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A sprinkling of island gems on an indigo blue ocean... The Cook Islands
combined make up a land area of just 240 square kilometers. They are
scattered far and wide in the vast expanse of the South Pacific Ocean,
covering a total area of 2.25 million square kilometers. Each of these
‘gems’ is unlike any other; all having their own special characteristics and
every one offering a warm welcome to visitors.
The Southern Group
Atiu
See our story on page 86.
Takutea
Just a few miles off the coast of Atiu lies the uninhabited island
of Takutea. Numerous seabirds thrive on this pristine island
that has been declared a bird
sanctuary by the Atiu Island
Council. Only they can give
permission for visitors to
land there.
Mauke
The garden island of the
Cook group, Mauke is 18
kilometres around. It is
surrounded by makatea
(fossilised coral) with a
volcanic plateau in the
centre. Parts of the foreshore
are dotted with isolated
white sandy coves and caves
that one can swim in. Inland
there are fresh water caves
88 • Escape Magazine
and the famous Motuanga Cave that has galleries reaching
beneath the reef. The reef is so close to the foreshore that
crashing white breakers are visible from most of the unsealed
coral road that runs around the island. Do visit the “divided
church” built where the villages of Ngatiarua and Areora meet.
Shared by the two villages, it has two separate entrances and
sitting areas. There are clean and comfortable places to stay
in Mauke - try Ri’s Retreat or Tiare Holiday Cottages. They
can also organise cave, reef and forest tours. Be sure to obtain
a garland of the fragrant
maire, a creeper that grows
along the makatea. Mauke is
picturesque, unhurried and
tranquil – a wonderful tonic
for frayed nerves.
House of William Tekena, Penrhyn.
Mitiaro
Of the cluster of islands in
the southern group called
Nga Pu Toru, Mitiaro
would be the least visited by
tourists. Not because it is
any less beautiful than sister
islands Atiu and Mauke,
but simply that it is the
least known. In the centre
of Mitiaro are two lakes full