Cook Islands

We flew from Sydney to Christchurch in New Zealand, where we had a 3-hour stop-over before we flew on to Rarotonga (usually called "Raro"). Raro is the only international airport in the Cook Islands, which is a group of about 15 islands (quite spread out, actually) which are separated into two groups, the northern group and the southern group. Raro is in the southern group, as is Aitutaki, our ultimate destination.

We arrived in Raro at 1 in the morning and we were met with flower leis and a string band - it was all lovely but a bit much for a tired group of people arriving in the middle of the night! A van picked us up and transferred us to the hotel, but we didn't get to sleep until well after 2:00 am and had to be up and at the airport for a 10:00 departure the next morning. We got to the airport and discovered that our flight didn't actually leave until the next morning at 10:00 am (an error was made due to us arriving in the middle of the night). Our travel agent quickly sorted out a nice hotel for us to spend the extra day in on Rarotonga, although unfortunately it was raining most of the day. The good bit is that even when it's raining, it's not so bad because the rain is nice and warm and you can still go snorkeling or swimming or even for a walk!

The next day we caught our flight to Aitutaki. It is an achingly, unspeakably beautiful island. I think it must be one of the last relatively unspoiled holiday spots on earth. The lagoon and ocean surrounding are impossible colours of blue and the water is crystal clear. The island is surrounded by a reef so the beaches and the lagoon are easy to swim in and the water is a perfect temperature to cool off after sitting or playing in the sun. There are a number of nice beaches, but not tons of sand, as there is a lot of coral and shells. Water shoes or socks are a very good idea! There is plenty of good snorkeling and diving. The island itself is small and there are only about 1,000 residents. The main industry (and about the only "export") is tourism but there are no “chains” (ie Holiday Inn, Macdonalds, etc.). Everything is easygoing and relaxed. You can do the island in a day with a car - it's not that big!

The resort we were at, Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa, was on it's own island separated by a narrow channel from the mainland. A boat plied the channel taking guest, staff and supplies back and forth for the 3-minute trip. The resort was on a prime piece of land but poorly run.
We spent most of the week just lying in the hammock or on the sunbeds, both of which were a few steps away from the lagoon and just outside our bungalow. It was never less than 27 degrees Celsius during the day and cooled off a bit at night. When we were bored, we would wander down to the activity hut and chat with the girls there, Mea and Tena, who were both islanders, or participate in one of the activities like climbing coconut trees or tie-dying sarongs. We went out in the outrigger canoe for an afternoon (and managed to tip it!) and swam in the lagoon at least once a day.

The resort had an Island Night with dancing and singing and drumming, and a Fire Dancing night with a BBQ supper. When there wasn’t a special evening at the resort, we would go across the channel to a restaurant called The Boat Shed, which had lovely food that was much cheaper than at the resort.

As part of our package at the resort, we had the use of a car for a day. We drove around and looked at some of the other resorts, specifically Etu Moana, which is a beautiful place run by a Canadian couple. We went off into the bush and found some marae, which are the stone ruins of traditional meeting places, and we went up to the highest point on the island, 215 metres above sea level, and watched the sunset. The people were so lovely and friendly and the pace of life was so nice and relaxed.

Our last night at the resort there was a group trip in the evening to catch some of the island nightlife. We were curious about what could possible be going down with so few people so we, along with another couple from Calgary we met, Richard and Xenia, went along with Mea and Tena. They took us first to a men only club called The Rainforest. We were allowed in as visitors and when we got there, we found a bunch of men all sitting outside drinking homebrew and singing with an impromptu string band (two guitars, two banjos and a washtub bass). The islanders are very musical and it was lovely. They welcomed us and shared their homebrew (pretty strong but not undrinkable) and sang a number of songs for us. We felt very privileged to be allowed this glimpse into traditional island life. After over an hour there, we went to the Sport Fishing Club, but it was very quite, so went across the street to the Blue Nun. Barry and I had been there during the day when we had the car, and it is just a somewhat grotty bar that ships crews and locals go to for a cold drink during the day. At night on the weekends, however, there’s a DJ and lights and it turns into a nightclub, although it was more like a house party since everyone knew everyone! It was a great atmosphere – not predatory and competitive like a city nightclub, but friendly and fun and joyful. We danced with everyone – it was the best night out in a long time!

The next day (our last L), we went snorkeling with Fred from Matriki Tours. He is a Canadian and has been on the island for about a year. He took us to some great reef and volcanic beds beyond the reef in the open ocean, and to some other reefs in the lagoon. He packed us a picnic lunch, which we had on One Foot Island. Richard and Xenia came with us as well. It was a perfect end to our stay! The snorkeling was fantastic – like swimming through a saltwater fish tank. We all got a bit burned and Richard was a little the worse for wear from the night before, but it was a great day!