As we left The Cook Islands, and its New Zealand connection, behind in our wake, literally, we enjoyed another day at sea. On these days we slept in, attended lectures about the islands yet to come or about marine wildlife, did school work with the boys, read books, swam and walked. No time to be bored!

We spotted occasional far-off islands and I wanted to know the difference between Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. I learned that the distinctions are geographical, cultural, as well as linguistic.