http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Oceania , Cook Islands en-us Thu, 03 Dec 09 16:05:04 +0000 Thu, 03 Dec 09 16:05:04 +0000 Cook Islands The Jurassic Park soundtrackWe powered up the North Island of New Zealand and stayed with our friend Alisha who we had traveled with in China and after a pleasant stay in Auckland we jetted off to the Cook Islands and as we flew onto the island we got a chance to view its beauty by air from the sprawling emeraldgreen lagoons to the dramatic mountainous centre of the island cue Pa http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-450831.html So you arrive at Raratonga and you are greated by singing and Ukele players and then covered in the most amazing flower garlands which smell fanatstic.This was where we met the people whose house we would be staying in whilst on the island.They really are larger than life happy carefree people who treated us really well. It was a bit of a weird set up as we didn't know that anyone would actually http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-437370.html Brunch Back to Saltwater CafLunch NZ848 Peppered steak pie and potato salad chocolate mousse absolutely deliciousUnlike our last visit where we had to wait at the RSA across the road from the airport to catch our middle of the night flight we were able to leave today at a very sociable hour. Following breakfast at the Saltwater Caf we spent quite some time trying to return our sco http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-421670.html Brunch at Saltwater CafDinner at Flame Tree RestaurantTC Salt and Pepper Squid entreLV Tempura SushiMains TC Fresh line caught tuna on coconut braised rukau local spinach dish topped with gremolataLV 12 prawns poached in a lemongrass and ginger broth served on a coconut risotto with chilli mayoMojitos with a bit of extra help from us we had to ask for more lime more mint... more http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-421661.html Breakfast Same sameLunch at Royale Takitumu toast and jamDinner Progressive Dinner to Island homes with 30ish American students studying at Canterbury University. The highlights Ika mata raw fish in a coconut sauce even LV enjoyed it and the hosts singingwhile playing ukelele and tea chest bass.Leaving Aitutaki was pretty tough. Vince's bike had some petrol left TC's had run out and http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-421659.html So we arrived in the Cook Islands in the morning on Tuesday 16th June having left New Zealand in the evening on Tuesday 16th June all very bizarreOur time on the Cooks basically involved sitting on the beach... it's a hard life We did however hire some bicycles and managed to cycle round the WHOLE island not a particularly difficult taskSome pictures... http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-416492.html Cook IslandsAfter leaving New Zealand and a sad goodbye as the country was awesome so awesome we spent the majority of our money oops Moving on we are well and truly ready for two weeks in paradise. On boarding our Air New Zealand flight NZ46 we get upgraded to first class with leg room to spare and window seats result The flight was really nice and was extra nice because of the three small http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-416360.html Feeling very much like we were on a flight to Benidorm we survived the 3 hours over to the Cook Islands. Families galore on the flight spent the time thoroughly overexcited and cheered once we'd landed...very bizarre but then again i suppose it is sort of their spainbeing only 3 hours accross i know i'd prefer to come here for sureQueuing to go through arrivals there was a little man playing http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-412698.html I'm in love with the Cook Islands. If you want a fabulous beach vacation this is the place to come. I haven't had the best weather but it is a gorgeous area. I toured another island Aitutaki on Tuesday. The weather on Raro was rainy but Aitutaki had sun breaking through the clouds. We took the yellow boat to tour the lagoon. We snorkeled at a few different sites zebra fish trumpet fi http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/blog-412634.html I am so glad I can sleep on planes It makes that nine plus hour flight go by much quicker. It's been awhile since I have flown with checked bags and I had forgotten the tedium of waiting in line for checkin and then security. There is a reason you should arrive two hours before international flight departures it took me 90 minutes for all of that sigh. The flight was fine decent airpl http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-411253.html BreakfastLV same sameTC 5 slices pawpaw tiny banana 5 pieces watermelon coconut slicesFiltered coffeeLunch no shops open for pies I seriously did go searching so forced to go to Samade on the Beach O'otuBBQ tuna chicken. Curried Pawpaw salsa crunchy salad with green orange and red capsicum crispy potato bake. One of our best and cheapest meals with a gorgeous view of the lagoon http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Aitutaki/blog-408352.html Breakfast sameAs we had promised the three Canadian sisters we went to meet them at their resort Aitutaki Lagoon Resort. Doris hadn't been feeling very well but we were able to take Rachel and Janine on the back of our bikes for a bit of a tour around the island. They said they had felt like prisoners at their accommodation with everything costing an exhorbitant amount of money. They als http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Aitutaki/blog-408344.html Breakfast same as yesterdayLunch provided by The King Teking as part of our day on the fabulous Aitutaki Lagoon.Salads fruit coconut jellied banana BBQd tuna chicken banana egg plant onion magnifique. The King is a Highlanders fan so would serve only Tui beer.Dinner at te VakaTC MaitaiLV G and TTC seafood bouillabaisse with crayfish crab fish squid scallops and garlic http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Aitutaki/blog-408336.html Last Raina Breakfast thank goodness we just ate the oranges and pawpaw plus our own chubby bananas.Now to Aitutaki.Lunch at TauonorsquosStarfruit juiceVegetables capsicum spinach chives chillis picked immediately before cooking and Spinach omelette. What a fantastic meal. Every mouthful was deliciousDinner te Vaka the restaurant attached to our accommodationLV MaitaiTC Tamanu Su http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Aitutaki/blog-406452.html Breakfast same but with fat little market bananasMorning tea LV had three espressi while finishing her 'Lovely Bones' book at Saltwater Cafe. TC Flat WhiteLunch same as yesterday but extra yummy basil from ladies on roadsideTC went snorkelling today.Dinner at VaimaTC Ika Mata traditional to Cook Islands. Fresh fish cooked and marinated in lemon juice and coconut cream with tomatoes cu http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-406447.html I made it to the Cook Islands and had a day and a half of the hottest and most humid weather of my life. The island of Rarotonga is a tropical paradise island only a quarter the size of Niue but with 15000 people. After that glorious day and a half however the weather turned to stink. 4 days straight of nonstop downpour and no glimmer of the sun. I still rented a scooter and drove around the is http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-406281.html By now we were in need of decent coffee LV found just the place. We were to revisit it many times subsequently. We also found a fabulous garden nobody home but we paid a donation and had a good wander. The basil was a wee bonus.Breakfast wholemeal toast banana orange pawpaw cup of teaMorning tea LV espresso TC Flat White at Saltwater CafeLunch same as yesterday with soft boiled e http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-406053.html Easter Sunday so not a lot happening around the island today. Needless to say we relaxed read swum snorkelled and tootled around the island and of course made sure we lined up somewhere to have dinnerBreakfast Toast and banana LV marmalade orange pawpaw cup of teaMorning tea crackers antipastiLunch ditto yesterday http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-406049.html This was a day to explore the island on our bikes swim snorkel and get a few lunch supplies from the supermarket in Avarua. I think there may have been a bit of relaxing with a book as well.Breakfast muesli banana pawpawMorning Tea SPCA sausage on white bread with onion tomato sauce and mustardLunch Cheese rolls White Castello chutney toms TC patDinner at Windjammer part of the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-406046.html It felt a long time coming but we were finally on the plane. Dinner on NZ848 beef stroganoff pie with potato salad Surprising but best pie EVER http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-406035.html