Heaven Sandbar

I found something new to nerd 🤓 out to! Drone photography opens up a whole new world of photographic possibilities!! Took this shot from One Foot Island after flying out to the famous Heaven sandbar.... What an unreal view! Incredible day out on the water and still pinching myself 😁 Aitutaki is pure magic...

Palm lined shores of One Foot Island

I first learned about Aitutaki's lagoon when Oneea bought me a book the week after our honeymoon called "1001 Natural Wonders: You Must See Before You Die." With one thousand places to see, the one that stuck out the most to me was Aitutaki's lagoon. It just looked so incredible....so, you can imagine the joy I felt when we first set foot on Aitutaki's most famous motu, One Foot Island. Such a fun experience and one that did not disappoint! The island is pristine, and beautiful beyond words. During our 7 days in Aitutaki, we hired boats 3 different days so that we could spend as much time as possible at One Foot.

Alex enjoying a tropical "stop light" drink at Muri Beach in Rarotonga

Alex is such a joy to travel with! He never complains, is always up for an adventure and his positive energy is infectious :) Oneea and I cherish these moments and hope that they continue for a long, long time.

High Above Muri Lagoon, Rarotonga

While the idea of drone photography intrigued me, I always had reasons why I thought it wouldn't work. Well, I can say with confidence now that buying a drone was one of the best purchases I've ever made. It has opened up a whole new world of photography to me...providing so many more perspectives than I imagined. Took this shot on my last flight in Rarotonga...with the hope of capturing our snorkel island where Alex, Oneea and I went every day by kayak to snorkel. Mission accomplished :)

Pink Hibiscus flower after the rain

The gardens at Pacific Resort Rarotonga are amazing! We had a couple days of rain, which wasn't good for swimming and beach'ing....but it sure did make the gardens happy. I wandered around one day after a downpour admiring all the work that has clearly gone into the grounds.

Just the 3 of us, Pacific Resort Aitutaki

Walking to dinner, I of course made the family stop for the obligatory family shot at Golden hour. They are both pretty used to this drill by now, and thankfully cooperate for me :) We have similar pictures from other beaches...but it seems someone keeps getting taller with every fam photo!

One Foot Island Palms

I could spend a month on One Foot Island taking pictures the entire time.... and never get bored. Every square inch of this beautiful island is a photographer's dream.

Love these two

Loved our family dinners at Rapae Bay Restaurant at Pacific Resort Aitutaki. We always had a table with a view, and what a view it was. The food and service were both excellent, the wine and spirits always cold, and the company fantastic.

My first glimpse of One Foot Island

After many years of waiting, I had finally gotten my first glimpse of the famous One Foot Island in Aitutaki's lagoon. Even though I had seen many pictures, I wasn't prepared for how spectacular the scenery was in person. It's a tropical paradise like no other.

Mr Alex hanging at the Pacific Resort pool

With only 27 bungalows at Pacific Resort Aitutaki, the resort never felt busy or crowded. Alex spent a lot of time in the pool, and many times had it all to himself. The smile on his face says it all :) Alex, at 9 years old, has been to over 15 countries...and at the end of this trip, we asked him what's his #1 favorite..and his answer was immediate...Aitutaki!

One Foot Island Paradise

Every day, boat tours descend on One Foot Island to show off one of the most beautiful places on the planet. We visited on 3 separate days with 3 separate boat tours (the Vaka, Kia Orana, and a Water Taxi). All of the tours were great, with each offering different agendas and vibes. But my favorite of the tours was our last one...the water taxi. We beelined it for One Foot at 10am and spent the next 4.5 hours enjoying the island and sand bars. The hotel packed us a "picnic hamper" complete with food, cold water and of course white wine :) It was the perfect day and gave us the most time (and also the least amount of people) on One Foot Island.

Pacific Resort Rarotonga

The beautiful gardens found at the Pacific Resort Rarotonga. Tropical islands aren't always sunshine and beaches. We had 2 straight days of rain, and several more cloudy days...but we still found plenty to do. Walking thru the gardens was amazing, and I have a newfound respect for all the folks who spend hours every day keeping the grounds looking so beautiful! And even with the rainy weather, we still "braved" the rain and snorkeled and SUP'ed the lagoon. It was actually beautiful, and because the weather was so crummy, we had the whole lagoon to ourselves!