Cook Islands

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Aitutaki has a string of small islands, motu, along the outer rim of the lagoon.  We were able to visit a handful on a day trip.  Plus we hopped in the water at a couple snorkel stops.  The water was a bit cloudy at the first stop.  The second stop was glorious.  Several thriving coral heads to paddle around.  One of the other passengers had a frame she snapped her iPhone into that allowed her to take photos underwater.  Very cool, albeit, for me trying to take photos of darting fish would be too distracting.

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Aitutaki is the second most populated island of archipelago, with ~1500 residents, situated within a triangular-shaped lagoon.  We stayed at a small resort within the elbow of the main island facing the inner lagoon rather than the Pacific Ocean.  In contrast to Rarotonga, Aitutaki has no dogs.  Not one.   But lots of chickens.  I asked the owner of our resort how people distinguish one’s chickens from another’s.  She laughed to say they’re all wild

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Quick reminder – You don’t have to travel to some exotic place in order to have your pics in On the Road.  Don’t get me wrong, we love having all the wonderful photos from all these amazing places that you adventurers have been to!

But OTR doesn’t have to be only that.  I love the pics ema sends of NYC, often not how I have pictured NYC at all.  What’s happening in your backyard?  If you live out in the country, I would love to see photos of what you see as you head to town to shop.  If you live in France, I would love to see your favorite hangouts.  If you’re taking a trip to see friends or relatives, what are the sites you see along the way?

You get the idea.  Right?

way2blue

The 15 islands of the Cook archipelago stretch across ~1400 kms of the South Pacific.  They were first settled around 1000 AD by Polynesians thought to have migrated from Tahiti, ~1100 km to the ENE.  Aitutaki is the second most populated of archipelago, at ~1500 residents (Rarotonga has ~15,000).  Aitutaki also has a volcanic center albeit much more modest.  The island is horseshoe-shaped with inner and outer lagoons.  We stayed at a small resort facing the inner lagoon.  The husband In the bungalow next to ours headed out to fly fish every morning (intending to catch & release bone fish).  Very confusing for me as there aren’t any fly hatchings to speak of.  Found out he runs a fishing lodge in Alaska…

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I love to snorkel—so after colleague cautioned years ago now that coral reefs were in serious decline—I explore tropical reefs whenever I can.  The Cook Islands are fairly remote, midway between Tonga & Samoa to the west and Tahiti to the east, thus somewhat protected from catastrophic ocean warming.  As with most (all?) of the South Pacific island chains, Rarotonga’s volcanic interior formed over a mantle hotspot.  Persistent mantle plumes form series of seafloor volcanos as a consequence of the Pacific oceanic plate moving northward toward the Aleutian Islands that subside below the sea surface with time (same as the Hawaiian Island chain).

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So.  Cook Islands.  I’d been wanting to visit another island nation in the South Pacific that retained traditional culture, not completely dependent on tourism.  The Cook Islands had been recommended by a friend who’d visited 10 years ago.  The 15 islands of the Cook archipelago stretch across ~1400 kms of the South Pacific.  They were first settled around 1000 AD by Polynesians thought to have migrated from Tahiti, ~1100 km to the ENE.  Rarotonga is the largest & most populated of archipelago, and the island we visited first.

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