Island Dreams

  Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Monday, November 24, 2003

So Rarotonga was nice (not as good as Fiji may be) but very nice all the same. But what about the other Cook Islands. Well there's quite a lot of them and I only had time to visit another two, Aitutaki and Atiu. On the Saturday morning I put my backpack on and got on board my little scooter to head round to the airport. Of course my scooter was playing up that morning so I really thought I was going to miss my flight as it struggled to go forwards at something just faster than walking pace.

Anyway, I got there just in time and we got on board our 21 seater plane and headed for the coral atoll of Aitutaki. Aitutaki consists of one bigger island and a series of smaller motu (small islands) which border the lagoon. I was staying at a place called Toms Cottage, quite basic but nice all the same.


View of the lagoon from the plane on the way to Aitutaki


Sunset from Tom's Cottage, Aitutaki

The main island itself was nothing to get too excited about but what makes Aitutaki special are the motu around the lagoon. So it was time to go on a lagoon tour. We visited several motu including probably the most famous one, One Foot Island. We also went right past the one used for the first series of Survivor and ended up on one called Honeymoon Island. All extremely beautiful, white sands, turquoise waters and palm trees.


Motu on the lagoon, Aitutaki


Honeymoon Island, Aitutaki


Picasso Trigger Fish, Snorkelling on Honeymoon Island, Aitutaki


Hermit Crab on Honeymoon Island, Aitutaki


The beach on Honeymoon Island


The beach on Honeymoon Island


One Foot Island from the air


The beach at one foot island


The beach at one foot island

I also did some diving on the island but it was nothing particularly different to what I saw on Rotarua. And of course, a visit to a Cook Island wouldn't be complete without taking in an island night.


Island Night, Aitutaki