Cook Islands - Aitutaki Trip.

[Tony Buzolich]

Last year I went to Aitutaki for the first time and can't wait to go back, so I'm putting it out there,,,,,,,, If anyone wants to go or needs a partner I'm ready NOW.

Jay, as to your first question below I did the whole thing on my own and it came out cheaper than going to Christmas Island.

Here are some of the details I'll make public to ease the planning and keep the prices down. I like to say I'm NOT cheap, I'm frugal and I always look for the best deals.

First off fly Air New Zealand out of Los Angeles. They have a weekly direct flight to Raratonga, the hub and capitol of the Cook Islands. Todays price is $868.00 round trip economy seating. The plane leaves at almost midnight from LAX. You sleep (or try to) the whole way. The Air NZ service was wonderful but it's still a long ride.

You arrive at Avarua, Raratonga in the morning and you can begin to relax. You now have a choice of either spending a little time on Raro as we did, or you can get right on another flight that will take you to Aitutaki. Air Raratonga has beautiful turbo-props that fly there 5 or 6 times a day. As I remember it, it was only about $350 RT in NZD which was about $265 USD.

I had already booked my lodging and fishing package with Popoara Villas and the Boat Shed restaurant for 6 nights and 6 days of fishing, including all meals and drinks for the week. The owner is an expat Aussie named Alan Mills and the most wonderful host you could ever imagine.

We arrived on a later flight at Aitutaki than I wanted but Alan was still ready to take us out fishing. We declined after the long flights getting here. So we spent 6 nights and 5 days fishing the most beautiful place in the world I've ever seen.

Now here's the good part, we stayed and fished the whole last day, had dinner at the Boat Shed, and Alan let us use the room to shower before taking our late flight back to Raratonga and then home. The price was $2850.00? NZD. Repeat this NZD converts to USD at an exchange rate $.74 / USD. When I got my Visa bill at home the charge was $1750.00 USD.

Now add those costs up, $868.00 Air NZ +$265.00 Air Raro plus the lodge at $1750.00 all inclusive, totals to approximately $2883,00 USD.

I didn't add the flight from Sacramento to LAX as most folks have travel credits on their credit card they can use.

Another thing, I asked Alan about tipping the guides for the boat, and he said they DON'T usually do that around here. Can you believe that?

I'm sure there are lots of questions you'd like to ask, and I'm glad to answer. Call of e-mail
Tony

[Darian]

Beautiful photos. That Bonefish is a beauty!! Not bad GT's, either. The flats look to be deep. Are they wadable or is the bonefishing done mainly from a boat??

[Baja Fly Fisher]

I'm working on a trip right now. Planning on a fall trip. Air New Zealand prices are a little higher than you quoted but not that much.
I was planning on DIY but couldn't get any answers. I'm waiting for some answers from the people who run the condo's, maybe it's Alan I'm waiting to hear back from.
If you go to Pleasanton, I'll talk you more about this.

[Tony Buzolich]

Darian,

Both, there are flats everywhere and each motu has wadeable shoreline as well. Fifty feet from where we had breakfast every morning was a very big flat that we fished each day called Ootu beach. People from other lodges would wade and fish here on their own without guides.

Here's Jim Cramer holding a nice bone with Butch Leone our guide taken only a few yards from our breakfast table.



The best fishing for me was in a boat the last couple of days with two of the Davey brothers, Itu's younger brothers.. With the boat you were able to see a lot better and some of the water was a bit deeper than you'd normally wade.

Here's a link you'll love about Aitutaki's fly fishing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28M_LrJwHrg

There are a couple more YouTube videos about Itu put on by Simms who got him started fly fishing. If these videos don't get you pumped about going nothing will.
Tony

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I guess Nor Cal guide Ron Rabun has been going there for many years and is an expert on the area.

I think it sounds like a great adventure......thanks Tony.


PS: How are the bugs there?

[Tony Buzolich]

Bill,

I don't remember there being ANY bugs there except when we'd come in from fishing there'd be a few mosquitos around the faucet when we'd wash the salt off.

Here's another even better video on YouTube about the fishing there. It's taken from an Australian's TV show called IFISH by Paul Worsteling. I have to add that we did NOT fish deep water with Rattle Traps, nor did we go offshore for pelagics. Maybe next time.

Here's the link to this show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnEHXEUIFoY

Jay,
The price I quoted for the Air New Zealand leg of the trip was exact. They do have specials often and that was only a day ago.
See you at the Pleasanton Show or give me a call.
Tony

[Baja Fly Fisher]

As soon as I get the final details from Alan, book the flight and let's wait until November. Right now we have 3 and if Jim wants to go that will be 4. Damn, I can't wait.
Hey people, my saying.... "Do it while you can, don't wait until you're too old or can't fish and wish you'd had gone on a trip"
I'll have a report when I return as I'm sure Tony will too.

jay

[gitt]

Jay,

Travelzoo had a special on Figi Air out of SFO and LAX late last year (October-November time frame) promoting a 50% discount on their flights. That special ran less than a week and then they popped back up.

Tony,

When you say deeper water for bonefish, were these flats of 3' feet of water with soft bottoms or 6-10' deep with pods of bones requiring a sinking line? Curious if these were tailing bones or mudding schools of bones. I notice the clouds in Jim's bonefish photo. Did this have any effect on spotting your quarry or was this blind casting for the most part? The rest of your photos have fairly clear skies. The price is right. Thanks for posting as always and getting the information out there.

[mems]

Aloha Boys, I would go, but no direct flight from Hawaii. I hope you all have a great time, big bones and bigger GT's. Mems.

[Tony Buzolich]

We're on our way. I just finished purchasing my plane tickets for Air New Zealand and Air Rarotonga .

Now comes the long wait between now and October when we go.

Kia Orana, Don,
Hawaiian Airlines shows they go from HNL to Rarotonga, then it's just a hop skip to Aitutaki .

Ka Kati, Tony (that's Cook Is. talk)