Cook Islands – Paradise Discovered

For total cultural immersion, a tour to the Cook Islands during their Te Maeva Nui Festival, is one of the best for diversity, vibrancy, colour, dancing and music that will take your breath away.  

Every year, late in July, we rediscover the Cook Islands just as Captain Cook did... unspoilt, unhurried and unique during the most important event in the Cook Islands calendar, the annual celebration of self-rule…the “Te Maeva Nui” Festival. 

This year was a special 60th Anniversary celebration so the island was buzzing with performers and families coming home to join in the celebrations.

For many years I have been taking tour groups to Rarotonga, the main island of the Cook Islands, to experience for themselves the beauty of one of the most enjoyable, experience filled tours in the South Pacific. I was even there for their 50th Anniversary. 

Visiting the Cook Islands during the “Te Maeva Nui” Festival gives visitors a wonderful glimpse of island life with a combination of the lively culture of all the islands in the Cook Islands group. 

 "Te Maeva Nui" translates as "the major or most important celebration" celebrates the diversity of island culture with captivating traditional singing and dancing, a unique parade of floats (all decorated with foliage once they arrive on Rarotonga) through the township of Avarua. 

A trade fair is part of the celebration where the islanders sell crafts and other produce from their island giving visitors the opportunity to taste the mouth-watering local cuisine from each of the outer islands. This festival all culminates with a Constitution Day celebration in early August. 

Each year, performing artists from Rarotonga and the outer islands gather at the National Auditorium to present dances, songs, drum beats and costumes expressing the cultural theme chosen for that particular year. This amazing entertainment is a fabulous insight into the diversity of the islands and you can’t help but be caught up in the excitement that is present in the auditorium.  Where else would you see three generations of the same family, all performing on stage in a loud, vibrant, fast-paced, performance that even the audience gets involved in, showing their appreciation by coming and joining them in dancing in front of the stage. 

 This combined with the natural beauty of Rarotonga, beautiful adults only resorts right on the Muri Beach lagoon, along with fresh tropical cocktails, island food, and nightly entertainment, this tour makes for an experience that is hard to beat.

 The pace in the Cook Islands is supremely relaxed, the mood carefree, the culture vibrant, and the people the friendliest you'll meet anywhere - the smiles are abundant during this time of celebration. 

Unlike some islands closer to the Equator that have marked extremes in wet and dry seasons, Rarotonga enjoys a pleasant climate year-round with relatively minor fluctuations in temperature and climatic conditions.  It’s usually 23-25 degrees in July.

 Avarua, the main town on Rarotonga is the commercial centre of the Cook Islands and has a friendly, bustling atmosphere with shops, banks, ATMs, cafes, bars and the fabulous market. It is also the main port and host to cruise ships and many cruising yachts and boats which you can charter for deep sea fishing or the relaxing whale watching cruise that our groups have enjoyed during previous tours to the Cook Islands.

 A visit to the spectacular Pananga Nui Island Market is a must whilst here on tour.  Imagine walking around a market whilst sipping on a fresh, chilled coconut, where every Saturday young children show their dancing skills on stage, preparing them for performances throughout the Pacific. The market boasts an extensive selection of jewellery, carved black pearls, shell carvings, wood carvings, delicate finely woven hats and bags from Penrhyn (a speciality from one of the outer islands), handmade ukeleles, works by local painters and ‘tivaevae’ quilt makers.

 There are also the fabulous black pearls that the Cook Islands are famous for, in abundance at the market and the many pearl stores scattered around Rarotonga. You can even meet the pearl farmer and hear their story of how they are farmed and harvested.  A black pearl is a fabulous souvenir of an amazing unique tour in the Cooks.

 Something a little different to other tours is, on Sunday, we take you to experience one of Rarotonga’s beautiful white coral and limestone churches as it is filled with the soaring songs of worship of their congregations. The singing here makes the hairs stand up on your arms it is so moving and we are welcome to attend services with some churches now singing some songs in English for the visitors to join in.

 We also experience a very enjoyable progressive dinner night where we visit local homes and sample the local cuisine like ‘ika mata’, coconut pawpaw salad and curried banana salad, to name a few and we often get to meet local chiefs.  On another night we spend a fantastic evening at ‘Te Vara Nui’ cultural village witnessing a vibrant show where we partake in an amazing dinner of island specialities that is not to be missed. 

No tour is complete without seeing the magnificent variety of brightly coloured fish swimming around the coral in crystal clear water just steps away from our resort.  Either by viewing them through the glass bottomed boat or snorkelling with them, they will amaze you.  I will even hold your hand if you haven’t snorkelled before so you don’t miss this opportunity.

If you’d like to experience the vibrant Te Maeva Nui Festival in the Cook Islands, contact Trade Travel on 1800 034 439 or email: bookings@tradetravel.com, to join our next hosted tour to one of the most unforgettable destinations in the world - paradise discovered.

Travel experienced and written by Kathy Rivett - Area Sales Manager for Central and Western Victoria