Jetstar has launched a sale to celebrate a brand new international route opening up to a destination being dubbed the “new Bali”.
The inaugural flight from Brisbane to Rarotonga, which is the largest island in the Cook Islands, took off on Monday night.
It’s a six-hour flight, and once passengers arrive, they’ll be greeted with a “tropical paradise” that’s filled with white sandy beaches, turquoise lagoons, and a relaxed atmosphere.
Jetstar is the only Aussie airline offering direct flights from Sydney and Brisbane to Rarotonga.
Executive manager for customer and digital, Prue McKenzie, was excited to see the new service officially take flight.
“Rarotonga is a stunning destination, and Queenslanders have jumped at the chance to reach this island paradise on this new direct service,” she said.
“As we continue to grow our international network, we’re focused on delivering even more low fares and more great experiences, giving customers more chances to take off, for less.”
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Where are the Cook Islands?
The Cook Islands can be found north-east of mainland Australia and are nestled between Samoa, Tonga, and French Polynesia.
There are only a handful of streets on Rarotonga, and it takes around 20 minutes to drive from one side of the main island to the other.
Jetstar claimed the collection of 15 islands has become “one of the most talked about destinations” for Aussies.
Explore journalist Natascha Mirosch even claimed it was the new Bali, as there were fewer tourists and it resembled what the Indonesian hotspot was like decades ago.
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“This unspoiled tropical island takes less time to fly to from Australia’s east coast and could well be the perfect alternative [to Bali],” she said in 2024.
This couldn’t come at a better time, with a poll of nearly 1,300 Yahoo Lifestyle readers found 41 per cent felt tourists had “ruined” Bali, while 44 per cent thought the popular destination was “dirty and overrun”.
Aussies now make up a quarter of all arrivals to the Cook Islands and that’s set to grow to 28 per cent this year.
How can I get to the Cook Islands from Australia?
Jetstar has launched a 48-hour sale to the Cook Islands to mark the new Brisbane route.
Fares start from just $255 and the sale will end at midday on Wednesday, May 20, unless sold out prior.
The airline will fly from Brisbane to Rarotonga on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
These stunning beaches are just six hours away from Australia.
(WILLIAM WEST via Getty Images)
Flights from the Queensland capital leave at 10:20pm and land in the Cook Islands at 7:45am local time.
For flights back to Brisbane, planes will leave Rarotonga on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 9:10am and land just after midday.
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has thanked Jetstar for increasing the number of flights from Australia.
“Tourism is the backbone of the Cook Island’s economy, contributing approximately 75 per cent of the country’s GDP,” he said in a statement.
“This will provide a major boost to our tourism sector, and the financial impact for local tourism operators and the nation will be very positive.
“We are delighted that Jetstar is making this commitment to the Cook Islands, and Cook Islanders are always ready to welcome Australian visitors with open arms and warm smiles.’’
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