Woo hoo

Yesterday in a lucky draw at a fancy luncheon (bit of tautology there - when is a luncheon not fancy?) I won three nights at Pacific Resort on Aitutaki in the Cook Islands. To them that have, shall be given, eh? Because I went to Aitutaki last year - but it was kind of cruel, because I only had one night there. But a kind cruelty, because that night was spent in an over-water thatched villa at Lagoon Resort. Although only after having been to the Pacific Resort for a sundown cocktail and nothing else. Which was cruel, because it looked kind of fabulous. Anyway, now I get to see for real.

The photo was taken over the pilot's shoulder on an Air Raro flight to Aitutaki from Atiu - I'd been alarmed earlier in the flight when there was a sudden rush of air through the cabin, but it was only the co-pilot opening his little sliding window to take a photo of another little island we were passing over. Aitutaki Lagoon is really that colour, so is the sea - it's a spectacular first sight, and when you see it you just know that you're going to have a classically glorious South Pacific experience. And you're right.