Oranges and lemons and mandarins, oh my!

We rented a beautiful house in the Tupapa neighbourhood, which is just south east of the main town, Avarua. I knew it was good luck to live here since the local rugby team, the Tupapa Panthers, won the championship this year shortly after we moved in. Go Panthers!

We heeded some advice and wanted a place away from the main road, Ara Tapu (meaning ‘Sacred Road’), since the traffic noise can be bothersome. And I did not move to a tropical island to wake up to traffic like I did in downtown Toronto! So, here we are nestled behind Ara Matua (meaning ‘Ancient Road’), and tucked up against the mountain track leading to the Te Manga peak in the centre of the island.

We are very used to inner city living in apartments and having neighbours surrounding us, so living in a 2-bedroom house with so much space both in and outside of the place has been quite the (welcome) change. We have become accustomed to the roosters crowing, the pigs snorting and the dogs barking around us now and I no longer have to use earplugs to fall asleep! Hallelujah!

The best part of living here are the trees that are fruiting – we have mandarins, several types of lemons, oranges, bananas, passionfruits, mangoes, and hot peppers. Oh yes, and a pumpkin patch that we share with our neighbours up the hill! I usually squeeze a glass of fresh OJ when I come home from work everyday and of course with some gin when the time is right!