Easy air links to outer islands

Press, 11 September 1987, Page 36

Easy air links to outer islands

Aitutaki is stunningly beautiful — a cluster of small islets fringed with white sand within a generous halo of coral. The sparkling clear water inside the protective reef is brilliantly tinted with varying shades of blues and emerald greens.

It was not until I first saw Aitutaki from the air that I really accepted that it was in fact as pretty as its pictures in the travel brochures. No place could be that' beautiful, you think — until you catch your first glimpse through the clouds from 5000 ft. Aitutaki is about 250 km due north of Rarotonga. Its main tourist hotel, the Aitutaki Resort Hotel, stands on its own small island close to the southern end of the airstrip. It is linked to the "mainland” by a short causeway. The resort, comprises a group of cool and comfortable secluded units extending beyond a main amenities block. It organises an interesting day trip on to the lagoon with snorkelling, fishing, and a barbecue picnic on a beach close to where TEAL’S old flying boats touched down 35 years ago.

The biggest island within the reef covers an area of barely 15sq km, yet it has six villages that merge into a main centre with a couple of shops, Post Office, and wharf.

The six-kilometre walk from the resort to the centre is relaxing and pleasant, but cycles and motor scooters — even horses — can be hired for those in a hurry. Six nights a week the heart of the main village throbs to the beat of Big J’s night spot where guests can swing the night away to the sound of island guitars and the aroma of the best fish and chips east of the dateline. The Aitutaki Resort Hotel is expensive compared with more modest establishments on the island.

Incidentally, if you intend visiting Aitutaki don’t forget that the island is isolated. Prices of items sold in the local shops are therefore about 30 per cent higher than they are on Rarotonga. It pays to take along all essential items such as sun-tan lotion, insect repellants, films and reading material.

Visitors wanting to visit the outer islands are well served by two small airlines offering daily services. Air Rarotonga uses three aircraft

A local shipping company operates an interisland shipping service with frequent over-night trips to islands of the southern group, and less regular services to islands in the north. Due. to varying demands of cargo, tables are not firm until a few days before departure.

for inter-island flights and a smaller Cessna for local sight-seeing work. It operates day tours to Aitutaki. Other flights go to Atiu, nick-named the pineapple island. Atiu has only a few hundred residents and one motel capable of holding 12 guests. The airline last year introduced to its fleet a refurbished four-engine Heron aircraft which has cut the flight time to Aitutaki to about 50 minutes. The other airline, Cook Islandair, is 90 per cent owned by Air New Zealand (the Cook Island Government holds the remaining shares). It flies a Britten Norman Islander to Aitutaki, Atiu, Mitiaro and Mauke. The airline, which comes under the wing of Air New Zealand’s manager in the Cook Islands, Mr Rob Fullerton, was formed in 1973.