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| Flying into Aitutaki |
Last Friday we had an amazing opportunity to visit perhaps the most beautiful island in the South Pacific. Located 40minutes by flight from Rarotonga, Aitutaki is Cook Islands' crown jewel.
Protect by a hidden coral reef and surrounded by a magnificent turquoise jade green lagoon, Aitutaki is made up of fifteen tiny islands.
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| Here's the ticket! |
Our memorable flight, a quick 40 minute hop north from Raro left early at 8am. It was a cool, cloudy spring morning. So much in fact that the wet tropical clouds hung so low in the air that as we drove to the airport the old sedan's windscreen fogged, it was quiet and misty and the coconut palms hardly moved. As instructed, we left the car key tucked safely under the driver's side floor-mat, kept the doors unlocked and entered Rarotonga's tiny domestic terminal.
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| Kia Orana! Aitutaki airport |
With a mere twenty seats on the plane we left Raro on time flying low as the morning sun lit the planes inside with a golden glow. With nothing but the expanding blue pacific underneath we relaxed and munched on the free salted peanuts.
The captain soon announced our imminent arrival, turning the plane sharply so everyone had a chance to admire the tiny islands.
Down below us we gawked in amazement at the colour of the water, highlighted by the white sand underneath the clear lagoon waters reflected the light, shimmering colour. The pilot landed easily on the short runway and we walked off the plane onto Villar Arutunga, the largest island.
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| Aitutaki market |
Aitutaki was warm and humid. The air was thick with the smell of salt and wafts of freshly overturned dirt. Coconuts lay basking off the side of the runway as if someone had been out earlier sweeping them off the tarmac.
The airport was nothing more than a room with an information desk and so we wandered out to find our tour guide: Api, and his green army cameo open-topped jeep.
Squishing up on the parallel benches, against a lovely American couple we set off.
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| Drinking the coconut |
Api informed us that our first stop was the morning town market. In a large blue cowshed we browsed the local products- there were all kinds of handmade soap, fruit liquors, fresh vegetables and fruits. We bought a ripe drinking coconut which thankfully they opened for us!
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| Views from Maunga Pu |
The jeep plodded on down along the island's coastline. Mostly the roadside was overgrown with wild vegetation giving it a untamed jungle appearance. Driving further, large homes, that looked like rentals, lay empty and abandoned-looking. Some old and made of white corals had shells decorating the lawns.
Out next stop was Maunga Pu, with an elevation of 123 metres it is the highest point on the island and is on its northernmost point. Finishing off our coconut juice we stood in the mud and admired the views out to sea but it was difficult to see any of the lagoon with so much bush.
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| Our waiting boat |
Finishing off our little inland island tour we arrived at the shorefront where excitedly our lagoon boat awaited. Here our eyes danced and the immense gorgeous colours tugged at our heart strings.
The crystal clear sea water lapped softly on the sand barely even breaking. Lining the shore from the carpark, coconut trees bent over as if the weight over their luscious coconuts were too much to bare.
Some random stray brown dogs raced around the shrubbery chasing free-range chickens. Aitutaki lagoon was the most amazing place either of us had ever seen. It was, without a doubt like standing in a photo-shopped postcard.
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| Kara matching the water |
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| Ready to board |
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| Sailing into the deep |
We set off, the motors purring softly. Periodically through an old intercom the boat's captain would indicate passing turtles on the left or right and everyone would clamber over to check it out. Really just a ploy to make sure we made it over the sand bars.
We drove out further and the water got greener, deeper and more luminous. Clear enough to see schools of fish and brightly coloured coral underneath the boat.
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| Photo on the lagoon |
After 30minutes the boat slowed down and moored on the small remote island of Akaimi. Tying it's anchor to a rock on the white sand shore and we disembarked to explore! Here several small cottages dotted between the trees, a remote outpost where honeymooners relaxed in peace. We walked up the small strip of beach, the water was colder than we expected even though the day was warming up quickly. We watched other members of our group snapping photos of themselves along the pristine untouched sands.
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| Aitutaki white bird |
After a while we returned and dried ourselves with the big white boat towels. Within moments we set off again to a second island. Nicknamed survivor island after being the production location of one of the original survivor tv shows. Here we were able to venture further inland, through small trails in the bush to the island's other side. Small white birds owned this island, and hundreds squawked dancing on the branches above us. The island's other side was remarkably different with sharp jagged volcanic rocks rising out of the lagoon. Small holes filled with tiny white shells were home to nests and baby chicks.
When everyone was back at the boat our captain announced that we would stop for a swim and lunch!
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| Stunning! |
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| Getting ready for a swim |
We moored up not far from a sandbar but where the water was deep and blue.
Several large clumps of coral were visible from the boat and we could even see bright blue and silver schools of fish swimming contently under the boat. Borrowing the square shaped snorkels we couldn't wait to get in!
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| Kara on 'survivor island' |
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| Horn blowing explanation |
Under the water there was only silence. The silence combined with limited peripheral vision can be overstimulating. Are there sharks in here? Was that a jelly fish? Why are those stripy fish so close? Why aren't they scared? Am I moving too far away from the boat? OH MY GOSH, did that stripy fish just bite me?
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| John on 'survivor island' |
Surrounded by fish... no, swarmed by fish, we hovered over the corals. The cold caught up with us and wearing out we got back on board for lunch.
Lunch was a smorgasbord buffet of local food! Fresh crisp apple salad, creamy coleslaw, sticky honey sweet potatoes, fried breadfruit, soft boiled purple taro, huge chunks of fresh ocean fish and marinated legs of chicken done over the grill at the back of the boat. There were fluffy bread rolls and lots of sweet cut fruit, all finished off with acidic white wine.
We ate until we couldn't move. Then drunk a little more wine. Slowly we boated off again and made our way to one foot island.
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| Crabs living in a coconut |
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| Fluorescent clam shells under water |
One of the furthest outposts in Aitutaki's lagoon is one foot island. Small in comparison to other islands but with surrounding sandbars, which when the tide draws out are visible making the island bigger than it is. After the main island, we were told that this is the second most popular with visitors because of the spectacular views of the lagoon and magical palm-fringed beaches.
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| Former runway for seaplanes |
Circling the entire island with bare feet we waddled in the shallow waters looking at the black squishy sea cucumbers. On the far side of the island the wind picked up slightly but it was still very warm. We encountered smooth rocks where little red and orange crabs lay hiding. Walking out further along the rock platform we saw bright coloured starfish and vivid blue clams.
One foot island, with it's quite unusual name comes from an ancient old legend. It goes that long ago, one of the chiefs of Aitutaki, created a fishing reserve at the far end of the lagoon to ensure there would always be enough resources.
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| Playing in the water |
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| John giving the horn a try |
A simple local man, Nga, was a fisherman and looking for more fish to feed his hungry family ventured into the protected area late one night with his son, Taongo.
When the sun began to rise they were spotted and the outraged chief shouted “Send a war party to capture whoever is fishing in the reserve!”
Nga spotted the war party approaching in the distance and so he and his son quickly made their way as fast as they could to shore. Nga told Taongo to run to the centre of the island. Nga ran behind, careful to step in his son’s footprints as he did. Soon the warriors could be heard on the shore. Nga lifted his son high into the arms of a bandana tree, where he could hide and continued running to the other side of the island.
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| On honeymooners islands |
Taongo watched as the warriors came, following the footprints from the beach. They passed right underneath him and kept running. He watched them lead his father back, at spear point, demanding to know if anyone else was with him. “No, it was just me,” said Nga, and the naive warriors believed him because they only saw one set of footprints.
From this story comes the name 'one foot' island.
The island was also once Aitutaki's entry point when flying sea-boats used to fly down the coral coast routes. Although now the airport is located on the main island, as a memento for those that make the journey to one foot, they offer a unique opportunity to get your passports stamped with a large blue foot!
Around 4.30pm John blew the horn and worn out everyone sat quietly as the boat slowly chugged it's way back. Slightly pink, salty and exhausted we soon were on a flight back to a rainy evening in Rarotonga!
Certainly a day we won't forget any time soon!
Tot siens,
John and Kara
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| Catch you later Aitutaki |
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