 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Welcome to the most complete site on Aitutaki accommodation
Aitutaki accommodation & Information
Aitutaki accommodation & Information
|
|
|
|
|
Aitutaki Time |
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PICKS AITUTAKI COOK ISLANDS
1 OF THE TOP 12 ADVENTURE ISLANDS OF THE WORLD!
Read More
Kia Orana Why Aitutaki?
Welcome to Aitutaki accommodation, the most comprehensive and informative website for Aitutaki, Cook Islands on the internet! This site was built, and is maintained, by someone who lives and works in the tourism industry on Aitutaki; we strive to keep information accurate and up to date. Are you ready to explore our South Pacific paradise? Let’s go…
Aitutaki, Cook Islands is a rare gem in the South Pacific: an unspoiled landscape of lush vegetation, swaying palms, friendly faces, all ringed by one of the world’s most beautiful blue lagoons. A South Pacific vacation to Aitutaki Cook Islands is the stuff dreams are made of. Aitutaki accommodation is a postcard brought to life and a must for anyone planning Cook Islands travel! A short hop from Rarotonga, Cook Islands, you will find yourself surrounded by the friendly faces of the people of Aitutaki. Prepare to slow down, relax and enjoy a South Pacific vacation on “island time”.
When planning your Cook Islands vacation, you may wonder how long to stay on Aitutaki versus Rarotonga. Commonly, travelers are told to plan the bulk of their South Pacific vacation on Rarotonga with only a few days, or less, on Aitutaki, as a side trip, this is bad information, and the majority of guests who arrive on Aitutaki for a short stay are disappointed they didn’t plan to stay here longer. While both of these Cook Islands offer something special for your South Pacific vacation, the relaxing pace of life, the almost unbelievable beauty of the lagoon, and the long stretches of postcard-perfect beaches, are what make Aitutaki paradise and leave visitors wishing they could stay forever.
Aitutaki accommodation hotels and resorts range from budget to luxury. If you’re looking for Cook Islands resorts on the beach or if you prefer your South Pacific vacation a little more on the adventurous side, Aitutaki, Cook Islands has something for everyone. On Aitutaki, Cook Islands accommodation includes guest houses, beach front bungalows, motels, beach huts, boutique villas, luxury resorts, vacation rentals, garden lodges, and much more. You can browse through all options for Cook Islands Accommodation by clicking on the accommodation tab on the menu bar. Many Aitutaki, Cook Islands resorts have kitchen facilities or restaurants on site, or nearby. And beachfront Aitutaki, Cook Islands hotels are located on some of the most idyllic stretches of beach you will ever see. If your South Pacific vacation is for a wedding or honeymoon, Aitutaki acommodation are an ideal setting for romance! Whether your Cook Islands vacation are for a secluded getaway for two, or a South Pacific vacation for the whole family, there are Aitutaki, Cook Islands accommodation just for you.
While most people think Cook Islands travel is all about relaxing, Aitutaki accommodation provide plenty of activities to keep you busy. The Aitutaki lagoon is the highlight of any Cook Islands vacation. Water activities such as swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, deep sea fishing, and lagoon tours comprise most of the Aitutaki “To Do” list. When you imagine a South Pacific vacation, chances are it involves crystal clear water and brightly coloured fish; look no further than Aitutaki! You can easily snorkel the magnificent, turquoise water just off the beach but you won’t want to miss taking an Aitutaki lagoon tour and a chance to swim, snorkel, and explore one of the many motus (small islands) of Aitutaki. If your Cook Islands travel dreams include a chance to catch the big one, Aitutaki has several deep sea fishing charters. Aitutaki, Cook Islands is also fast becoming known as a world class spear fishing destination in the South Pacific. And for those who want to see Aitutaki, Cook Islands on a “deeper” level, then there are scuba diving tours that can take you outside the lagoon for a chance to see below the surface of Aitutaki. There are Aitutaki, Cook Islands hotels that offer kayaks for their guests, as well as kayak rentals around the island, for those wishing to paddle. However you experience it, the Aitutaki lagoon will leave you wishing your Cook Islands vacation would never end!
Back on land, Aitutaki, Cook Islands travel has lots of opportunity for fun and adventure. Island Nights on Aitutaki are a must for any Cook Islands vacation. From the hypnotic hips of Aitutaki’s beautiful women, to the raw power of the men, the succulent local buffet, to the soul-stirring drumming and singing, Aitutaki’s Island Nights are what travel to the South Pacific is all about.
Aitutaki, Cook Islands also has land tours to show you more of our verdant island and teach you a little about this unique South Pacific culture. On your Cook Islands vacation, you can climb to the highest point on Aitutaki, tour working Aitutaki plantations, see ancient mares, and learn about Aitutaki history and culture. Aitutaki, Cook Islands, is also easy to get around on your own and there are places to rent bikes and scooters to make your Cook Islands travel a little easier!
Dining on Aitutaki offers you enough variety to keep your Cook Islands vacation interesting. You can grab a burger or fish and chips at one of the take-away spots on Aitutaki’s main street, or savor a gourmet meal in a garden setting or over looking the gorgeous Aitutaki lagoon. Most Aitutaki, Cook Islands accommodation offer kitchen facilities so you can dine in, if you choose. Aitutaki has several food stores, most within walking distance of your Cook Islands acommodation. Aitutaki is laid back and relaxed but there are still spots to enjoy a little South Pacific nightlife.
And when it’s time to shop for a souvenir or a gift to take home from your Cook Islands travel, then you can find shops in Aitutaki with hand painted pareaus and tropical shirts to remind you of your South Pacific vacation. You may even come across a coconut bra or a ukulele while shopping in Aitutaki, Cook Islands, so you can show the folks back home what an Island Night is like!
You won’t find a more picturesque spot for a wedding or a honeymoon than Aitutaki, Cook Islands. Imagine saying “I do” with your feet in the white sand and the bluest shades of water in the South Pacific in the background. Romance lives on Aitutaki, Cook Islands; you will never have to walk far to find a quiet beach, or gently swaying palms. And Aitutaki, Cook Islands Hotels and resorts are ready to help organize your special day, or prepare all those special touches for a dream honeymoon. Once you’ve been here, you may even find yourself planning a South Pacific vacation to renew your vows and experience the magic of an Aitutaki, Cook Islands wedding all over again.
top of page
Aitutaki Cook Islands, South Pacific, choosen as 1 of the top 12 adventure islands of the world! Click to read article. Click to read article on N.G. site.
1 OF THE TOP 12 ADVENTURE ISLANDS OF THE WORLD!
Read More
Kia Orana Why Aitutaki?
Welcome to Aitutaki accommodation, the most comprehensive and informative website for Aitutaki, Cook Islands on the internet! This site was built, and is maintained, by someone who lives and works in the tourism industry on Aitutaki; we strive to keep information accurate and up to date. Are you ready to explore our South Pacific paradise? Let’s go…
Aitutaki, Cook Islands is a rare gem in the South Pacific: an unspoiled landscape of lush vegetation, swaying palms, friendly faces, all ringed by one of the world’s most beautiful blue lagoons. A South Pacific vacation to Aitutaki Cook Islands is the stuff dreams are made of. Aitutaki accommodation is a postcard brought to life and a must for anyone planning Cook Islands travel! A short hop from Rarotonga, Cook Islands, you will find yourself surrounded by the friendly faces of the people of Aitutaki. Prepare to slow down, relax and enjoy a South Pacific vacation on “island time”.
When planning your Cook Islands vacation, you may wonder how long to stay on Aitutaki versus Rarotonga. Commonly, travelers are told to plan the bulk of their South Pacific vacation on Rarotonga with only a few days, or less, on Aitutaki, as a side trip, this is bad information, and the majority of guests who arrive on Aitutaki for a short stay are disappointed they didn’t plan to stay here longer. While both of these Cook Islands offer something special for your South Pacific vacation, the relaxing pace of life, the almost unbelievable beauty of the lagoon, and the long stretches of postcard-perfect beaches, are what make Aitutaki paradise and leave visitors wishing they could stay forever.
Aitutaki accommodation hotels and resorts range from budget to luxury. If you’re looking for Cook Islands resorts on the beach or if you prefer your South Pacific vacation a little more on the adventurous side, Aitutaki, Cook Islands has something for everyone. On Aitutaki, Cook Islands accommodation includes guest houses, beach front bungalows, motels, beach huts, boutique villas, luxury resorts, vacation rentals, garden lodges, and much more. You can browse through all options for Cook Islands Accommodation by clicking on the accommodation tab on the menu bar. Many Aitutaki, Cook Islands resorts have kitchen facilities or restaurants on site, or nearby. And beachfront Aitutaki, Cook Islands hotels are located on some of the most idyllic stretches of beach you will ever see. If your South Pacific vacation is for a wedding or honeymoon, Aitutaki acommodation are an ideal setting for romance! Whether your Cook Islands vacation are for a secluded getaway for two, or a South Pacific vacation for the whole family, there are Aitutaki, Cook Islands accommodation just for you.
While most people think Cook Islands travel is all about relaxing, Aitutaki accommodation provide plenty of activities to keep you busy. The Aitutaki lagoon is the highlight of any Cook Islands vacation. Water activities such as swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, deep sea fishing, and lagoon tours comprise most of the Aitutaki “To Do” list. When you imagine a South Pacific vacation, chances are it involves crystal clear water and brightly coloured fish; look no further than Aitutaki! You can easily snorkel the magnificent, turquoise water just off the beach but you won’t want to miss taking an Aitutaki lagoon tour and a chance to swim, snorkel, and explore one of the many motus (small islands) of Aitutaki. If your Cook Islands travel dreams include a chance to catch the big one, Aitutaki has several deep sea fishing charters. Aitutaki, Cook Islands is also fast becoming known as a world class spear fishing destination in the South Pacific. And for those who want to see Aitutaki, Cook Islands on a “deeper” level, then there are scuba diving tours that can take you outside the lagoon for a chance to see below the surface of Aitutaki. There are Aitutaki, Cook Islands hotels that offer kayaks for their guests, as well as kayak rentals around the island, for those wishing to paddle. However you experience it, the Aitutaki lagoon will leave you wishing your Cook Islands vacation would never end!
Back on land, Aitutaki, Cook Islands travel has lots of opportunity for fun and adventure. Island Nights on Aitutaki are a must for any Cook Islands vacation. From the hypnotic hips of Aitutaki’s beautiful women, to the raw power of the men, the succulent local buffet, to the soul-stirring drumming and singing, Aitutaki’s Island Nights are what travel to the South Pacific is all about.
Aitutaki, Cook Islands also has land tours to show you more of our verdant island and teach you a little about this unique South Pacific culture. On your Cook Islands vacation, you can climb to the highest point on Aitutaki, tour working Aitutaki plantations, see ancient mares, and learn about Aitutaki history and culture. Aitutaki, Cook Islands, is also easy to get around on your own and there are places to rent bikes and scooters to make your Cook Islands travel a little easier!
Dining on Aitutaki offers you enough variety to keep your Cook Islands vacation interesting. You can grab a burger or fish and chips at one of the take-away spots on Aitutaki’s main street, or savor a gourmet meal in a garden setting or over looking the gorgeous Aitutaki lagoon. Most Aitutaki, Cook Islands accommodation offer kitchen facilities so you can dine in, if you choose. Aitutaki has several food stores, most within walking distance of your Cook Islands acommodation. Aitutaki is laid back and relaxed but there are still spots to enjoy a little South Pacific nightlife.
And when it’s time to shop for a souvenir or a gift to take home from your Cook Islands travel, then you can find shops in Aitutaki with hand painted pareaus and tropical shirts to remind you of your South Pacific vacation. You may even come across a coconut bra or a ukulele while shopping in Aitutaki, Cook Islands, so you can show the folks back home what an Island Night is like!
You won’t find a more picturesque spot for a wedding or a honeymoon than Aitutaki, Cook Islands. Imagine saying “I do” with your feet in the white sand and the bluest shades of water in the South Pacific in the background. Romance lives on Aitutaki, Cook Islands; you will never have to walk far to find a quiet beach, or gently swaying palms. And Aitutaki, Cook Islands Hotels and resorts are ready to help organize your special day, or prepare all those special touches for a dream honeymoon. Once you’ve been here, you may even find yourself planning a South Pacific vacation to renew your vows and experience the magic of an Aitutaki, Cook Islands wedding all over again.
top of page
Aitutaki Cook Islands, South Pacific, choosen as 1 of the top 12 adventure islands of the world! Click to read article. Click to read article on N.G. site.
Text by Meg Lukens Noonan Map by Pietari Posti
Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Explore a Polynesian Atoll
BASE CAMP: Etu Moana
ACTIVITY: Kayak between islets straight out of a Gauguin masterpiece.
You may want to kiss the tarmac when you step off the plane from Rarotonga, but not because the 136-mile (219-kilometer) trip to this vaguely triangular Cook Islands atoll in the middle of the South Pacific was harrowing. Instead you'll likely feel you've landed in the very place you've dreamed of most of your life. The translucent blue lagoon dotted with palm-spiked motus (islets), the smiling locals, the frangipani-scented air, the plink of ukuleles—yes, Aitutaki is the calendar art you have hanging on the fridge back home.
GAME PLAN: Unpack your bags at the two-and-a-half-year-old Etu Moana, a cluster of eight Polynesian-style boutique villas—all with elevated king-size beds facing the water, flat-screen TVs, kitchens with stone countertops, and private gardens with outdoor showers. Start the day with star fruit and pawpaws by the pool, then grab a kayak and paddle into the reef-splotched seven-mile-long (eleven-kilometer-long) lagoon. Stash your boat on a deserted beach, then snorkel above cobalt blue starfish, giant clams, and yellow barrel sponges. Spend another day biking down banyan-tree-shaded back roads or walking to the top of 407-foot (124-meter) Maunga Pu, the island's highest point, for a stunning view.
In the evenings head inland to Café Tupuna for the best (or first) chili mud crab experience of your life, then catch a kone—the Cook's local drum dance—show at the open-air Samade on the Beach. You may be so taken that you actually volunteer to be the chump they teach to dance.
top of page
The following excerpt complete with photos was pulled from a popular MSN blog, this blog has been featured twice internationally by MSN spaces.
(Quote)
Hands down, this is one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful, not to mention friendly, places in the world. There’s a look all new arrivals have at the airport – I think “Gob-smacked” sums it up. They’ve just flown over a lagoon that laughs in the face of poets, “Go on, try to describe my beauty with words!” They are in a state of mild shock because, let’s face it, nowhere can really look as good as the postcards and travel brochures, can it?
Wow, this place sure looks ugly! Why would anyone want to go there?
Aitutaki can, and does…times ten.
Yuck, fresh tropical fruit! Great, the beach is crowded again!
Why isn’t Aitutaki like the “in” New York restaurant, with line ups down the block and waiting lists that stretch into the year 2013? The biggest part of the problem is marketing. For years the Cooks have fought for their share of the tourism pie, battling with Fiji, Hawaii, Tahiti, and Bora Bora for sun & sand seekers. Rarotonga has the international airport, and the money, so that’s the island everyone has focused on. Aitutaki has been promoted as a day trip destination, or a two to three day getaway. And, oh my, how sad it is to see the faces of our guests who’ve just spent ten days on Raro and arrive here for the final three days of their vacation, with a horrible and sudden awareness that they should have done it the other way around. We try to warn them but it happens all the time.
Not to put anyone off visiting Raro, it’s nice enough, I guess. There are more shops and restaurants and City Folk stuff but given the choice between here and there? Puh-lease, no contest.
(end quote) top of page
Location of the Cook Islands
At the very centre of the Polynesian triangle, the Cook Islands consist of 15 islands scattered over some 2 million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered to the west by Tokelau, the Samoas and Nuie and to the east by Tahiti and the islands of French Polynesia. It lies in the Tropic of Capricorn, latitude from 9-22 degrees. The islands north to south, are Penhryn, Rakahanga, Manihiki, Pukapuka, Nassau, Suwarrow, Palmerston, Aitutaki, Manuae, Mitiaro, Takutea, Atiu, Mauke, Rarotonga and Mangaia. With a land area of just 240 square kilometres, the islands range from low coral atolls to the mountainous majesty of Rarotonga, the largest island of the group and home to the capital, Avarua. Aitutaki is known as the lagoon of the South Pacific and a Cook Islands vacation is not complete without a visit to Aitutaki.
It was during the Great Polynesian Migration (which began about 1500BC), that our ancestors first arrived in these islands. Their giant double-hulled canoes - ‘Vaka’s’ - guided by the stars and the power of ancient Polynesian navigation, arrived here approximately 800AD. It is said that Chief Taoi arrived in the Cook Islands during the original migration. Toi presided over the creation of a grand road, built of coral, laid through the inland swamps. This all-weather road is still in existence, despite being almost 1000 years old. Now tar sealed, it lies inland and is called the Ara Metua. When the early explorers arrived on Rarotonga, they were staggered to find the Great Road of Toi and while there’s much in the way of legends to explain its presence, the original reason for its construction remains shrouded in mystery.
The first Europeans were the Spanish explorers Alvaro de Mendana, who sighted Pukapuka in 1595 and Pedro Fernandez de Quiros who sighted Rakahanga in 1606.
There was no further European contact until over 160 years later in 1773, when Captain James Cook, for whom the island group was eventually named, sighted Manuae atoll which he named Hervey Island. On a later voyage, he also discovered Palmerston, Takutea, Mangaia and Atiu in 1777.
The ill fated Captain William Bligh sighted Aitutaki in 1789. Legend has it that Aitutaki’s highest point, the 124-metre Maungapu, is the top of Rarotonga’s Raemaru Peak, stolen away by local warriors. Shortly after Bligh, on April 28th 1789, on the same vessel, mutineer Fletcher Christian sighted Rarotonga following the famous “Mutiny on the Bounty”. However Rarotonga’s official discovery is credited to Captain Phillip Goodenough in the Cumberland in 1814, whilst seeking sandalwood.
Aitutaki was the first island in the Cook islands group to embrace Christianity when the Reverend John Williams of the London Missionary Society arrived in 1821. Traveling with Williams was a young missionary, Papeiha, from the Society Islands, who stayed on when Williams continued his travels and dedicated the rest of his life to his task. The CICC Church, construction of which started in 1828, is the oldest church in the Cook Islands and has a memorial to John Williams and Papeiha.
The Cook Islands became a favorite stop for whalers in the 1850s, the British flag was raised in 1888 at which time Aitutaki and Rarotonga were included in the boundaries of New Zealand.
Top of Page
THE NATION of the Cook Islands
The Cook Islands are comprised of 15 islands spread over 850,000 square miles (2.2 million square kilometers) of ocean smack in the middle of the South Pacific between Tonga to the west and the Society Islands to the east.
The Cook Islands consists of two main groups, one in the north and one in the south. The southern group is nine "high" islands mainly of volcanic origin although some are virtually atolls. The majority of the Cook Islands population lives in the southern group. The northern group comprises six true atolls.
Aitutaki and the Cook Islands
Islands group (pop., 2005 est.: 13,900), southern Pacific Ocean. Located roughly 2,000 mi (3,000 km) northeast of New Zealand, the 15 islands, scattered from north to south over some 900 mi (1,450 km) of ocean, are divided into a southern group of nine islands, including Rarotonga (the seat of government), and a northern group of six. All in the northern group are true atolls; most in the southern group have volcanic interiors. They were probably settled by Polynesians from Tonga and Samoa; there is evidence of a highly organized society c. AD 1100. Capt. James Cook explored many of them during the 1770s. Established as a British protectorate in 1888, they were annexed by New Zealand in 1901. Self-government in free association with New Zealand was achieved in 1965. Aitutaki is considered the vacation island of the Cook Islands.
Aitutaki, facts
An Aitutaki Cook Island vacation is the stuff of which dreams are made. This magnificent and remote island has a triangular-shaped 'almost'-atoll rising up 4000 meters from the floor of the Pacific Ocean. It consists of three volcanic and 12 coral islets (motus)
Aitutaki was probably first settled around 900 AD and one of its great legendary Polynesian Outrigger canoe discoverers was Ru who named it Utataki Enua O Ru Ki Te Moana. Roughly translated, this means The Leading of a Cargo of People by Ru Over the Ocean. It can be inferred that Aitutaki was, therefore, the ultimate destination of one of the great
Polynesian ocean voyages. The first recorded discovery by Europeans was Captain Bligh on the "Bounty". He arrived on April 11 1789 and shortly afterwards the famous mutiny occurred. Bligh returned later on July 25 1792. He is credited with introducing the paw paw fruit to Aitutaki Island and this is now an important export product from the Cook Islands.
The first missionary to the Cook Islands, John Williams, landed on Aitutaki before any of the other Cook Islands and there is a large, airy coral block church in Arutanga, the main township, which bears testament to his success in converting the people to Christianity.
Life on Aitutaki moves at a wonderfully relaxed tempo which is why it is such a popular destination for visitors who fly in from Rarotonga for day trips as well as extended stays. The Aitutaki lagoon can be approached in leisurely fashion in traditional outrigger canoes for quiet paddling just off the beach or in more sophisticated launches favored by foreign anglers who know its reputation for saltwater fly fishing for the fighting bonefish.
The motus which are mainly at the outer perimeter of the lagoon are wonderful landing places for the day cruises available to visitors. The favorite motus are Moturakau, Ropota, Maina and One Foot Island.
Top of Page
Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Explore a Polynesian Atoll
BASE CAMP: Etu Moana
ACTIVITY: Kayak between islets straight out of a Gauguin masterpiece.
You may want to kiss the tarmac when you step off the plane from Rarotonga, but not because the 136-mile (219-kilometer) trip to this vaguely triangular Cook Islands atoll in the middle of the South Pacific was harrowing. Instead you'll likely feel you've landed in the very place you've dreamed of most of your life. The translucent blue lagoon dotted with palm-spiked motus (islets), the smiling locals, the frangipani-scented air, the plink of ukuleles—yes, Aitutaki is the calendar art you have hanging on the fridge back home.
GAME PLAN: Unpack your bags at the two-and-a-half-year-old Etu Moana, a cluster of eight Polynesian-style boutique villas—all with elevated king-size beds facing the water, flat-screen TVs, kitchens with stone countertops, and private gardens with outdoor showers. Start the day with star fruit and pawpaws by the pool, then grab a kayak and paddle into the reef-splotched seven-mile-long (eleven-kilometer-long) lagoon. Stash your boat on a deserted beach, then snorkel above cobalt blue starfish, giant clams, and yellow barrel sponges. Spend another day biking down banyan-tree-shaded back roads or walking to the top of 407-foot (124-meter) Maunga Pu, the island's highest point, for a stunning view.
In the evenings head inland to Café Tupuna for the best (or first) chili mud crab experience of your life, then catch a kone—the Cook's local drum dance—show at the open-air Samade on the Beach. You may be so taken that you actually volunteer to be the chump they teach to dance.
top of page
The following excerpt complete with photos was pulled from a popular MSN blog, this blog has been featured twice internationally by MSN spaces.
(Quote)
Hands down, this is one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful, not to mention friendly, places in the world. There’s a look all new arrivals have at the airport – I think “Gob-smacked” sums it up. They’ve just flown over a lagoon that laughs in the face of poets, “Go on, try to describe my beauty with words!” They are in a state of mild shock because, let’s face it, nowhere can really look as good as the postcards and travel brochures, can it?
Wow, this place sure looks ugly! Why would anyone want to go there?
Aitutaki can, and does…times ten.
Yuck, fresh tropical fruit! Great, the beach is crowded again!
Why isn’t Aitutaki like the “in” New York restaurant, with line ups down the block and waiting lists that stretch into the year 2013? The biggest part of the problem is marketing. For years the Cooks have fought for their share of the tourism pie, battling with Fiji, Hawaii, Tahiti, and Bora Bora for sun & sand seekers. Rarotonga has the international airport, and the money, so that’s the island everyone has focused on. Aitutaki has been promoted as a day trip destination, or a two to three day getaway. And, oh my, how sad it is to see the faces of our guests who’ve just spent ten days on Raro and arrive here for the final three days of their vacation, with a horrible and sudden awareness that they should have done it the other way around. We try to warn them but it happens all the time.
Not to put anyone off visiting Raro, it’s nice enough, I guess. There are more shops and restaurants and City Folk stuff but given the choice between here and there? Puh-lease, no contest.
(end quote) top of page
Location of the Cook Islands
At the very centre of the Polynesian triangle, the Cook Islands consist of 15 islands scattered over some 2 million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered to the west by Tokelau, the Samoas and Nuie and to the east by Tahiti and the islands of French Polynesia. It lies in the Tropic of Capricorn, latitude from 9-22 degrees. The islands north to south, are Penhryn, Rakahanga, Manihiki, Pukapuka, Nassau, Suwarrow, Palmerston, Aitutaki, Manuae, Mitiaro, Takutea, Atiu, Mauke, Rarotonga and Mangaia. With a land area of just 240 square kilometres, the islands range from low coral atolls to the mountainous majesty of Rarotonga, the largest island of the group and home to the capital, Avarua. Aitutaki is known as the lagoon of the South Pacific and a Cook Islands vacation is not complete without a visit to Aitutaki.
It was during the Great Polynesian Migration (which began about 1500BC), that our ancestors first arrived in these islands. Their giant double-hulled canoes - ‘Vaka’s’ - guided by the stars and the power of ancient Polynesian navigation, arrived here approximately 800AD. It is said that Chief Taoi arrived in the Cook Islands during the original migration. Toi presided over the creation of a grand road, built of coral, laid through the inland swamps. This all-weather road is still in existence, despite being almost 1000 years old. Now tar sealed, it lies inland and is called the Ara Metua. When the early explorers arrived on Rarotonga, they were staggered to find the Great Road of Toi and while there’s much in the way of legends to explain its presence, the original reason for its construction remains shrouded in mystery.
The first Europeans were the Spanish explorers Alvaro de Mendana, who sighted Pukapuka in 1595 and Pedro Fernandez de Quiros who sighted Rakahanga in 1606.
There was no further European contact until over 160 years later in 1773, when Captain James Cook, for whom the island group was eventually named, sighted Manuae atoll which he named Hervey Island. On a later voyage, he also discovered Palmerston, Takutea, Mangaia and Atiu in 1777.
The ill fated Captain William Bligh sighted Aitutaki in 1789. Legend has it that Aitutaki’s highest point, the 124-metre Maungapu, is the top of Rarotonga’s Raemaru Peak, stolen away by local warriors. Shortly after Bligh, on April 28th 1789, on the same vessel, mutineer Fletcher Christian sighted Rarotonga following the famous “Mutiny on the Bounty”. However Rarotonga’s official discovery is credited to Captain Phillip Goodenough in the Cumberland in 1814, whilst seeking sandalwood.
Aitutaki was the first island in the Cook islands group to embrace Christianity when the Reverend John Williams of the London Missionary Society arrived in 1821. Traveling with Williams was a young missionary, Papeiha, from the Society Islands, who stayed on when Williams continued his travels and dedicated the rest of his life to his task. The CICC Church, construction of which started in 1828, is the oldest church in the Cook Islands and has a memorial to John Williams and Papeiha.
The Cook Islands became a favorite stop for whalers in the 1850s, the British flag was raised in 1888 at which time Aitutaki and Rarotonga were included in the boundaries of New Zealand.
Top of Page
THE NATION of the Cook Islands
The Cook Islands are comprised of 15 islands spread over 850,000 square miles (2.2 million square kilometers) of ocean smack in the middle of the South Pacific between Tonga to the west and the Society Islands to the east.
The Cook Islands consists of two main groups, one in the north and one in the south. The southern group is nine "high" islands mainly of volcanic origin although some are virtually atolls. The majority of the Cook Islands population lives in the southern group. The northern group comprises six true atolls.
Aitutaki and the Cook Islands
Islands group (pop., 2005 est.: 13,900), southern Pacific Ocean. Located roughly 2,000 mi (3,000 km) northeast of New Zealand, the 15 islands, scattered from north to south over some 900 mi (1,450 km) of ocean, are divided into a southern group of nine islands, including Rarotonga (the seat of government), and a northern group of six. All in the northern group are true atolls; most in the southern group have volcanic interiors. They were probably settled by Polynesians from Tonga and Samoa; there is evidence of a highly organized society c. AD 1100. Capt. James Cook explored many of them during the 1770s. Established as a British protectorate in 1888, they were annexed by New Zealand in 1901. Self-government in free association with New Zealand was achieved in 1965. Aitutaki is considered the vacation island of the Cook Islands.
Aitutaki, facts
An Aitutaki Cook Island vacation is the stuff of which dreams are made. This magnificent and remote island has a triangular-shaped 'almost'-atoll rising up 4000 meters from the floor of the Pacific Ocean. It consists of three volcanic and 12 coral islets (motus)
Aitutaki was probably first settled around 900 AD and one of its great legendary Polynesian Outrigger canoe discoverers was Ru who named it Utataki Enua O Ru Ki Te Moana. Roughly translated, this means The Leading of a Cargo of People by Ru Over the Ocean. It can be inferred that Aitutaki was, therefore, the ultimate destination of one of the great
Polynesian ocean voyages. The first recorded discovery by Europeans was Captain Bligh on the "Bounty". He arrived on April 11 1789 and shortly afterwards the famous mutiny occurred. Bligh returned later on July 25 1792. He is credited with introducing the paw paw fruit to Aitutaki Island and this is now an important export product from the Cook Islands.
The first missionary to the Cook Islands, John Williams, landed on Aitutaki before any of the other Cook Islands and there is a large, airy coral block church in Arutanga, the main township, which bears testament to his success in converting the people to Christianity.
Life on Aitutaki moves at a wonderfully relaxed tempo which is why it is such a popular destination for visitors who fly in from Rarotonga for day trips as well as extended stays. The Aitutaki lagoon can be approached in leisurely fashion in traditional outrigger canoes for quiet paddling just off the beach or in more sophisticated launches favored by foreign anglers who know its reputation for saltwater fly fishing for the fighting bonefish.
The motus which are mainly at the outer perimeter of the lagoon are wonderful landing places for the day cruises available to visitors. The favorite motus are Moturakau, Ropota, Maina and One Foot Island.
Top of Page
Aitutaki
Home l Accommodation l Photos l Resort locator map l Activities l Getting here l Quick facts l Aitutaki culture
Aitutaki Accommodation Specials page
Stay Aitutaki Enterprises 2008 l all photos property of stay Aitutaki l webmaster
Aitutaki Accommodation Specials page
Stay Aitutaki Enterprises 2008 l all photos property of stay Aitutaki l webmaster