I live in Brisbane, and after chatting with a friend from the Cook Islands, I thought, why not jet off to a tropical island for a few days before Christmas.

Like everyone else, my first step was to research online and I found stunning photos of hotels and beautiful beaches on the islands.

I found many wonderful places to stay, so I spent the next hour scrolling through images of paradise, seeing beaches most people only dream of swimming in. Then I turned my attention to flights. I know that leading up to Christmas, I might pay a bit more than usual. So, it’s not just about the cost of getting to paradise that is the challenge.

I can’t fly directly from Brisbane to Rarotonga. The beautiful tropical island chain, just six hours from Sydney. So, I would have I must hop down to Sydney first. plus, another problem, there are only three direct flights a week with Jetstar.

I could fly from Brisbane with Air New Zealand via Auckland, but many of these flights have layovers of eight or nine hours in both directions. That is not long enough to explore Auckland but too long to make the trip appealing, so I quickly discount that option.

What am I going to do—hang around an international terminal in New Zealand for several uncomfortable hours, or fly to Sydney on a day when Jetstar is operating flights?

On any given day, there are numerous direct flights from Brisbane to Bali with the same flight time of six hours. While the allure of the Cook Islands is that it is less crowded and less touristic than Bali, you would think it would be easier to visit.

Here’s hoping for a middle ground, a pristine tropical paradise that’s also more accessible for those outside New Zealand.

Craig Vermay