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The 15 islands of the Cooks lie halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii, scattered like fragrant frangipani petals floating across 2.2 million square kilometres of a seductive, sensual ocean. Boasting rare beauty, an idyllic climate, warm welcoming people with the widest white smiles and a pace of life unsurpassed for peace: the Cook Islands is Paradise.

The 32km circumference of Rarotonga is surrounded by a sparkling blue lagoon – the shimmer of technicoloured tropical fish caught in the sunlight adds a shot of colour. The fringe of pearly white sand is lined with swaying palms and a coral reef on which crashing waves call the intrepid fishermen to cast their lines.

Tradition and cultural heritage are trademarks of the island. Music is a part of island life, and marks the daily routine in Rarotonga; from the chants and hymns heard in the churches, to the string bands with their combos of electronic and traditional ukuleles made from coconut shells.

Traditional arts and crafts of weaving, carving and painting are an integral part of a heritage which, though strictly modern in its currency today, contains all the mores of a cultural background which is nourished and nurtured with pride. With not a traffic light to be seen, getting around Rarotonga can be a casual meander on the island bus – which uniquely travels both clockwise and anticlockwise around the road that circles the island and obliging drivers will pick and drop at will. Or the plethora of scooters which are synonymous with the town – where wheels are weighted down by mamma or papa and sometimes more than one chubby toddler clinging on for dear life.

Whichever way you go – villages, beaches, paw patches, and fields of taro, mango, bananas and the health-filled noni can be spotted on either side – providing an instant study of island life. An extraordinary array of flora and fauna flourishes. From inland to the outreaches of the lagoon, water is paramount to this island style of life. Fishing, scuba diving, trawling, bonefishing, paddling, snorkelling, sailing, swimming or simply splashing in the sea are vital components of this island’s lifestyle. All revealing that there is a lot more to the island of Rarotonga than simply a pretty place to escape.