Cook Island Get-a-way

It was two days after Christmas, 2015, that we boarded a plane and headed to Roratonga, Cook Islands. It would be the first time we would literally go back in time! We left Auckland on Sunday the 27^th of December and arrived in Roratonga on Saturday the 26^th!

The Cook Islands are a part of the Auckland Mission. They are one of the groups of islands we are responsible for. It was Christmas holiday for everyone in the area office. We were not sure if we would have a chance to go there on an official church assignment so, Jeff arranged a trip and off we went.

When we arrived we had not planned ahead for transportation from the airport to the Sunset Hotel. It just so happened, coincidence or divine intervention, Sister Price, from the nearby ward, was at the curb.  She is a taxi driver part time and was able to take us to the hotel. She also agreed to pick us up for church the next morning just before 9 am.

The first thing we noticed, even from the air, were the gorgeous Flamboyant Trees, nicknamed the Christmas tree.  Every year during December they bloom with beautiful orange-red blossoms. Their branches form a canopy.  The trees line the road and brighten any road side beach, school yard, or church grounds. They were all over the island.

There is one road that circles the island.  You can drive the whole island in less than an hour.  Our hotel was on the beach.  We had a great room that overlooked the pool area.  There was one restaurant at the hotel called, The Anchorage. I had the best mahi mahi fish and chips ever!  Seriously, my mouth waters just thinking about them.  Thick, moist, crisp, best tasting fish.

The beach had a lot of coral on it but very white, coarse sand. The island is encircled by a reef so the water breaks out by the reef and is very calm by the beach. You cannot technically walk around the whole island on the beach but you can walk quite far.  It was beautiful.

Sunday morning right on time Brother and Sister Price picked us up at the hotel and took us to church.  We attended the Arotangi Branch. We met our DPA at church, John Mateara.  We stayed for all three meetings. That afternoon Brother Mateara came to our hotel. We visited with him about public affairs and what he was doing on the island.  

He had made some good contacts with the PM, TV person, and his boss (a prominent business man on the island), over Christmas.  He had taken the DVD and card we sent him to each one and had a nice visit with them.  He got a picture with the PM. We had a good visit and reminded him of our training in Fiji in January.

On Monday morning we rented a car. On the island the people drive on the left side of the road too. So it was good practice for Jeff.

Monday ended up being rainy all day.  Which was a blessing in disguise.  Just prior to leaving Auckland we received word that Elder D. Todd Christofferson was coming to the Pacific Area in January.  One of the responsibilities we have as missionaries is to help plan visits for visiting authorities.  

Two groups of islands, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu were places Elder Christofferson was going to visit.  These are islands that we cover as PA missionaries. Jeff was busy working with Area Seventies, the Area Presidency,  Stake Presidents, and missionaries to plan these visits.  This meant getting in touch with government leaders and/or media personnel to meet with Elder Christofferson when he went to the different islands. Each visit had to be approved by the brethren in Salt Lake.  Jeff kept busy making these arrangements for Elder Christofferson.

We spent one whole day over on Muri Beach. We rented a kayak and rowed out to two outer islands called atolls. It was so fun.  The water was beautiful and walking around the almost untouched islands was fun.  Jeff loves the true pacific, palm tree growing islands.

One day out walking I picked up a fist sized shell. Turned it over and sure enough it had a crab in it. I instantly thought about my grandchildren, they would have loved it. One morning when I was out walking by myself I found a bright purple anemone. It was almost whole. They are very fragile and fade quickly. I tried to show Jeff later but it was broken and not as bright. There were all kinds of coral and little crabs still in their shells scattered over the beach.  You would be walking along and see something move out of the corner of your eye.  When you turned to look, there would be several little crabs in their shell moving around on the beach.

We ate at two very delicious restaurants.  Alfredo’s right next door to the hotel. Also the Spaghetti House, down the road the other way.  Both were very good.

I read two books by Gerald Lund. Fire and Steel series.

At the airport we ran into the Price’s again.  They were headed to Auckland to visit family.  Brother Price was very interested in music and was translating hymns into a language spoken on the Cook Islands.   Someone, maybe Brother Price, had actually translated some hymns and glued them in the hymn book over the English versions. When we returned to Auckland we sent him a Maori hymn book.

A great get-away.