We only have the bike for a couple more hours so we do our errands early as this is our last day on Rarotonga. We do some last minute provisioning (mainly meaning buying frozen shrimp, beer and white wine). There are even more people coming down to the port to take a look at us today as lots of them have seen us on yesterday’s news. We do the checking out bit by paying our bill at the port and visiting customs. We manage to find Mike some new t-shirts with the Tahiti beer Hinano designs on that are half price, and I buy some presents, then we rush back to the boat ready for my plane ride.
Lars, from the Norwegian boat, Ronja, has organised a sightseeing trip of the island in a Cesna 174 (a three-seater plus the pilot). He pops his family in the first plane then waits for me at the airport to accompany me as he doesn’t know whether I have flown in such a small craft before.
The flight only takes 30 minutes but is great fun.
Photo: Lars and myself with our hired Cessna
Photos: The reef around Rarotonga
Photo: The mountainous interior of Rarotonga
Mike comes to pick me up from the airport on the scooter. When we arrive back at the port, it’s great to see Donal sitting on the deck of A Lady. He has been released from hospital but cannot sail off with John and Stephen as he needs to be checked over by the doctor again on Monday. He will stay with friends on the island and fly to meet the boat again in Tonga. We do a few last minute errands then while he takes the scooter back, I rush around and tidy the boat and shower ready for our evening guests. It’s been ages since we have seen Rosemary, Bill and Matt from Crazy Horse and Jim, Maggie and Bob from Ocean Jasper. I know that organising a social just before you head out to sea is not generally a good idea, but it seems too good an opportunity to miss.
They all come over just as the sun starts to set, using a line between us and Ocean Jasper. Transfers between boats are precarious at the moment but they manage it easily and inventively.
Photo: Don’t fall in again, Jim!
We have some wine and nibbles. Very soon it all gets very …….. happy!
Photo: Getting sillier by the minute
By the time we have drunk a few bottles of wine, our visitors have missed their dinner reservations and decide to partake of the local fish and chips with us. While we are there, a local guy decides to entertain us with his version of how to make fire without matches. It is all very scientific, and he has countless goes, but tonight his mojo is not with him, and although lots of smoke is produced, the flames that he has promised elude him. Ray Mears would be mortified!
We say our goodbyes. The other two boats are not leaving until the weekend. On board Jeannius, for my sins (which are probably many) I sit and write three days’ worth of blog before I am allowed to go to bed. Tomorrow at 7 am we will start the sail to Niue.
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