Visiting
Aitutaki Lagoon,
Cook Islands for your
vacation is one of the best vacation destination decisions you may ever
make. The Aitutaki lagoon is as idyllic a place as you will ever find;
many poets and writers have spun thousands of lines describing its wonders
and beauty. Matriki was built on the foundation that all people should be
able to enjoy this splendor without the high costs associated with such
remote travel. Aitutaki lagoon offers
snorkeling,
diving,
fishing,
whale watching,
picnicking on
beautiful beaches,
sailing, kayaking, and
much more. While snorkeling, you can view a myriad of
colorful fish and
see first-hand the
giant clams of Aitutaki and the South Pacific; these clams are now
protected in four separate reserves in the Aitutaki lagoon.
Bone
fishing is a thrill all its own - although we don't eat the fish they
are truly a rush to stalk and catch.
Fishing for pelagic
species outside of the Aitutaki lagoon offers up
Yellow Fin Tuna
(Ahi), Dorado
(dolphin fish), Wahoo,
and array of jacks and snapper. Bring some of your catch back and perhaps
we will make you some sushi or special fish dishes. At Matriki we practice
fishing conservation - never kill what you can't eat in a few days, and
never kill billfish.
The local Aitutaki scuba
diving operators will safely show you some of the Cook Islands best
diving; they are safe, reliable, and very knowledgeable. Matriki has
hobies for hire, sail the Aitutaki lagoon and discover what all the fuss
is about for yourself. Your hosts are always there to answer questions,
take you on tours, sailing adventures, fishing trips, and more.
An islands group of the
southern Pacific Ocean southeast of Samoa. Probably first inhabited by
Polynesians more than 1,500 years ago, the Cook islands were sighted by
Capt. James Cook in 1773. They are now self-governing under the
sovereignty of New Zealand.
In 1773,
Captain James Cook sighted Manuae
atoll which he named Hervey Island. On a later voyage he discovered
Palmerston, Takutea, Mangaia, and Atiu.
Captain
James Cook.
The Cook Islands are made up of 15 distinct islands, a Northern group and
a Southern Group. Rarotonga is the capital of the Cook islands. The
islands of the Cook group have a total land area of about 92 sq. miles,
scattered over a vast 2 million square kilometer area of South Pacific Ocean.
A former British protectorate, the Cook Islands became a self-governing
state in free association with New Zealand on August 4, 1965. This day is
now celebrated as Constitution Day.
Population: 18,000 (2004) - Source: United Nations. More than twice as
many native Cook Islanders live in New Zealand than live in the islands
themselves. As New Zealand citizens, they are free to live in both
Australia and New Zealand.
Rarotonga is the international entry point for the Cook Islands. From
Rarotonga international airport Cook Islands carrier
Air Rarotonga flies
to most of the other islands in the group.
There are no snakes and no poisonous insects or animals on 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.
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. Akaiami 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 for visitors. The
favorite islets are Akaiami and One Foot Island.
Useful
Information for Visitors to the Cook islands and Aitutaki.
Public Holidays
The Cook Islands have 11 public holidays. On these days, bus service is
either irregular or non existent. The Cook Islands shops are closed. Some
little shops are open either in the morning and evening. Many restaurants
are closed. If you are holidaying during this time then please make sure
you stock up and you arrange transport to cover you over the holidays.
Our holidays are as follows:
New Years Day - 1 Jan
Day after New Years - 2 Jan
Good Friday
Easter Monday
ANZAC Day - 25 Apr
Queen's Birthday - 4 Jun
Rarotonga Gospel Day - 25 Jul
Constitution Day - 4 Aug
CI Gospel Day - 26 Oct
Christmas Day - 25 Dec
Boxing Day - 26 Dec
Being stuck without food and transport on any of these days can ruin your
holidays. Please note that Sundays are similar to public holidays.
Respect of Traditions
The Cook Islands is a religious nation. One of the reasons why the country
is safe is because most people go to church or believe in God. Part of
this is that the people are very modest people. We do not appreciate
nudity of any form. If you are sunbathing please do not sunbathe naked,
keep your togs or bikinis on. Also, when driving around in town, or
walking through the town shops please do not walk around in bikinis. And
please do not wear shorts or a singlet if you attend a church service.
Generosity
Many Cook Islands visitors over the years have been very generous people. They have
gone back to their countries and in their little communities bought
supplies for the schools and the hospital. Your generosity is very much
appreciated. Thank you.
Cook Islands Foods to try
You should try our 'ika mata' - marinated raw fish in coconut cream and
lemon juice. Trust me, the lemon juice cooks the fish so it's not as raw
as its name suggests. It's really nice.
Other food you should try is 'poke' - banana or
pawpaw pudding. This is
basically banana or pawpaw mixed with arrowroot/cassava flour and served
with coconut cream. It's rich but its an experience.
Try our root crops, or our staples -
taro,
arrowroot,
kumara. A lot of
visitors don't like taro, they say it tastes like soap, but we locals like
it. Maybe the trick is that you don't eat it by itself, you cut a bit off
and eat it with raw fish. Most visitors prefer kumara, the sweet potato,
we have this in many different colours - purple, white, orange, yellow,
but they are still the same thing.
Coconut juice - we call it 'nu'. It's a very pleasant drink so try it at
least once. You can get them at the market for about $4. The locals think
$4 is expensive but that's the price you pay if you don't want to get your
own off the tree.
Mayonnaise - It's a dressing in your part of the world, but we have a
potato salad that is called that. The potato salad is mixed with beetroot,
chow chow and a home made egg mayonnaise. Locals love it. Mitiore - This is grated coconut marinated in the juice of small white
crabs with sprinklings of spring onion and sea urchins.
Seafood - If you do visit Aitutaki and the outer Islands there is a lot of
different kind of seafood you can try like 'remu' - sea grapes, and all
kinds of sea urchins, crabs etc. Do not eat sea urchins straight out of
the sea as you may be unfamiliar with what is edible.
Currency
currency converter
New Zealand Dollar. There are still some Cook Islands coins floating
around of which the 5c, 10c, 20c and 50c resemble the New Zealand and
Australian coins in terms of size and shape, so be careful not to take
them back with you unless you want to keep them of course. Otherwise,
there are still old Cook Islands $1, $2 and $5 coins in use. The New
Zealand denominations are 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, $1, $2 coins and $5, $10,
$20, $50, $100 notes.
Language
Cook Islands Maori, English. Note that everyone speaks English.
Visitor Permit
If you are in the country for less than 31 days, you do not need a Visa.
You are issued with a visitor permit on arrival.
Departure Tax
NZ$30 and must be purchased from the banks. There is a bank at the
airport.
History
The southern islands were probably occupied by the Polynesians c.1,500
years ago. Spaniards visited the Cook islands in the late 16th and early
17th cent. Capt. James Cook sighted some of the islands in 1773; others
were not discovered until the 1820s. The London Missionary Society was a
powerful influence in the southern Cook islands during the 19th cent. The
Cook islands were proclaimed a British protectorate in 1888 and were
annexed by New Zealand in 1901. The Cook Islands achieved internal
self-government in 1965 and are free to unilaterally declare their
complete independence. An economic crisis in the mid-1990s led to out
migration and a significant drop in the Cook islands population.
Captain
James Cook.