“I wish I could tell you about the South Pacific, the way it actually was. The endless ocean. The infinite specks of coral we called islands. Coconut palms nodding gracefully toward the ocean. Reefs upon which waves broke into spray, and inner lagoons, lovely beyond description.
“James A. Mitchner,
“Tales of the South Pacific”
“We want to start our trip in Raratonga, see Palmerston Atoll, Aitutaki, and Aitu and then visit Takatea and Bora Bora and complete our trip in Papeete.”
“Where? What?” our friends asked. It seemed that while Bora Bora sounded vaguely familiar, Papeete (Tahiti) was the only place our friends really recognized (Gauguin?). And, that, in a two words, “where? and what?”-was exactly the reason we had chosen to visit the Cook Islands.
We love islands. And we love them most without tourists, golf courses or large resort hotels. We are also “active” travelers who seek out opportunities to learn and explore. For us, a vacation without some serendipitous adventure, new perspective or enhanced appreciation of the people and places we visit leaves us frustrated and tired rather than inspired and renewed.
So, how could we achieve our goal of a meaningful Cook Islands experience given these travel imperatives? This was the challenge we presented to our trusted Malibu travel agent, Linda Androlia of Sunstone Tours & Cruises. And, much to our surprise, it took her less than a minute to come up with the answer: Lindblad!
“Lindblad is known for superb small ship adventure travel expeditions – the Galapagos, Antarctica, Alaska and the North Pole and beyond.”
She elaborated, adding that this was the year the cruise line was partnering with National Geographic to introduce a Polynesia itinerary.
“Starting out in Chile in April and traveling throughout the South Pacific and then on to New Guinea, it’s the perfect choice for active (note, she didn’t say demanding) travelers like you,” she explained
The ship for this trip had been recently renovated and now offered super accommodation and services for a maximum of 110 passengers.
“There are Zodiac landings on remote islands, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, bird watching and more,” Androlia described. “The education program is fantastic with expeditions and cultural activities galore – all included. And, you can do the whole itinerary or select the leg of the voyage that works best for you.”
Her “pitch” successful, we would be following in the “footsteps” of Captain Cook, and visit the Islands aboard Lindblad’s Endeavour, the namesake of the very ship that had carried the famous navigator to these islands more than 200 years ago.
It wasn’t until we returned from our voyage, as I found myself telling friends “more than they ever wanted to know” about the South Sea-voyages of Captain Cook, the navigational skills, burial practices, origins and immigrations of the ancient Polynesians; World War II Cargo Cults, the impact of Global Warming on coral reefs, Booby speciation, how to tell one angel fish from another, cannibalism, the island- building tectonics of the Pacific Plates, how to grow and roast coffee beans or how to brew and drink bush beer- that I appreciated the incredible amount of information I had amassed during those 10 short days.
Each of our Cook Island destinations was introduced at an on-board briefing and an “around the island” tour (by foot, jitney, bus or pick-up truck) narrated by a local guide or our own National Geographic interpreter. And, while the islands share a geological and cultural history, we found each to be a unique micro world. Takutea, for example, is an uninhabited makatea (fossilized coral reef) with just a few palms and a sandy beach. Aitutaki and Aitu are rural, populated volcanic islands with roads and airstrips, churches, schools, stores, ATMs and even Internet access. Bora Bora is an international tourist mecca with romantic (and expensive) hotel accommodations-stilted huts sitting just above the rolling surf. Papeete is an old port city with a certain gritty charm combining French, Polynesian and Chinese business energy, loads of tourists and expatriates, tropical humidity and the promise of paradise (realized on Moorea, just across the harbor).
The smallest inhabited island we visited, and surely the most unique, was our very first port of call, Palmerston Atoll. No hotels, no tourists, no pavement and (almost) no residents. Remote and rarely visited, the atoll is an extremely isolated and minute body of land in the middle of a seemingly endless ocean where a ring of reef surrounds a shallow lagoon. Palmerston looks exactly like what a South Sea Island should look like, crystal clear waters, sandy beaches, swaying coconut palms. There are only about 150 inhabitants, all named Masters (pronounced Marsters) and all of them decedents of William Masters who settled the atoll in 1862 with three Polynesian wives.
The morning of our arrival, we were greeted with leis and hugs by Palmerston Atoll’s children and their parents, and fresh coconut milk, a prayer and traditional Polynesian dances by the children, while their parents sang or accompanied them on ukuleles and drums.
Drinking tea and chatting under the trees, we learned about life on Palmserston Atoll: that the supply boat comes only every three months; that teens leave the island for school, returning only for short visits as there are few jobs; that there are now thousands of Masters living throughout the Cooks and in New Zealand; that the island is divided into three parts (one for each of Master’s original wives and their direct descendents); that the children are required to choose a mate from one of the other two family groups; and that although lineage is matrilineal, the Palmerston Atoll Council is male dominated with only one recently elected woman member; and much much more.
As we sailed the navy blue waters from island to island we were filled with awe and admiration for the ancient Polynesian navigators who, driven by conflict and population pressures, had carried their families, animals and culture to islands throughout the vast reaches of the South Pacific-without sextant, compass or clock, without longitude or latitude. In his journal, Captain Cook recorded an incident where he offered paper and pen to a Tahitian navigator who had joined his ship in Papeete and who had guided them to islands hitherto unknown to Europeans. Asking him to plot the course from one island to another, the islander was unable to reduce his knowledge to the two dimensions required.
So it is with me as I attempt to capture the essence of my trip to the Cook Islands with just words on paper. Suffice it to say that this short vacation was so much more than simply a “cruise.” It was a voyage of discovery to a truly unique place, experienced in a truly unique way.
Facts:
Information and Reservations
Linblad Expeditions, Inc
Malibu Agent: Linda Androlia
Sunstone Tours & Cruises
888.815.5428
Suggested Reading
_ “The Happy Islands of Oceania, Paddling the Pacific” by Paul Theroux
_ “Captain James Cook” by Richard Hough
_ “The Journals of Captain Cook” by James Cook, Introduction by Philip Edwards
_ “Blue Latitudes” by Tony Horwitz