There are times we struggle to see more than two feet in front of us and yet, I feel like this is some of the best freediving we’ve ever had.  Maybe it’s the company, maybe it’s the never-ending good vibes that flow through this island and seemingly every person we meet on it.  I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but I know Raro has taken a little piece of my heart that I will never get back.

I have a deep love for every country we have visited but this is the first time I feel like I want to dig my anchor in so deep, it takes us a few months to pull it back up.  We were given 90 days to explore the Cook Islands and we could have used at least 90 more.

In all fairness, we could have requested an extension, but the reality is we need to move on.  The cyclone season will be upon us before we know it and we have a lot of territory to cover.  Next stop is Aitutaki…the Bora Bora of the Cook Islands.

Mowgli (AKA Josh)

Should you make your way to Rarotonga (and you should) you can go out for a romp in the under-water jungle too.  Josh runs a tour company and can take anyone, of any level, out to meet his wild friends.  This isn’t a sponsored plug. Just a recommendation to visit our friend who has a deep love and respect for the ocean.

Find Josh on:

• Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/snorkelcookislands/
• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/snorkelcookislands

Killer Mosquitoes

Next to Alaska, that time we were mobbed by no-see-ums in the Bahamas and the Jurassic Park camp, the Papua (Wigmore’s) Waterfall Hike almost killed us.  Another ten seconds and I don’t think there would have been any flesh left on our bones.  Luckily, aside from the itchy welts, we were fine.  But you better believe we were never caught without our bug spray again!

DIY Bug Repellent – lemongrass, rosemary, lemon and eucalyptus essential oils in a blend of jojoba or coconut oil is our fave.

Serious Café Culture

We gave you a visual taste in the video, but the café culture in Rarotonga is seriously strong.  You can walk down the street and pick up “Austin, Texas Worthy Food” at a dozen places near the quay.  Don’t get me wrong, not every spot was foodie heaven, but overall our coffee, pub and food experiences made Raro a little sweeter in our hearts.

In our two weeks of exploring this small island we must have eaten at 30 different places.  Jason and I joke that “we spent more in 2 weeks on Rarotonga than we did in one year in French Polynesia!”  Surprisingly it’s almost true.  If I had to narrow it down to the perfect trifecta it’d go like this: Beluga for coffee and Breakfast, Lucky Trout for Lunch, Raro-Brewery for a quick beer sample and finish it off with a tasty sunset dinner with a killer view at Antipodes.

If you’re not on a sailboat you can call our new Raro Friends at Casa del Sol…they’re the ones that loaned us the car and introduced us to Beluga and Antipodes (and a crap-load of other awesome Rarotonga Must-Do’s).

 FREEDIVING & SCUBA

• All Dive Gear Info & Reviews Here: gonewiththewynns.com/diving-from-sailboat

🎥 CAMERA GEAR USED IN THIS VIDEO  📷

• Sony rx10: https://amzn.to/2QAHxwx 
• Sony rx100:  gonewiththewynns.com/product/productsony-dsc-rx100m-iii-cyber-shot-digital-still-camera
• Drone: https://amzn.to/2VQ2pzi
• 360 Camera for those extra wide shots: https://amzn.to/2pzbIs0 

🎶AWESOME tunes:

• http://bit.ly/artlist-gwtw – Giants and Pilgrims (intro), Camel Power Club, Generation Lost, Maya Isac, Luminar

⛵ SAILING REPORT

To see our full map with interactive pins, click here: gonewiththewynns.com/map

• Anchorage: Avarua Harbour, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
• Date:  June 2019

🙏 MADE POSSIBLE BY YOU!

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