Raro Buggy Tours: This crazy mud adventure needs to be on your bucket list

"I've lost control!" "Hold on!" "Close your mouth!" "Ahhhhh!" "I can't see!"

My GoPro recording sounds like a black box transcript in the latest episode of Air Crash Investigation.

Except, it's pretty clear that nothing is going wrong here because the recording is punctuated with raucous laughter.

I'm in the Cook Islands and finally getting a taste of the island's famous Raro Buggy Tours. And we've come on the right day. The celestial sprinkler system is in full force, and Mother Nature is giving the island a very good watering.

"Are you enjoying this liquid sunshine?" our guide asks with a smile shortly after we arrive at the famous Wigmore's Superstore - the meeting point for our adventure.

I can tell none of the other riders quite know what's coming. Some have arrived like they're going to the beach. Others have goggles and special mud shoes. I've arrived in a white t-shirt.

Everyone is looking at me a little strange - like a gazelle that's just waltzed up to a bunch of hungry lions. I clearly didn't read the instructions on what to wear.

After a few quick forms, we're asked to present our driving licence – don't forget these – before we jump onto the back deck of a pickup truck for a journey into the island's lush hinterland.

It feels like the opening scene of the original Jurassic Park movie, where after being dropped off by helicopter, the cast – including our very own Sam Neill – jumps in a jeep and heads past giant gates into the island. There's a sense of thrilling mystery. Here, we won't be eaten by a T-rex; more like a mud-rex.

After arriving at the course, we're given a safety briefing. Our group is being divided in two, and half will do the "mud" and "clean" parts separately then swap around.

I'm in the first mud group, and our guide Junior quickly explains the most important rule: "Don't open your mouth."

With a smile, he pauses before imparting a second piece of wisdom. "The only time I ask you to slow down is the bottom two corners. No tight turns."

We all lean in, wondering what would happen if we take these corners too fast.

"The speed you are going, the tighter the turn, the more possible it is for you to flip over. We wouldn't want that. We will help you as soon as we stop laughing, and then we'll get you guys back up."

With just two pieces of advice running through our minds, our buggies are started, and we launch onto the course.

I quickly develop an enormous smile as my inner child is reawakened. It turns out, when you smile - you forget the most important rule: don't open your mouth. The moment we hit the first puddle, a wall of mud hits my face. It's like I've dunked my head in plaster of Paris. I now know what Rarotonga dirt tastes like.

I'm having too much fun to notice; if you have a need for speed, these buggies are like mud therapy on wheels.

The adventure is particularly popular with kids, who can ride next to anyone over 18. You'll get stuck in the mud, skid around corners, and do lots of laughing as everyone quickly transforms into mud men and women.

The second half of the tour involves getting behind the wheel of a different buggy and driving up to a well-known waterfall, where everyone can jump in for a refreshing dip to cleanse the dirt.

The reality of visiting a tropical climate is that sometimes it will rain. In the Cook Islands, you should look forward to such days. Because you're in for an adventure you'll never forget – just remember to keep your mouth shut.

is $175 for a one-person buggy, or $200 for two. The main driver must be 18+ and have a restricted or full licence, which needs to be presented on arrival. See:

Air New Zealand has daily flights to Rarotonga from Auckland with connections across the domestic network. Jetstar flies four times a week from Auckland. See:

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