We are back in civilisation! We will wrap up the last few days in Rarotonga in the first of two instalments this evening...

For those that are interested, The Dark Knight Rises was pretty good! Christian Bale is always on the money and Anne Hathaway in a catsuit can only be a good thing... The cinema was small but did the job. It was air conditioned and comfortable and right in the centre of town. At one point a little mouse made a dash right across the front of the screen! However, the walk home at about midnight was not so great. It's a very safe and friendly place (we were given a lift into town by a local!) but the stray dogs are out in force and barking/growling, and I was ridden with mosquito bites.

Since the last blog we've experienced more of the critters that are native to Rarotonga. Including becoming further acquainted with the giant lizards; So much so that three of them (maybe geckos?) were waiting for us on our bedroom walls and ceiling! They wouldn't shift and they make a creepy noise, so rather than have another battle, we dragged our mattresses to a different, empty room!

The next few days were spent lazily: the weather was unpredictable so we didn't fancy the beach, instead we wandered the botanical gardens (small, but worth a visit!) and sampled the delicious food that Raro has to offer. Oh, and we stayed on the mattress until departure because the lizards literally took over the room. They must know we are easy targets!

Once we we're ready to leave, we said our goodbyes to the hostel owner and headed for the airport. We certainly will not be sorry to see the back of Tiare Village and it's a shame that the place we stay ultimately has an influence on our opinion of the whole place. The island is beautiful and the people are great, but unless we are in a 4*+ resort (i.e where you don't have to wear shoes constantly - for fear of stepping on an insect carcass or an upturned screw), we won't be returning anytime soon. The icing on the accommodation cake for us was when we were laying on the floor after lizardgate and some kind of electrical explosion happened right above us!

Craig made a valuable point here - at least we've learnt on our trip to be grateful for the comforts and the conveniences we have at home, so for that we are thankful!

On to our next stop, Auckland, NZ!