Northern Cooks to be more accessible

This item appearing in Australian newspapers ( I imagine it's in the NZ papers too, since that is where Michael is from) at present might be of interest to those wanting to explore the far-flung islands of the Northern Cooks, and see those stunning Black Pearls growing in Manihiki Lagoon.

The link will take you to the article, including some stunning pics for all of us pining for the islands.

Michael Field
April 22, 2009
They are atolls of legend and almost inaccessible.

This Christmas though, magical Penrhyn, Manihiki and Pukapuka in the northern Cook Islands will be on a regular air route out of Samoa.

Air Rarotonga will link up with the islands through Apia, allowing easy access to the expatriate communities in Australia and New Zealand.

Currently the airline services the atolls from the Cook's capital, Rarotonga, an awesome 1400 kilometres away. For most Cook Islanders its cheaper to go to Paris than Penrhyn.

Airline head Ewan Smith told Stuff.co.nz that with the distance and their Bandeirante aircraft this amounts of a long haul.

"Coral runways that can handle only small aircraft meaning very restricted payload to about 50 per cent of the passenger seating," he said.

The three atolls are, however, much closer to Samoa; Pukapuka is 700 kilometres from Apia.

Smith says it offers "superior logistics" for them.

They're putting on the new route in December and January and while residents and expatriates are expected to full most of the 15 seats per flight, they're hoping for adventurous tourists as well.

The atolls offer humble guest houses for the odd visitor.

Total cost round trip to and from New Zealand is estimated to be around NZ$2400 (A$1890) including the fares from Samoa to Auckland. Smith says he hopes flights from Australia will be of a comparable price, once the logistics are in place.

Smith says the northern atolls are spectacular.

"We do get constant interest from overseas visitors wanting to visit the North however the cost and distance from Rarotonga is prohibitive for many - although dedicated island collectors make it up there," he said.

"Each island has its own unique history of pearling, blackbirding, ocean voyaging and all those other things that fascinate island aficionados."

He says Air Rarotonga hopes to develop adventure tourism into the Northern Group from Samoa on a fairly regular basis.

"It's unlikely to ever support large numbers and no-one will make a fortune, however its a potential niche market for travellers wanting to experience life on remote Pacific atolls without the travel being to arduous."

Stuff.co.nz

Link to report

Thanks for posting that. I went to Air Raro and found this notice: http://www.airraro.com/clientpages/raro/news.html

Curious when they say flights will operate the first week of December and the first week of January if it means you have to stay a month. (Good for visiting locals though.)

I so want to visit the northern Cooks.

As far as we heard here in Samoa the idea is indeed to have one or two flights each in the first weeks of December and January - with a month gap between them. So people can go to and from there in December and back in January, spend a month in New Zealand or on one of the islands at least.

The idea behind it is not touristic at all but a service for the people of the islands to have a chance to see their relatives in New Zealand. But it would be a very nice idea to have that window open more often. I would really love to go there myself some day.