Palmerston

William Marsters, an English ship's carpenter, settled on Palmerston in 1863 with three Polynesian wives and divided the atoll between the three families he founded, and everyone living there since descends from him: around fifty people in three groups still holding to that division. English is spoken with a distinctive accent traced to his. There is no airstrip, no passage into the lagoon for ships, and supply vessels come only a few times a year.

What you actually see

• The single descent - a whole population descended from one man and three wives.
• The three-family division - the split of the atoll that has held since 1863.
• The accent - the English spoken there, traced to the founder.
• The isolation - no airstrip and supply ships only a few times a year.

When to go

May to October is the calmer season. Cyclone season runs November to April. Arrival depends entirely on ship or yacht schedules.

Honest expectations

There is no airstrip and no scheduled way in; arrival is by supply ship or yacht and requires arrangement. Ships cannot enter the lagoon and transfer is by small boat through the reef. Stays are open-ended because departure depends on the next vessel.

Nearby

Rarotonga is southeast, and Aitutaki is east.