Guide · South Pacific ·
Cook Islands holiday for Australians: what to know
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A Cook Islands holiday is an easy trip for Australians on paper: no visa for a short stay, a single international airport on the main island, and a small, friendly island to settle into. Smartraveller says visas are not normally required for Australians visiting as tourists for less than 31 days. The harder choices are which island to pick, how to get there and what to plan for once you land.
This guide covers entry rules, flights, Rarotonga versus Aitutaki, getting around, money and safety. It draws on the Smartraveller advice we could read, which was last issued in September 2015, so check the current page before you book. The island facts come from Wikipedia and the Cook Islands tourism site as they stood in 2018.
Sources for this section: Smartraveller, Cook Islands travel advice (archived copy); Wikipedia, Rarotonga.
Entry rules for Australians
Smartraveller, the Australian Government's travel advice service, says visas are not normally required for Australians visiting the Cook Islands as tourists for periods of less than 31 days. It also warns that entry and exit conditions can change at short notice. It tells travellers to contact the Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration directly if they want to be sure.
Check your passport before you book. Smartraveller advises that your passport should have at least six months of validity from your planned date of return to Australia. Departure tax is built into the price of airline tickets, so you do not pay a separate fee when you fly out.
Australia has no embassy or consulate in the Cook Islands. The Australian High Commission in New Zealand helps Australians who need consular assistance there.
Sources for this section: Smartraveller, Cook Islands travel advice (archived copy, last issued 17 September 2015 in the version we read).
Getting there from Australia
Wikipedia says the Cook Islands' international airport is on Rarotonga, with Air Rarotonga running the flights between the islands. The Cook Islands Tourism site has a page on how to book plane flights, including how to combine the trip with New Zealand or Australia.
Airlines and routes change by season, so check each airline for direct flights from your city and for connections through Auckland. If you have to connect, book both flights on one ticket if you can, so a delay on the first leg does not leave you stranded.
The Cook Islands sit on the other side of the date line. The islands keep UTC-10, the same time zone as Hawaii, which puts them 20 to 21 hours behind the east coast of Australia, depending on daylight saving. You can leave on one day and land on the day before.
Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Rarotonga (archived copy); Wikipedia, Cook Islands (archived copy); Cook Islands Tourism, home page (archived copy).
Rarotonga or Aitutaki?
Most visitors start on Rarotonga, the main island. Wikipedia lists it at 67 square kilometres with 13,044 people in its 2016 figures, and it is home to the international airport and the capital, Avarua. Aitutaki is much smaller, at 18 square kilometres with 1,928 people. Both are in the southern group.
| Island | Size | People in 2016 | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rarotonga | 67 km² | 13,044 | Airport, capital, hiking, many places to stay |
| Aitutaki | 18 km² | 1,928 | Atoll lagoon, One Foot Island, quiet days |
Rarotonga gives you the most choice. It has a cross-island walk from the Avatiu valley to the south side, past the needle-shaped rock Te Rua Manga. Its highest peak, Te Manga, is 658 metres. There are beaches around most of the island, but the lagoon on the north side is cut off by the reef in places, so it is less suited to swimming there.
Aitutaki is the pick for a slower trip. Wikipedia says Air Rarotonga runs daily flights to Aitutaki, so a side trip from Rarotonga is simple. Many travellers split a week, with most nights on Rarotonga and a few on Aitutaki. If you only have four or five days, stay on one island and keep the time for the beach instead of the airport.
Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Cook Islands (archived copy); Wikipedia, Rarotonga (archived copy).
Getting around
Rarotonga is small enough to learn quickly. Wikipedia says the island is 32 km around, and a main road, Ara Tapu, follows the coast. Traffic drives on the left, as in Australia. Many visitors hire a scooter, but Smartraveller notes that a significant number of road accidents that end in hospital involve motorcycle riders. It says to wear a helmet, stay inside the legal alcohol limits and make sure your travel insurance covers scooter use.
Smartraveller also says driving can be dangerous at night because of poor visibility and road conditions. If you plan to ride, read your policy first and check what licence the island requires.
Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Rarotonga (archived copy); Wikipedia, Cook Islands (archived copy); Smartraveller, Cook Islands travel advice (archived copy).
Money and costs
New Zealand dollars and Cook Islands dollars are both legal currency. Smartraveller says Cook Islands notes and coins cannot be exchanged outside the country, though you can change them at the airport bank. Spend them before you leave or swap them back.
Smartraveller says ATM facilities are limited, with terminals on Rarotonga and Aitutaki, so carry some cash. Your biggest costs will be flights, including the extra internal flight if you add Aitutaki, and where you stay. The Cook Islands tourism website lists luxury villas, resorts, hotels and holiday homes, so there is a range to choose from. We have not quoted prices because fares and rates change by season.
Sources for this section: Smartraveller, Cook Islands travel advice (archived copy); Cook Islands Tourism, home page (archived copy).
Health and safety
- Cyclone season runs from November to April. Smartraveller says flooding, landslides and disruptions to services may occur, and storms can come at other times.
- Mosquitoes carry illness. Dengue fever and the zika virus occur from time to time, and cases of chikungunya were reported on Rarotonga from December 2014. Use repellent and light, long clothing.
- Boil your drinking water or use sealed bottled water, as Smartraveller recommends.
- Buy comprehensive travel insurance. Medical evacuation to New Zealand or Australia can be expensive, flights are often heavily booked, and no island has a hyperbaric chamber for diving injuries.
- Guard your valuables. The most common crime against tourists is theft of items such as cash, cameras and phones.
A cyclone-season trip can still work, but build in spare days and keep your booking flexible.
Sources for this section: Smartraveller, Cook Islands travel advice (archived copy).
Sources
- Smartraveller, Cook Islands travel advice, archived copy: web.archive.org
- Wikipedia, Rarotonga, archived copy: web.archive.org
- Wikipedia, Cook Islands, archived copy: web.archive.org
- Cook Islands Tourism, home page, archived copy: web.archive.org