As someone who has been a diagnosed Coeliac for well over 15 years, and travelled to many countries in that time, there is still always the element of the unknown when travelling overseas, and Rarotonga was no exception. I contacted Coeliac NZ prior to leaving and there was nothing recent on file in regards to the Cook Islands. I had spent six weeks living on Rarotonga as a medical student in 2001 so had a fairly rough idea of what was on offer there. The Cook Islands are a NZ protectorate, use NZ currency, and the bulk of the food is imported from NZ so other than prices and reduced selection there is a great deal of familiarity over there which makes life much easier. I could not recall what the awareness levels of a gluten free diet were there, but as it turned out it would be free to say it is a bit hit and miss over there, but there were always simple items available to eat so I never went hungry.

My wife and I flew with our one and three year olds on Air NZ and were lucky to get upgraded to premium economy so the gluten free meals on offer for me were a step up from the usual. We stayed there in September when the weather is warm without being stifling, and the rainy season is yet to begin so the weather was excellent. Rarotonga is a mountainous island in the centre of the Pacific which has a 32km long road encircling it and is very easy to get around with a rental car/ motorbike, public bus which runs hourly or on bike. It is home to only 10,000 people so is very quiet and the people very friendly. We stayed in the southwest corner of the island in Aroa at the Lagoon Breeze Villas which was a fantastic place for families.  We would stay there again in the future when we return. As with most places in Rarotonga they provide a continental breakfast, but like most this did not include gluten free bread or cereal. Fortunately we had enquired earlier so brought our cereal with us.

Lunches were often eaten in as we had a sleeping one year old to contend with. For this we went to the large supermarket on the main street in the middle of the main town Avarua. It is similar to a large Four Square in NZ with a bakery, delicatessen and was well stocked. In terms of gluten free food there was a good selection of breakfast cereals and other routine food stuffs. We did not see or look for gluten free bread as we had been told to bring it with us. Prices were more than in NZ, but not as inflated as I may have expected.

In terms of eating out we tended to go to places within walking distance. Generally speaking it was a case of asking questions and avoiding a few things when eating out, but there was always plenty of selection and having no language barrier made things more straight forward. We went twice to Cocoputt (http://www.cocoputt.co.ck/index.htm) because we could walk there and it had a very casual atmosphere, a good 18 hole mini putt course and excellent food including the Sunday night BBQ buffet with live music which was the highlight of our eating week and the kids could run wild without bothering anyone .  The previous Sunday we had been to the roast buffet at the Rarotongan Resort which was solid if unspectacular and overpriced. We had a meal at Kaena restaurant beside the Dive Centre in Aroa, which was limited to a nice piece of grilled fish and chips in terms of gluten free options. Another night we went to the Kikau Hut in Arorangi near the Edgewater resort. We were picked up by the very enthusiastic English owner who has a coeliac friend who had helped them with the menu. As a result it was the only place that we saw that specifically had ‘Gluten Free’ specified on the menu, and the selection was extensive. This was a bit fancier so the food smaller and more expensive, but was a very nice treat with good atmosphere and they incorporated some local ingredients into the food. The other restaurant we ate at was the well renowned Vaima restaurant (http://www.vaimarestaurant.com) in the south near the now derelict Sheraton Hotel. Here we ate outside on the sand and the food was also well worth the effort with a good selection of options on offer.

Muri Beach is the main tourist strip on Rarotonga with a number of restaurants. It was also the only part of the island which had noticeably changed in the 15 years I had been away, but unfortunately not for the better in terms of the beach front. What it did have that was relatively new was the Muri Beach Night Markets that run on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday nights. There were 20-30 stall holders selling all sorts of food, drink and dessert with something for everyone including the gluten free diner. The main island market is in Avarua on a Saturday morning and there was all sorts of clothing, souvenirs, fresh fruit, cold coconut milk and traditional meals on offer. This was well worth the effort and the town was certainly bustling at this time, compared to the sleepy feel during the weekdays.

I would recommend the Cook Islands as a great place for a holiday in the tropics, but with an air of familiarity for Kiwis. It is very relaxed and quiet, but has lots to see and do if you don’t feel like being cooped up in your accommodation or on the beach all day. There are restaurants seemingly every few hundred metres as you travel around the island so you don’t have to venture far. We will certainly be back in the not too distant future.

Write up by Coeliac NZ member Kevin Bell