AIR NEW ZEALAND COMMENCES DIRECT SYDNEY TO COOK ISLANDS SERVICE
Air New Zealand commences direct Sydney to Cook Islands service - Luxury Travel Magazine
| Date: 5 September 2011 |
| By Alanna Bromley |
| The Cook Islands are now more accessible to Australian travellers, with Air New Zealand recently commencing a weekly direct flight from Sydney to Rarotonga. Following a comprehensive Cook Islands advertising campaign, tourism officials have already seen a 13 per cent increase in visitor arrivals to the Pacific Island, with wholesalers reporting strong forward bookings for the next few months. On 3 September, the weekly Air New Zealand service, on a Boeing 767, will change from a Tuesday to a Saturday departure, leaving at 9pm and arriving in Rarotonga at 7am the same day. The return service will depart on Friday afternoons and will arrive in Sydney at 7:50pm Saturday. Flying time is approximately six hours to Rarotonga, and seven hours, 15 minutes to Sydney. The Cook Islands have also recently debuted in an influential US travel magazine, with the July issue of Travel + Leisure featuring the island nation in its World’s Best Awards for Islands in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Additionally, travel website TripAdvisor ranked two of the nation’s beaches on a list of the world’s best beaches – for Muri Lagoon on Rarotonga and Aitutaki Lagoon on Aitutaki. |