Manihiki

Manihiki lies some twelve hundred kilometres north of Rarotonga, an atoll of around forty motu around a lagoon that produces black pearls, farmed on lines suspended in the water and for a period the country's largest export after tourism. A cyclone in 1997 devastated the atoll and the industry has recovered unevenly since. Two villages, Tauhunu and Tukao, hold the population, on opposite sides of the lagoon. The two villages are separated by the whole width of the lagoon, so moving between them means a boat crossing rather than a walk around the ring.

Background

Known informally as the "Island of Pearls", Manihiki lies approximately 1,299 kilometres north of Rarotonga. The roughly triangular coral atoll has approximately 43 islets around a deep lagoon nine kilometers wide, almost closed in by reef, and it rests on an underwater mountain that rises 4000 metres from the ocean floor. Its land adds up to approximately 4 square kilometres. Polynesians have lived here since at least 900 or 1000 AD. The name may mean "canoe carried ashore", or "Little Manihi" after an island in the Tuamotus. Pedro Fernandes de Queirós is believed to have sighted it in 1606 and called it Gente Hermosa, and passing ships later named it Humphrey Island in 1822 and Great Ganges Island in 1828.

Source: Wikipedia, "Manihiki"

What to look for

• The pearl farms - the lines suspended in the lagoon producing black pearls.
• The lagoon - the water the atoll's economy is built on.
• The two villages - Tauhunu and Tukao on opposite sides of the lagoon.
• The motu ring - around forty islets around the lagoon edge.

When to go

May to October is the drier season outside the cyclone months. Cyclone season runs November to April. Flights are irregular and expensive.

What to expect

Flights to the northern group are infrequent, expensive and often cancelled; being stuck for a week is possible. Accommodation is homestays arranged in advance. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Rakahanga is north, and Rarotonga is far south.

Key facts