Glamping in Rarotonga !
It’s been 16 years since I last visited The Cook Islands and on this occasion, I decided instead of the usual beach resort touristy type gig, that I would try Rarotonga’s first glamping site. Heading to the eastern side of the Island and into the interior, let’s begin with the thought of camping..and now add in all the little luxuries you could ever want for a night sleeping outdoors. Furthermore add visions of a tropical island lagoon, lush rainforests and twinkling stars. Waking to the sound of roosters, a gentle sea breeze wafting over the sheets and the smell of fresh pastries outside the tent I thought quite possibly I was dreaming. When did camping get so plush? There is no roughing it, here you get to experience all the outdoor magic of camping but rest your head on a soft pillow and queen sized bed inside a bug-free glamourous safari tent. The best part? A private outdoor bathroom! Thatched walls and an open air decked area mean you can clean your teeth as the palms sway above and use eco- luxe products made from coconut and vanilla whilst you shower beneath the stars.
Unzipping your tent at the front reveals view towards the mountainous core of Rarotonga as chickens roam freely around the retreat's organic garden. Every morning the lovely hosts brought us fresh pastries and fruit (the sweetest papaya I have ever tasted) to our tent so you can wake up and enjoy breakfast before heading out to explore Rarotonga.
Little unique details like a pineapple chalk board where you can wrote messages to say you are sleeping in, a mobile phone, coffee making facilities and bathrobes. The warm hospitality of the Cook Islands is in full display here allowing you to relax and indulge in soaking up the surroundings.
Complimentary bikes are on offer for those wanting to slow down completely they are the ideal way to head along the coast towards Muri Lagoon. I must admit we opted for a scooter so we could get out at night to try some of the outstanding restaurants, along with alive and kicking café scene and night market. All these things on offer which was a far cry of yesteryear where there were slim pickings from only one big basic supermarket. I was also very surprised to find a big selection of NZ and Australian wines now freely available across the island and at reasonable prices. Food varied in price but again plenty of choices and always something could be found to fit your budget. Decent coffee (locally sourced) and the biggest donuts on offer at a café in Muri were a double bonus. Self catering is big here so if glamping isn’t your thing, there are many other properties on the island of which I also had the chance to check out as we toured round the island daily on board our scooter. For those looking for a resort style break there are some super places now including one place just recently opened in Muri Beach, reasonably priced and for adults only. If you are travelling with the kids, I would steer clear of the lead in packaged options, pay the extra money and get your littlies properly looked after. There is a great babysitting service on offer run by a NZ woman who will travel to your digs so you can head out and enjoy your evening. If you have a party of 12 to 14 and want a homely setup for a family reunion, and not get stuck into a resort regime I have a two places I can recommend. Very close to Muri Beach. Both have self catering setups so you can feed the tribe as and when best suits you, and works out far more economically. So it would be a case of kicking back and either enjoy the fabulous beaches or "stay home" and let the kids play round the swimming pool. Rarotonga certainly has something for everyone however which way you like to holiday.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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84.6% Yes
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14% No
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1.4% Other - I'll share below
Have you heard about Wild for Taranaki?
Do you know what they are doing in our community?
Their Vision is:
Taranaki biodiversity is restored to a state where it is visibly healthy and provides significant benefit to communities throughout the region.
Tō tatou taiao – Maranga Papatūānuku is our collective commitment to reach a state where Papatūānuku begins to flourish and rise.
This is a very powerful vision for Taranaki as a region and those working in this space fully embrace this Kaupapa.
If you look at their website the first thing you see is our Mounga in the background with:
Take Part
The natural world is our legacy. Every day, action is underway to restore, enhance and protect our unique biodiversity in Taranaki. Be part of making biodiversity thrive in the region, To do this you can go to their Action Hub and sign up to support a project, there are multiple ways that you can become involved, from the gifting of shovels or offering a place for planting of natives, to offering your unique skills and experience to as well as perhaps Organisation know how. By signing up to the action hub you can become part of the bigger picture and make you mahi count.
So why should you be bothered? Let’s start a short list, How about for our kids and grandkids or even great grandkids – and the future world they will be living in. Or perhaps for our community and our own wellbeing into the future, or for all the native plants and animals that make our world a better more beautiful place.
We can make a difference. We can see the difference the trapping efforts have made, bringing more birdsong into our backyards and species like kiwi and kokako being established into areas that they have disappeared from.
This is ongoing mahi and the more effort the more success and you could be part of making this happen by looking to join and supporting the mahi of organisations like Wild for Taranaki. This is the type of project / volunteering that you can be involved with as often as you wish, so no regular commitment is required if that would appeal to you. It is also a volunteering opportunity that you could possibly do with multiple generations and the bonus is that it is an outdoors.
The next event that volunteers are involved with is the Community Snorkel Day – Experiencing Marine Reserves – this is on November 23rd at 12 noon. If you think that you could support this, please make contact.
Where can you learn more? If you are interested to learn more about Wild for Taranaki and their projects, you can listen to:
Volly Voices live on Access Radio Taranaki 104.4fm on Sunday 3rd November at 2pm when Danielle and Victoria chat about what is happening at Wild for Taranaki and the projects that they have and how volunteers can become involved and how they support the community.
This can also be listened to on:
Spotify open.spotify.com...
Apple Podcast podcasts.apple.com...
Access Radio website www.accessradiotaranaki.com...
Volunteering New Plymouth website www.volunteeringnewplymouth.org.nz...
Who can you contact?
If you are curious to learn more about what is involved and or how you can get involved then contact Wendy (Monday to Thursday) at Volunteering New Plymouth on 06 758 8986, Ph/Text: 022 571 4228 or Email: admin@vnp.nz. to take the next step
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
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