Aitutaki,
Southern Cook Islands,
Cook Islands
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
After an unplanned night at LAX - Sheraton thanks to Air New Zealand delaying our flight & then a detour via Honolulu we finally arrived in Rarotonga, having missed our flight to Aitutaki by about 9 hours. Spent the time waiting to get the evening flight by walking across the road from Rarotonga airport & sitting on the beach watching hermit crabs & soaking up the sun - I think it must be one of the best airport waits!Arrived in Aitutaki, on the small propeller plane & were met by Janet who owns the bungalow we are staying in & she took us there in her ute - we sat in the back on 2 plastic chairs! Aitutaki must be one of the most laid back places on Earth, really nothing you have to do just watch the millions of hermit crabs & snorkel in the lagoon & swim amongst the coral, watch the hens, chickens, pigs & piglets roaming around. At night you can stare at the countless stars in the pitch black night sky.You will be woken at random times by the cockerels. Each bit of the island is different with different types of crabs & birds. The inner lagoon is pure white sand with the bluest water ever, whilst the outer lagoon is full of coral & coconut trees.Fish is the food of choice, its all delicious, how about fried Tuna & chips, or Parrot fish or Mahi Mahi, Broadbill... whatever the fishermen have caught that day. As for the chips how about taro, arrowroot, sweet potato as well as normal potato.There are no towns on the island, just a few houses scattered about. Easy to cycle around. Ancestors buried in front gardens
