My Christmas holiday in the Cook islands 2012

On the first day of Christmas my family and I went on a plane to the Cook islands for a reunion. I was sad and happy at the same time. I was sad because my mum, dad and my two little sisters couldn't come because dad had work but I was also happy because I was going to meet new cousins.

"Off we go" said nana. I was so excited! My cousin vere was crying because she didn't want to go she wanted to stay with her mum but nana already paid for her ticket. "Bye mum" I said as I walked closer to the door with a frown on my face. Off we went flying into the air on the Virgin Australia. Three hours later we arrived in Rarotonga. The airport was packed full of holiday makers.  We stayed in Rarotonga overnight at my Auntys house and left for Mangaia, one of the 15 islands that make up the Cook Island for a family reunion on my nanas side. The Cook islands is a day behind and an hour behind so it was the 25th of December when we left, so was very strange when the day we left for Mangaia it was the 25th again, like I went back in time and had two Christmas days!

When we arrived in mangaia we all went to sleep. Our accomodation was at a School in mangaia and we all slept in class rooms. The classrooms had bugs on the ceiling and they were everywhere. One fell on my ear and one fell on my lip so i learnt to sleep with them above me.  Every day was kind of the same like we always do a devotion prayer with the other familys before breakfast and after dinner. Familys were assigned duties like dishes, cooking the food , cleaning the showers and toilets and cleaning the grounds. I wasn't given any duties to do because i was too young.


Mangaia was beautiful, we met alot of our familys from all over the world for the reunion. The reunion was mostly about our familys. They even had a geneology on where everyone was related. We also had an unveiling for our great ancestors. There was a lot of food. We had chicken, cornbeef, chopsuey, taro, mamio thats this taro dish and other food. The reunion went on for a week. We celebrated a haircutting ceremony, thats when a boy reachers a certain age and gets his hair cut and becomes a young man. We also attended a 1st birthday and some of the locals came and brought food for our family.



One morning we went on a truck ride around the whole island. We saw old graves, hills and lakes. The best part was going to the airport because you could see the waves crashing on the rocks and the birds fighting over fish because the airport was next to the sea. After that we left then we went to feed the pigs and get our things ready for bed.

One of the days on Mangaia we went to the wharf, it was really rough. Too rough for me but my uncles dived right in. I went to the waterhole next to the wharf with my sister Shoal and cousin Vere. I started to collect sea snails so my nana could eat them. GROSS! We got bored so we went home.

It was boiling hot some days and some times we had to walk to the shop to get a drink and cornchips. Whenever this happened i'd always get corntos chips. After that we went back home and had a rest. Later on in the day the bell would ring for lunch or dinner. That day we planned out who was leaving first and who was leaving last. The first ones to leave were some of my aunties, my sister Shoal and baby cousin Hyrum then the rest of us left the next day back to Rarotonga.


The last day on Mangaia we just relaxed and waited for our flight .It only takes 30mins to fly from Mangaia to Rarotonga. I enjoyed my stay in Mangaia but i was looking forward to the beaches in Rarotonga as Mangaia didn't have any beaches.

When we arrived in Rarotonga we waited for my aunty Maina and Uncle Tokana and my aunties that left first to pick us up. I was excited to see all my cousins on Rarotonga and some of my auntys and uncles who live there. In Rarotonga we mostly went to a shop called Wigmores to buy ice cream for 2 dollars and swam at the local beach. I caught up with my cousins and spoke to my auntys and uncles. We went to one of my familys the Hermans to celebrate everyone who had birthdays in December and January.

One of the days in Rarotonga my family and I went to watch my Uncle PK play soccer as he was picked to play for the Cook Island football association (CIFA). But he was injured so had to be rushed to the hospital. He was ok though.

Our stay on Rarotonga was coming to an end and I was looking forward to seeing my parents again and my two little sisters.

The day before we were leaving back to New Zealand my nana bought my cousin and I a dress to wear back to Auckland they where so pretty, I got an orange one and Vere got a blue one. My family went and did some shopping. I bought my mum a pareu and my dad a magnet and key ring and my two little sisters a dress each.

When it was time to go we all went in different cars. I was sad to leave Rarotonga but was excited to see my parents and little sisters again. I miss my family in both islands and hope to return again some day.

This was my holiday in the Cook Islands from 25th December 2012 to Jan 28th of 2013

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