Enuamanu
- Island of birds
Atiu is unique in the Cook Islands in that its five contiguous
villages are located on the dome in the centre of the raised
atoll. This settled heart of the island has rich red volcanic
soils where coffee and pineapples are grown, pockets of rain
forest, a band of swampy land where taro flourishes and an outer
ring of makatea, pinnacles of fossilised coral.
The Atiuans were the Vikings of the Cook Islands in pre-European
times, however, with the conversion to Christianity of their
much-feared ariki, Rongomatane, in 1823, domination of Atiu
by the London Missionary Society began, along with its accompanying
strictures.
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| Atiu - Island
of birds |
 Atiu from the Air |
The village settlements were moved by missionary
decree from the lowlands near the coast to the central site
they now occupy, and a church built there. Ziona Tapu, the Cook
Islands Christian Church of Atiu, by the cross-roads in the
centre of these villages, is one of the most imposing in the
Cook Islands. |
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An institution distinctive
to Atiu is the tumunu, which literally means the hollowed base
of the coconut palm, which makes an excellent container. In
an Atiuan context however, the word tumunu has a much wider
connotation.
Half-way through the nineteenth century the Tahitians - who
had developed close links with
Atiu - taught the Atiuans how
to brew an alcoholic beverage based on the fruit of the orange
trees which the missionaries had introduced to the island. The
highly-intoxicating brew was immediately popular with the people,
but the missionaries promptly banned the drink, just as they
had already banned the drinking of the traditional brew, kava.
Fines were imposed on anyone brewing or consuming the orange-juice
based intoxicant.
The brewing and drinking of bush-beer under clandestine conditions
evolved into a ritualistic practice which survives today. There
are several tumunus on Atiu, and they are still located in the
'bush', or forest surrounding the five villages.
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| Bush Beer session |
The makatea zone of Atiu is pocked
with caves, many of which were used as repositories for the
bones of the deceased in the old days. These caves can be visited
if permission is first obtained from the families whose land
they are part of.
The cave of Anatakitaki, in the south-east of Atiu, is home
to a unique bird species, a type of swift known as the kopeka.
The cave is reached after a half hour walk through the forest
and makatea. A guide is essential for this excursion.
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Another distinctive product of Atiu
is locally grown coffee. Roasted and packaged on the island,
Atiu coffee makes an ideal memento of a visit to this interesting
destination.
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Atiu is easily visited via direct flights from
Rarotonga every day except Sundays and from Aitutaki on Wednesdays, these flights operate in each direction. If you wish to visit both Aitutaki and Atiu, check out our Aitutaki-Atiu Combo Tour.
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