Other than a very brief two hour layover at 2am in Tahiti, when I first moved to New Zealand, neither my wife or I had ever been to a Pacific Island. Living in such close proximity in New Zealand, we reasoned it would be the perfect honeymoon destination. Our original plan was to Island hop a bit, visit maybe three Island groups, Tahiti, the Cook Islands, and Samoa. After some investigation though, it proved very difficult to get from one Island to another, short of flying back to Auckland. Also, our last holiday to England and Europe had proved very frenetic, not staying in one place longer than three days, and we wanted this break to be somewhat more languid.

So, we settled on just visiting the Cook Islands, and having a longer holiday in one location. After our float plane ride back from the Sounds, we traded up to a newly refitted Boeing 777, and settled down in business class. For such a short trip, there was really no need, but hey, it’s your honeymoon, you might as well splash out! Also, being a short trip it wasn’t insanely expensive. So, we got to indulge in fully lie flat beds in Air New Zealand’s new Business Premier class. As with the float plane, you wouldn’t do it every trip, but it was certainly a nicer experience than the normal economy class.

Rarotonga from the air

Four hours after leaving Auckland, we were circling over Rarotonga. The airport takes up a long strip along the North West coast, and as we approached from the South we could really appreciate the topography of the Island. Formed from multiple volcanic eruptions, Rarotonga is the youngest of the islands that make up the Cooks. The highly fertile soil of the central regions is covered in dense bush as it rises up to the multiple peaks that make up the ‘cloud mountains’ of the interior. Towards the coast the highlands flatten to a large coastal plane that encircles the 30km diameter, out to a rich lagoon, and further out a barrier reef.

The view out our window during one of the tropical storms

We were staying in Muri, a small settlement almost exactly opposite the airport on the South West coast. The lagoon here is a marine reserve, and the four small Motu, or islands, provide a picturesque backdrop to the turquoise and indigo of the water.

The Pacific Resort Rarotonga was a lovely place to stay. Our bungalow was hidden away in lush tropical gardens, but still only 100m from the rich amber hues of the beach. A stream full of fish, fresh water crays and eels, flowed between the two, crossed by several bridges. A restaurant on the beach afforded breathtaking views of the sunsets, while a second restaurant bordered the stream, allowing the ravenous fish to be fed directly from your plate.

Visiting in February, the heat was not as oppressive as I had been expecting it to be. When it did become too much, the sea was only moments away, and was a pleasant alternative to the artificial air conditioning to cool off. Being tropical, the frequent storms were impressive. Out of a clear sky you would hear thunder rolling across the island, followed by the sky darkening, darkening, until the first large rain drops arrived. For ten minutes the rain would be torrential, then as suddenly as it arrived, it would be gone. Another ten minutes, and the ground would be dry again, as if the rain had never been.

Muri beach