Cindy loves flowers and whenever we see lovely ones it makes her think of LA friend Linda, so she insists I take the photo. Aitutaki had lots of flowers despite recent Cyclone Pat’s 160 mph winds. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
Here we are after two days of bobbing around in the outer “road sted”. The inner harbor was almost always flat as a board. The problem is the pass entry. It’s 3/8ths of mile long and very shallow. Down to a bit less than 6 feet. Jerome from “Na Maka” and I sounded this pass with a lead line for two days before we entered. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
We had both left together from Mopelia in very light airs, but the wind and sea quickly rebuilt making this passage fast and boisterous. It was a welcome respite to be here in Aitutaki’s small but very protected harbor. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
This is a massive Diesel fuel storage container that comes aboard the cargo vessel once to twice/month. Ultimately, this is where our fuel comes from. It weighed over 70,000 lbs when full. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
This is the local Congregational Church. They lost their roof during Cyclone Pat which came through here about 4-5 months ago. Later in our stay…You’ll see this repaired. Much of the cargo ships contents at this time were lumber and roofing materials. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
It was a mixed blessing. Some of the locals felt “urban renewal” was a good thing to improve the look and feel of the island as many of the houses were mere shacks. But then again, it was HOME. 80 homes were completely destroyed and 200 damaged. That’s about 70+% of the homes on the island. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
Sort of. They do indeed truly protect the local turtles. Most of the coral and clams they raise (about 97%) are sold to the aquarium trade. The rest are planted around the lagoon and specifically in two reserve areas. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
This is the heavy equipment that is used to protect and grow many of the species both endemic and from Palau and Australia which are sold or seeded in the lagoon. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
These are the local (smaller) as well as larger clams that are grown. It takes 2-4 years before they can be sold or seeded to the lagoons environment. This to give them enough sized to protect from predation. The larger seen are Tridacna Gigantus or Tridacna Maximus. The smaller, the common coral clam seen throughout the Pacific. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
The gal on the left is the partner of the Kiwi ex-pat, Richard (whom we never met), who has run this reserve for about 15 years (if memory serves). They stand in as tour guides as well. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
This big expense besides initial construction is the massive quantity of water that must be pumped from the lagoon to insure proper nutrients for these guys. Very sensitive to salinity or food source changes (as well as temperature), their environment must be controlled to insure they make it to adult size. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
This is the “Neibaa” store which we got the impression was sort of pidgeon English for “neighbor”. Run by Seventh Day Adventists, it’s open on Sundays. Just about the only business on the island that is. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
We only saw two of these on our extensive scooter and car touring. Very cool. A house is located just to the left of the photo. Now here’s a landmark. Don’t drive under the banyan tree with anyone else but me? Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
Cindy loves to hear the beautiful Polynesian church choirs, so on this Sunday, she set off to listen to the music. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
This Catholic Church did the service in Cook Island Maori (local language). The one just a block away had theirs in both the local language as well as English. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
Aitutaki like most Central and Western Pacific nations is very religious. Some of the followers of the faith had these signs up all over the island. Air Rarotonga does have Sunday flights and on other days up to 4/day to Rarotonga (main island of the Cooks) about 130 miles to the south. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
We at first had this little “slice” all to ourselves. Within a few days, we’d share this little cove with up to 4 more boats. Having to stay away from the cargo wharf made it nice and cozy with bow and stern anchors out on all boats. You could pretty much get to the point where you felt you could just walk on over to your neighbor. The water here was only 5-6 feet deep too. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
These were the empty containers which would be reloaded on to the cargo ship which was due soon. All the boats had to move out of the way. The cargo ship is too big to come inside the lagoon. The channel was never dredged enough to do so. Built by the US during WW2, the war ended before it could be completed. A small flat barge takes two containers at a time in and out of the long narrow channel. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
This is the original Cook Islands Christian Church and it’s very old burial ground. The founding pastor (who’s name I can’t recall) was famously thrown in the cooking pot by the locals of Vanuatu as he tried to spread the word to the Western Pacific. Only around 170 years ago too!… Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
This is the western reef and pass entrance at Aitutaki. You can see a small 46 foot boat on the far right who was too deep to enter. He stayed out there for six weeks! The pass is near the left hand side of the photo. We took this from almost the highest place on the island. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
We’d heard the hotel about 3 miles north of us had nice food and drink. So we indeed finally after quite awhile had our first “boat drink” experience off boat. A lovely setting and a lovely day. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
You can see the Beneteau 46 on the far right for perspective. One of the ships cranes was down, so it took an extra day to unload and reload containers. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
Here is the barge and the dock crane having a bit of bother with the large diesel fuel container. Seems the crane wasn’t locked down well and the diesel container won. This took about a 1/2 day to resolve, so the cargo ship was further delayed. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
With two large outboard engines, the barge brought everything ashore and empties back. We saw a car on top of two containers as well as palates and palates of lumber and roofing materials for the Cyclone Pat rebuilding. Aitutaki like many of the Pacific Islands, gets a real Hurricane Katrina +++ about every 12-20 years. Pat was a direct hit. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
This is one of two dive operations on Aitutaki. Unfortunately, Cyclone Pat covered the easy access spots with sand and the operators didn’t want to go any further afield. The diving was not spectacular outside, but they did have the very interesting “Ghost Coral” (will be posted in the Tonga UNDERWATER gallery in the future). Cool stuff. It’s brown. Then you touch it just slightly and sections start to turn a ghostly white. Then it turns back…. Onu our dive guide was a very nice guy and ran a great operation, we’d recommend “Bubbles Below”. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
Pitonga on the right, was very helpful in our getting our DHL package from Rarotonga to Aitutaki. Our generators “brain” had died in Mopelia and we were sent a new one gratis by Mastervolt USA. Shipping NOT included. The Cook Islanders in general were a very friendly and helpful group of folks. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
Mike Lonnes our stateside GO TO GUY. Got our stuff all boxed up and sent off to Rarotonga. That part alone was 550.00 USD and still took a week. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
One of the cool things to do in Aitutaki is a lagoon tour. We got our snorkel gear all ready and were to join a group to go with “Teking Lagoon Tours”. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
This is Teking. He is The KING. Elvis’ presence was felt nearby… Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
Mostly Kiwi’s on holiday mixed in with a few Aussie friends, the day was setting up to be a good one, weather included. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
Aitutaki is becoming a Kite Board destination. Warm, clear shallow water and constant trade winds make this an ideal environment for both beginners and experts. Jerome on Na Maka took lessons for a week and bought all the gear spending over 2500 USD… Now, he’s in constant search for “Kite” destinations as we travel together west. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
Teking was the KING of schtick! Part drill sergeant, part deeply pious local polynesian and always the master of ceremonies. We thought he was terrific and would recommend his tour to anyone. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
Cindy was being “Buddish”. We heard the sad tale of how an ancient warrior was caught by waring factions here on one foot island. He his his son in the trees and walked in his foot prints to conceal his presence. Unhappy ending for Dad, but not for Son. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
At the end of our tour with the KING. We saw this group of kids and family collecting coconuts at the right age for “heart of palm”. This wharf area on the east side of the island also courtesy of Uncle Sam during WW2. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
With “Blue Callaloo” in the foreground, a magnificent sunrise. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
Remember that church with the roof gone near the beginning of this gallery? Well, by the time we were ready to leave…… Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
They had been risen up and restored!.. Hallelujah! Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
From the back of “Beach House” you can see the very small outer anchorage. Friends on “Quickstar” on the far right spent a bit of time touching bottom here and soon moved back inside the inner harbor when space opened up. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
From “Quickstar” in the outer harbor, you can see the crowd we’d developed in the inner harbor. 5 cruising boats, 4 locals. The small reef constrained us from being any further away from the land. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
The cruise ship “Paul Gaugain” caught us again. The cruise director was no “Julie” of the Love Boat as you will soon here. I fear the local with the tank top tan wasn’t too into the chanting he did for the “guests”… Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
We were told by the local Port Authority that a “cargo ship” was coming in and we’d all have to move out of the way. You can see catamaran “Blue Callaloo” off to our left and the shore boat of the Gauguin at the dock. When we went ashore, their cruise director started giving us a complete ration of crap about how he was organizing an event and we were to stay out of his way. I thought he was kidding, but he wasn’t and Cindy told him in no uncertain terms to bugger off! Not the best PR for the “Gauguin”. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
Fortunately, they were here for only a day and we could return to some semblance of normal. Aitutaki is trying to promote the Gauguin to come more than once or twice a year (current schedule) as they are desperate for tourist income, like it or not. Some do, some don’t. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
These boats went in and out all day ferrying around 800 people to the dock and busses on the shore for a whirlwind day tour of Aitutaki. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
This is Richard, cousin of Onu (Bubbles Below). We spent three weeks on this island and overall had a great time. We’ll miss some of our new friends and sights. Fare thee well Aitutaki. Now we really go from out there to way out there as Palmerston Island, most western and with it’s most unusual history, would be our next and last stop in this South Central Pacific island nation; 15 in all. Aitutaki Atoll – Cook Islands
