The blue lagoons of Aitutaki. Photo / Jacqui Gibson
The blue lagoons of Aitutaki. Photo / Jacqui Gibson
The allure of the Cook Islands extends far beyond its balmy weather and turquoise lagoons, writes Jacqui Gibson.
It's a sunny 30C afternoon in Rarotonga when I'm handed the keys of a convertible Mini Cooper and sent on my way. Minutes beforehand, at airport arrivals, a fragrant lei of fresh blooms was draped around my neck, while an elderly man plucked a ukulele.
I'm in the Cook Islands for a week after two long years of pandemic-induced isolation and I couldn't be happier. My plan is to swim in the azure lagoons, bask in the warm South Pacific sun and take in as much local culture as I can.
WALK THE BACKROADS
Tour guide Corrina Tucker said sunblock and insect repellent is a must while walking around Rarotonga. Photo / Jacqui Gibson
To start, I catch up with university lecturer turned tour guide, Corrina Tucker, for a morning walking tour of Rarotonga's ancient backroads. It's hot out.
Corrina recommends sunblock, insect repellent and a good supply of water. As we make our way towards Ara Metua, the island's oldest road, she explains she moved from New Zealand to Rarotonga in 2018 and was immediately enamoured with the Cook Islands' history and culture.
"There's so much more here than meets the eye."
This road is a case in point, she says, as we stroll past verdant hedges of red hibiscus, lush plantain and banana trees and colourful swords of red ginger.
Linking dozens of family-tended arrowroot, pawpaw and taro plantations, the ancient coral and basalt road, Corrina explains, is thought to be more than 1000 years old and was originally known as Te Ara Nui o To'i (the Great Road of To'i) in reference to a local chief.
Over 90 minutes, Corrina and I stop to look at remnants of the stone marae, discuss flashpoints in the island's history and talk to a local farmer offering up fresh coconut.
Cooling off with a soursop ice cream. Photo / Jacqui Gibson
Heading south, we eventually come to a small stream known locally as Vaiokura. It's a historic battle site, says Corrina, where tribal fighting was reportedly so brutal the waters of the stream ran red with blood. We finish the tour with a real-fruit ice cream blended with a tangy fruit known as soursop. It's the final treat on Corrina's Walk About tour.
SHOP TIVAEVAE
Hand-made creations at Tivaevae Collectibles. Photo / Jacqui Gibson
Tivaevae store owner Kathrine Reid is as much an educator as she is a purveyor of local crafts. Inside Tivaevae Collectibles, the basement shop of her family home, the shelves display dozens of delicate hand-woven rito hats and jewellery, as well as colourful hand- and machine-stitched bedspreads, pillowcases and fabrics.
"We say tivaevae is the ultimate gift of love in the Cook Islands," explains Kathrine, wearing a pair of white rito earrings.
Running a hand over a leaf-patterned bedspread, Kathrine explains that tivaevae is traditional fabric art typically practised by older women who've honed their craft over a lifetime. "Each piece can take hours to make, using a combination of embroidery, crochet and applique techniques."
Wrapping up four brightly coloured pillowcases I've decided to take home, she tells me: "Tivaevae is traditionally gifted at birthdays, weddings, graduation and funerals. That said, you don't really need a special occasion for tivaevae. You can have something as beautiful as this at any time for any reason."
VISIT HISTORIC MARAE
Teuira Pirangi educates visitors about her ancestral home and the history of the land. Photo / Jacqui Gibson
It's a scorching afternoon when I arrive at Highland Paradise Cook Islands Cultural Centre in Arorangi for the Tapu'ae Day Tour. My guide Teuira Pirangi meets me in the cool shade of the main dining room, where her team put on a sunset feast and dance show the night before.
After a cold drink, and a generous spray of insect repellant, we set off to the museum and cultural learning centre to begin the tour. Over three hours, Teuira introduces me to her ancestral home, an extraordinary mountain property with historical ties to the Tinomana tribe. In the cultural learning centre, she explains the vision behind the hilltop site.
"You're standing in one of the few historical villages that are still intact in the Cook Islands. It's one of the few places where physical evidence of our ancestors still remains. My late father, Tuki Rangitira Raymond Pirangi Snr, had a dream of sharing this place with the world. Now, that's my role."
Outside, I follow Teuira across a sweeping lawn into a tropical garden where ceremonial meetings and weddings are still held. After a steep climb up a stony trail, we disappear into the jungle to explore remnants of pre-contact marae.
The boulders and stone altars, unearthed by archaeologists and now available for public viewing, are an eerie sight. And one that Teuira hopes to maintain and protect for future generations. "Our big goal now is to achieve Unesco World Heritage status. Covid slowed us down. But our dream is still very much alive."
EXPLORE THE LAGOON
The blue lagoons of Aitutaki. Photo / Jacqui Gibson
It seems fitting that I'm gunning across Aitutaki lagoon with Teking Tours as talk turns to the seafaring heritage of the Cook Islands. We're en route to the sandy atoll of Honeymoon Island, having plopped overboard several times already to snorkel Aitutaki's famously electric-blue waters.
"As Cook Islanders, we see ourselves as true Polynesians – ocean explorers who sailed here in vaka as far back as 800AD," explains our captain as we slow down and begin to disembark into crystal clear, knee-deep water.
Walking slowly across the sandbank to another tiny island within the lagoon, it's easy to see the pull to settle here and to holiday nearby like Hollywood icons such as Marlon Brando and Cary Grant apparently did in the 1950s.
JOIN A SUNDAY SERVICE
Aitutaki's 200-year-old CICC beautiful church interiors and lively congregation are worth a Sunday visit. Photo / Jacqui Gibson
If the stunning painted interior of Aitutaki's 200-year-old Cook Island Christian Church isn't enough to get you through the doors on a Sunday, the distinctive hymnal singing and formal attire of the congregation will be.
When I arrive at the historic church just before 10 am, the pews are filling with men, women and children dressed in pristine white dresses and suits. Women complete their look with delicate rito hats and handheld fans.
The commemoration plaque outside is a reminder of Christianity's arrival in the Cook Islands by way of the London Missionary Society on October 26, 1821. Inside, the choral singing is a force and just one of the many standout local experiences you can have in the Cook Islands.
CHECKLIST COOK ISLANDS
Details
GETTING THERE
Air New Zealand flies direct from Auckland to Rarotonga. Jetstar resumes its direct service on June 1.
ACCOMMODATION: Manuia Beach Resort is an adults-only resort in Rarotonga. Snorkel in the lagoon out front or cool off in the resort's infinity pool overlooking the ocean. Dine at Manuia's On The Beach Restaurant and Bar.
The five-star, adults-only Pacific Resort Aitutaki where the lagoon is just a few steps from your balcony. Enjoy a massage at the spa. Eat at the resort's Rapae Bay Restaurant.
DETAILS Take a small group cycle or walking tour with Storytellers Eco Cycle & Walking Tours storytellers.co.ck. Shop for handcrafted tivaevae at Tivaevae Collectables or buy online at tivaevaecollectables.com
Spend a day snorkelling and exploring the lagoon in Aitutaki with Teking Tours.
If you're in Aitutaki on Sunday, join the locals at the Cook Islands Christian Church (CICC), the oldest church in the country.
FLY: Vaccinated travellers can fly to Rarotonga and Aitutaki with Air New Zealand daily, with no quarantine or pre-departure test required at either end.
