Aitutaki: This unbelievable island is just a short flight from Aotearoa

It's hard to know what to expect from somewhere that's been regularly declared one of the most beautiful destinations in the world, and as I boarded the tiny plane from Rarotonga to Aitutaki I couldn't help but be slightly wary of possible disappointment.

Would it really be as gorgeous as in all those pictures? Instagram filters have taught us all how easy it is to make something seriously average, look seriously amazing

But my (very middle-class) worries were unfounded. Aitutaki definitely lived up to its reputation and its magical vistas will forever be imprinted on my brain, tucked away as that happy place to go to when current reality is not ideal. It’s one of those places where even at the moment you’re there, you know you’ll look back and wonder if it was even real.

My weekend in Aitutaki started with an E-cart pick up from the tiny airport by Jane from Etu Moana Villas and before I knew it I was on the ample verandah of my accommodation looking out on a classic Pacific blue-sea-white-sand view.

The villa - one of eight, was like a home away from home - super comfortable, all warm oak tones complemented by Pacific decor - and even though I’d just arrived I could already see it was going to be hard to leave after just two nights.

As I made my way down to the water I was stunned to find I was the only person on this picture-perfect beach.

For a busy working mum of teens, you can’t put a price on solitude, let alone solitude somewhere that looks like a movie set.

Hours slipped easily away between the pool and the beach and before I knew it, it was time to go to dinner at the beautiful Pacific Resort Aitutaki, a super romantic setting with beach views.

It was a charming experience even without gazing into someone's eyes across the table, and my cocktail and enormous poke bowl with fresh local tuna was exactly what I needed after an early start from Auckland.

While everything had been wonderful up until now, I still wasn’t sure it was the most beautiful place I’d ever been - but that all changed the next day with a lagoon cruise with Teking Tours.

Hilariously one of our guides had been living in West Auckland for the last 30 years before coming home so we were off to a good start, plenty to chat about when you live just down the road!

The cruise was so well run - stopping at various snorkelling spots to view (truly) giant clams, brain coral that changes from blue to purple and back again as you approach and retreat, and to swim with huge black trevally.

I’m not the bravest of souls, and not actually a super-strong swimmer so this thought was reasonably intimidating - thank goodness for Tiana from Ranui who talked me through it all. It was a lot more fun than I thought.

And then there were the island stops - at Honeymoon Island, Rapota and One Foot Island.

And that’s when it made sense - the understanding of why people rave about this particular part of the Pacific - there was a feeling of almost stepping into another reality, or being inside someone's Photoshop screen with the saturation dial on max - whites blindingly white, turquoise luminescent beyond belief and water clarity that seemed almost impossible.

A fellow traveller articulated my inner thoughts “I feel like I need to make sure I stop and take this in as I’m never going to believe it actually happened when I get home”.

After one of most incredible days of my life, it was wonderful to end it with dinner at Avatea Café where I had immaculately cooked local fish with a light coconut curry sauce that they make fresh every day. The set-up was homely and welcoming rather than fancy-pants but the food was probably the best I had in my whole Rarotonga trip.

It was clear the locals thought so too. Karin and James Crombie are Kiwi-born and only opened Avatea in March 2020, just before the border closure. It’s one of those places where you feel like you’re in someone’s (super-cute) living room rather than a restaurant - great food and true Pacific hospitality.

My last day was spent on a tour with Aunty Rima, something every visitor to Aitutaki should experience. While lying on a lounger or snorkelling pristine waters is what people come here for, a tour like this actually gives you a proper look into local life.

We covered all the must-see lookouts, beaches, buildings and sites of significance but what I found the most fascinating was visiting the local school, seeing how pineapples grow in people’s gardens, watching a local mama weave the thatch for a roof, picking mangos and passionfruit up from the ground.

The tour was a mix of scheduled and spontaneous stops and hearing the chats and the local gossip made me feel like an insider instead of a tourist looking in; I discovered this place is not only warm and beautiful on your skin, but right to the core of people’s hearts too.

Locals work hard, enjoy a laugh and will treat you like family after meeting you for five minutes. Aitutaki is definitely one of the most beautiful places on Earth, for so many reasons, and we are incredibly lucky it’s such a short flight from Aotearoa.