Beatrix pottering: Island Time

The resort newsletter suggests not wearing a watch while here, as after all, everyone is on Island Time - and, oh yes, we are too, frittering our days in an endless round of eating, drinking, swimming, playing, eating, drinking, swimming, playing, with occasional kayaking/ snorkelling/ paddle boarding thrown in. The level of detail in this blog will consequently diminish, otherwise we will all die of boredom (this life is a LOT better to live, than to read about). So, highlights only:

Saturday: all of us woke up very late, at 10am, due to tiredness and time difference. But when we opened the curtains, scrambling to get to breakfast in time, the view revealed was jaw-droppingly good: white sand beach, palm trees, turquoise sea, and, hurrah, blue sky. So off to the pool after breakfast on Jemima's request to test it out, which included another impressive, short-lived thunderstorm (the pool was very nice but the beach is better, was the conclusion).

So back to the beach for lunch, swimming, playing, sunbathing, reading (for me), and then the excitement of the day: our first sea outing all together in a two man kayak, with Jemima perched on the bow, to the desert island across the lagoon. And it was brilliant! Our river experience in the inflatable kayak stood us in good stead, Kevin and I got it moving well, and Jemima loved it, of course. Happy hour, showers, then dinner on the beach, with Jemima engaged in spotlit paddling and running races with whoever would oblige, and finally bed. And repeat...

Sunday: and repeat we did, although we started much earlier, jet lag relinquishing its hold; I had a quick morning outing along the road to stock up on the vital suncream (all ATMs and card machines weren't working due to a bank issue, so the lovely lady - in the second shop I tried - let me come back to pay tomorrow - how wonderfully trusting); and rather than a family kayak trip in the afternoon, Jemima and I went out together, and then she and I had a go snorkelling in the shallows - a special moment.

Happy hour, shower, and dinner in a restaurant just along the beach this time, at the Sailing Club, slightly raised on a verandah with a beautiful view overlooking the beach, and Jemima happily playing in the sand below with New Zealanders Claudia (6) and Dylan (8) from our next door table, and then bed. And repeat...

Monday: and today's variations: it was pouring down when we woke up, after a few days of glorious weather (beautifully sunny but not oppressively hot), but cleared up as the morning wore on; I went to pay my debts (and ended up swapping addresses with the lovely shop lady - apparently she wants to come to visit), while Jemima played enthusiastic (if as yet slightly inaccurate) football in the rain, watched by Kevin from under the sheltering canopy; and we all went out for a paddle, Jemima and Kevin in a kayak, and me attempting stand up paddle boarding for the first time (I asked the beach kit man which was the front, as I couldn't tell, and he told me, slightly patronisingly, "the pointy end"...) - we all got to the desert island again, it was great fun, if hard work on the arms as it was windy.

Then, most significantly, after a quick sandwich in the room, we went on the hotel snorkelling boat trip, which was brilliant - a chance to get further out into the turquoise glass-watered lagoon and reprise our Cairns snorkelling (Jemima with goggles and a woggle saying, "this is amazing"). Another great experience, with the bonus of a different snorkelling group joining us with food for the fish - having the blue fin trevallis zooming all around us to get it was brilliant. Then, as per usual, Happy Hour (Jemima spending most of it sitting in the warm sea, chatting to whoever is nearby, whether 6, 16 or 60), dinner on the beach, more playing with Claudia and Dylan, and bed. It's all rather brilliant - Jemima said Rarotonga is her favourite place from the trip. More to come tomorrow...