Atiu

Atiu is a raised coral island ringed by a fossil reef terrace called makatea - jagged limestone riddled with caves, some of them ancient burial sites, others home to the kopeka, a swiftlet that navigates in darkness by echolocation like a bat. Conservation work here brought the kakerori, or Rarotonga flycatcher, back from near-extinction, and the island's forest is alive with birds. Atiu also grows coffee, revived from plantation days, and its bush beer schools - informal gatherings where home-brewed beer is shared in a bush hut with singing - are a genuine local institution rather than a show.

History

Polynesians are thought to have lived on Atiu since at least AD 900 or 1000, and oral tradition names the island after its first man, a son of Tangaroa; it was unified around 1760 and came to dominate neighbouring Mauke and Mitiaro. Captain Cook sighted it on 31 March 1777, the missionary J. M. Orsmond left two teachers from Borabora in early 1823, and later that year John Williams of the London Missionary Society converted the island's leader, Rongomatane Ngaakaara Ariki, after which its people moved into a single settlement in the centre. Through the marriage of Ngamaru Rongotini Ariki to the Rarotongan Makea Takau Ariki, Atiu joined the Kingdom of Rarotonga in 1871; it became a British protectorate in 1888 and part of New Zealand in 1901, exported oranges, coffee and copra until the trade collapsed in the 1950s, and saw its citrus revive in the 1960s (Wikipedia, Atiu).

Highlights

• Anatakitaki cave - the kopeka swiftlet cavern, entered with a guide.
• Burial caves - ancient limestone caverns in the makatea.
• Birdwatching - kakerori and other species in the island forest.
• A bush beer school - the local brewing and singing tradition.

When to go

The dry season from May to October is best for caving and walking on sharp makatea. Flights run only a few times a week, which dictates trip length. Birding is good year round with breeding activity in the warmer months.

Before you go

Atiu is very small and very quiet - a handful of guesthouses, no resorts, limited food options and no nightlife beyond bush beer schools. Caves require a guide, both for safety and because they are on customary land. The makatea limestone is genuinely sharp and shreds soft shoes. Flights are limited and occasionally cancelled, so build slack before onward connections.

Nearby

Rarotonga and Aitutaki by air; Mauke and Mitiaro on the same island group.

Key facts