Cook Islands

The people of the Cook Islands are known as Cook Islanders (or in slang, ‘Kuki’s). We are Polynesian people and have a rich cultural heritage with a deep connection to our environment, history, and traditions. Cook Islanders are closely related to the Maori people of New Zealand, and share linguistic and cultural ties with other Polynesian people including from Tahiti and Samoa.

The official languages are Cook Islands Maori and English.  There are variations of the Maori spoken depending on which of the 15 Islands that make up the Cook Islands, are from.

The Cook Islands are made up of 15 Islands within 2.2 million KM’s of ocean in the South Pacific.  The Islands of Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Atiu, Mangaia, Mitiaro, Mauke, and Palmeston make up the Southern Group of Islands. The Northern Group is made up of the Islands of Manahiki, Penrhyn, Pukapuka, Rakahanga, and Nassau, along with the unpopulated islands of Suwarrow, Takutea, and Manuae.  Nassau.

The total population is around 15,000  with the majority of people living on the island of Rarotonga (70%) and around 20% in the other Southern Group islands.  The North Group is sparsely populated.

Tourism is the backbone of the Cook Islands’ economy, contributing by far to the largest share of GDP. There is some agriculture and while it is less dominant than it was in the past, it still plays a traditional and subsistence role in the economy. The Cook Islands EEZ (exclusive economic zone) covers over 1.8 million square kilometres and tuna fishing (with licenses issued to foreign vessels) and pearl farming (very small industry now) are the two main areas of fisheries. 

There are many traditional foods eaten regularly based on food crops and fishing. The crops include taro, maniota, kumara, breadfruit, tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuces; and the fruits bananas, pawpaw, mango, passionfruit, starfruit, watermelons, pineapples, and coconuts. Meats/Fish include pork, goat, tuna, wahoo, mahimahi, and octopus. The traditional method of cooking is called Umukai, and this involves cooking in an earth oven. This is now largely reserved for special feasts. Ika Mata is a popular dish which is raw fish marinated in lime or lemon, mixed with coconut cream and diced vegetables such as cucumber and tomato. 

Passenger arrivals into the entry point of Rarotonga is by air, with direct flights from Auckland, Sydney, and Taihiti. 

Rarotonga consists of 32km of a ring road on the sea side, and an inner road closer to the hills.  Scooters and motorbikes are a very popular form of transport as they are cheaper to run than a car.  There is one bus service, Cook’s Buses have two routes, Clockwise and Anti-Clockwise www.cookislandsbus.com . There are also taxis available, but there is no uber or other ride apps available at this time.

The Cook Islands has one main provider of telecommunications, Vodaphone Cook Islands,  www.vodaphone.co.ck. Vodaphone operates landlines, mobiles, and postal services. Vodafone is the only option for mobile services in the Country, and offers 2G, 3G, and 4G LTE services.  Coverage is generally good in Rarotonga and Aitutaki, but it can be patchy on the more remote islands.  There are prepaid SIM cards available for calls, texts, and data and various plans are available.  Another option for internet connection is Starlink. Generally, coverage has improved markedly over the past few years, and there are more competitive pricing options around as well. Many people rely on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp for calls and messaging.

Because tourism is the mainstay of the economy, it is normally a better financial outcome for landowners and leaseholders to have short term accommodation for tourists. Therefore, longer term accommodation is scarce and expensive.  Some of the potential options are rental housing, apartments or studios which may be suitable for singles or couples, and shared housing. Shared housing is popular amongst international workers.  This is the case in Rarotonga, and available longer term rental housing is scarcer in Aitutaki.