Anchorage Island. Suwarrow
group of tiny atolls as an untouched haven and breeding area
for turtles, sea birds and crabs. Because of the lack of human
intervention, Suwarrow is acknowledged as one of the most
important sea bird breeding areas in the Pacific. A caretaker
and his family live on Suwarrow during the cyclone off-season,
between April and November each year. Yachts often visit the
island during these months. Suwarrow was made famous by
New Zealand hermit Tom Neale, who lived there during the
early 1950’s and again in the early 1960’s. He wrote about his
experiences in his book “An Island to Oneself.”
Pukapuka
Lying northwest 1150 km from Rarotonga, Pukapuka is one of
the most isolated islands of the Cook group. One inter-island
flight from Rarotonga about every six weeks and irregular
shipping has kept Pukapuka one of the most untouched and
secluded places in the Pacific. Its remoteness has also kept
the traditions and culture of Pukapuka largely unchanged for
centuries. Islanders speak the distinct Pukapukan language as
well as Cook Islands Maori.
According to legend, almost 500 years ago the Pukapuka
population was almost entirely wiped out during a catastrophic
storm that struck the island. Fourteen people survived,
from whom Pukapukan’s today are said to descend. The late
American writer Robert Dean Frisbie settled there in 1924 and
immortalised Pukapuka in the books he wrote about life on
the island. The now uninhabited area where he lived with his
Pukapuka wife and children is one of the most beautiful – an
untouched white sandy beach with palm trees reaching out to
tease the clear blue lagoon.
Nassau
Access to this tiny island of about 80 Pukapukans can only
be gained by inter-island boat. Regarded as the sister island of
Pukapuka, a voyage from Rarotonga takes about three days.
The islanders are adept at surviving an isolated lifestyle that
remains unchanged year after year. Nassau was hooked up to
the country’s telephone system only in 2001 and many of the
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people had never used a telephone before. Just 1.2 sq. km in
size, where families live in kikau thatched cottages.
Manihiki
The cultured black pearl capital of the Cook Islands. Quality
black pearls become centrepieces for fine jewellery that are
worn by women and men all over the world. In 1997, the
island survived one of the worst cyclones in Cook Islands
history. It claimed 19 lives after a tidal wave swept men, women
and children out into the huge, raging lagoon. Pearl farms dot
this remarkable lagoon. Villagers use small outboard boats to
travel between Tukao and Tauhunu – two villages on separate
islets – or to their pearl farms set up on coral outcrops. Some
of the pearl farms are sophisticated operations jutting out of
the deep blue lagoon, complete with small gardens and poultry
farms that help support workers who live in modern quarters.
Manihiki women have made history for entering what was
once a male dominated vocation. A number of women own
and manage their own pearl farms, diving, seeding and cleaning
the oyster shells all year around. The women are also renowned
for their finely woven craftwork. Manihiki is astonishingly
beautiful and those who have been fortunate enough to visit the
island, have never been disappointed.
Rakahanga
Sister island of Manihiki and 42km north-west. Visits to
Rakahanga are only possible by boat from Manihiki or inter-
island vessel. There are two main islands and seven islets in the
Rakahanga lagoon. The island is picturesque and unspoiled.
Penrhyn
Penrhyn (or Tongareva) is the most remote of the Cook group,
lying 1365 km NNE of Rarotonga. It has a remarkable blue
water lagoon measuring 233 sq km. A 77-km coral reef encircles
the islets in the extraordinary lagoon. The villages of Tetautua
and Omoka are on different islets that are barely visible to each
other. Penrhyn island women make the finest rito craftwork in
the Cook Islands. Hats, bags, fans and mats made in Penrhyn are
amongst the best to be found anywhere in the world.