Paul Osta Photography
Having been a host of Getaway for nearly 30 years, Catriona Rowntree has seen just about every country there is to see.
However, hidden in the South Pacific ocean, among the Cook Islands archipelago, lies one special place that will forever have a firm grip on her heart, the island of Aitutaki.
With its quaint village vibe, turquoise lagoon and vast marine life, Aitutaki has long been one of Catriona’s favourite holiday destinations. So much so, that she chose it to be the setting for her and husband James’ honeymoon in 2008!
“I found the honeymoon location before I found the fella,” she tells Woman’s Day. “I went there, gosh, nearly 30 years ago, I just thought, ‘If anyone’s ever crazy enough to ask me to marry them, this is where I’m going to honeymoon’.
“Thankfully, I actually married someone who loves to fish and really loves the water!”
HONEYMOON PART TWO
After their magical stay, Catriona, 53, and James, 53, have been itching to return, and earlier this year, nearly 20 years after they first met, the couple finally found the time.
This time, they brought along their two sons, Andrew, 15, and Charles, 13.
While the foursome retraced some of the steps from Catriona and James’ honeymoon – they revisited the same resort they had stayed at for their honeymoon, the Aitutaki Lagoon Private Island Resort, and even recreated some of the stunning images from their 2008 stay – the family ensured they made new memories too, as they rode bikes around the island, went kayaking looking for turtles, picnicked on a remote island and did a serious amount of catch and release fishing!
“It was so nice to see Andrew get into fishing, because that’s what I did when we went on our honeymoon – I took my fly rod and speargun,” says James.
“He was literally fishing into the night, they turned the floodlights on so he could see what he was doing,” Catriona adds.
“I think with children, you can’t really impress them with grand, five-star hotels. They really want to be with you and they want to do activities. So I felt we had created some really beautiful family memories, and there was kind of a relief really for James and I that they loved a place that holds such wonderful memories for us.”
PERFECT MATCH
Activities aside, the star adds she also had time to reflect on how much her life has changed since first visiting the island.
“Certainly for me as someone that, in my early 30s, I had thought, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to get married, I don’t know if I’m going to have children’ and so to go back with two healthy boys was amazing.
“I remember calling my grandmother on my honeymoon from that same overwater bungalow, saying ‘Nan, I’m just so clucky I think I’m growing feathers’, ” she says with a laugh.
Having been married for nearly 20 years now, Catriona and James – who, reside in country Victoria on a farm, and juggle family commitments with their high-flying careers – say the secret to their lasting love is all about compromise.
“We both have professions that we love, our children, the farm – it can be challenging,” Catriona says.
“But if you would like to be married and have happy children, you have to work together.
“And I remember when I married James I immediately felt like I had a teammate,” she adds with a sweet smile.
