And we thought it couldn’t get any better!!

Aitutaki, one of the westernmost atolls in the southern chain of the Cook Islands, was “discovered” by Captain Cook in the late 1700’s. The Cook Islands have a free association with New Zealand, meaning that they maintain their own government, yet use NZ currency and may immigrate freely to NZ. Most islanders are fluent in both native Cook Māori and English. Locals take “Island Time” and friendliness up another notch.

Our three-night passage from Maupiha’a was uneventful until dawn of the final day. During shorter passages, the dinghy hangs off Tieton’s rear frame via a system of pulleys. Herman tried a new approach, and one of the pulleys let go, which allowed the dinghy to begin hitting the stern of the boat, and then it flipped and began dunking the outboard in the ocean. After a few very stressful moments, some great teamwork and leverage, the dinghy was righted. Other than the tragic loss of my well-worn sandals, plus some dings on the outboard and boat, no harm was done. We took a few deep breaths, then lowered the sails to approach the harbor.

Aitutaki Harbor

Aitutaki is encircled by a reef with a small channel dredged for entrance into the harbor, which is currently being expanded. The newly dredged channel was about three times Tieton’s width, which seems mighty snug when entering off the ocean. We were prepared to anchor, and realized when we got into the harbor that we needed to drop our anchor, back up towards the shore, and throw someone on shore long lines that could be secured around large rocks on the other side of the jetty. Eek! Anchoring in Aitutaki takes a village, and our new neighbors came to the rescue, including Donna who took a dip to retrieve our line.

We were just catching our breath when customs and the public health asked to board so that they could check us in, which reminded us a bit of a doorbell ring after a late night party that hadn’t been cleaned up yet. We’d completed the forms in advance, including the answer “no” to the question as to whether anyone had died onboard other than by accident. This leaves me wondering who is concerned if someone dies by accident??? The friendly agents took our French Polynesia exit document and left an invoice of NZ$218.80 that we could pay when we picked up our Cook Islands exit paperwork. We were also invited to their church the next day and told the locations and service times of other denominations.

Back to the harbor, which was remarkable for its evolving complexity. To protect their coral, only licensed boats are allowed in the lagoon surrounding the island, other than in the dredged channel. Dive and tour boats seemed to be on similar schedules with morning and afternoon trips each day. We monitored our VHF radio and regularly heard their conversations with other operators about whale sightings. Harbor dredging, marina construction and positioning freight for the upcoming supply ship arrival continued throughout the weekdays.

We’d been told that the harbor didn’t have great anchor holding and were pleased that our anchor held for three days, then it started slipping one especially windy morning. Using the dinghy, we put out another anchor, which wasn’t holding either. After a couple hours of working by ourselves, and concluding the dinghy couldn’t handle the weight of our regular anchor, I radioed the Bubbles tour boat and asked if they could help reset our anchor. Otherwise, we would have released the lines and moved the boat, then figured out whether/how to retrieve the lines. Fortunately our neighbor Mark was on the tour boat, and after quickly unloading their other passengers, they retrieved our anchor, reset it, and hauled Tieton away from shore. They quickly reloaded their customers and departed for the tour with friendly waves from all.

The next day, Herman and I were able to do our share by catching the lines from four arriving boats, much to their appreciation. We then turned our efforts to lifting our second anchor in preparation for our departure. Of course, by this time it was set so well we couldn’t pull it up and decided to dive for it in the morning.

Josh, owner of one of the boats we helped, came by to thank us and offered to help us retrieve our anchor the next day. Also two of our new neighbors were told they needed to move their boats because the supply ship would arrive the next day and the barge needed space to maneuver for passengers and cargo. We coordinated our departure so that one boat could move into our slot after Josh pulled our second anchor. We exited the anchorage gracefully and looked like pros! Phew.

Although complex, the harbor made for fast friendships and community. When construction is completed the marina will be nice, but it certainly won’t have the same feeling.

Church

The London Missionary Society (LMS) brought Christianity to Aitutaki in October 1821, which is commemorated by a plaque adjacent to the Cook Islands Christian Church (CICC, formerly LMS). The physical church in Aitutaki will celebrate its 200 year anniversary in 2027, a fact we were told by several locals. About 75 percent of islanders attend CICC.

Parishioners arrived in their Sunday best, including a lovely assortment of hats and flowered headdresses. Service began with a drum brigade and presentation of the colors and ended with retiring the colors, which we later learned occurs every second Sunday. Included were the flags of Britain, New Zealand, The Cook Islands, and local jurisdictions. The hymns and majority of the sermon were in Cook Māori, with the occasional interjection of English. Children sat quietly with their families or drum brigade, with the occasional visit to a welcoming adult or trip outside to play. The call and response hymns reverberated throughout the church and we could feel the fibration. At the end of the 90 minute sermon, parishioners filtered outside to watch the drum brigade.

That evening we heard singing from another sermon, which we later learned is led by women’s, men’s and youth groups on alternating Sundays. Spirituality is obviously a big part of their lives and cultural structure.

When it comes to photographs and recordings of services, I feel discretion and not interfering is more important than quality, which you may notice.

Swearing In Ceremony for Mayor & Council

On Monday, workers began assembling tents and setting up chairs and tables for the swearing in ceremony we learned would occur the following day at 10 AM. Several locals invited us to attend, plus partake in the feast afterward. Chairs were sourced from restaurants and businesses around the island, and had been clearly marked with sharpies.

Aitutaki’s population is about 1,700, decreasing about two percent per year as younger people leave for more economic opportunity in New Zealand. Residents were excited to have a new mayor after an incumbent served for the past ten years. For the first time, the council will be led by a majority of five women and three men.

The local turnout for the swearing in ceremony was enviable and the feast probably could have fed most of the population. Unfortunately we had to skip the feast because of our anchor challenge. Dang!

Touring

With help from the tourism office, we rented a scooter to ride around the island. During WW II, the US Army built an airfield on the island, which was used during the war and is currently being decommissioned. Many yards had shrines or graves, some of which were obviously missionaries or veterans. Only natives have land rights, and marriage to outsiders is not uncommon.

Dogs are not allowed on Aitutaki and it was somewhat of a relief to not worry about them walking in front of the scooter. Cats, chickens and goats abound.

Near the airport is a private resort on an islet that is only accessible by a short boat ride. No one under 16 is allowed.

A lookout at the highest point in the island hosts a cellular tower, and the public is welcome to hike to the top of the hill. Herman rode the scooter part way, while I chose to hike. It was worth the stunning view. At the Boat Shed restaurant, we ran into Julie & Andy who we’d met in Maupiha’a.

Cyclone season is from December through April, and it isn’t unusual for storms to hit The Cook Islands. Like North American snowbirds, New Zealand visitors depart The Cook Islands before storm season. Signage provides a stark reminder of the risk and devastation that storms bring.

We had two business transactions to complete, which provide a glimpse into “island time”. I found some French Polynesian francs that I wanted to exchange so we went to the bank next to the customs office. The bank staff wasn’t certain how to process the transaction, and asked us to return after lunch so they could consult with the home office. We weren’t able to return before the bank closed at 3 PM. When we returned at 10 AM the next day, they were locking the doors so they could sit outside and watch the swearing in ceremony, and would be open at 1 PM after lunch. Fortunately, customs took our exit paperwork, which we hadn’t been able to turn in the prior day because the office was closed so they could attend a funeral. Later that afternoon, we were able to complete both transactions and got our exit paperwork.

We rented the scooter for 48 hours and were told to leave the scooter at the tourism office with payment and the keys inside the seat, which we did. On the morning of our departure, after almost two days the scooter was still there along with the money and key. We checked with the tourism office and they said the company would eventually pick it up. That’s trust.

What’s Next

We continue heading west towards Tonga and from there, we’ll depart to New Zealand in late October. Palmerston is 200 miles away and will be our final stop in The Cook Islands