Idyllic Cook Island Holiday Destination
Southern Cook Islands, Cook Islands
A visit to the Cook Islands is not complete without seeing the beautiful island of Aitutaki. The breathtaking allure of its crystal clear turquoise waters and sparkling white beaches is an essential ingredient in any Cook Island holiday. Aitutaki is a place of unsurpassed natural beauty and tranquillity, providing a simple tonic to sooth away the pressures of the outside world.
Visitors who stay should set their watches to “island time”. In this laid-back atmosphere you will find a variety of accommodation facilities, an assortment of different shops scattered throughout the villages and a number of restaurants, bars and entertainment venues.
Background
Aitutaki is 220 kilometres north of Rarotonga and less than an hour’s flight away. A triangular-shaped 'almost'-atoll rising up 4000 metres from the floor of the Pacific Ocean. It consists of three volcanic and 12 coral islets It is partly volcanic and partly of atoll origin. Its highest hill, Maungapu is said to be the top of Rarotonga’s Raemaru Peak, brought back by victorious warriors.
The first settlers arrived in Aitutaki around 900 AD and one of its great legendary Polynesian 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 11 April 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 and this is now an important export product from the Cook Islands.
Aitutaki lagoon was the a re-fuelling stop for TEAL (now Air New Zealand) flying boats travelling the renowned ‘Coral Route’ through the South Pacific.