10 minute read
OFF THE BEATEN PATH IN THE COOK ISLANDS
THE HARDEST PART OF YOUR HOLIDAY IS CHOOSING WHICH ISLAND TO VISIT!
The South Pacific is well known for being family-friendly and the Cook Islands are no exception. The people are welcoming, there is endless sunshine, year-round warm water, crystal-clear lagoons and sandy beaches.
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New Zealanders have been holidaying here for years. I was told by a friendly local that the Cook Islands are to New Zealand what Fiji is to Australia. Well, I think it’s time Australian families are let in on the secret too!
Whether your family likes to relax in luxury or prefers memorable experiences over five-star, there is an island for every family in the Cook Islands.
RAROTONGA
For Families Wanting A Bit Of Everything
Rarotonga is the island where all international flights land and despite being the most visited island in the Cooks, it’s not particularly busy. The main road circles the island in only 32km, so it’s virtually impossible to get lost.
Highlights of Rarotonga include the natural beauty of both the surrounding lagoon and mountainous interior, snorkelling, swimming, waterfalls, dune buggies, hiking, island nights and eating slow-cooked pork belly at the night markets.
Surprisingly, the beaches still feel very much like a locals’ beach. One that you are welcome at regardless of your accommodation choice.
Just ask Timmy, one of the friendly locals on Aroa Beach. We met Timmy at the White House Apartments, a great family accommodation option on the ‘quiet’ side of the island. He seemed to particularly enjoy socialising with everyone he met on the beach.
I watched in amusement as he found some young women relaxing in the sun and made himself at home on the corner of their towel. They looked on in horror as he paused his heavy breathing to scratch himself enthusiastically.
Timmy, of course, is a dog. And he definitely doesn’t have fleas. In fact, he’s quite clean! I should know, I checked before I let the kids pat him.
Rarotonga is the perfect blend of modern niceties without the annoying chaos that goes with it. Chickens roam freely, yet the cars and scooters that maneuver around them are modern. Nobody drives over 50km per hour, and even slower in ‘town’ areas.
As soon as you turn off the circle island road, you are blessed with the lush greenness of the islands interior. This is where you experience the real Rarotonga. It’s where you find great hiking tracks, a waterfall to swim under, and locals that happily share their fruit tree’s bounty with you.
For families on a budget, renting a house for the week can be a lot cheaper than a resort and you will also have the added bonus of being able to save money by self-catering. We recommend the White House Apartment which is within 100m of Aroa beach, one of the most beautiful on the island.
If budget doesn’t allow flying to the outer islands, you will not be disappointed with a week spent in Rarotonga.
Electric Tuk-Tuk tour of Rarotonga with Tik-e Tours
Photo: Jessica Palmer
ATIU
For Adventurous Families Who Love Nature
The island of Atiu is ideal for adventurous families who would prefer to spend time in nature. Taking less than an hour by plane from Rarotonga, a sign at the airport reads:
Being that airport security is almost non-existent, it seems the residents of Atiu have a sense of humour!
The coastline is characterised by makatea (fossilised coral), rising over six metres in spots. Nestled between these cliffs are completely deserted, white sandy coves to explore. Families can hire either scooters (kids double on the back) or a car, and drive the circle island track exploring the many deserted beaches.
Unlike Rarotonga, Atiu’s reef is fairly close to shore (no more than 50m wide) resulting in a shallow lagoon teeming with marine life. It’s incredibly dramatic and unique.
With a resident population of around 400, peak hour traffic consists of two scooters passing each other with a friendly wave. It’s possible to drive around the whole island and not see another vehicle until you reach the harbour, where you will find the local kids doing flips off the concrete walls into the ocean. You do have to watch out for wild pigs, goats and falling coconuts though!
Adventurous families will love a tour to Anatakitaki Cave, surrounded by thick jungle and banyan tree roots. The cave features stalagmites, stalactites, a high chambered natural cathedral and a freshwater underground cave pool that you can swim in by candlelight! It’s also the only known home to the very rare Kopeka, a fascinating bird that never lands outside the cave and basically thinks its a bat.
Atiu is an unspoilt paradise with fresh air, clear ocean water and squeaky clean sand. There is no large township and no light pollution dulling your view of the night sky.
We recommend staying at the Atiu Villas, giving you the perfect blend of getting off-the-beaten-track yet still staying somewhere comfortable.
Arriving at Atiu's small airport to a warm welcome
Photo: Jessica Palmer
AITUTAKI
For Families Who Want A Slice of Paradise
The island of Aitutaki is often touted as having one of the world’s most beautiful lagoons. As you first catch sight of its turquoise waters from the plane window (less than an hour from Rarotonga), you will understand why.
A lot of people visit on the popular Air Rarotonga day tour from Rarotonga, but all who do wish they had planned to stay longer.
Most of the activities on Aitutaki centre around the lagoon, which is so large that Rarotonga, the largest island in the Cooks, can fit inside it. Aitutaki is dwarfed by it at just 18 square kilometres in size.
Highlights include snorkelling, swimming, day trips to stunning motus, getting your passport stamped on One Foot Island and hiking up to Aitutaki’s highest point for 360 degree views of the lagoon.
If you were to ask my kids about the highlights, they would tell you it’s the crab racing! We raced crabs on every island we visited but for some reason, the ones on Aitutaki seem to be on steroids.
Basically, you draw a circle in the sand, place your chosen hermit crab in the middle, and wait to see which crab makes it out of the circle first.
After a brief argument (which I lost) on who was naming their crab ‘’Speedy’’, I settled on ‘’Crabby McCrab Face’’ and we all stood around cheering our crabs on.
Hermit crab on the island of Aitutaki
Photo: Jessica Palmer
‘’Go Crabby McCrab Face! … Go Speedy! … Go Lightning!’’
My son was jumping up and down in excitement in nothing but swimming undies. His crab had a shell about the size of my fist as he was convinced that bigger meant faster.
I had chosen the smallest crab, selected because I figured it was too small to nip me. Crabby McCrab Face was by far the most energetic and was out of the circle and making a break for freedom before the other two had even hit the halfway point.
So racing crabs probably isn’t high on your bucket list, but it is a great activity to occupy the kids while you relax on the white sands of tropical paradise.
We recommend Are Kapakapa for a holiday home or Kuru Club for an eco-friendly beachfront experience. The luxurious Pacific Resort Aitutaki seem to be only welcoming children over the age of 12. This is really disappointing because families with younger kids like to splurge sometimes too. Now you can save the splurging for activities instead!
Beach front in Aitutaki
Photo: Jessica Palmer
MAUKE
For Families Who Want To Go Off The Beaten Path
Mauke is perfect for adventuring off the beaten path. With a coastline similar to the island of Atiu, expect to find numerous deserted coves as you set off to explore the 18km circle island track either by scooter or car.
Families can trek through the jungle to swing from the roots of what is possibly the South Pacific’s Largest Banyan Tree, jump from harbour walls into the ocean, swim in a saltwater and freshwater cave pool and visit one of the most unique churches on the planet.
You can even go in search of a shipwreck! “Trust me, I’ve been swinging from this tree since I was a little boy!” said Clem, our charismatic tour guide on the island of Mauke. Clem is nearly 60, so his decades of experience swinging from this tree gave me confidence it wouldn’t break!
I leaned back and pushed my legs out in front of me before I could talk myself out of it, moving about a metre. It turns out I’d forgotten how to swing from a tree. Clem came to the rescue by giving me a push, and away I went gliding slowly through the huge root system of the giant tree. The kids yelled out encouraging words such as, “Don’t let go, it will really hurt if you fall off!”
Having old fashioned fun is a requirement here as TV reception is virtually non-existent and if you want to check emails, you will need to stand in front of the telecommunications shop in ‘‘town’’.
There are no pesky signs forbidding you not to swing from trees, jump from the harbour walls into the ocean, or demand that footwear must be worn. In fact, most of the kids here don’t wear shoes. Why would you need shoes on an island that has no snakes?
Finding the shipwreck on the island of Mauke
Photo: Jessica Palmer
Out of the 15 islands in the Cooks, Mauke is referred to as the garden island. Wild flowers grow unchecked, and we were told that our welcome lei is likely to be particularly beautiful. I am happy to report that our goodbye lei was even more impressive and was given with firm instructions to one day return. After five days, our new friends would not accept a goodbye and insisted we would see them again.
We recommend staying at Ri’s Retreat or Tiare Cottages. There is no such thing as five-star on Mauke but accommodation is comfortable, clean and your hosts will be welcoming. Accommodation can be booked independently through Island Hopper Vacations or via a 2-night flight and package deal with Air Rarotonga.
INFORMATION
Ummm ... Where Are The Cook Islands?
Well, they’re actually closer than you think! Located northeast of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean, there are 15 major islands spread over 2,200,000km2 of ocean. Flying time is around 6 hours from Sydney, 4 hours from Auckland or just over 9.5 hours from LA.
Will They Take My Money?
Only if you’ve swapped it for some New Zealand Dollars!
When Should I Visit?
The Cook Islands enjoys a year-round tropical environment. The best time to visit depends on your personal preference. Many Australian come in June to August to escape Winter but we think April and May are great as the wet season is just finishing up and it’s not yet peak season
Swinging from what is possibly the South Pacific's largest banyan tree on the island of Mauke
Photo: Jessica Palmer
GETTING THERE
• Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Air New Zealand have multiple flights per week from Australia via Auckland. Direct flights are available from Auckland, Sydney and Los Angeles through Air New Zealand.
GETTING TO THE OUTER ISLANDS
• Air Rarotonga is the Cook Islands’ domestic carrier and offers packages to the outer islands which are ideal if families are short on time or just want someone to take care of the details. More information ocan be found on the Air Rarotonga website.
MORE INSPIRATION
More inspiration on the Cook Islands can be found on Family Holiday Destination’s Cook Islands Blog Page and on the official Cook Islands Tourism website.
Deserted cove on the island of Atiu
Photo: Jessica Palmer
