This is one of the first places we've been to where the tourist brochures and pretty pictures truly don't do justice to the beauty which surrounds Aitutaki.  New Zealand was scenic...Aitutaki is SCENIC (if you catch my drift).  Here's a glimpse:   We were booked into the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort (now known as the Aitutaki Pearl Beach Resort) which is a short bus ride from the airport.   Another well-hung Tangaroa greeted us at the pedestrian bridge to the Resort (actually on Akitua Motu (island)   Our Garden Bungalow   The view from our bedroom window   Aitutaki Sunset  Friday night was Island Night at Ralphie's Bar in Aitutaki.  The Cook Islands Polynesian Dancers are arguably the best in the Pacific.  Faster and more athletic than either Tahitian, Hawaiian or Samoan, preceded by the usual buffet of local island cuisine.  Here's a look at some of the best Polynesian dancing we've seen:   The hour-long show concludes with some (usually hilarious) audience participation.  I was fortunate enough NOT to be chosen...but some local children do get involved   The next morning, Helen and I went diving with Neil Mitchell's Aitutaki Scuba.  Gotta love the license plate!   We had a very nice dive at 'Rapae Swim-Through'.  An Eagle Ray greeted us as we entered the water, then we swam through the tunnel (actually 2 large coral bommies that grew together to form the swim-through).  I woke up a large Loggerhead Turtle next to a wrecked barge...spotted some nice, large giant clams and a lot of nice fish life - including the biggest Parrotfish I've ever seen.  After the dive, it was time for Island Night at the Aitutaki Pearl Beach Resort.   As you can see,  I wasn't so lucky this time...that's me pretending like I know what I'm doing.  These Cook Islanders can DANCE!   Oh well.  At least I'm tanned.  And lei'd!  Sundays are a day of rest and worship throughout the Cook Islands.  All the restaurants and tourist attractions are closed so the natives can rest and go to church.  The Cook Islanders can sing as well as they dance.  Helen and I attended the church service at the oldest church in the Cook Islands (built in 1829) and heard some beautiful singing from the congregation.  Great hats, too!  We spent the rest of the day on the beach, working on our tans, resting up for the big New Year's Eve Party at the resort.  Hard to think about a cold, winter's New Years Eve on a day like this   Helen and I bought a nice bottle of champagne for New Years while we were in New Zealand.   We went to the resorts' seafood buffet for dinner, then more Cook Islands dancing, then waited around our bungalow deck watching the stars and looking at the clock   waiting for midnight.  We actually spent the stroke of the next Millennium in a hammock on the beach, toasting the finish of our fantastic trip and our last night in Paradise.

We awoke the next morning to another beautiful day, we drank the rest of our champagne with the nice Swiss couple we met while diving, Elvira and Raphael   Then it was off with Bishops Cruises for our Aitutaki Lagoon Cruise on New Year's Day   First stop...Honeymooner's Island   so named because of the nesting pairs of White, Red-tailed Tropicbirds (and the nice wedding setting)   Then it was off to One Foot Island for lunch   As you can tell, the Aitutaki Lagoon water is impossibly blue (warm, too!).  Paradise found!   Coconut Tree Face   Helen on One Tree Island   Tom 'Tapuaetai' (One Foot Island) sign   Helen in the same spot  All good things must come to an end, so back to the resort to pick up our bags and head for the airport for our flight back to Raro and on to Vancouver.  A few more shots of the Aitutaki Pearl Beach Resort   Beach Bar and Lagoon Bungalows   We spotted this Moray Eel heading for the Lagoon from the bridge.  Air Raro   Smiley Face   This pretty much shows how we feel about the Cook Islands.  Picture what Hawaii must have been like in the 30's.  There are only 800 hotel rooms on Rarotonga...maybe 100 on Aitutaki.  A very gracious people, unbelievably blue, clear, warm water and pleasant climate.  We'll be back!

Time to go through climate and culture shock by 'recompressing' into the 'real' world...whatever that is.  This has been a wonderful experience for us and one we've been happy to share with you through this web-site.  Let us know what you think at [email protected].  Happy New Year and Kia Orana, Kia Ora, Ni Sa Bula, G'day!

Tom & Helen