Friday

Friday, and we’re nearly at the end of this little idyll.

The bikes went home today, so we were on foot. We headed north along the water towards the estuary, where the Pacific pours into and out of the lagoon. The landscape changes quite quickly there, becoming less postcard Pacific island and more mangrove, mudflat and tidal channel.

We stopped for a while at the Garden of the Seven Stones, a small memorial marking the tradition of seven great waka leaving Rarotonga for Aotearoa. The seven stones represent Takitumu, Tokomaru, Kurahaupō, Aotea, Tainui, Te Arawa and Mataatua, and the site marks to the links between Cook Islands Māori and Māori in New Zealand. 

Then we pottered. Briefly. It was too hot for pottering.

We made our way back into Muri, had a slow afternoon, L poked around a few shops, and we went for the requisite swim.

Later we ventured out for extremely fresh fish and chips while working out the slightly less idyllic business of how to get ourselves back to the airport tomorrow.

Maybe one more swim. Probably one more meal involving mayonnaise.