advice please

Hi
We're planning on a trip to the Cook Islands late June and have never been before. We had been thinking Samoa but the more I read about Rarotonga the more I want to go there. Which brings me to advice number 1 - only negative thing I've come across is mosquitoes /dengue fever.
I'm a mosquito magnet (any biting bug loves me) - really how bad is the risk of dengue and apart from smothering on insect repellent what else common sense can I do to stop mosquitos???
Advice number 2 -the two flights we've been offered get in middle of the night one at 1.50am and other at 4.50 am
Is there anything we can do or go or eat or something till check in time? We haven't booked anywhere yet but I'm guessing no one's going to want us on their doorstep at those sort of times!
Lastly we've got two weeks and don't know whether to spend all on Rarotonga or split between Raro and Aiutaki.
I'd love some advice on any of these
Thanks
Tricia

Late June is "winter" here, cooler nights, etc., so less mozzie activity. Chances of dengue are pretty slim along the coast anyway, mostly it's inland areas, such as inland Arorangi (west side) and behind town (Avarua).

Wherever you will be staying can usually arrange to reserve a taxi etc. even for those hours. Fares will range from NZ$25-40, depending on where you are heading.

No place to go and nothing to do until town starts to open up at 7:30am or so. The inside areas of the airport---cafe, etc---will close as soon as the flight you came in on departs, about an hour after arrival.

There are chairs you can sit on semi-outdoors, and the bathrooms are open, but nothing open at the airport itself once that flight leaves.

The odd hours usually make those flights cheaper.

Try at least three or four nights on Aituaki, any less really isn't worth it compared to the day tour.

If I'm not mistaken, there are resort owners who will make special arrangements with guests arriving at odd hours. It's a fairly common tourist issue for international flights to the Cook Islands. Contact the place that you're planning on staying and ask if there's any transportation/rate deal that can be set up.

Taxi's can be arranged to pick you up for most anytime. You just need to set it up with the resort, if possible. Getting there is so much fun!

Regards,
Mark

Thanks for the help
I guess the obvious next step is to contact prospective accommodation and check them out
We want something self contained and I've got a short list I've been researching so it'll be a good way to help me decide
Can't wait to get there
Tricia

I have been to the Cook Islands in October 2006 when there was a dengue fever outbreak. And, myself being a mosquito magnet too, I even got less bitten (actually just a few bites) on the Cook Islands compared to other Pacific Islands I have visited.

Definately visit Aitutaki ! The lagoon is absolutely breathtaking !

Mossies: Stay in clean accommodation on the watersedge and sea breezes - there are plenty of houses to rent right on the beaches. Take mozzie coils and purchase the Bushmans Mozzie Repellent (works more effectively than Tropical Aeroguard even). Apply Mozzie Repellant like moisturiser everyday and night before going to bed. I did this last month (wet season) and did not get one bite when I was inland and on the coast.

Late Arrivals: All the accommodation places are setup for night arrivals - the only catch is if you stay at a resort you pay for the night you arrive pre10am. The rental through the owners are a lot more flexible and normally charge you a day rate anyway. The rentals will normally organise a taxi to collect you from the airport for a set fee that you pay. The taxi driver is advised where to get the key for the house, etc...

If you have to split your time between rora and aitutaki, I suggest: 1% rora, 99% aitutaki.
Aitutaki is a real paradise and very friendly.
rora is more commercial and not as peaceful and beautiful.

House rentals can be good or bad here. If you are considering one, make sure they have insect screens on the windows and doors (some do, some don't), and also make sure they have security mesh on all louvre windows (some do, some don't), as those without these things are the places where most of our young burglars start their careers.

It seems that #8 has been posting the exact same reply---and only that reply!!---on a number of branches. Methinks he or she has some financial interest in this website!

:-) #8, you ARE #8! A slip-up I assume?

Oldpro---No, not a slip up, although I do slip up many times!

What has happened is that Roman B, the moderator of the branch, HAS deleted the commercial post I referred to, which WAS number 8! So, now my post, which was #9, has become number 8, so it does seem a bit confusing.

Maybe they should leave the orignal posted box there, as #8, and have a note "This post has been removed by the moderator".

Anyway, it was a post that was just pushing some "who is travelling there" website, which on its own looked fine, until one realized that on mutiple posts that was the ONLY thing the poster said, and it was all over the LP branches! When one went to the website mentioned, one had to sign up, and the "about us" conspicuously was devoid of real names.

OK, thanks. I was wondering...

I thought the mozzies were only bad at dusk ... so slather up or cover up.

If you have 2 weeks in the Cook Islands, definitely go to Aitutaki - it exceded all of my expectations for island life and island beauty. My 5 days there was not too much. Or at least some other island other than Rarotonga - though I enjoyed my stay there also.

The latest outbreak of Dengue in Rarotonga seems to be worsening. The CI authorities are now talking of fining people who don't take action to avoid mosquitos breeding. It has now reached TVNZ news. More than 600 cases and rising. So if you go there, make sure you have screened windows and use strong insect repellant - particularly dawn and dusk - the dengue mosquito is a daytime one!

The 600 cases were the total over the last several months, on all islands combined, not 600 current cases.
They just announced today that they will be spraying most of the main areas where dengue is starting on Monday. This should stop it from spreading to other areas, and hopefully it would only be in a few pockets inland after that.
As I said at the top of this, by June it is usually too cool for dengue mosquitos. If there are any, they usually don't fly too far in the cooler weather either, so it is usually just in those inland areas on the west coast and behind town.
Again, that is the usual pattern during the three outbreaks over the last 15 yrs., nothing is ever totally definite.

Raro, the last time I looked at the CI papers there had been 900 cases. And the spray that is going to be used is highly toxic to everyone and everything, and...only kills the adult mozzies. Doesn't affect the eggs or hatchlings.
TRYXW, go to Aitutaki. Contact Queen Tutai at Gina's. You can go out to Akaiami Motu and have the experience of a lifetime. She and Dez are wonderful people, well worth meeting.

#15 yes, I've read the same thing about 900 confirmed cases. There is a big cleanup of the island going on prior to spraying. But, as you say, there is huge controversy about the type of spray to be used. Toxic to everything including fish, just to add to the already serious pollution problems in the lagoon.