FAQs

How do I get to Rarotonga
There are two international airlines that fly into Rarotonga; Air New Zealand www.airnz.co.nz and Pacific Blue www.virginblue.com.au Flights to the outer islands can be booked through our local airline Air Rarotonga www.airraro.com

What are the Visa Requirements
Immigration policy allows you to enter the Cook Islands without a Visa. All visitors are required to have a valid passport and valid ticket for onward travel. When you arrive on the island immigration officials will stamp your passport with a 31 day visitor permit, extensions are granted on a monthly basis for a fee, you also need to know with whom or where you are staying.

How do I get from the airport to the property
Transfers can be arranged where you will be welcomed at the airport and taken to your new home, we can also arrange your return transfer so at the end of your tropical island stay you will be taken back to the airport.

What kind of currency do I need
The Cook Islands use the New Zealand dollar. We advise all our guests to a bring mix of travelers cheques and cash. Although many stores and restaurants accept credit cards, the markets and some of the smaller grocery stores around the island only accept cash. There are ATM's around the island that accept cards with the Cirrus Plus or Maestro logos.

What are the power requirements
Yes the island does have electricity! Raro runs on 240 volts, if you are arriving from a 110 volt country, you will need to bring a plug in voltage converter for anything electrical.

How Big is Rarotonga
Rarotonga is 32kms in circumference, the main road around the island affords views of the lagoon and ocean at almost every point, and of course views of the islands magnificent mountainous interior as you look in the opposite direction.

How can I get around the island
Do what the locals do, get a scooter. Scooter hire is about NZ$100.00 for a week and they are everywhere on the island, if you’re bringing the family, car hire is also available for NZ$290.00 to NZ$420.00 for a week. To ride or drive here you need a Cook Islands driver’s license available at the police station. After showing your current drivers license you’ll get a little test (around the block, its pretty basic) and after paying a NZ$10.00 fee, you’re good to go! The maximum speed is about 40km an hour (25mph) why rush? Alternately we have an hourly bus service around the island, one bus goes clockwise, the other goes anti clockwise, easy. Bike hire is also a popular option for about NZ$9.00 a day.

What can I do there
Apart from doing nothing? (it’s a vacation after all), there’s a lot of stuff to do; deep sea fishing, sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, windsurfing, inland mountain trekking, tennis, golf (9 holes), shopping (black pearls are everywhere and at great prices), day spas, safari tours, cultural tours and shows, scenic flights, surfing, spear fishing, horse riding, island nights (with Polynesian feasting and dancing) and even nightclubbing. Or just fall asleep on the beach!

Are there wild animals on the island
On land, no snakes, poisonous spiders or tigers. The island lagoon is protected by a reef which keep the big fish out, and the little fish in, there are many gorgeous tropical fish feeding amongst the coral, but there is some marine life to be wary of. The Rock Fish (it looks like a rock) and Crown of Thorns (red and spikey sea urchin) has poisonous spines, there are also some sea snakes (not poisonous but territorial). Wear reef shoes when in the water.

Is there a babysitting service
We are in touch with some baby sitters on the island that are more than happy to look after the kids if you want to sample some of the islands nightlife. There are also kids clubs on the island for a “drop off for the day” arrangement.

Whats the weather like
Here's a rough guide to the Raro climate

Month

Jan

Feb

March

April

May

June

July

August

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Temp C/F

26/79

26/79

25/77

25/77

24/75

22/72

22/72

22/72

22/72

23/74

24/75

25/77

Rainfall cm/inch

4/1.6

6/2.3

3/1.2

5/1.9

3/1.2

2/.8

1/.4

2/.8

1/.4

3/1.2

5/1.9

4/1.6

Of course predicting the weather is an imperfect science, but it’s always warm, and there is rain from time to time. Rarotonga is situated just inside the Tropic of Capricorn, summer is from November to April and the wet season is normally January to early May.

Whats the time there
The Cook Islands is 10 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). If coming from New Zealand, Fiji or Australia please remember you cross the dateline. Please carefully check your tickets for exact arrival/departure times IN Rarotonga.