CoOK ISLANDS SuN
AT I U
The Atiu experience, not to be missed! Jackey Tanga was born on Atiu but spent many years in New Zealand and Australia before coming home in 2011. Since returning, Jackey has worked at Atiu Villas for the owners Roger and Kura Malcolm. considers herself Jackey as a ‘ jackey-of-all-
trades’ as her work covers just about every aspect of running the property from picking up guests from the airport, to tending to the extensive gardens, organising guest meals, working in the office and organising day tours. “It’s not just me, there are other staff who do what I do. Everyone specialises in one thing, but we all get involved with other things!” said Jackey. “I like the fact that Atiu is a small community. It’s about how everyone knows one another. The relaxed attitude of the people can really make your day and that’s why I love it. We have beautiful beaches and scenery, but the people, including the tour guides, make the Atiu experience worthwhile. We asked Jackey about the Atiu experience. What is the appeal of Atiu for visitors?
Many visitors say: ‘we wish we stayed here longer’. There is more here than visitors expect like tours to the picturesque caves where the amazing kopeka bird lives, and there’s our famous Birdman George and his eco tour where you learn about Atiu’s forest and its inhabitants. But, I believe it’s actually the relaxed atmosphere and the laid back feeling of being on a holiday on a quiet tropical island. Atiu forces you to slow down and unwind.
Catch your own food if you like! Going on tours with the pig hunter Toru, or fishing on the lagoon with Andrew, or maybe deep-sea fishing with Sole. They are all tours, but it’s a good experience to see how the locals do it! Tell us about the new Tumunu Tour?
Jackey Tanga transferring guests from the airport to Atiu Villas
The guide, Peckham Mokoroa has recently come back to live on Atiu. The Tumunu is a 200-year old tradition based on how the whalers first taught my people to ferment oranges and brew beer. Along came the London Missionary Society in the 1800s who banned drinking. If you were caught, you got fined or even thrown into jail. So the locals took it into the bush because the white man didn’t know his way around there. The Tumunu Tour is about getting visitors to taste our local bush beer and getting to meet the local people. It’s a great place to socialise! Tell us about the famous Birdman George
What accommodation and food can visitors expect?
There are four accommodation facilities available: Atiu Villas, Atiu Bed and Breakfast, Taparere Lodge and Kopeka Lodge. All are very different and varying in price. I believe Atiu Villas has the best on offer (a little biased maybe!), but it offers the essentials. In each villa there are supplies in the cupboards, fridge and freezer so guests can have breakfast or lunch at leisure. Restaurant wise, there is our famous Kura’s Kitchen. The nightly set dinner menu ranges from chicken to fish, to lamb shanks. If visitors want
something else, they can try Super Brown Burgers, the only takeaway store on Atiu.
Birdman George’s eco tours are a highlight of any visit to Atiu
The Anatakitaki Cave Tour
Birdman George introduces visitors to Atiu’s unique forests
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and its occupants. They get to learn about the plants, flowers and trees - native and imported. They hear about our traditional medicines. And, especially, they learn about our birds and bird programs, and seeing the birds close up including the Kakerori (Rarotonga Fly Catcher) and the Kura (Rimatara Lorikeet). Thanks to the eradication of the Mynah birds we now have more fruits uneaten or unspoiled, and more fauna life. Birdman George’s tour ends on one of our beautiful beaches with a lovely picnic. What other activities can visitors experience in a few days in Atiu.
Depending on the season, it is always good to rent a scooter or bicycle and explore yourselves: check out our lake, the Coral Garden, the sinkholes and the three grottos. The Anatakitaki Cave Tour and the Rima Rau Burial Cave Tour are run by tour guide Marshall (originally from England). On these tours you’ll get to know about the fauna and flora and our people’s history through a different set of eyes. Visit www.atiu.info
Secluded Tangaroro Beach is quite beautiful
Staying a while on Atiu
Because of its limited accommodation capacity and flight schedules, Atiu receives less than fifty visitors each week, making a stay in Atiu quite special. There are a few accommodation outlets on the island, but the most comfortable place to stay if you appreciate an onsite swimming pool, restaurant and tropical gardens, is Atiu Villas.
Their six comfortable villas feature a mini-bar and larder. There is also a floodlit grass tennis court, vehicles for rent and free WIFI. Atiu Island is one of four islands in the Cooks best geared up for tourists, the others being Aitutaki, Mangaia and Rarotonga. Atiu is a forty-five minute flight from both Aitutaki and Rarotonga.
Contact Jetsave Travel (Tel. +682 27707 or www.jetsave.co.ck) in Avarua, or Air Rarotonga (Tel. +682 22888 or www.airraro.com) at Rarotonga International Airport about travel packages to Atiu.
Cook Islands specialists for inter-island packages, local tours and activities Foreign Exchange and Money Transfers A one-stop shop with personalised service
INTERNATIONAL & DOMESTIC AIRFARES & ACCOMMODATION Located Main Road, Avarua | jetsave@cooks.co.ck www.jetsave.co.ck | CALL 27 707
Your hosts Roger and Kura will make your stay an exciting adventure Phone: (682) 33 777 | Email: roger@atiuvillas.com On-line bookings at www.atiuvillas.com - Free email & internet For more information on Atiu Island visit www.atiu.info