OCEANA. The Cook Islands

THE COOK ISLANDS

Rarotonga is a small island in the  South Pacific NE of Australia. We spent the first day walking around getting our bearings and winding down to island time. We are staying at Kura's Kabanas in Muri. We have a little cottage on the Muri Lagoon with a kitchenette and BBQ . Perfect for making the most of the available and abundant fresh fish.

The island is only 35 km in circumference. Traffic moves slowly and there is only one busy traffic area near the main town. One day we rented mountain bikes and had a leisurely ride around the island making stops along the way to hike to Raemaru (350m), to have fresh fish curry for lunch and to snorkel at Fruits of Rarotonga. The next day we rode the island in the opposite direction in 1.5 hours before returning the bikes, tried Stand Up Paddle Boarding and kayaked around the  Muri Lagoon. Steve had his first of two dives as a certified diver on the North part of the island. We dove one sight with a shipwreck and another with incredible coral. The fish were good but not super plentiful. Another day we hiked the Across the Island track in just over two hours which was well worth it. Incredible green and lush tropical forest with stunning  views from the Needle and the trail high point. Other highlights on the island include the Muri Evening Market for dinner and the Moorings Fish Shack for lunch. The spicy fish tacos at Moorings are to die for. Tomorrow we fly to Aitutaki another South Pacific Island that is smaller only 8 km in circumference.