The Cook Islands, a pause in the Pacific on the way home

The Cook Islands are fifteen small islands scattered across a huge area of the South Pacific, north-east of New Zealand, roughly midway between New Zealand and Hawaii. Their total land area is tiny, smaller than many British towns, but the ocean they cover is enormous. They are a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand, and their people, Cook Islands Māori, are closely related to the Māori of New Zealand and the peoples of Tahiti. The islands were named after Captain James Cook, who sighted several of them in the 1770s, though he never saw the main island, Rarotonga. The name was given later by a Russian cartographer.

For travellers coming from Australia and New Zealand, the islands make a natural pause. They lie on the flight path towards home, a few hours from Auckland, and a few days there, after weeks of cities, outback and long drives, is about as restful as travel gets.

Rarotonga

Most visitors stay on Rarotonga, the main island, a green, mountainous volcanic island ringed by a lagoon and a reef. It is small enough to drive round in under an hour on the coast road, and there is a bus that runs clockwise one way and anticlockwise the other. A local rule of thumb holds that no building should be taller than a coconut palm, and the island has kept a low, relaxed character, without the high-rise resorts of some Pacific destinations.

The lagoon, particularly at Muri on the south-east coast, is shallow, warm and clear, with small islets you can wade or paddle to, and good snorkelling among the coral and fish. The interior is steep and forested, and the cross-island walk, a half-day hike over the mountains past the great rock pinnacle known as the Needle, is the best way to see it. It is steep and muddy in places, and best done with a guide.

Sundays, markets and Aitutaki

The Cook Islands are deeply Christian. On Sunday, most of the islands slow almost to a stop, and visitors are welcome at church services. The singing, in rich, powerful harmonies, in the Cook Islands Māori language, is one of the great experiences of the Pacific. Dress modestly and arrive early. On Saturday mornings, the market in the main town, Avarua, sells local food, crafts, black pearls and flowers, and it is the place to be.

Aitutaki, a short flight north of Rarotonga, has one of the most beautiful lagoons in the Pacific, a wide expanse of turquoise water dotted with small islets and sandbanks. A day trip by boat around the lagoon is the classic way to see it.

The islands have their own traditions of dance and music. Cook Islands drumming, fast and thunderous on wooden slit drums, is among the most exciting in Polynesia. The dancing that goes with it, with swaying hips and grass skirts, has won competitions across the Pacific, and island nights with feasts and performances are held regularly at hotels and cultural centres. The traditional umu, a feast cooked in an earth oven, is another island speciality worth seeking out.

The add-on, and the practicalities

There is a curious thing about the journey. The Cook Islands lie east of the International Date Line, while New Zealand lies west of it. That means a flight from Auckland arrives on what is, by the calendar, the day before it left. It is a pleasing way to gain a day at the end of a long trip.

Just You's Australian Highlights with New Zealand and Cook Islands Add-on, forty-one nights for solo travellers, adds the Cook Islands to an Australian route through Sydney, the east coast, Cairns, Uluru, Alice Springs, Adelaide, Warrnambool and Melbourne, and New Zealand with Auckland and Rotorua.

Travelsphere's Highlights of Australia with New Zealand and Cook Islands Add-on, forty-four nights, includes Melbourne, Sydney, Uluru, Alice Springs, Darwin, Kakadu, Katherine, Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, Brisbane, Auckland and Paihia, and then the Cook Islands. Travelsphere's The Wonders of Australia with New Zealand and Cook Islands Add-on, fifty-two nights, does the same with a longer Australian route that includes Perth and Kangaroo Island.

The drier, cooler months, from about May to October, are the most comfortable. The wet season, from about November to April, is hotter and more humid, with the risk of cyclones.