The bubble between New Zealand and the Cook Islands resumes on January 14, with no quarantine required at either end. Photo / Cook Islands Tourism
Looking for a getaway that's good for you and good for the environment? Rarotonga has what it takes, writes Maureen Marriner
The gods laughed at us the day we arrived in Rarotonga. They laughed so much that tears ran down their faces, for two days. It was 48 hours of non-stop heavy tropical downpouring. However, we kept calm, carried on and this is how we did it.
Ikurangi Eco Retreat is Rarotonga's only glamping experience.
It's in a lush garden setting, facing the mountains with seven posh tents or traditional Polynesian ares. All are private - from ours we could see part of the salt-water pool through organic greenery.
The Luxury Safari Tent is large and double-skinned, raised up half a dozen steps and with a decking timber floor. There's a deep, half-covered veranda at the front with table and gloriously comfortable lounge chairs. The front "door" unzips twice, the first is heavy burlap-ey fabric, the second is mosquito netting.
Inside is a king-size bed, storage, a fridge, a safe and lamps. There is netted ventilation up by the ridge pole and three netted "windows" down each side that have Velcro-ed flap pulled up at night.
Through the back zips is the bathroom, again half covered, with a double vanity, an open-to-the-heavens shower. (Lovely to have a hot shower in warm rain) and in one corner is a modern composting toilet. The instructions were simple and it didn't smell but I didn't feel it needed close inspection.
Owners Alan and Vicky, former managers of Kawau Island's Mansion House, took over in 2019. They zhooshed the gardens and added a covered meeting area ideal for yoga groups.
Alan delivers breakfasts about 8am and they are a delight. Each day is different but think banana, strawberry and soursop smoothies, chia puddings topped with dried fruit and nuts, fresh lemon bread topped with cooked bananas, fruit salads of mango, guava, banana, apple, star fruit, dragon fruit ... There is a blackboard at the bottom of the stairs where snoozers' delay requests can be made.
The NZ-made toiletries are Ashley & Co, bought in bulk to minimise packaging, the shower water is recycled for the garden and I didn't ask about the toilet.
Our night-time paddleboard tour was organised by Ariki Adventures in the Muri lagoon, home to several small islands. Our group of eight was led by Nye, who gave basic instruction on the sand just before dusk. Then we were out across the lagoon, alerted to watch out for coral bommies, outcrops that grow above their surroundings. "If your tailfin hits the bommie, the board will stop but you won't and I will laugh," Nye said.
Beneath us were what looked like repellent black slugs but we learned these animals, called sea cucumbers, are the vacuum cleaners of the lagoon. Old-school locals like to slit them down the middle and eat the intestines raw. A couple of months after the sea cucumbers are thrown back into the water, they regenerate. We also learned how to husk a coconut, drink the water and eat the hard and the soft, marshmallow meat.
As we headed over to a further island, the sky was dark, apart from rather alarming flashes of lightning beyond the reef. Nye sounded reassuring. Not so the frigate birds on the island. They sounded like the kitchen scene from Jurassic Park. Nye said the Cook Islands Māori word for them translates to storm birds. They are seabirds but come to land before bad weather.
Fat raindrops soon became a deluge as we turned for home, the only lights the distant resorts and the LED strip under our boards. A bit out there but the water was warm, the rain was warm and after a while it was like being a kid playing in the rain.
Corinna Tucker, owner of Storytellers Eco Cycling Tours, picked us up in a truck pulling a trailer full of bikes and we collected three other couples wanting to do the three-hour, 8km-12km tour that needs only basic skills and includes lunch and a swim. Dr Tucker is a former Environmental Sociology lecturer from Hawke's Bay.
Our tour started at Black Rock, from where Americans, in World War II, took away giant chunks of land to build the adjacent Rarotonga airport. There's prime diving and snorkelling as the reef is close, which also creates excellent viewing for whale migration.
Most of the ride was on the old, inner road, the Ara Metua, known as the coral road as that was its original seal. It is largely flat and largely sealed. There were frequent stops as trees and fruit uses were described. I now know which pod to crack open and what grated fruit to mix it with to apply to a muffler burn, also known as "The Cook Islands tattoo", not surprising given the number of scooters here. This poultice will, we were told, also prevent scarring. I would give details but it is the storyteller's family secret.
Similarly, I know which moss to chew and put on a cut to stop infection and, one I can fully share: the island mozzie repellent, which is to rub yourself all over with a cut noni fruit. The mosquitoes won't come anywhere near you but neither will anyone else as the fruit smells like overripe blue cheese.
We passed the spot of the last human sacrifices, after a battle where invading tribesmen were trapped in a valley and had boulders rained down on them "and such was the blood that the waterholes turned red". There was also a visit to a farm where we sampled delicious fruit straight from the tree and the bush. Some pigs and goats were in pens, some were tethered and we learned the penned ones are for the pot, the others are beloved pets.
Then it was down a "largely flat, largely sealed" unsealed, rocky hill to lunch of chicken, taro and salad and a ride to our accommodation, enlightened and exercised, in the back of the truck.
We were picked up in a sparkling orange and white, six-seater electric tuk-tuk, driven by Tik-e Tours owner Tania Farman, a Cook Islander who was born and spent her childhood in Auckland's Bucklands Beach. Her electric fleet also includes a white tuk-tuk for weddings.
It felt lovely humming down the road, open to the breezes. First stop, as we chased the sunset, was Vaiana's, officially 21.3 Vaiana's Bistro and Bar, named to nail down its latitude. The vibe is beach shack relaxation with seating up on the veranda and down on the sand. There's also a kids' playground.
After a frozen blue margarita and a G&T for us, and a cranberry juice for Tania, we were off to OTB (On The Beach), the bar and restaurant at Manuia Beach Resort. Another beautiful spot and sunset getting nearer. Patrons sat and sipped around the infinity pool, dangling feet to cool off.
Our last stop, by choice, was at Crown Beach Resort, which has a beautiful private beach, a walk-up bar and restaurant, Oceans. Tania said her patrons end their trip relaxed and happy and that anyone wanting to get riotous should go on the party bus. Definitely not us, so she left us for an hour to have dinner and a couple of wines. And the sun set, gloriously.
DETAILS
The bubble between New Zealand and Rarotonga resumes from January 14, with no quarantine required at either end. cookislands.travel
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