Auckland Airport part III

Here we are, back in Auckland.

Unfortunately we have a seven hour wait until our plane to Singapore leaves so what better thing do to but complete the blog.  The lack of wi-fi hampered the pictorial progress but not the verbosity.

Yesterday was a good slob day but late afternoon we were back on the adventurous trail.  We borrowed the hotel kayaks and set off like......Two old farts in canoes!  We paddled around a section of the lagoon, stopping to snorkel like a couple of old pros.  This shallow area did not have the large fish from the cruise - this lot only went up to side plate size!  There were impressive white and black striped ones but the luminescent blue ones caught the eye.  OF1 found a very long thin one and there was a plethora of aquarium-type fish. 

I was going well in my little kayak until I got cramp!  Somehow the angle of my legs made me cramp up - how OF1 laughed! 

In the evening we walked a mile down the road to have our last meal in the Cook Islands at the #1 cafe on the island....... it was closed!!!.  We trudged towards the hotel looking at hermit crabs the size of your fist scampering (favourite word of OF1's sister) back into their holes in the roadside as we approached.

Eventually we were at the end of the hotel road and revisited the Mexican restaurant.  I had the beef chimmichanga which was packed full of spicy chunks of tender beef but OF1 made the canny choice of fish fahitas which contained the most delicious yellow fin tuna.  We washed it all down with a bottle of bubbly to celebrate the most wonderful of holidays.

Today the weather was...... wait for it........... hot and sunny and very humid. It was a scorcher.  We spent some time packing our cases for the very last time then breakfast by the pool with tropical fruit salad fresh from the trees.  We had a couple of hours to kill so we had coffee and the world famous custard squares (they do qualify this as world famous in Muri!!!) which were delicious, in a cafe just up the road.

We showered and changed then our bus to the airport arrived and the long journey home commenced.  Raratonga International Airport is tiny but our big bags were labelled up to Heathrow so we will not see them for days.  The airport just got hotter and hotter with the thermometer reading 90°F and very humid to boot. From 30° and sun to 16° and rain in Auckland is some contrast

The flight here was good with a lively discussion in the seats behind as a loud woman filled a vacant seat to chat to her mate whilst swilling a significant amount of white wine.  The man behind objected - to her and chief steward.  All good fun.

I hope the 8th of March was a good one as we are only having the fag end of it, having jumped 24 hours crossing the IDL.

We are now residing in the Emperor Lounge in the airport so we can relax, have some food and a shower (I am being teased about my third change of clothes today).

I will write a reflection on all we have seen and done when back at home.