Aitutaki

Aitutaki, traditionally known as Araura, is one of the Cook Islands, north of Rarotonga. It has a population of approximately 2,000. Aitutaki is the second most visited island of the Cook Islands.

Geography

Aitutaki is an atoll, located at . It has a maximum height of approximately 123 metres with the hill known as Maunga Pu close to its northernmost point.

The reef that forms the basis of Aitutaki is roughly the shape of an equilateral triangle with sides 12 kilometres in length. The southern edge of the triangle is almost totally below the surface of the ocean, and the eastern side is composed of a string of small islands (including Mangere, Akaiami, and Tekopua).

The western side of the atoll contains many of Aitutaki's most important features. towards the south of the side is a break in the atoll, allowing access for boats to the lagoon which covers most of the southern part of the triangle. Further to the north is the bulk of the main island, with a further break in the atoll allowing for anchorage close to shore at Arutanga.

An airstrip is located close to the triangle's northern point, and there is an area suitable for the landing of flying boats in the southern part of the lagoon.

History

Polynesians probably first settled Aitutaki around AD 900. The first known European contact was with Captain Bligh and the crew of the "HMS Bounty" on April 11, 1789. Aitutaki was discovered by Europeans on 11 April 1789, when Captain William Bligh arrived on H.M.S. Bounty, before the mutiny.

Bligh (1792)

Briefly but recognisably described the island:

''" . . . on the 11th, at daylight, land was seen to the S S W, at about five leagues distance, which appeared to be an island of a moderate height. On the north part was a round hill: the northwest part was highest and steep: the southeast part sloped off to a low point. ... we tacked to the southward, and, as we advanced in that direction, discovered a number of low keys, 'of which at noon we counted nine: they were all covered with trees. The large island first seen had a most fruitful appearance, its shore being bordered with flat land, on which grew innumerable cocoa-nut and other trees; and the higher grounds beautifully interspersed with lawns. .. .

On the 12th ...

at two in the afternoon, we were within 3 miles of the southernmost key. . . . the name of the large island .. . was Wytootackee.

The island of Wytootackee is about ten miles in circuit; its latitude from 18°50' to 18°54'S, and longitude 20°19'S. A group of small keys, eight in number, lie to the S E, 4 or 5 miles distant from Wytootackee, and a single one to the W S W; the southernmost of the group is in latitude 18°58’S. Variation of the compass 8°14’E"''

William Bligh's Log of HMS Providence 1791-1793

According to William Bligh's Journal at the time, he and several others on the "Bounty" "rubbed noses" with the natives and then exchanged gifts. From Aitutaki Bligh headed west and finally to the "Mutiny on the Bounty" that took place near Nomuka Island, Ha’apai Tonga on 28 April 1789.

After the mutiny Fletcher Christian and the mutineers returned to Tahiti. There they told the local population they had met up with Captain Cook on the open sea and that Bligh and all the young breadfruit trees had been transferred to Cook's vessel for transportation to the West Indies.

The mutineers then told the people of Tahiti that both Cook and Bligh had sent them back to collect all kinds of food crops and animals so they could go and establish a new colony on an island known as "New Holland".

"Where is this place...New Holland?" came the question.

"It is the island of Wytootakee," was the reply.

The people of Tahiti knew the existence of this island and so gave food and provisions freely after which the "Bounty" departed, but instead of going to Aitutaki, Fletcher Christian and company went to Tubuai in the Austral Group, where an unsuccessful attempt was made to establish a new European colony.

As soon as word of the mutiny reached the British Admiralty they sent out the Pandora to capture the mutineers. In his voyage to bring the Bounty mutineers to justice Captain Edwards visited Aitutaki in the Pandora, arriving at the island on May 19, 1791

In 1792 William Bligh returned to Tahiti on board the "Providence" to uplift a second cargo of young breadfruit trees for delivery to the British West Indies. He then called at Aitutaki for a second time on 25 July 1792.

The great naturalist, Charles Darwin visited the island in the Beagle on 3 December, 1835. Charles Darwin passed through the southern Cooks on the Beagle i n 1835, but did not land. He sighted Aitutaki, and i n a passage in his Diary ( Darwin, 1933, 358-359), omitted in the published version in Journal and Researches (1839), notes:

"December 3rd. After several days of light winds, we passed near to the island Whytootacke. We here saw a union of the two prevailing kinds of structure united. A hilly irregular mass was surrounded by a well defined circle of reefs, which in great part have been converted into low narrow strips of land, which as Cook calls them are half drowned, consisting merely of sand and Coral rocks heaped up on the dead part of a former reef. The inhabitants made a smoke to attract our attention."

Darwin was at this time drafting the first full statement of his coral reef theory, in which he mentions Aitutaki and speculates in which of his classes of reefs it should be placed (Darwin, 1962, p.7). In his Structure Distribution of Coral Reefs (1842, Appendix. 1pp.154-155), he discussed the matter more fully:

"Aitutaki was partially surveyed by the Beagle, (see map accompanying Voyages of Adventure and Beagle); the land is hilly, sloping gently to the beach; .the highest point is 360 feet; on the southern side the reef projects five miles from the land: off this point the Beagle found no bottom with 270 fathoms: the reef is surmounted by many low coral-islets. Although within the reef the water is exceedingly shallow, not being more than a few feet deep, as I am informed by the Rev. J. Williams; nevertheless, from the great extension of this reef into a profoundly deep ocean, this island probably belongs, on the principle lately adverted to, to the barrier class, and I have coloured it pale blue; although with much hesitation. "

MISSIONARY PERIOD

Effective contact began with the arrival on Aitutaki of the Rev. John Williams on 26 October 1821. He left native Tahitian missionaries there, and went on to do the same at Rarotonga. When Williams returned to Aitutaki in July 1823, the inhabitants had apparently been converted to Christianity. In 1827 he went back to Rarotonga, instituted a code of laws, and installed the first of a series of English missionaries.

the progress of disease, occurrence of hurricanes, and social disruption during the first decades of European contact, reduced the population from ca. 7000 in 1833 to about 2000 between 1845 and 1900. Major factors in t his decline were the new diseases ofmeasles, whooping cough, mumps, influenza, jaundice and dysentery. However the impact was less catastrophic than on Rarotonga. Epidemics were less serious, though there were notable outbreaks of dysentery in 1843 and measles in 1854.

At Aitutaki the first English missionary, Henry Royle, arrived on 23 May 1839, by which time some European beachcombers were already living on the island. He remained there for about 35 years. The population declined from approximately 2000 when Royle arrived to less than 1200 in the forty years after 1880.

WWII DEVELOPMENTS

After the initial missionary intervention, however, the largest major event in the recent history of Aitutaki was the Second World War. When it began the island had a population of about 2000. In 1942 a party of 900 U.S. Marines, including 400 negroes, was established there, and remained until 1944. The present airstrip was built on the Ootu Peninsula. It was crushed Coral as late as 2003, but has since been bitumened.

After the war a Solent flying boat service was operated by Tasman Empire Airways Ltd to Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Auckland, and by UTA to New Caledonia and Tahiti The landing area was in the southeast lagoon, with terminal facilities on Akaiami island, linked by launch with a mainland jetty at Tautu. This service was discontinued in 1960, but New Zealand military planes maintain a service from New Zealand via Raro tonga, using the 0otu landing facility.

Marine communications were also improved during the war. The reef entrance at Arutanga was dredged and a stone jetty constructed. The jetty has now disintegrated, and the channel, 1.5 km long, carries less than 2 m water.

Survivor Cook Islands

Series 13 of the TV hit “Survivor” will be filmed on location at Aitutaki Island. Survivor’s production crew will be arriving April 20th and filming from June 5th through August 4th in Aitutaki's quintessential blue lagoon.

The idyllic uninhabited islands of Motorakau and Rapota are located half a mile apart in the remote tropical paradise of the Aitutaki atoll. This is part of The Cook Islands deep in heart of the South Pacific. The tropical climate, palm fringed white-sand beaches and crystal-clear turquoise waters packed full of multicoloured corals and tropical fish, means the Survivor experience will undoubtedly be a memorable one.

The Aitutaki atoll consists of a reef surrounding the main inhabited island of Aitutaki and 21 uninhabited ‘motu’ or small islands which include the two used by Survivor. The stunning turquoise lagoon is enormous at 12km wide and 15km long and averages 10.5m in depth. There are plenty of edible fish in the lagoon from tiny whitebait to barracuda – so as long as the castaways can work out how to catch them they won’t go hungry!

The majority of marine life in the lagoon is completely harmless, but the castaways must wear the reef shoes provided at all times when swimming or climbing around rock and reef areas. The hard soles on the shoes protect feet from sharp corals and potentially hazardous creatures like stone fish and sea snakes (although incidents are extremely rare.)

The two tribal camps will be Motu Rakau and Motu Rapota. Motorakau is small but perfectly formed with a beach on either side of a main clearing, a higher interior, a rocky outcrop, and ‘Plato’s Platform’ – a secluded cliff top with a fantastic view.

The neighbouring island of Rapota is slightly larger and more rugged in appearance. It has one more beach and inland the terrain gets much steeper with denser vegetation on the higher ground. On the north side, a group of large black rocks offers an ideal place to get away from it all. It was once home to the leper colony of Aitutaki, leprosy was highly prevalent there up to WWII.

Both islands are covered with palm trees meaning unlimited coconuts and fronds (leaves) for weaving a shelter roof and walls. There is a scattering of fruit trees (bananas, limes and mangoes) but the majority bear very little fruit. Although there is nothing dangerous on the islands, there are plenty of creepy crawlies such as hermit crabs, gecko lizards, spiders, flies, and harmless scorpions; easily capable of scaring the unwary!

The two islands have already been used for the location of Channel 4 Britain’s Shipwrecked: Battle of the islands www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/S/shipwrecked

“Tribal Council” will be filmed near Vainamu, Arutanga on the main island of Aitutaki.

Motukitiu will feature as “Exile Island” and Motu Maina will feature as the “Overnight Reward” location.

The “Mutiny Motel” and challenges will be filmed on Motu Akiami, the former home of a WWII flying boat base and home to “Akaiami Island Lodge” www.coralroute.com Akaiami Lodge is the historical site where TEAL flying boats landed while plying the Coral Route through the South Pacific during the 1940s and 50s. TEAL (Tasman Empire Airways Limited) became Air New Zealand, and the Coral Route remains, but there are no longer the flying boats. The Lodge has been rebuilt on the exact spot where the original terminal stood. This isn’t the island’s first brush with Hollywood, here the well-to-do of the 1950s, including movie stars such as John Wayne, Cary Grant and the like, stopped for a few hours or even overnight while the planes were serviced or waited for weather to clear.

Places of interest

Aitutaki is famous for its turqoise central lagoon, uninhabited islands and palm-fringed beaches. Another advantage is that until now it has been spared by mass tourism. Noteworthy are also an old church and some gigantic Banyan Trees (ficus prolixa).

One Foot Island, a small islet in the south-east of the lagoon, is often said to be the most important attraction. It is regarded as providing the visitor with the best views of the Aitutaki lagoon and depending on the tide one is able to walk on a sandbank a decent distance away from One Foot Island. The trip to this island is the most frequented trip available on Aitutaki and is bookable in most hotels.

Air Rarotonga offers daily flights and a day tour from Rarotonga.

Economy

Tourism is the mainstay of Aitutaki though visitor numbers are still relatively low as there are no direct international flights. Tourists are catered for by a range of motels and resorts ranging from budget to luxury.

Postage stamps

Aitutaki used the postage stamps of the Cook Islands from 1892 to 1903, when New Zealand overprinted its own stamps with "AITUTAKI." and the denomination written in local dialect. Seven of the eight values were issued in Auckland on 12 June and in Aitutaki 29 June, with the 2 1/2d arriving later, on 9 November. Similar sets of overprints appeared periodically from 1911 to 1920.

In 1920 New Zealand produced an omnibus issue for the several Cook Islands, each inscribed with the island's name. A similar idea was used for a set of three in 1924-1927.

On 15 March 1932, stamps of the Cook Islands again replaced the Aitutaki issues. This lasted for forty years, then in 1972 Aitutaki established a separate postal service, and has issued its own stamps (mostly printed by Heraclio Fournier in Spain) since then. These issues are primarily intended for sale to collectors.

External links

Cook Islands | Islands of the Cook Islands | Philately by country