For the blue control,
The Cook Islands are the ultimate dream
It is an archipelago of 15 islands in the South Pacific Ocean, between French Polynesia and Fiji, and is the free United Nations of New Zealand. Rarotonga is home to the country's capital, Avarua, and is also the most populous island.
Despite its small size, the economic sea area around the Cook Islands is as large as two million square kilometres, so fishery resources are of great importance to the economy of the Islands.
Tourism is also well developed in the Cook Islands, with an intoxicating ocean scenery that gives people a sense of simplicity, ease, kindness and seclusion. The cook islands economy is dominated by tourism, plantations, fishing and offshore finance. Black pearl culture is also well known.
Rarotonga
The largest island in the Cook Islands in the south-central Pacific Ocean. It is located at 21°14′ S and 159°46′ W. 3,400 km (2,100 mi) northeast of New Zealand. The land area is 67 square kilometers. The population is 9,810. An oval volcanic island surrounded by coral reefs, mountainous in the middle and surrounded by plains. The soil is fertile and rich in tropical and subtropical fruits such as citrus.
The Avarua Ring Road, the capital of the Cook Islands, is about 39 kilometres long and takes only 20 to 30 minutes to get around the island by car. The island's inhabitants know each other, and only one traffic patrol police is responsible for traffic safety. The island's "commercial street", called "Jack the Businessman", has only a supermarket and a few small shops, mainly selling imported daily necessities.
Saturday's must-see attractions not only attract a large number of tourists, but also a good place for locals to gather. Because the market, which is only available every Saturday morning, is located in the Avarua district on the north of the island, and it starts selling at about 7 a.m. and closing at 1 p.m.; in addition to black pearls, clothing, wood carvings, and other crafts, there are many delicious !!! Seafood, chicken and mushroom rice chicken mushroom sauce and rice, jam and more...
In addition to finding a place to eat, there is also a small square on the market where locals spontaneously perform musical instruments and dance performances, and this link must be very polynesia! The host is very enthusiastic about the situation in the Cook Islands, from time to time also interact with tourists, can feel that the Cook people pay special attention to the concept of home, whether you are coming for the first time or come back again, the Cook people will treat tourists as their own family, welcome home!
To come to the Cook Islands, you must try ika mata (Chinese translates as coconut milk raw fish salad), which is cooked as the national dish, from the morning market to the night market to the restaurant table, this dish must be had, lettuce bottom, accompanied by tomato grains, cucumber grains, onion grains, raw fish grains, and finally poured with coconut milk, the taste is not bad, sour taste.
Aitutaki
And even fewer people know about Aitutaki, which is really small, very small, very small in terms of size... When the scale of the map is zoomed in to New Zealand, it can't even show its name.
This is the most beautiful island in the Cook Islands, and if you go to Cook without going to Aitutaki, it's like going to Tahiti and not going to bora bora, it's going for nothing. Aitutaki Island, a coral island that calls itself god-led island, is located on a southern reef in the Cook Islands in the south-central Pacific Ocean.
Although it can't contract the popular list of major travel charts, it does contract the highest evaluation of the founder of "Lonely Planet" as "the most beautiful island in the world".
If you visit, enjoy the wonderland lagoon, take a walk on the white and soft sand beach, step on the crystal clear light blue waters, and admire the fantastic blue coral reefs, which will enchant the whole body and mind.
Traveling around the island will also meet small animals that suddenly jump into the grass, and if you meet a local, they will greet you warmly, and you can also participate in the local Saturday market, where you can also enjoy the traditional songs and dances of Maori people wearing coconut shells.
In this magnificent sea, there are several uninhabited islands made of fine white sand, which are just right to slightly expose the sea, just like the luxurious pearls accidentally scattered in the blue jade plate. The beach is also voted the best beach in Asia and the Pacific, ranking second in the world.
Kitesurfing paradise island, you must not think far away in the center of the Pacific Ocean Aitutaki is a kitesurfing paradise, there is no one only first.
Between the sea and the coast, because of the accumulation of sediment, a shallow area is gradually formed, which is the lagoon. Aitutaki's lagoons are shallow in depth and layered in colour, the waters near white sand beaches are nearly transparent, and the transitional waters are slightly greenery in Nilorand.
The deeper waters slowly fade from aqua blue to dark blue. Such an unpredictable but natural and unpretentious color scheme once again made me see the magic of nature.
At present, the most convenient and cheap way to move from the domestic past is:
1) Fly to Auckland, New Zealand first, which involves a New Zealand visa.
The Cook Islands are visa-free for Chinese passports, so you can go there on a New Zealand visa, and you can also play with New Zealand + the Cook Islands.
Australia and the United States also have direct flights to the Cook Islands, but the price is much more expensive than flying from New Zealand.
2) To Auckland, fly to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands
There are currently two airlines available from New Zealand to Rarotonga:
Virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand
Rarotonga is the hub of all international transport and the largest island in the Cook Islands, with about 10,000 people living on the island, accounting for more than half of the country's population.
When you transfer at Rarotonga Airport, you can get a local calling card, such as bluesky, 3G signal, brush WeChat or something. Hotel wifi on the island is available for an additional fee and is very expensive.
3) Then take a 40-minute flight from Rarotonga to aitutaki.
Only air rarotonga flies to Aitutaki
Between the two islands is a small plane, the full capacity is more than 30 people, the luggage limit is one piece per person, travel to the Cook Islands as little as possible with luggage, it is really not possible to leave the luggage at Rarotonga Airport.
With a casual shot, it is the scenery, with the change of shade of the sea water presents different colors, clear to the bottom, let people indulge in the color of water and sky, worthy of the name of beauty ~