Then a lovely drive across the island paradise to the hotel: steep tree-covered dark green mountains in the background, a few shops and houses along the road, lots of people on mopeds - it was all very undeveloped and South Pacific-picturesque, despite the appalling weather (leaden grey skies that developed into torrential rain battering the bus).
We were umbrella'd into a wooden, woven-roofed reception to check in, breakfasted in a daze, and then retired to bed to recover. And a few hours later, the holiday really started. The resort is quite small, set in gardens, and sits on the edge of the stunning (even in the grey rain) lagoon, created by a reef circling the whole of Rarotonga island - a proper island idyll. A late lunch on the lagoon-edge beach with sandy toes turned into a very early happy hour, as Kevin and I sampled the cocktails of the day, and Jemima made sand castles at our feet, us all sheltered from the rain bursts by the canopy roof. (She also lost no time chumming up with whoever was available - children, staff, other adults - all were fair game, and Kevin and I were happy to let others absorb her energy today.)
Then, after an extremely pleasant tiredness/ alcohol-induced hazy afternoon, back to the room for a shower and change before dinner in another wooden/ woven hut - everything appropriately tropical: drinks with flowers in; wonderfully friendly staff wearing flower headdresses (women) or shell necklaces (men - some also with a flower behind the ear); and the ever-present sound of the waves crashing on the reef. Perfect. We staggered to bed, hoping that we, and the weather, would both be better tomorrow.
Jemima being welcomed, still in her pyjamas from the plane journey:
In between the rain showers:
A sieve full of hermit crabs:
A map of where the Cook Islands are (under the blue dot):
The other island groups between us and Australia are places like Fiji, Samoa, and Vanuatu:
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