Tourism Media’s resident photographic family, the Wilkinsons (Ian takes the photos and Sandra manages logistics) hit the road again recently – this time for an adventure filming and photographing the Cook Islands.
Sandra said this was one of the easiest shoots she has ever had to organise and the team at Cook Islands Tourism provided fantastic help every step of the way. “Their enthusiasm and support for this project was amazing and it allowed us to really capture the magic of the islands.”
“The highlight for me was Aitutaki where we got to snorkel with a collection of marine life including tropical fish and giant clams. It is something I’ll never forget,” she said.
According to Ian, it took the whole family a little while to adjust to the relaxed feeling of the beautiful islands, but once they did, they never wanted to leave.
In particular, Ian loved Atiu which made them feel like they were really living an adventure.
“Our kids were able to spend their time collecting shells and learning how to open coconuts with a stick,” he said.
“I was fascinated to learn that you cannot buy land on the islands. It is owned by the locals, but they share it with their family as kids grow, essentially subdividing it as they grow older and marry. This means land values never increase, so owning a house is within everyone’s reach, not just for the richest.”
“The Cook Islands are beautiful, relaxing and welcoming and I’d jump at the chance to go back,” he said.
