Shallow lagoons, lagoon cruises and markets keep children happily occupied. Photo / Cook Islands Tourism
Warm welcomes, calm lagoons and a gentle pace of life make Rarotonga an easy, joyful escape for Yolisa Tswanya, her partner and their 6 and 8-year-old daughters.
Travelling with young children usually means preparing for everything that could go wrong.
It means bracing for meltdowns, packing snacks with military precision, ensuring no stuffed animals get left behind and negotiating bathroom breaks like peace treaties.
But somewhere between flying out from Auckland and landing in the Cook Islands, that tension starts to loosen.
Thankfully, the flight is just long enough to feel like you are heading on vacation, but not so long that boredom sets in for the young ones. By the time the inevitable “are we there yet?” starts, the plane is descending, and turquoise waters emerge beneath the wings.
Stepping off the plane, the heat is the first thing that greets you. It wraps around you like warm air straight from the dryer. Once the initial shock wears off, the heat is not stifling, just insistent, as if to say you have arrived somewhere slower, somewhere different.
The rainy season also makes good on its promise as showers welcomed us to the islands of Rarotonga. This sparks some concern about what the trip will hold. But locals and regular visitors wave it off and tell us the rain never lasts long. I came to realise they were right.
We encounter island time before even leaving the humble airport, staffed by warm, unhurried locals who help us slow down and take a breath. Standing in the queues, chatting with fellow travellers, we realise there’s no reason to be anxious or rushed; things unfold more slowly here. Everything feels breezy.
We quickly learn the local greeting and our children repeat it to everyone we meet, thrilled by the dependably joyful responses.
People here love kids, and they don’t hide it. From the moment we arrive, our daughters receive smiles, conversation and genuine interest; a refreshing experience in a world that can often see children as an inconvenience. It’s also a sure-fire way to make parents feel at ease and safe while travelling, and within a day I know our family will return to the Cook Islands.
On the short drive from the airport, we take in the new sights, sounds and smells. While our rental vehicle has a radio (something the kids demand on every school run back home), we forget it exists, too enamoured by the island around us.
As we drive in the rain, fruit trees and beaches line the road, exciting our little travellers. It’s their first time seeing coconuts outside the supermarket (the “don’t park under coconut trees” sticker in the car should have tipped us off), and what starts as a game of spotting coconut trees quickly becomes pointless as we realise the island is covered in them.
Arriving at our accommodation, we unpack and quickly settle into a daily routine, which the kids insist has to include some type of water activity, an unsurprising request considering how clear and inviting the water looks.
While they had only been swimming for a few months, my nerves were put at ease in the shallow lagoons where they could safely paddle and snorkel about.
Splashing about the lagoon isn’t the only family-friendly and affordable activity on the island that makes the most of it’s crystal blue waters.
Take, for example, Raro Safari Tours, where a guide shares local history as they drive you to a handful of historic spots, including The Garden of the Seven Stones near Avana Harbour, where we learned about the great migration and the start of Māori history. While a three-hour tour with kids can feel daunting, the hours flew by as we stopped at beautiful attractions and a waterfall for a dip.
With a 32km circumference, the island is small enough to loop multiple times during a day, you can drive around the island in 45 minutes, stopping at markets, roadside stalls and a variety of restaurants and shops that offer local crafts and souvenirs.
The lagoon cruise with Koka Lagoon Cruises was one clear highlight. It had it all: snorkelling, entertainment, cruising on the water and delicious food. Plus, the comical and knowledgeable guides who kept everyone laughing and safe as you cruise around snorkelling spots. The water is the clearest around Muri Beach and the fish darting by excited the kids for what felt like hours.
The markets were another favourite. Colourful, busy and welcoming, there are so many options to choose from and getting there early is key as many stalls can sell out fast.
The Punanga Nui Market in Avarua has it all – entertainment, food, crafts and artworks – and is the perfect way to spend a Saturday morning. The Muri Night Market, near Muri Beach opens Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings from 5pm, and rain or shine is teeming with people trying to get their hands on local barbeque meals, seafood, tasty desserts and our new favourite fresh drinking coconuts.
Little picky eaters meant food can be hit and miss when travelling, but any worries were surprisingly unnecessary on the islands. Light, fresh meals were well received, especially the fruit. Possibly because of the excitement about seeing fruit on the trees outside before trying it on their plate. While some didn’t become lifelong favourites, others, like coconut, were added to our weekly shopping list when we returned home.
There are many reasons the Cook Islands has topped my list of family-friendly holiday destinations. Small enough to see the same faces and walk the same routes, you quickly fall into a familiar rhythm that feels like a home away from home. Never rushed or busy, it doesn’t demand anything other than for you to slow down and enjoy all it has to offer, beloved kids in tow.
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Rarotonga with Air New Zealand. The flight is just under four hours.
DETAILS
Further information about Cook Islands travel can be found on www.cookislands.travel.
New Zealand Herald Travel travelled courtesy of Cook Islands Tourism.