Despite the brooding cloud cover scuttling my brightest hopes for blue sky perfection, flying into Aitutaki is a vivid dream sequence, descending into other-worldly beauty, where the brilliance of the lagoon and the necklace of palm-mopped islets (motu) seemingly reach out to greet you. Few places in the world could rival Aitutaki for it’s catch-your-breath gorgeousness.
Lassoed by an outer reef that forms a sheltered, triangular lagoon, the postcard clichés sing out. It’s a luminescent study in the many shades of turquoise, fringed by the inky blue of the Pacific. Whether you’re a newbie or returnee to Aitutaki, be sure to join a Punarei Cultural Tour, which for just 18 months has been delving deep into ancient Aitutakian tradition. Tragically, when the London Missionary Society rocked into town from 1821, the cultural landscape was decimated, physically and spiritually. In the early 19th century, missionary-carrying flu wiped out two thirds of the population.
Today, the island’s rugby fields are the mass graves’ visage. Ngaa Taria is the driving force behind Punarei and its quest to rediscover and revitalise the pre-Christian traditions and landmarks of the locals. Ngaa and his team have already excavated some ancient marae, spanning a 1000 years, demolished by the missionaries as part of their purge against pagan worship, even though Ngaa believes both spiritual outlooks can co-exist.
In a recently excavated sacrificial altar, they unearthed a pig’s head, a human skull and the skeletal remains of a now extinct bird. The tour, expertly and passionately guided by Ngaa and Nigel includes preparing and enjoying an umu lunch, trying your hand at traditional weaving and matting, and admiring the replica traditional village, flanked by mulberry, banyan and banana trees. Produly, Ngaa tells me, “We are growing mulberry trees at Punarai, so we can rebirth our anacient craft of tapa making.” Nigel mentioned that Aitutaki’s traditional name for New Zealand, in 1350AD, was Avaiki Toto ( Land of the South.) I’d never heard this place name before.
This incredibly enriching and authentic tour will leave you feeling as if you’ve touched the soul of the island. www.aitutakiculture.com The Aitutaki Lagoon , 52 sq kms of languid luminosity, supports a fabulously healthy fish population, without any toothy creatures to bother you. In addition to the vast schools of tropical fish and giant clams to enchant the snorkelers in the lagoon, you can see and catch Wahoo, Mahi Mahi, Yellow Fin Tuna and the wonderfully graceful Giant Trevally.
I joined Bishop’s Cruises for a bewitching day lolloping in the lagoon, stopping for snorkelling on the Heaven Sand Bar, before the signature stop at the emblematic One Foot Island, where the beauty metre gets closing to bursting. It would be poor form not to set foot on this island without sending a post card home, from the world’s smallest post office. www.bishopscruises.com
Perched on the south eastern point of the island, Ootu Beach is home to the mid-range boutique resort of Aitutaki Village, previously known as Samade on the Beach. Ootu (full moon) is a seraphic stretch of custard creamy sand, swathed in coconut palms, overlooking the turquoise lustre of the lagoon and immersed in virtual silence. It’s an unmolested and largely unpeopled tropical realm where the elemental pleasures are my kind of perfect.
The resort is owned by the charismatic Thomas Poteka, an enterprising veteran of the hotel world. Never one to rest on his laurels, Thomas effusively shared with me his grand plans that will soon see the resort convert to solar power and the bungalows accentuated with private outdoor rain showers. “We’re going off the grid – no more dirty diesel-powered generation for us!”, Thomas exclaims. Free Wi-Fi has just been installed, paradoxically a world away from the 21st century bustle.
The twelve bungalows are scattered amongst lush, fragrant tropical gardens and the recently rebuilt beachfront restaurant is the social meeting point for sundowners and dining. Roosters chortled the dawn of a new day in paradise and I was greeted every morning for breakfast by tables groaning with fresh and succulent mango, paw paw, pineapple and coconut. Try the signature dish at dinner, ‘Ika Mata’, freshly grilled wahoo with lemon and shrimp sauce. Plus the resort turns on a weekly Polynesian Night and Show and a Sunday BBQ, Aitutaki-style. The resort will tool you up with all the gear for the full array of water activities, from snorkelling in the tropical aquarium to the wildly popular paddle boarding. Aitutaki Village is the epitome of great-value, beachcomber bliss. www.samadebeach.com
By Mike Yardley, Newstalk ZB’s Travel Correspondent on Jack Tame Saturdays.
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