The Cook Islands

[EA01]

Jnr Fliegs gets married next month, and after that We'll be heading back out into the Pacific again.......Cook islands this time...anyone been there?

Flight via Auckland, arriving in the middle of the night, cannot imagine Mr Hill would care to meet up for a drink anyway...

A coupla' hours in a nearby airport hotel then on to Rarotonga, and day trip to Aitutaki.....looks lovely...

[PHXPhlyer]

Went on a dive trip there '96 or '97.
We stayed at one of the resorts and did one or two 2-tank dives a day outside the reefs.
The rest of the time was either snorkeling in the lagoon, riding scooters around the 4 X 5 mile island, or drinking beer in the pool.
Food and beer at the resort was very expensive so usually scootered to the village store to buy both.

PP

[G~Man]

Cook islands this time...anyone been there?

Not there, but did sail around Bora Bora just North East of there a few years back. Great culture and beaches.

[Hydromet]

Never been there, but looks like a nice place. Mate's sister in law went there and was sunbaking on the sand when a camera crew asked her if they could photograph her for tourist advertising. She appeared in full colour in an advertising spread. Not sure if she was payed - I presume so.

[GrumpyPilot]

It is an amazing place. Been there twice.

You will love it. Raro is great. Check out Muri Lagoon or the beach by Fruits of Raro. Rent some snorkeling gear.

http://www.snorkelrarotonga.com/

Have a nice cold one at the Rarotonga Brewery.
Go to the Waterline Restaurant and Bar. Have a cold one and enjoy the sunset.
Stay at the Castaway Resort and have a couple of cold ones at Wilson’s Bar. Or if you prefer something nicer check out the Little Polynesian Resort or the Pacific Resort. If you want family friendly, the Edgewater is the place.
Go on a hiking tour with Pa,

https://enjoycookislands.com/stories/a- ... -treasures

Give WaHoo fishing charters or Black Pearl Charters a call.

Enjoy your time there. The people are friendly, welcoming, good folk.

Paradise on Earth.

[EA01]

Thanks all for your replies. I look forward to it. The only reason haven't gone before is there is a lot of bad transfer times through AKL.

Jetstar have a direct Sydney Rarotonga, but as an economics teacher once told me, if you purchase a product/service from a company/provider, you endorse that Company/Provider. Sometimes you have no choice, on this occasion I do....

[EA01]

Thanks for the Links Grumpy!

I do a LOT of snorkelling around these parts so have my own gear. Especially Mask & Snorkel!!!

[PHXPhlyer]

Thanks for the Links Grumpy!

I do a LOT of snorkelling around these parts so have my own gear. Especially Mask & Snorkel!!!

The snorkeling inside the reef was almost as good as outside of it.
Corals better outside but fish the same inside, just smaller.
Only disappointment was lack of pelagic fish outside the reef.

PP

[talmacapt]

I went there in the late 70s when I was on the ANZ DC10, with BA.

ANZ used to have a service that routed AKL-RAR-HNL once? a week and I think they were the only operator to Raro.

Iirc I think we stayed at a hotel called the Rarotongan, lovely place.

Very unspoilt then but I imagine it is just another tourist place now, sadly.

Remember the memorial to the men who went to the Great War.

Very poignant to think how they came from such an idyllic place to die for their "King and Country" in the trenches of France.

[PHXPhlyer]

My trip in the late ninety's was LAX-Tahiti (stop over but they let us off the plane and got to see the welcome committee of lovely local ladies in grass skirts in the middle of the night) -RAR on ANZ 747-200.
Since it was pre 9/11 I was able to hang out on the flight deck for a few hours and visit with the crew.
I think they actually liked having a visitor to break up the monotony of a long overnight/overwater flight.
Got an unexpected extra night in Roratonga due to mechanical issue.
ANZ had to scramble to find accommodations for a 747 load of paxs.

PP

[Karearea]

...

Remember the memorial to the men who went to the Great War.

Very poignant to think how they came from such an idyllic place to die for their "King and Country" in the trenches of France.

Scroll down at this link to learn about

Auckland Museum: Manava Toa: the Cook Islands in WWI

and Christchurch Libraries: Rarotonga-Pasifika involvement in the First World War

[Hydromet]

Once while staying in Cairns the hotel had a couple of Cook Islands school sports teams staying there for a carnival. From memory there were footballers and swimmers, may have been others.
The kids were exceptionally polite, but man, could they eat! Once the rest of us had our breakfast, they descended like a swarm of locusts and cleared the bain Marie. Fortunately, the hotel was well prepared, and replenished them, and the replacements met the same fate. Great kids though, and able to carry on sensible conversations. If they're an example, I think you'll like the people.

[probes]

Cook islands this time...
Flight via Auckland, arriving in the middle of the night, cannot imagine Mr Hill would care to meet up for a drink anyway...
A coupla' hours in a nearby airport hotel then on to Rarotonga, and day trip to Aitutaki.....looks lovely...

Reports while there and after it, please! Sounds really exotic and thrilling.

[limeygal]

Karearea-thank you for posting those articles. Very interesting. I had no idea of their service during WWI.