‘The new Tahiti': Cook Islands emerge as latest Aussie tourist hotspot and only a five hour flight from Sydney
Located about halfway between Australia and Hawaii is the Cook Islands, which Flight Centre Travel Group's leisure CEO James Kavanagh have deemed 'the new Tahiti'.
Locals have described Rarotonga (the largest of the 15 islands that make up the nation) as 'what Hawaii was 50 years ago', while others say it's a great alternative to Bali and Fiji without the crowds.
The Cook Islands have cemented their status as one of Australia's fastest-growing holiday escapes, with new figures showing leisure bookings to the Pacific paradise have soared 28 per cent in the first half of the year.
Often touted as a more affordable, closer-to-home alternative to Tahiti, the island nation is luring couples, families and retirees with its blend of crystal-clear waters, soft-sand beaches and a laid-back pace that still offers plenty to do.
'We've seen a significant increase in Australians heading to the Cook Islands,' Mr Kavanagh said.
'It's the perfect destination, enough activities to keep the whole family busy, but quiet enough for couples looking for a restful retreat.'
Jetstar is now capitalising on the surge in demand, announcing it will launch its first-ever direct Brisbane–Rarotonga route from May next year, joining its already sold-out Sydney service, which began in 2023.
The new flights will cut travel time from up to 20 hours with layovers to just five hours, opening up the possibility of quick long-weekend getaways.
From next year, Jetstar will operate four Sydney flights and three Brisbane flights weekly, offering a record 110,000 seats annually to and from the Cook Islands. Current sale fares start at $279 one-way from Sydney.
While Rarotonga remains the top draw, many couples continue on to Aitutaki — a tiny island of just 1800 people and home to a lagoon often ranked among the world's most beautiful.
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says tourism is 'the backbone' of the country's economy, accounting for about 75 per cent of GDP.
'We're always ready to welcome Australian visitors with open arms and warm smiles,' he said.
Australian flight search engine Webjet also reports a 7 per cent increase in searches and a 1 per cent rise in bookings since last year, underscoring the Cook Islands' rise as a rival to Bali, Fiji and Hawaii in the Aussie travel stakes.
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Courier-Mail
14 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Dimboola is the tiny town that's become Australia's capital of quirk
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Riding to the Never Never is a song from the soundtrack of the 1979 film Dimboola and also an accurate description of my four-hour drive from Melbourne to its namesake town. A place I've never never been despite almost a lifetime living in Victoria. The reason I'm finally visiting Dimboola is because I keep hearing that this wheatbelt town, population 1600, is defying the rural decline and having something of a revival. I also keep hearing about The Imaginarium. 11 best things to pack for an Aussie road trip Video Player is loading. Play Video This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Just be sure you've everything you need to keep the kids happy. The vastness of Australia seems ... more Housed in the former National Bank of Australasia (built – appropriately given our theme – in the Renaissance style), The Imaginarium is an extraordinary curiosity shop filled with unique gifts and a giant giraffe whose head almost brushes the 4.5m pressed-tin ceilings. Upstairs there are five guest bedrooms decorated in distinct styles; I'm staying in the Italian room with its jewel-coloured Venetian-glass chandelier and assortment of busts, cherubs and crucifixes. If that sounds a bit quirky, well … welcome to Dimboola. Chan Uoy in Dimboola's Imaginarium. Picture: Visit Victoria The creative forces behind the Imaginarium are Chan and Jamie Uoy (pronounced Oi, as in 'Aussie Aussie Aussie'), Melbourne restaurateurs who made the tree change in 2019. 'The first time I came to Dimboola I felt like I'd entered the twilight zone,' says Cambodian-born Chan, who arrived in Australia as a child refugee in the late 1970s and, last November, was elected deputy mayor of Hindmarsh Shire Council. 'There was no one around!' So the couple decided to create something to boost tourism and lure folks off the Melbourne-Adelaide highway. Enter The Imaginarium. 'We wanted a place that stimulates your mind and your imagination,' Chan says. I could write an entire article about the Imaginarium and the energy and ideas of this dynamic duo – Chan is also the founder of the Wimmera Steampunk Festival, the region's biennial 'carnival of peculiarities', – but there's so much else happening in Dimboola. I want to give credit where it's due. Owners Chan and Jamie Uoy at the Dimboola Imaginarium. Picture: Alex Coppel. New arrivals to the main street of Dimboola include The Forbidden Forest, a showroom of fairytale-inspired spaces conceived by Melbourne transplants Shane and Kylie Harman. Wander through Hansel & Gretel's Candy Haus, Jack & His Beanstalk Farm, The Witches' Lair and more. Each an elaborate stage set where everything, from games and toys, lollies and giftware, is for sale. 'The one big thing we find here is all the businesses work together,' says Shane. 'And because we own our shops, we're the people you see and talk to,' says Kylie. Across the road, Deb Howlett and Mark Gebhardt have opened That Little Vintage Shop with curated sections for men's and women's wear, haberdashery, millinery and kitchenware. Think of it as 'David Jones but with old stuff', says Deb. 'My shop is pretty quirky and not everyone accepts that, but here quirky is the norm.' She assures me that if the rain wasn't tipping down this late-July weekend, 'the street would be chockers'. Potter George Khut in his studio with works by his students. Picture: Kendall Hill Sydney expat George Khut opened Dimboola Pottery this winter in the old CFA shed and now operates a busy roster of four classes a week for the 'clay-curious' and plans to open a gallery showcasing his ceramic creations. He says he knew straight away Dimboola was the right place for him. 'It's affordable here and the community of shopkeepers have been really inviting.' Pop in also to Dimboola Vintage, a trove of gadgets and mechanical wonders, and grab a coffee at Dimboola Store, but try to avoid the Sunday brunch queues. Elsewhere in town, chef Cat Clarke has pimped out the kitchen at the Dimboola Golf Club to run a Thursday-to-Sunday restaurant on the banks of the Wimmera River. I loved the time-warped interiors of burnt orange and brown and her roasted duck with karkalla and muntries jus. 'I just cook with fresh produce ... and bush foods, the oldest ingredients around,' she says. Chef Cat Clarke at Dimboola Golf Club. Picture: Kendall Hill Meanwhile, at the Victoria Hotel, I have a juicy Angus scotch fillet with garlic mash and gravy in The Elbow Room, the one-time ladies lounge now a low-lit den strewn with Chesterfields, upright pianos and artworks. Owners Stoph and Meran Pilmore took over the century-old institution 10 years ago when the pub was mint green with laminate tables. Stoph says Dimboola has 'bucked the trend' of dying country towns and points to initiatives such as Wimmera's Silo Art Trail, said to be Australia's largest outdoor gallery, as driving the tourism boom. Opening soon, a main-street microbrewery called Frank Fox, and the Wimmera River Discovery Trail linking Little Desert and Wyperfeld national parks. Stage one, a walking and cycling path between Dimboola and Jeparit, will launch next month. Just one of many reasons to ride to the Never Never. The Wimmera River, Dimboola. Picture: Visit Victoria The writer travelled courtesy of Visit Victoria. Don't miss this Down the road from Dimboola I spent a wonderful wet morning with volunteers at the Wimmera Mallee Pioneer Museum, a collection of historic buildings crammed with displays of everything bygone, from agricultural machinery to domestic paraphernalia. A must-see. Originally published as Dimboola is the tiny town that's become Australia's capital of quirk
The Advertiser
16 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Bondi Rescue Viking Edition: Aussies on Danish patrol
There aren't any lurking sharks or powerful rips to contend with on Denmark's Zealand island. Yet Australian lifeguard Sebastian Walker-Staalkjaer reckons it's taken a while to get used to another occupational hazard - random naked swimmers. The 27-year-old from Victoria's Portsea Surf Lifesaving Club is one of six Aussie lifeguards who have been patrolling Danish beaches northwest of Copenhagen since late June as part of an exchange program with North Zealand Lifesaving Service. The group has been deployed to swimming spots along a 70-kilometre stretch of coastline known as the Danish Riviera, where sleepy fishing villages are inundated with holidaymakers. "Because you can see Sweden from here ... you just don't get the wind that pushes the swell for kilometres and kilometres and kilometres to build the big swell we get in Australia," Mr Walker-Staalkjaer explained as AAP joined him on patrol at Lynæs sea bathing club. "So even though they do have rips here, they just don't have the power behind them." Mid-interview, a naked Danish couple wandered down to the water. "This is one thing I'm surprised about," he said laughing. "In Australia, we don't have naked swimmers." Mr Walker-Staalkjaer used a rubber duck thermometer to measure the water temperature, a crisp 19 degrees. "The Danes love their water temperature," he said. "I guarantee you, I have six different guys come up to me, telling me I'm off by a degree." The exchange program started three years ago after John Mogensen from North Zealand Lifesaving Service met Natalie Hood, former president at Portsea Surf Lifesaving Club, at an international lifesaving meeting. The pair lamented how difficult it was to fill patrol shifts during summer, Mr Mogensen said. "It's about boosting manpower but also giving an experience to my lifeguards ... they make friends abroad," he told AAP. The participants receive travel subsidies, free accommodation and access to bikes to get to their paid or volunteer patrol shifts, depending on working holiday visa eligibility. Mr Mogensen, who is director of lifesaving, noted the Australians injected more fun and social life into his service. Inspired by Australia's Nippers program, he revived a Danish junior development program. The exchange also expanded after former Australian ambassador to Denmark, Kerin Ayyalaraju, introduced Mr Mogensen to a surf lifesaving contact in Sydney, resulting in NSW lifesavers coming to Denmark. For Mr Walker-Staalkjaer, who has a Danish father and Australian mother, it's an opportunity to connect with his paternal roots, practise his language skills and catch up with extended family. "Just writing Australian lifeguard up on the board, you get so many people coming up, excited, saying 'Oh wow, you've come all the way over from Australia'," he said. "You have a lot of people bringing up (Australian-born Danish Queen) Mary... most have a connection because they have been travelling there or their kids went to study or took a gap year." Mr Walker-Staalkjaer hasn't performed any major rescues in Denmark. It's mostly been first aid, jellyfish stings and swimmers standing on poisonous spiky weever fish. Doing solo patrols has also been a novelty, whereas back home, he is usually on duty with a team of 10. "You need a different style of guarding here. You have to keep yourself very alert. Whereas, in Australia, things kind of come at you," he said. "It's a slower pace in a good way." Later this year, a handful of Danish lifeguards are set to travel Down Under to escape Denmark's brutal winter. Mr Walker-Staalkjaer then hopes to be back in Denmark next year. "It's great hopping from summer to summer," he said. There aren't any lurking sharks or powerful rips to contend with on Denmark's Zealand island. Yet Australian lifeguard Sebastian Walker-Staalkjaer reckons it's taken a while to get used to another occupational hazard - random naked swimmers. The 27-year-old from Victoria's Portsea Surf Lifesaving Club is one of six Aussie lifeguards who have been patrolling Danish beaches northwest of Copenhagen since late June as part of an exchange program with North Zealand Lifesaving Service. The group has been deployed to swimming spots along a 70-kilometre stretch of coastline known as the Danish Riviera, where sleepy fishing villages are inundated with holidaymakers. "Because you can see Sweden from here ... you just don't get the wind that pushes the swell for kilometres and kilometres and kilometres to build the big swell we get in Australia," Mr Walker-Staalkjaer explained as AAP joined him on patrol at Lynæs sea bathing club. "So even though they do have rips here, they just don't have the power behind them." Mid-interview, a naked Danish couple wandered down to the water. "This is one thing I'm surprised about," he said laughing. "In Australia, we don't have naked swimmers." Mr Walker-Staalkjaer used a rubber duck thermometer to measure the water temperature, a crisp 19 degrees. "The Danes love their water temperature," he said. "I guarantee you, I have six different guys come up to me, telling me I'm off by a degree." The exchange program started three years ago after John Mogensen from North Zealand Lifesaving Service met Natalie Hood, former president at Portsea Surf Lifesaving Club, at an international lifesaving meeting. The pair lamented how difficult it was to fill patrol shifts during summer, Mr Mogensen said. "It's about boosting manpower but also giving an experience to my lifeguards ... they make friends abroad," he told AAP. The participants receive travel subsidies, free accommodation and access to bikes to get to their paid or volunteer patrol shifts, depending on working holiday visa eligibility. Mr Mogensen, who is director of lifesaving, noted the Australians injected more fun and social life into his service. Inspired by Australia's Nippers program, he revived a Danish junior development program. The exchange also expanded after former Australian ambassador to Denmark, Kerin Ayyalaraju, introduced Mr Mogensen to a surf lifesaving contact in Sydney, resulting in NSW lifesavers coming to Denmark. For Mr Walker-Staalkjaer, who has a Danish father and Australian mother, it's an opportunity to connect with his paternal roots, practise his language skills and catch up with extended family. "Just writing Australian lifeguard up on the board, you get so many people coming up, excited, saying 'Oh wow, you've come all the way over from Australia'," he said. "You have a lot of people bringing up (Australian-born Danish Queen) Mary... most have a connection because they have been travelling there or their kids went to study or took a gap year." Mr Walker-Staalkjaer hasn't performed any major rescues in Denmark. It's mostly been first aid, jellyfish stings and swimmers standing on poisonous spiky weever fish. Doing solo patrols has also been a novelty, whereas back home, he is usually on duty with a team of 10. "You need a different style of guarding here. You have to keep yourself very alert. Whereas, in Australia, things kind of come at you," he said. "It's a slower pace in a good way." Later this year, a handful of Danish lifeguards are set to travel Down Under to escape Denmark's brutal winter. Mr Walker-Staalkjaer then hopes to be back in Denmark next year. "It's great hopping from summer to summer," he said. There aren't any lurking sharks or powerful rips to contend with on Denmark's Zealand island. Yet Australian lifeguard Sebastian Walker-Staalkjaer reckons it's taken a while to get used to another occupational hazard - random naked swimmers. The 27-year-old from Victoria's Portsea Surf Lifesaving Club is one of six Aussie lifeguards who have been patrolling Danish beaches northwest of Copenhagen since late June as part of an exchange program with North Zealand Lifesaving Service. The group has been deployed to swimming spots along a 70-kilometre stretch of coastline known as the Danish Riviera, where sleepy fishing villages are inundated with holidaymakers. "Because you can see Sweden from here ... you just don't get the wind that pushes the swell for kilometres and kilometres and kilometres to build the big swell we get in Australia," Mr Walker-Staalkjaer explained as AAP joined him on patrol at Lynæs sea bathing club. "So even though they do have rips here, they just don't have the power behind them." Mid-interview, a naked Danish couple wandered down to the water. "This is one thing I'm surprised about," he said laughing. "In Australia, we don't have naked swimmers." Mr Walker-Staalkjaer used a rubber duck thermometer to measure the water temperature, a crisp 19 degrees. "The Danes love their water temperature," he said. "I guarantee you, I have six different guys come up to me, telling me I'm off by a degree." The exchange program started three years ago after John Mogensen from North Zealand Lifesaving Service met Natalie Hood, former president at Portsea Surf Lifesaving Club, at an international lifesaving meeting. The pair lamented how difficult it was to fill patrol shifts during summer, Mr Mogensen said. "It's about boosting manpower but also giving an experience to my lifeguards ... they make friends abroad," he told AAP. The participants receive travel subsidies, free accommodation and access to bikes to get to their paid or volunteer patrol shifts, depending on working holiday visa eligibility. Mr Mogensen, who is director of lifesaving, noted the Australians injected more fun and social life into his service. Inspired by Australia's Nippers program, he revived a Danish junior development program. The exchange also expanded after former Australian ambassador to Denmark, Kerin Ayyalaraju, introduced Mr Mogensen to a surf lifesaving contact in Sydney, resulting in NSW lifesavers coming to Denmark. For Mr Walker-Staalkjaer, who has a Danish father and Australian mother, it's an opportunity to connect with his paternal roots, practise his language skills and catch up with extended family. "Just writing Australian lifeguard up on the board, you get so many people coming up, excited, saying 'Oh wow, you've come all the way over from Australia'," he said. "You have a lot of people bringing up (Australian-born Danish Queen) Mary... most have a connection because they have been travelling there or their kids went to study or took a gap year." Mr Walker-Staalkjaer hasn't performed any major rescues in Denmark. It's mostly been first aid, jellyfish stings and swimmers standing on poisonous spiky weever fish. Doing solo patrols has also been a novelty, whereas back home, he is usually on duty with a team of 10. "You need a different style of guarding here. You have to keep yourself very alert. Whereas, in Australia, things kind of come at you," he said. "It's a slower pace in a good way." Later this year, a handful of Danish lifeguards are set to travel Down Under to escape Denmark's brutal winter. Mr Walker-Staalkjaer then hopes to be back in Denmark next year. "It's great hopping from summer to summer," he said. There aren't any lurking sharks or powerful rips to contend with on Denmark's Zealand island. Yet Australian lifeguard Sebastian Walker-Staalkjaer reckons it's taken a while to get used to another occupational hazard - random naked swimmers. The 27-year-old from Victoria's Portsea Surf Lifesaving Club is one of six Aussie lifeguards who have been patrolling Danish beaches northwest of Copenhagen since late June as part of an exchange program with North Zealand Lifesaving Service. The group has been deployed to swimming spots along a 70-kilometre stretch of coastline known as the Danish Riviera, where sleepy fishing villages are inundated with holidaymakers. "Because you can see Sweden from here ... you just don't get the wind that pushes the swell for kilometres and kilometres and kilometres to build the big swell we get in Australia," Mr Walker-Staalkjaer explained as AAP joined him on patrol at Lynæs sea bathing club. "So even though they do have rips here, they just don't have the power behind them." Mid-interview, a naked Danish couple wandered down to the water. "This is one thing I'm surprised about," he said laughing. "In Australia, we don't have naked swimmers." Mr Walker-Staalkjaer used a rubber duck thermometer to measure the water temperature, a crisp 19 degrees. "The Danes love their water temperature," he said. "I guarantee you, I have six different guys come up to me, telling me I'm off by a degree." The exchange program started three years ago after John Mogensen from North Zealand Lifesaving Service met Natalie Hood, former president at Portsea Surf Lifesaving Club, at an international lifesaving meeting. The pair lamented how difficult it was to fill patrol shifts during summer, Mr Mogensen said. "It's about boosting manpower but also giving an experience to my lifeguards ... they make friends abroad," he told AAP. The participants receive travel subsidies, free accommodation and access to bikes to get to their paid or volunteer patrol shifts, depending on working holiday visa eligibility. Mr Mogensen, who is director of lifesaving, noted the Australians injected more fun and social life into his service. Inspired by Australia's Nippers program, he revived a Danish junior development program. The exchange also expanded after former Australian ambassador to Denmark, Kerin Ayyalaraju, introduced Mr Mogensen to a surf lifesaving contact in Sydney, resulting in NSW lifesavers coming to Denmark. For Mr Walker-Staalkjaer, who has a Danish father and Australian mother, it's an opportunity to connect with his paternal roots, practise his language skills and catch up with extended family. "Just writing Australian lifeguard up on the board, you get so many people coming up, excited, saying 'Oh wow, you've come all the way over from Australia'," he said. "You have a lot of people bringing up (Australian-born Danish Queen) Mary... most have a connection because they have been travelling there or their kids went to study or took a gap year." Mr Walker-Staalkjaer hasn't performed any major rescues in Denmark. It's mostly been first aid, jellyfish stings and swimmers standing on poisonous spiky weever fish. Doing solo patrols has also been a novelty, whereas back home, he is usually on duty with a team of 10. "You need a different style of guarding here. You have to keep yourself very alert. Whereas, in Australia, things kind of come at you," he said. "It's a slower pace in a good way." Later this year, a handful of Danish lifeguards are set to travel Down Under to escape Denmark's brutal winter. Mr Walker-Staalkjaer then hopes to be back in Denmark next year. "It's great hopping from summer to summer," he said.
News.com.au
20 hours ago
- News.com.au
Image of BC Place in Vancouver shows what Australia is missing
Down Under we're incredibly blessed with world class restaurants, arguably the best coffee on the planet and beaches that tourists come for miles to catch a glimpse of. Outside of our love of sitting on the sand and soaking up the sun along with enjoying a nice cold drink on a Friday afternoon, Australians love nothing more than watching and heading to sporting events. We seemingly have everything we could need and more, but despite everything on offer … we're missing one thing. While we have some phenomenal stadiums on offer, none sit right in the heart of the city like they do overseas. The walk to and from a sporting event Down Under can still be a euphoric experience, but it all depends on the teams and in turn, the fan bases in attendance. In Vancouver it doesn't matter who is playing as the proximity of the stadium means the vibe of any sporting contest is felt across the entire city. The difference between BC Place and stadiums in Australia is abundantly evident when you're in the thick of the action. As soon as you walk out the door of your hotel in Vancouver you feel like you're a part of the action as fans stream past on their way to an event. In Melbourne or Sydney, unless you're in the general vicinity of the stadium you wouldn't know a sporting event is unfolding. Now this isn't me taking a shot at Australian sporting events, we Aussies are about as diehard as it comes … but the difference in having a stadium effectively on the city's doorstep is such a major plus to any event. It makes it clear that with the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, and Vancouver set to play host to seven matches, the vibe around the entire city over the course of multiple weeks will be akin to what we experience for a few days in the lead up to a Grand Final. While all eyes during the tournament will be focused on BC Place, it's around the city where the real experiences lie. And in one truly surprising twist, Vancouver may be the destination hotspot for foodie loving travellers. When you think about the places to visit for world class food experiences, the city of Vancouver rarely enters the conversation. When in reality it deserves a seat at the table. The spots foodies simply must go to Como Taperia A Spanish tapas restaurant that is a football lovers heaven. The food on offer is potentially some of the best Spanish food you'll ingest while the drinks match that level. But the real hidden treat for sports fans or card collectors … the toilets. The walls within the toilets are decorated from floor to ceiling in old school player cards. It's a dangerous decoration that you could sit and stare at for a bit too long. Anh and Chi If you want a feed that feels like a home cooked meal, head to Anh and Chi. A family run Vietnamese restaurant that delivers food that packs a punch. You won't be disappointed with anything you order, but the one thing you simply have to try is Grandma's Crab Tomato Noodle Soup. With a recipe that has remained unchanged for countless years, the taste will leave you salivating for months after. L'Abattoir Arguably the best spot in the city, the food is truly something else and the cocktails are what you'd expect at a world class bar. The old saying is don't fill up on bread, but at L'Abattoir that rule is out the window because I could've eaten my body weight in it. Places you have to visit in Vancouver Granville Island Another one for foodie lovers but also one for everyone. The markets have everything imaginable on offer with the island also home to a brewery and even a spa. The Granville Island foodie tour gives you an insight into all the mouth-wateringly good local food on offer. Those looking for a bit more relaxation need to give Circle Wellness a visit, the experience is unlike any other spa you may have visited. Capilano Suspension Bridge Only 20 minutes out of the city, the historic suspension bridge is a must see for visitors. Quick little hint if you're afraid of heights, don't look down. The 140m long bridge spans over the river and while it bounces around under all the foot traffic, the views are breathless. Where to stay If you're considering adding Vancouver to your travel list, and I highly recommend it should be high on any list, you want to be in the heart of it all. With that in mind the Opus Vancouver is the perfect spot. Situated in Yaletown, the boutique hotel is barely a 10-minute walk to BC Place and is surrounding by restaurants and bars. Don't feel like walking? The restaurant attached to the hotel, Capo & Spritz, offers up delicious food and drinks that can be enjoyed in doors out streetside in the sun.
