a few attempts, it's their busiest time of year and they work on a first
come first serve basis, so it is pot luck as to whether they have any available
when you turn up. Amy wasn't too keen on having one, she fancied the convertible
car but Paul won and she gave in. After a quick skills test which involved
driving down the road, around a tree and back they were both issued with
temporary licences lasting up until 12.00 the next day. You're then supposed to
go to the police station and get an official licence but as it was a sunday the
police station was closed. When they went to the station at 10.00 on Monday
there were probably over 20 people in a queue to get licences so they didn't
bother!
We set off around the island in a clockwise
direction and stopped off at a local store for a coffee and cake break around 15
minutes later. When Amy consulted the map we realised we were already a quarter
of the way round as we were at the Muri Lagoon!
 We never tire of these sign
posts, it's amazing how far we've come and got to go!
  Muri Lagoon
Next stop was to be Wigmore's waterfall on
the south of the island so off we went again. We were following Blue Magic and
taking in the scenery, keeping our eyes open for signs for the waterfall when
suddenly we were back at the harbour! We'd circumnavigated in probably less than
an hour, we couldn't believe it! After a bit of a giggle we decided to turn back
and head around the island in an anti-clockwise direction looking for somewhere
to eat and again keeping an eye open for the waterfall. We stopped at numerous
places but they either weren't suitable or weren't open. Eventually we found
'The Salwater Cafe' where we had a delicious lunch and a relaxing pit-stop over
looking the lagoon. Believe it or not but we'd passed the waterfall again! We
decided not to head back and try and find it as we'd already missed it twice but
instead to carry on and circumnavigate the island twice in both
directions.
  Our bikes lined up outside the
cafe.........Us inside the cafe
There really wasn't all that much to see but
it was a nice day out. Well for us anyway, Amy spent the whole day terrified
after she nearly crashed again. She now has a fear of turning that she
can't overcome, she just won't lean when she turns! I'm not sure if we'll get
her on another scooter, perhaps that's a good thing though!
Yesterday we returned the scooters and spent
hours slowing walking back to the boat perusing the shops and galleries. We had
a lovely little girl called Elizabeth sat on the dock at the back of our
boat who engaged me in conversation when I returned from
supermarket shopping with Amy. Amy carried on walking to talk to someone
and Elizabeth was fascinated with her, she kept looking round me to see
her as she thought she was beautiful. She chatted on and off for an hour or
more. If we were inside the boat we'd hear 'Paul, Derry, Amy' and she'd be there
waving. She was adorable so we gave her a little etch-a-sketch which she then
spent hours drawing our pictures with and writing our names until she was
summoned back inside.
It was a lovely end to our stay in
Raratonga, we thoroughly enjoyed it. The laid back atmosphere, the people, the
food, everything was great!
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