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a cooks tour
By Christina Pfeiffer.
Published in the January-March 2012 issue.
A handful of islets in the South Pacific, the Cook Islands rightly deserve their reputation as a sybaritic retreat. But there’s plenty here to keep you and your family entertained – when you’re not simply blissing out.
The scenery is everything you would expect of a South Pacific paradise: white sand, swaying palms, clear blue skies. Though the Cook Islands – an archipelago peppering the ocean between New Zealand and Hawaii – are most people’s idea of an island idyll, this is more than a mere “fly-and-flop” destination. From families to couples to active travellers, the Cook Islands offer diversions for every taste.
Best for romance
Around the Cook Islands, it’s not unusual to see a couple snorkelling hand in hand among colourful fish and coral, sharing a hammock on the beach or sipping cocktails while watching the sun set. On Aitutaki – one of the Cook’s two main islands – don’t be surprised if you come across a wedding on a secluded beach, the bride a vision in flowing white.
Ringed by 15 or so palm-covered motu (islets), Aitutaki is the perfect setting for romantic retreats – think eco-chic bungalows, luxurious private villas and boutique resorts. Our pick? The Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa – set on a peninsula and boasting the Cook Islands’ only overwater bungalows – and the Pacific Resort Aitutaki, hugging the west coast of the island, which boasts 27 rooms, including beachfront bungalows, suites and villas looking out over an
azure lagoon.
Best for families
On the Cook Islands, family comes first – clans are connected to a tribal system of chiefs (ariki) and nurturing these relationships is high on the agenda for islanders. So it’s no surprise that the Cook Islands have plenty to offer visiting families.
The island of Rarotonga has a number of resorts that cater to large groups of guests with rooms and suites configured for families, kids’ clubs, children’s menus and babysitting services. Pacific Resort Rarotonga is particularly family-friendly and enjoys a prime location on the island’s best stretch of sand, Muri Beach, a favourite with swimmers, sunbathers, snorkellers and paddlers. The resort’s Beach Hut Kids Club is free for child guests aged between six and 12 and offers a daily program of fun activities, from octopus spotting in the lagoon to kayak safaris and coconut-husking lessons.
Muri Beach is protected from strong currents by a reef and three tiny uninhabited motu. Behind the beach are roads and tracks that lead inland toward rugged mountains and the Avana Valley, where goats and pigs run wild. The area is great for trekking, with tracks catering to different fitness levels taking you through lush jungle, alive with native birds and butterflies. The best bit? There are no snakes or poisonous insects to worry about.
Best for culture
Settled in the sixth century by migrating Tahitians, the Cook Islands today have one of the South Pacific’s strongest Polynesian communities. Museums, galleries and cultural centres are dedicated to showcasing the islands’ rich heritage, while tours offer visitors insights into the legends, beliefs and history of local communities. On Rarotonga, Highland Paradise Cook Islands Cultural Centre offers entertaining performances in which the dancers, chefs, barmen and guides are descendants of Ariki (High Chief) Tinomana.
You’ll also hear lots of music, from the chanting and songs of the traditional kapa rima (action song) to the hymns sung in local churches on Sundays, when women dress up in colourful frocks and wear beautiful straw hats. Sermons are conducted partly in English but mostly in Cook Island Maori: they need no translation, however – typically, they’re dramatic ovations with a rousing crescendo. A dance performance finishes each service.
Best for foodies
It takes just 30 minutes to ride a scooter around Rarotonga. The 32-kilometre Ara Tapu road circumnavigates the island, passing plantations of papaya, taro, mango, bananas and coconut palms. Throw in seafood and you have a cuisine that is as fresh as it is abundant.
If you like live music with your lunch, Trader Jacks Bar & Grill is a lively spot overlooking the water in the town of Avarua. Farther along the road, the most romantic spot for a meal is Tamarind House, occupying in a lovely beachfront colonial home surrounded by gardens and sprawling lawns. Originally built for the managers of the Union Steamship Company in the early 1900s, the house became the residence of the British Consul in 1988 and was sold to the current owners in 2003. Tamarind’s island-fusion menu has light tropical meals including a superb tuna steak served on coconut rice with a salad of papaya, red-onion salsa and rocket.
Maire Nui Gardens & Café is a favourite haunt for afternoon tea. Try the local Atiu coffee with a slice of lemon-meringue pineapple-lemon cheesecake. The café is set in a leafy tropical garden among banana trees and flowering hibiscus bushes. After dinner, the island’s hotspot is the Whatever! Bar & Grill for wine by the glass, cold beer and a good night out.
Best activities
The Cook Islands might be sleepy but there are plenty of activities to keep adults and families busy. On the water there’s deep-sea fishing, diving, sailing and glass-bottom boat tours. On land, a fun way to get about is to hire a scooter or a bicycle and ride around the islands.
On Aitutaki, most activities are centred on the lagoon. For avid snorkelers, a Bishops cruise is a must. The cruise glides past swaying coconut palms and white-sand beaches to Motu Tapuaetai (One Foot Island) for a barbeque lunch. Some cruises stop first at Honeymoon Island, a snorkeller’s wonderland in which denizens of the lagoon play hide-and-seek among coral bommies. The wreck of the cargo freighter Alexander, which sunk in the 1930s, lies at the bottom of the sea here.
If you’re looking for something more strenuous, hire equipment at the South Pacific Kitesurf centre on Honeymoon Island and sign up for a kiteboarding lesson. Honeymoon Island is actually a sandbar more than a kilometre long that faces the easterly trade winds. It has a vast area of flat shallow water, perfect for novice kiteboarders.
Fishing is a national pastime and tournaments are held on a regular basis. Stop past the Aitutaki Game Fishing Club for a drink and you’ll no doubt meet locals returning from a day at sea, hauling with them catches of tuna, wahoo, mahi mahi and trevally. Tourists can join in the fun: sign up with a fishing guide at dawn and bring your catch back for the chef at your resort to cook for dinner. •
Photography by Christina Pfeiffer.
TRAVEL FACTS
getting there
Virgin Australia flies from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast to Rarotonga via Auckland.
131-645; virginaustralia.com
Air New Zealand has direct flights between Sydney and Rarotonga. 132-476; airnewzealand.com.au
when to go
The Cook Islands is a year-round destination. The warmest months are January to March; the driest are May to October.
where to stay
• Moana Sands Beachfront Hotel & Villas. 682/26-189; moanasands.co.ck
• Pacific Resort Aitutaki. 682/31-720; pacificresort.com
• Pacific Resort Rarotonga. 682/20-427; pacificresort.com
• Palm Grove. 682/20-002; palmgrove.net
• Royale Takitumu. 682/24-682; royaletakitumu.com
• Sanctuary Rarotonga-on the Beach. 682/25-900; sanctuaryrarotonga.com
• Sunset Resort. 682/28-028; thesunsetresort.com
• Te Manava Luxury Villas & Spa. 682/20-427; temanava.com
what to do
• Highland Paradise Cook Islands Cultural Centre. 682/21-924; highlandparadise.co.ck
• Kiteboard Aitutaki. southpacifickiteboarding.com
• Te Vara Nui Village. 682/24-006; tevaranui.co.ck
where to eat
• Tamarind House. tamarind.co.ck
• Trader Jacks Bar & Grill. traderjackscookislands.com
• Whatever! Bar & Grill. whatever.co.ck
further information
Contact Cook Islands Tourism for additional tips on travelling to and around this South Pacific archipelago. cookislands.travel
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