Adventure Magazine

READY AND WAITING
The Cook Islands are open...
The Cook Islands, on the 14th of January, opened to New Zealand for quarantine free travel! No MIQ, just a negative test and you are
on your way to warm seas and sun filled beaches. But there is a lot more to the Cook Islands than proximity, stunning beaches, and
swaying palms, it is also a mecca for adventure; from its deep-sea fishing to its shallow lagoons for snorkeling and kiting. The Cook
Islands will keep you busy every day for as long as you want. Obviously, there are all the standard tourist ‘’to-do’’ options; the cultural
village, the coconut tree climbing demonstration, the glass bottom boats and trips out to smaller more remote islands. But here we will
outline a few adventures that you may not be aware of...
Group Paddle image thanks to KiteSUP Chasing big ones! Image by Marlin Queen
Image thanks to Adventure Cook Islands
Kiteboarders have known for years
what an amazing destination the
Cook Islands are for any wind-based
sport. But it is also an amazing place
to Learn to kiteboard because of the
Cook Islands shallow lagoon and
warm steady trade winds it is the
perfect place to learn to kiteboard.
There are companies such as Ariki
Adventures and KiteSup just to
mention a couple, who can give you
an introduction to kiteboarding, where
quickly you will have the opportunity to
experience the feeling of flying with an
inflatable kite and get you well on the
road to becoming proficient, in warm
safe water? The local tutors know the
best times, the best wind, and the tides
to make the learning experience fun.
As you would expect, with the
protection of the reef, the lagoon
is ideal for paddleboarding; with
very little swell, crystal-clear water
that is full of marine life. On your
paddleboard, which you can rent or
take a tour, you can access a range of
secluded islands and sandy parts of
the reef. There are several companies
that rent out paddleboards as do many
of the hotels and resorts. However,
if you are not a ‘’go it alone’’ kind of
guy or you just really want a add bit
of local knowledge there are those
running paddleboard tours like Lagoon
Explorer.
As with all South Pacific islands
fishing can be as much fun for
the really experienced down to the
complete novice. The Cook Islands
offer a lot of options like game fishing
with Marlin Queen fishing charter.
Tuna, marlin, Mahi mahi, they openly
brag they are out to get the big ones
and by the look of their website and
images they do just that. But there
are smaller operators like Reef and
Beach fishing tours which is a unique
concept. Mata George (aka Sunshine)
gives a half hour talk first about the
tide, water, and wind in Rarotonga. He
also tells of what not to touch or walk
on to protect the coral and visitors'
own safety. Then an explanation of
the different types of bait for different
types of fishing, what times to go out
and where to find the fish, pure local
knowledge.
Warm clear water and an abundance
of sea life leads to one major activity
- diving. In the Cook Islands some––
resorts, such as The Rarotongan
Beach Resort and Lagoonarium,
offer in house dive lessons, dive
experience and certification in their
hotel pool. There are also a range of
dive operators who can not only take
out qualified divers to experience the
pristine underwater world, but you
can also get PADI certified both in the
lagoon and for the open water.
There are also a range of great options
for trekking. There are bush walks
you can do by yourself, but it is not
like New Zealand and if you wanted
to do a guided trek, like to the top of
Mt Rameau, which takes about 3-4
hours then it is suggested you go with
a local guide company like Adventure
Cook Islands. Wandering off on your
own might seem like fun, but there is
a lot of private land, and it is easy to
get lost.
Rarotonga is not a very big place, and
you can easily rent a scooter to get
around, (make sure you get a licence
from in town they are only $29.50) but
a nicer, quiet option is to bike. There
are again a range of rental options
plus some of the resorts have them
for hire. But you can do tours, it’s not
mountain biking as we know it with
downhill single track but it’s a way to
see the island and interact with the
locals. Like anywhere biking is a nice
way to meet the people, smell the air
and take in the view.
Basically, the Cook Islands have
been looking after tourist for a lot of
years, they are well established and
well prepared to make sure you can
basically do whatever it is you want
to do, easily, professional, and safely.
The hard part is choosing from so
much on offer!
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