Rarotonga
Marita3
Mark & Helen Syrett
Thu 14 Jun 2012 03:30
|
The approach to Rarotonga early Saturday morning
suggested no great surprises
 However we found the harbour closed due to major
reconstruction work and we were asked to anchor off the village outside the
reef
 the two Dutch boats had arrived on Friday morning
 Entry formalities were very informal but did
involve several officials----health, agriculture, port authority, customs and
immigration!
  We are on a lee shore with increasing wind so not
ideal but the alternative is to put to sea again but Camelot is awaiting a
spare engine part to be flown in from New Zealand.
In the meantime we have been round the
island---this takes 50 minutes by bus with one bus going clockwise leaving on
the hour and the other anti clockwise leaving on the half hour.
 there are cafes, restaurants, beach lodges and
resorts all the way round the island----a sort of ribbon development with tracks
going into the hills signposted ''Tsunami evacuation route''. We stopped at the
Rarotonga Beach Resort which was very disappointing despite it's location. A run
down Butlins!
 Happy hour sundowners were had on different boats
each night.
 This was on Luna Verde (Contest 50). From left to
right---Huibjan, Helen, Julia, Thijs, Willma, Oscar, Vibecke, Janet and Gunnar.
Huibjan and Janet are sailing Seaquest (Halberg
Rassy 53) with their two daughters (not in picture aged 4 and 7) and
Thijs and Willma on Luna Verde (Contest 50).
The island is very beautiful, lush and green with
some old colonial style buildings
  Today the New Zealand Navy arrived and anchored
nearby, albeit not as close as the Austrian sailing yacht did last
night!
 |