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Living in the Cook Islands

Read all about moving to Rarotonga, Cook Islands, through the experiences of the Steiner family.  Sarah Steiner joined Apii Nikao’s Early Childhood Education class as a teacher in 2020.

https://awaywiththesteiners.com/moving-to-rarotonga-cook-islands-everything-you-need-to-know/

WORK PERMITS

Employees (and family member) recruited from overseas are required to apply for a work permit.  This This process is managed by the Ministry of Education with partner agencies, Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs & Immigration. It involves completing a health clearance check and a police clearance which must be completed before travel to the Cook Islands for employment is endorsed.

All new employees from outside the Cook Islands must meet the current border entry
requirements in order to be able to travel to the Cook Islands. For more information and all entry requirements please visit https://cookislands.travel/entry

GETTING A VISA

Visitors will NOT need an entry permit if they intend to stay in the Cook Islands for less than 31 days.

Health and dental services

HEALTH SERVICES

Cook Islanders enjoy a reasonable quality health care.  The main hospital on Rarotonga can treat most conditions (illnesses and accidents) and when local treatment is not possible the Health Ministry has a patient referral system with selected New Zealand healthcare providers. Outpatient services are available from the main hospital (Nikao) or at the Health Clinic in Tupapa.  Several private medical practitioners also provide health care.  Most outer islands have a resident doctor, nurse and a small hospital and are equipped to manage the treatment of common illnesses and health problems, more serious case are referred to Rarotonga.  There is a Public Health Section of the Ministry of Health and they conduct periodic checks of all households (‘tutaka’) to ensure environmental issues are properly addressed by home owners.

DENTAL SERVICES

The provision of dental services is similar to health care services.  On Rarotonga a full range of dental services are available from the  Ministry of Health’s Dental Clinic located at Tupapa or from several private dentist.  Free dental care is available in schools for school children. 

In the outer islands dental services are more limited and patients may need to be referred to Rarotonga if complications arise.

COST

The Ministry of Health charges expatriate employees and their families’ consultation fees, prescription fees and hospitalisation costs at a rate separate from residents.  For those employees on direct recruitment contracts, the Ministry of Education will meet the cost of A&E and hospital care.

How do I get about the islands?
The island of Rarotonga isn’t big so most people travel to work on scooters (about $3000 for a new one) or small vehicles (between $NZ12,000 – $NZ40,000). The cost of petrol does vary from Rarotonga to the outer islands.

What is there to do?

Beaches
Public white sand beaches are located on the eastern, southern and western side of Rarotonga with ample sea life in the lagoon to keep one occupied snorkelling or enjoying the beaches.  A coral reef surrounds the whole island and acts as a breaker for the Pacific swells.  There are some spots popular with local surfers and paddlers.

Restaurants
Rarotonga has an excellent selection of restaurants and take-away outlets. “Island nights” (local food and dance show) at several hotels and restaurants are popular with both visitors and locals alike.

Sports
On Rarotonga a wide range of sports and activities are available – golf, sailing, cycling, athletics, canoeing, deep sea fishing, rugby (union and league), netball, triathlon, soccer, snorkelling, diving and indoor games etc. The local library has a good selection of books.

The outer islands, with less population, cannot provide the same range of activities as is available on Rarotonga.  However, most sports are played through village competitions.

Shopping
There are a range of clothing, arts and crafts outlets on Rarotonga with several medium to small sized supermarkets and village stores catering for your grocery needs.  The Saturday morning ‘Punanganui Market’ day is where you can buy local fresh produce to last the week; food, arts and craft stalls sell a range of products.  On the outer islands there are small village shops supplying mainly grocery items and fresh produce when available.

TV, Movies and Video

There is a local TV station that is free to air on most islands. On Rarotonga satellite
television is available at an additional cost. There is one Cinema, the Empire Theatre on Rarotonga.

What’s the weather like?
Warm. June to August are the cooler months, whilst November to March marks the warmer season, with occasional tropical showers.

The drier months from April to November have an average temperature of about 26°C, whilst the warmer more humid and damp season runs from December to March. During this season the temperature ranges between 22°C and 32°C.

What currency is used?
The denomination of currency used in the Cook Islands is the New Zealand Dollar (NZ$).

Westpac, Bank of Cook Islands (BCI) and ANZ Bank in Avarua are open Monday to Friday 9:00am – 3:00pm and Saturday mornings.

What’s the culture like?
It’s great. Cook Islanders excel in both the Performing and Visual Arts. During the
Constitution Celebrations (August) dance teams from most outer islands travel to Rarotonga and with teams from Rarotonga perform vibrant drum dances, hip swinging action songs, imene tuki, ute and traditional legends.

A number of local artists and carvers contribute to the country’s cultural diversity through the visual arts medium. Local art galleries hold regular displays of work by well-known artists and sculptors. Traditional tivaevae (quilt) sewing using pulsating tropical fabrics adds yet a further dimension to the culture.

Where can I stay?
A range of private houses (usually 2 to 4 bedrooms) are available for rent on Rarotonga.


Weekly rental prices depend on the location and size of the house and range from $200 to $450+ per week. Most houses are rented fully furnished. Rarotonga homes have a weekly rubbish collection service – rubbish should be separated out for recycling. This service may not be provided on some outer islands In the outer islands house rentals are substantially lower – in some cases the house may be only partially furnished.

WATER

The mountainous inland areas of Rarotonga serve as the water catchment supplying water to underground water galleries or open weirs. Water is reticulated to nearly all homes, but during the dry season low pressure at some higher level homes may not be sufficient to maintain supply. These homes often have their own catchment system.

In the outer islands water is obtained from either an underground bore (Aitutaki and Mitiaro, and this is usually brackish) or village roof catchments (Atiu, Mauke, Mangaia).