@larissadubecki1
In my defence, it was an easy mistake to make. I thought I’d been offered a G&T by the sarong-clad, ukulelestrumming captain of the Vaka Tiki-a-Tonga, an ornately carved Polynesian boat traversing the dazzlingly clear waters of the Cook Islands’ showpiece Aitutaki lagoon. Hence my confusion when he motioned urgently for me to jump in the water.
As it turns out, GT is the local slang for giant trevally, an enormous, saucer-eyed fish reminiscent of a labrador in its desire for food. Swimming in this enormous tropical bath with a school of the creatures swishing past, their slippery grey skin brushing my own, was a bucket list experience I was unaware of until I was having it.
For islanders, the GTs occupy a space somewhere between beloved pet and spiritual totem, which means they’re not on the menu. That poses no problem when the on-board lunch consists of – mashed taro leaves cooked in coconut cream, so rich and smooth it’s like eating a blanket of green velvet. A couple of glasses of New Zealand pinot gris later and I’ve switched onto island time, quite possibly never to return.
