Lying at the centre of the Polynesian triangle and sprinkled over 2 million square km of ocean are the 15 Cook Islands, of which Rarotonga was our destination. Experiencing time travel of a sort by crossing the International Date Line and being catapulted into the past to re-experience parts of December 11th/12th 1998, we arrived in Rarotonga mid-morning and transferred to Vara's Beachhouse at Muri Beach.

Immediately there was a comfortable feel about the place, with the additional bonuses of clear, turquoise water and sandy beaches. Down on the beach were sand sculptures to admire including 'King Louie' or games of volleyball to join in with. From there you could half-wade, half-swim to the little island of Koromin.

On the first evening we took local advice and went partying in Avurua. Friday night was the traditional party night for the island. Venues included Ronnies, Hideaway, Trader Jacks (overlooks Avarua Harbour and was a hive of activity as both an eatery and a pub), TJ's nightclub (an 'upmarket disco' on Avarua's waterfront) and the "famous" Staircase (disco providing chart pop, dance and retro hits).

Another evening was at an Island Night - Cook Island Dancers are renowned and Rarotonga is reputed to be the one place where dance shows for tourists are well worth seeing. It lived up to its reputation! The dancers were fantastic, unfortunately it was a bit short & sweet.

Intro | Travelling Round | And finally...