03 Magazine: October 02, 2023
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Another day in paradise<br />
Swap the South Island for the island of Rarotonga –<br />
a slice of heaven in the Pacific that offers everything<br />
from brimming ocean life and brilliant white sand<br />
to decadent cocktails and a rich cultural heritage.<br />
WORDS MIKE YARDLEY<br />
E<br />
scape the humdrum of the daily grind to<br />
the quintessential South Pacific island<br />
paradise of Rarotonga, steeped in heritage<br />
and culture. The bewitching blend of serrated<br />
mountains, sawtooth hills, dense tropical jungle,<br />
bountiful plantations and deliciously sugar-white<br />
beaches sets the stage for great adventures.<br />
Encircled by a coral reef, the Rarotongan<br />
lagoon supports a dazzling variety of tropical<br />
fish, with an even greater array of sea life in the<br />
deep water outside the reef, including eagle<br />
rays, sea turtles and black-tipped reef sharks.<br />
But what makes the Rarotongan lagoon so<br />
family-pleasing is the shallowness of the crystal<br />
clear water, preventing sharks from being able<br />
to enter.<br />
The resolutely island time tempo of<br />
Rarotonga is as pervasive as it is infectious. I<br />
loved going on improvised drives around the<br />
main coastal road, Ara Tapu, marvelling over<br />
the colourful shop fronts, roadside fruit stalls,<br />
flower-laden gravesites, groaning banana trees<br />
and vast taro plantations.
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