Bumpy start to 2010

This has been a slow start in 2010, brought about by an unfortunate and totally unnecessary motor scooter accident while on holiday in the Cook Islands. Annika and I had traveled to Rarotonga to stay with my elderly uncle Ken in late December. WE were joined by my daughter Annie on New years Eve. On New Years Day (Friday) Annika and I flew to Mangaia, the southern-most island in the Cooks. On the tiny 8 seater plane we talked with the other passengers and got invited to a wedding the next day. This was our first experience of the kindness and generosity we were to receive for our whole stay.

Mangaia is the oldest island in the Pacific - estimated at 18 million years - and has a fascinating geography and history. It is nearly as large as Rarotonga, but with a very different landscape. Once the home of more than 4,000 people, the population is dwindling away to now number barely 450.

Annika and I were staying in the only accommodation on the island that is owned by the delightful Babe Poikino - who also owns the only bar and the only store on the island. Besides us, there was one other tourist, Eric, an Austrian music teacher, who has spent every European winter for 20 years traveling to the remotest corners of the Pacific. All the other visitors to Mangaia came from NZ and Australia and were of local extraction: returning for holidays, or with cultural groups. On the night we arrived we were treated to a wonderful night's entertainment in the bar next door to our motel.

Mangaia is renowned for its limestone caves, so on Saturday (our first full day) we went caving with a local guide. This was great fun and the caves were amazing - along with the stories of inter-tribal warfare, cannibalism and sacrifice.

Our plans were to go back to the motel after caving, scrub-up, and go to the wedding. Alas we never made it. Annika and I had borrowed a motor scooter and were traveling back together. I steered around a corner and down a hill when the front wheel lost traction on the crushed coral surface, and we crashed. We were traveling no more than 15-20 kph, but hitting loose gravel even at that speed does nasty things to you.

We were very fortunate that even as we were gathering ourselves and assessing the damage to skin and bone, a family decked-out in their 'Saturday Best' appeared around the corner in their van on their way home from the Seventh Day Adventist Church. They scraped us up off the road, parked the scooter and whisked us off to the hospital.

For several weeks I kept recalling the accident over and over again in my head. Clearly I was traveling to fast, and with two-up you have no chance of correcting a slide or momentary loss of control. I can still vividly recall the impact with the ground and hoping I hadn't any broken bones or dislocations. I landed heavily on my left side, and from my shoulder to my hip it felt like someone had taken to me with a disc sander.

I got up and ran a few metres down the road - I don't recall why - but then I turned and saw Annika sitting on the road. She was in shock and had had the wind knocked out of her. Then I saw her left knee with a big flap of skin hanging off it. I can still feel the sense of dread.

At the hospital they contacted the one and only doctor on the island, who was at wedding. She appeared and immediately shot us up with pethedine and anti-tetanus vaccine. Then she painstakingly cleaned and stitched Annika's knee, while a nurse cleaned up my scrapes and punctures.

Yes we were wearing lightweight summer clothing. No we were not wearing helmets (no one does). But we did have good footwear on (for caving). Besides Annika's laceration to her knee, the rest of our injuries were superficial and have now healed. We spent another two days on Mangaia and returned to Rarotonga on the Monday where we joined my daughter Annie and uncle Ken. While on Rarotonga, we were approached by several people with horror stories about motor scooter crashes (small comfort other than realising how lucky we were compared to injuries sustained by other people).

We flew home to NZ on Thursday, but were alarmed to see that Annika's leg was visibly swollen. We arrived home on Saturday (courtesy of the International Dateline) and immediately headed for the Otumoetai Doctors. There were gasps and glances by the doctor and nurses as they faced the challenge of an infected knee with 12 stitches that looked like it had been though a meat grinder.

Many weeks on, after daily treatment, huge doses of anti-biotics, and accute pain and discomfort, the knee is healed and the scar is gradually improving. Annika is now exercising and no longer wears a dressing (which grosses some people out). My injuries are healed and my hip now has full movement without pain.

So what have I learned:

The accident left me feeling angry and frustrated with myself for crashing, and for causing such a nasty injury to Annika. I was quite depressed for at least a month (this is my first blog of the year) and it surprised me how strongly it impacted on me emotionally.

I will stay off two-wheeled transport next time I am overseas.

The standard of medical care on Mangaia and Rarotonga was excellent. They charged us $60 each.

We were very lucky not to have any broken bones or damaged joints.

We are grateful and indebted to the many people who came to our assistance and looked after us on Mangaia.