When we lived in Belize 20 years ago one of our favourite trips was to take our boat down the canals and rivers to Northern Lagoon about 20 miles South.

At 10am we left David & Debbie’s home and a few minutes later passed where we used to live – Moho Cay -

and at 10:50 arrived at the mouth of the Sibun river, a tranquil and beautiful location.

About 12pm we entered Northern Lagoon and after checking out Bird Cay we landed on the beach on the Western side. It may look like the coast, but the sea is 6 miles away.

Lunch in the shade of a cashew tree and then we heard the sound of the next leg of the journey as an amphibious vehicle motored down the canal behind us.

After boarding we were driven/motored about 10 miles along canals, muddy tracks, broad savannah, dense jungle – 22 different eco-systems in one hour.

We transferred back to David’s car at Gracy Rock an then drove the 20 miles back home. Stopping only to buy a coconut each.

At 4pm I picked up the hire car, our transport for the next 11 days and couldn’t resist a shot of the infamous Raul’s Rose Garden. Any old Belize hand will remember the place with affection.

Raul’s – where every customer comes first !

In the evening we were guests of Eamon and Denise for a fabulous party.

Today we drive the 200 miles south to Punta Gorda.

Toshiba 42″ 1080p Full HD LCD TV with Deep Lagoon Design and ClearScan 240 Effect Review

Toshiba 42″ 1080p Full HD LCD TV with Deep Lagoon Design and ClearScan 240 Effect Overview

Bring the world clearly into your universe with Toshiba 42 1080p Full HD LCD TV. This TV features ClearScan 240, which combines a 120Hz frame rate with new Backlight Scanning Technology to create a 240Hz effect for an all-new level of picture clarity with fast-motion video. Plus, with the USB port, you can view JPEG pictures, MPEG or DivX videos or listen to MP3s. There’s also an SD Card Slot for easy JPEG digital picture viewing – simply take the memory card from your camera and place it in the TV. Toshiba 42 1080p Full HD LCD TV 1080p Full HD LCD display – provides high-resolution video content with over 2,000,000 pixels for increased picture detail and clarity ClearScan 240 with Backlight Scanning Technology – combines 120 frames per second with a new advanced Backlight Scanning System to create a 240 Hz effect REGZA-LINK (HDMI-CEC) – connect to other compatible devices using an HDMI cable and then control them using one remote – no additional programming or setup required CineSpeed Display – has an LCD response time of 8ms or less to ensure that the display is also fast enough for high-quality home theater DynaLight Dynamic Backlight – constantly monitors the brightness level of the video signal and adjusts the screen’s backlight level on the fly to deliver deep blacks and well-defined shadow detail CrystalCoat Contrast Enhancer – prevents ambient room light reflections from washing out the picture, creating up to 30% better contrast in bright rooms TheaterWide modes – ideal for displaying HDTV signals as well as enhanced for widescreen television DVDs; choose from 3 modes Native mode – restores the size of the picture by the 3-5% that is generally lost during the normal over-scanning that occurs on traditional sets Gaming mode – enhances the gaming experience by reducing game controller delay; allows the video signal to bypass select picture circuitry to shorten the overall signal to screen time Channel Brow

Available at Amazon

Related Products

Customer Reviews

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 26, 2009 09:24:04

Enchanted River

Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur

Biobays may be visited by kayak or electric boats.  Vieques Island and Fajardo both offer these trips

Product: NYX Chrome Eyeshadow (in “Green” and “Lagoon”)

Price: $3 at Cherry Culture

General Information: http://www.cherryculture.com/cosmetics/makeup/nyx-cosmetics/nyx-chrome-eyeshadow/16603&cat=0&page=2

Review:

Rating: 3.8/5

One of the most amazing sights in Iceland is the Jökulsárlón Lagoon. The vast glacial caps in Iceland find an end in this lagoon, where you can see the icebergs drifting away to melt down into the sea. Although the ice caps in Iceland are undoubtedly one of its major attractions, the natural beauty of this peculiar island is just jaw-dropping. Waterfalls, rifts, geysers, black beaches and craters are just some of the sights you would never forget if you have the privilege of spending some time near the Polar Circle.

HDR, Olympus E-410

Permalink

Sydney is the largest city in Australia, and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney has a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million and an area of approximately 12,000 square kilometres. Its inhabitants are called Sydney siders, and Sydney is often called “the Harbour City”. It is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, reflecting its role as a major destination for immigrants to Australia.

The city is home to many prominent parks, such as Hyde Park, Royal Botanical Gardens and national parks. This is a major factor, along with Sydney Harbour that has led to the city’s reputation as one of the most beautiful in the world

Bronte beach

Bronte is a beach side suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bronte is located 8 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the Waverley Council local government area of the Eastern Suburbs.

Bronte Beach Sydney

Bronte Beach is a small but popular recreational beach on Nelson Bay in Bronte in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Bronte beach is 2 KM  south of Bondi Beach and north of the much larger Coogee Beach. A long distance ocean swimming event is held every December between Bondi Beach and Bronte. The three beaches are linked by a paved coastal footpath along the rocky clifftops, much frequented by tourists and local runners and walkers. The beach is popular with surfers and despite the often rough surf, less abled swimmers can avail themselves of the bogey hole or rock pool towards the southern end of the beach. At the south end of the beach is a 30 metre ocean pool. Directly opposite the beach are popular cafes.

Manly Beach

Manly Beach Sydney

Manly Beach is probably the most famous and popular north Sydney urban beach, on the same level as Copacabana Beach in south Rio de Janeiro. A Manly Beach vacation is enjoyed by more tourists than any other beach in the country, except perhaps Bondi Beach, which is just across Watsons Bay and located right in the city. Because of its proximity to the city, things to do at Manly Beach include kayaking and sailing excursions that begin or end under the graceful Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. If you are not up for this kind of exertion, it’s possible to simply lie on the long stretch of sand and view these iconic landmarks without lifting a finger.

Manly Beach Sydney

Manly Beach is one of the finest beaches in the Sydney area. It’s considered to be the jewel of the north shore beaches by many people, locals as well as tourists. Manly is located on a narrow peninsula, surrounded on three sides by water, it offers both harbour and ocean beaches. Few cities in the world can boast the pristine waterfronts and paradisiacal climate that Sydney offers.

Coogee Beach

Coogee is a beachside suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Coogee is located 8 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Randwick. It is also a part of the Eastern Suburbs region.

Coogee Beach Sydney

The Tasman Sea and Coogee Bay along with Coogee Beach lie towards the eastern side of the suburb. The beach is popular for swimming. The boundaries of Coogee are formed mainly by Clovelly Road, Carrington Road and Rainbow Street, with arbitrary lines drawn to join these thoroughfares to the coast in the north-east and south-east corners.

Cable Beach

Cable Beach Australia is one of the most popular beaches in Western Australia. Nonetheless, at almost fourteen miles long, it is rarely crowded like the urban beaches in Sydney.

Cable Beach Broome Australia

This is an extraordinary unspoiled stretch of sand that benefits from is remote location. But it can be quite crowded at certain times, especially in the southern hemisphere’s winter, mid-June to mid-August. If you want to come at this time, you should make your arrangements in advance.

Additionally, when to go if you want to spend a lot of time in the water is not during the wet season of November to March when your Cable Beach vacation can be marred by the stinging box jellyfish that are present in the coastal waters during this period.

Hyams Beach

Hyams Beach Sydney

Hyams Beach is part of what may be the top attraction on the coast between Sydney and Canberra—beautiful Jervis Bay. The tiny village, with a population hovering around 100 people, is on the coast about 70 miles south of Sydney. The beaches in Hyams Beach include Chinaman’s Beach to the north and Seaman’s Beach to the south, as well as the eponymous Hyams Beach.

Hyams Beach Sydney

Trying to decide which is the best New South Wales beach is a bit difficult, as there are several other beaches lining Jervis Bay. These include Nelsons Beach, Murrays Beach, Collingwood Beach, Honeymoon Bay, and Green Patch Beach. All are known for small crowds, pure white sands, and wildlife (both marine and terrestrial).

Palm Beach Australia

Palm Beach Australia is known as the jewel of the beaches north of Sydney. For a city almost as well known for its urban beaches as Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, that’s saying something.

Palm Beach Australia

The city is a sprawling metropolis, and Palm Beach in Sydney is within an hour’s drive of the famed Opera House and Harbour Bridge that are its central attractions. It is set at the tip of a dual peninsula in the northernmost suburb of the city, across Pittwater from Currawong Beach and the vast Kurungai Chase bush, one of the country’s many national parks. It’s about twenty miles north of Manly Beach, another of the city’s best northern beaches.

Palm Beach Australia is a very trendy suburb, with many spectacular multimillion dollar homes. Its beautiful beach is surrounded by public gardens and parks and two golf courses. This popular beach can be crowded on holidays and weekends, and parking can be problematic. But it is well worth a visit.

Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach Lagoon Australia

Airlie Beach is a small but cosmopolitan resort town located in the northern state of Queensland. Set in Pioneer Bay on lovely palm fringed beaches, it is one of the main gateways to the beautiful Whitsunday Islands and to the Great Barrier Reef. It is on the mainland coast, nestled between Dryander and Conway National Parks and only a few sailing miles from Whitsunday Islands National Park. Airlie Beach holidays provide a great many things to do and attractions that most people think of as synonymous with this island nation.

I lay awake in the middle of the night because I haven’t been disciplined about taking hormones.  When they seep regularly into my system, I sleep all night without waking.  When I’ve neglected my doses, I wake up burning hot, cast off the covers and toss and turn.  I pay the next day in alertness, energy, and capability.

I am guilty of  “sin as refusal to grow”, as described by Ochs and Olitzky in Jewish Spiritual Guidance. They say we must grow, and it requires effort, change, and acceptance of possible discomfort on our part.  The sin is to stay asleep, to refuse the call, and not open to the beloved.  The real sin could be of growing weary, wishing we could “just stay put”.

I am not guilty of this sin at large – I do diligently try to stay present, connected, and listening.  However, an interpretation of this sin could be laziness. I get lazy.  I’m aware I’m lazy.  I know there will be consequences, but I stay lazy.  Unfortunately, a single contagious laziness begets many.  I don’t go out and exercise in the gorgeous weather, because it is easier to sit in front of the computer.  My hand gets sore from the keyboard, especially when I slip into game after game of mind-numbing-habit-forming-life-stealing solitaire.  Lost in the stupor of laziness, I don’t eat well.  A box of Junior Mints suffices as a mid-morning snack.  Popcorn serves as dinner.  I am too lazy to take the good, real, nutritiously balanced food out of the refrigerator and cook it – too indolent to grab a handful of nuts and fruit for that snack.  I am not taking care of myself.  The contagion covers me like spider webs on patio furniture in winter.

So, in the middle of the night, I was gently reminded to take care of myself.   I did.  I took the meds I needed to take this morning.  I did my contemplative practice before reading the juicy Sunday New York Times.  I lugged the rowing scull off its rack and stroked on perfectly flat blue water, slicing through golden reflections of autumn birch trees cast by long sparkling rays of citrine sunlight.  Creatures were celebrating with me.  A puppy sat on a back deck, not even turning his head as I slipped by – too intoxicated by the dazzling warmth to lift a whisker.  Two pelicans shared Chevy’s rooftop with shrieking gulls.  They must have been so torpidly full of fish they merely tuned out their noisy neighbors.  Rowing backwards, I heard voices.  When I reached my turnaround point, there were two kayakers, spread-eagled over their craft, sunbathing.  It is almost December.

Returning to my dock, Labrador  Lucy awaited me, delirious that I had disconnected from the computer.  She joyously swam after the ball, thrilled at my attention and at playing one of her favorite games.  Little kitty, Rita,  hid and sought, stalking me while I waited for Lucy to return with the ball.

Yes, taking care of myself by hanging out in the sanctuary of nature with her creatures was exactly the right advice.  I must remember it for tomorrow, and ward off that oozing slime of laziness.

Ginney

Rangiroa is an incredible coral atoll, situated in the Tuamotu Archipelago, of French Polynesia. With a land mass covering an area of about 40 square kilometers, Rangiroa is the largest atoll in the South Pacific and one of the largest in the world. Its lagoon in the center is the largest in the world, after Kwajalein of the Marshall Islands.

Covering an area of about 1650 square kilometers and measuring 75 kilometers across and 25 kilometers wide, the lagoon is much favored for its sparkling clear as well as warm waters, dramatic landscape, and abundant marine life such as manta rays, sharks, eagle rays, turtles, dolphins, and schools of barracudas. With a string of coral surrounding the glowing turquoise, jade-colored lagoon, Rangiroa is a paradise for diving and snorkeling. Rangiroa is only an hour’s fly away from the Pepeete, the capital as well as the administrative center of the Tahiti.

Literally meaning ‘Long Sky,’ Rangiroa get its name from the enormous length formed as a result of its more than tiny 200 islets that surround its gorgeous lagoon. Scuba diving and snorkeling in Rangiroa are truly a great experience, since it is surrounded by two separate bodies of water, such as, the Moana-uri and the Moana-tea.

A good number of travel agencies and top notch hotels are in the scenario to make your diving in Rangiroa a great experience. There is also an array of centers in order to impart diving classes and render rental diving equipments. Few among them are Blue Dolphins Diving Center, Rangiroa Paradive, Raie Manta Club, and The Six Passengers and Topdive. In fact, diving in Rangiroa is highly prized because of the pass dives in the dive sites of the island and the waters of the lagoon teeming with scores of marine life.

No matter you are a beginner, an intermediate, or an experienced hand, Rangiroa boasts of diving sites to cater to all levels of divers and snorkelers. For beginners, one of the best spots in Rangiroa is the Aquarium, otherwise known as Nuhi Nuhi. Located near a motu within the Tiputa Pass and with a maximum depth of about 35 feet, the Aquarium is a great diving spot thriving with an array of interesting coral as well as reef fish species such as triggerfish, threadfin butterfly fish, eels, parrotfish, Moorish idols, and damsels. Another great diving site for beginners is Mahuta, where you can swim along with marine species such as reef fishes and sharks.

Diving sites in Rangiroa also include the Tiputa Pass, which is located between the deep lagoon and Open Ocean. Boasting of The Valley – one of the most challenging spots for drift diving in the world, this area is however recommended only for advanced levels of divers, since its strong current cannot be sometimes manageable for novices.

Further, this area contains underwater valleys whose edges are criss-crossed with crevasses and crevasses, where a number of fish species can be seen such as eels, lionfish, hammerheads, and stone fish. Found at the edge of the Tiputa Pass is another popular diving area, namely, Shark Cave, which is about 120 feet. This area consists of an overhang where one could shelter from the current as well as spectacle some species of sharks such as blacktips, silvertips, and greys.

Apart from these, one could also come along a number of other fish species including unicornfish, surgeonfish, snappers, and trevallies. Other popular diving spots within the Tiputa Pass are Hammerhead Plateau and L’Eolienne.

Also, a great diving destination in Rangiroa is Avatoru Pass with strong current, al though not as strong as that of the Tiputa Pass. With a depth varying from 60-90 feet, the Avatoru Pass allows you to swim along a plethora of tropical fish species such as spotted leopard rays, pompano, rays, patrolling grey sharks, eels, and much more. Rangiroa’s other popular diving destinations are Giant Wrasse Shelf, The Wind Turbine, The Blue, Napoleon Manta Point, Motu Fara Pass, and Mahuta.

Rangiroa is diveable throughout the year. According to the interest of divers, diving in Rangiroa is classified into three seasons: the hammerhead shark season, which is January through February; the manta ray season, which is from September to October; and rest of the year when other species of fish, apart from manta ray and hammerhead shark, can be seen.

Nowadays, many of the high-end hotels in the area provide superb facilities for an enjoyable diving in Rangiroa. Some even render packages inclusive of accommodation, dining, and facilities for diving and snorkeling in the destination.

First off I would like to thank JohnnyUpSideDown.com for allowing me to post these pictures of the Jet Star 2 at the Lagoon in Utah. Since there are no Jumbo Jets close, the next best thing is the Jet Star 2!

So now all you have to do is plan your trip to Utah to ride the Jet Star 2. Are you ready? I am…. Let’s Ride!

To note, these shots were all taken this past May.  I am not in Colombia, as many have asked, but I will be back to explore Colombia’s Caribbean coast for the winter holidays.  For now, there is still much to see from PASTO!

Brand new home close to lagoon.   Looking for tranquility and nature…… This development offers stylish yet natural finishes in parklike surrounds with buck roaming freely. Just a short walk to the waters edge. Established trees and natural surrounds. House has 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Spacious open plan living with large covered wrap around patios.  Single garage. Fenced.

Affordable family home – make an offer. Set in a tranquil quiet environment in the southern suburbs of Knysna, this family home offers plenty of accommodation for the extended family. 3 Bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, open plan living area. Northern covered patio. Double garaging.  Beach cottage in the garden overlooking the swimming pool. Beach style cottage offers: Open plan lounge, kitchen, dining with separate one bedroom and bathroom. Some views of the lagoon. Fenced.

From tomorrow morning, this will be the view that will greet me and She Whom Must Be Obeyed each morning for the next week.  After a family meal of chicken piri piri with our girls and a friend who will live with them for a week, we’re heading off to Aggie Grey’s Lagoon Resort in Samoa – most recently, the location for Survivor Samoa – for our first holiday without kids for 18 years.  A bit of saving and a bit of a bonus and a bit of a travel agent discount have all been combined to make this happen so we’re planning to make the most of the break and really relax.  As we have met and worked with a few Samoan folk in New Zealand, we are looking forward to seeing something of their homeland.  Having booked this trip months back and collected the tickets on the morning of the recent tsunami, we were a little conflicted as to whether we should still take the holiday there with so many having lost so much on that day.  However, the advice we have been given is that because tourism is a mainstay of the economy, just spending our tourist dollars will be of benefit.  Be that as it may, we also hope to hook up with a local contact in Apia for a little mini-mission while we’re there.  With that, I’m off for a plate of chicken piri piri.

With 1001hp at its disposal and a price tag well into the millions of dollars, the Bugatti Veyron certainly demands attention wherever it goes.

Unfortunately for one Veyron owner in the United States, this meant his most disastrous moment was caught on tape as his hypercar plunged into two feet of saltwater.

Earlier reports stated that the driver was startled by a low-flying pelican whilst talking on his mobile phone, although this latest video shows the Veyron casually leaving the road without prior incident.

No doubt this new evidence of the events leading up to the crash will wreak havoc on his insurance claim, resulting in one very expensive public service announcement about the dangers of driving while using a mobile phone.

Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a wonderful day cleaning up the Lagoon.
Today I visited Paroa School, St Josephs School and Apanui School. I saw a lot of wonderful inquiry learning at the three schools and talked to the children about what they were learning about, what they had found out and what they were going to do.
Tomorrow I go in for my surgery. It should be all over by lunchtime so that is going to be great. Have a great week with Mrs van der Molen and make sure you look after her.
Once I am feeling better I will make another post. Don’t forget to keep smiling and remember to use the 5c’s.

Mrs H

Andy House isn’t just the man who crashed his Bugatti Veyron into a lake. He’s also the man who owns the repaired Ferrari Enzo crashed by actor Eddie Griffin. Holy super car t-shirt meme crash overload!

House himself confirmed to us he owns the Enzo crashed by Griffin. Ironically, the business House owns is Performance Auto Sales, which sells repaired exotic cars. According to House he’s one of the largest salvage auto dealers in the world.

Being an expert on the topic, we asked him if he’d consider the car salvageable. House’s response:

“Not sure if the car is salvageable yet, have not had a chance to go survey the damage.”

According to House, this wasn’t a company car he was planning to sell but rather a personal car and, despite the Bugatti lake accident, he’s not done with the car yet, telling us

“It is by far the nicest car that I have ever owned, looking to replace it now!”

The Veyron itself was released to the insurance company earlier today and, despite claims to the contrary, he insists he was not talking to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at the time of the crash.

After leaving San Diego we drove up the coast for the day, stopping at Laguna Beach for some more seaside practice. Having topped up our sunburn a little we ventured into Los Angeles, without a map just to make it more exciting. This was surprisingly successful and we found LAX with an hour to spare so we backed out to Inglewood to spent our last dollars on Double Doubles at In ‘N’ Out burger.

We could no longer avoid the inevitable and went to spend the evening at LAX, surely one of the dullest airports on earth. We considered livening things up by reporting Russel Brand, who had been ushered to the front of our security queue, for looking suspicious, just to see if he’d get pinned to the ground and examined but he and his entourage were whisked through the scanners and had vanished in seconds.

We had a good flight to Rarotonga, arriving early into the 1 room airport at 5:45am. Waiting for our bags we listened to the obligatory ‘old man playing the ukulele’ that you get at all pacific airports and were then taken down to our hostel at Muri Beach. Our room wasn’t ready yet so we had to postpone catching up on sleep until the afternoon, spending the morning sampling the local doughnuts (like normal jam doughnuts except they have no sugar on top and no jam inside) and exploring the small town.

On our second day we went over to the North end of the Island to do the cross-island hike, starting off in nice back country little villages, small houses on big grassy plots surrounded by Frangipani trees and goats. Entering the jungle it soon became a lot more challenging, firstly just because it was heavily overgrown and shortly after a near vertical climb up a narrow ridge for 45 minutes which made the Grouse Grind look like a stroll in the park! We soon reached the Needle summit for a rest, some lunch and a go on the frozen vegetables we were carrying to cool down. As usual going down the equally steep south side was even harder followed by several stream crossings but we soon emerged on the South rim of the Island. This is where we came across the abandoned remains of the Hilton resort – a government backed venture that went pear shaped, leaving them $100 million in debt and now remains a massive ghost hotel, never finished and just left to rot for the last 15 years. Seems such a waste, why they don’t sell it on we don’t know. We’d turn half of it into accommodation then build a Cross-country moped race circuit around the grounds that weaved in and out of the rest of the abandoned buildings while also using these as a paintball arena – Anyone out there want to invest in / stump up all the cash for our new business??

Midweek we flew over to Aitutaki for a few days, one of the worlds most beautiful lagoons a couple of hundred km from Rarotonga. The view from the air is unbelievable – the most vivid turquoise lagoon dotted with coral outcrops and island Motu’s. Our photo’s don’t do the place justice so you’ll have to Google Earth it for a view!

However, our accommodation was much less spectacular, probably the most basic we’ve encountered on all of our travels but we soon got used to it and by the end of the week the leaking roof, Mr. kitchen rat and numerous cockroaches were all taken in our stride!

There were some significantly more upmarket places on the island running at hundreds or thousands of dollars per night but I’m sure we enjoyed ourselves just as much as their guests, lazing on the same beaches and snorkeling in the lagoon, with coconut bowling and bonfires in the evening!

Everyone in Rarotonga gets about by moped so here on Aitutaki we thought we’d have a go. The rental place over the road only had motorbikes though but we enquired anyway.

“Have you ridden one of these before?” asked the big boss man. “Yes, back on Rarotonga” I lied. I’m not sure he believed me from the outset when I had to have every lever and foot pedal explained to me twice. The nearest I’ve ever been to riding any kind of moped or motorbike is a sit-on lawnmower which was probably quite obvious when I followed big boss man’s encouragement to take it for a spin down the road. “So this one’s the throttle then..?” as I gave it a quick twist, lurching forward into the path of an oncoming mini-van. I could see the look of concern on his face as I scooted around to have another go facing the right direction. Off I went though, successfully making it into 2^nd gear 50m down the road so decided to turn around and go back. Here I performed a classic piece of slapstick motor-biking, once again tweaking the throttle far too hard the bike shot straight over the road and into some local’s front garden, with me barely holding on I finally remembered to brake with my foot a couple of metres from the sea! Luckily Zoë had distracted Big boss man and he hadn’t seen me do this so when I sheepishly returned his bike he still seemed half-keen to rent it to us! Even my low level of common sense prevailed and we decided not to, there’s nothing like a nice walk in the searing heat anyway.

We did get some biking in the next day however, only because we’d spotted a fully automatic moped for hire. This was much more our scene so we snapped it up, about £10 for the day plus another £1 for a Cook islands driving licence from the Cop Shop. There was no test involved which was lucky as at the time I couldn’t even work the kickstand properly. We soon got the hang of it, taking it in turns to rag it around the island dirt roads weaving past goats and hundreds of massive crabs. A huge storm hit in the afternoon which made moped-ing quite a lot less fun so we went back to base, Zoë reaching around from the back seat to cover my eyes from the stinging rain with her hands while I squinted through her fingers – we got a few funny looks from the locals!

The rains passed by the morning which was good as we had booked a lagoon cruise with the other folks in our hostel. We did some snorkeling in the crystal clear lagoon, Giant Clams, blue starfish and plenty of other tropical fish were all spotted. I once again got hand cramp from pinching my nose shut so reverted to regular swimming before landing on a few of the islands to explore – Honeymoon Island, ‘Tiger Island’ off of Shipwrecked and One Foot Island for lunch. A good day out but paid the price with some pretty nasty sunburn after being in and out of the water all day!

The next few days were a bit miserable weather-wise, so we just pottered about coconut bowling / trying to take out the cockerels that woke us at 4am every morning, playing cards with our hostel chums, reading on the beach or paddling in the lagoon, although once we’d seen two sea-snakes 5ft from the shore we were more reluctant to wade in!

Back on Rarotonga it’s been more of the same, a bit of kayaking, beaching, getting sunburnt, getting bitten by mosquito’s etc… so we’ve actually decided to chop our 2 weeks in Fiji which would have been more of the above and fast forward to New Zealand!

On our last full day in Cairns, we relaxed, hitting the salt water lagoon on the Esplanade and the pool at the hotel before having an early dinner at Rattle & Hum. Before dinner, we walked the length of the Esplanade and took pictures of the scenery and different sea birds since it’s a fish and migratory water bird habitat. I had wanted to get some great pictures of the last sunset we’d see in Australia on our honeymoon, but it began to cloud up at dusk. It wasn’t a total loss since was able to use the sunset-like backdrop to take a picture of the fish that overlook the lagoon.