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Papa Mike's Cook Islands Handbook second edition

In 2005 The Cook Islands were the target of five cyclones in an incredible two-week stretch. The capital island of Rarotonga sustained substantial damage, and several of the outer islands sustained far greater damage. This second edition of Papa Mike's Cook Islands Handbook has up to date information on all the post cyclone changes in lodgings and restaurants, as well as expanded coverage of all outer islands in both the Southern and Northern group of the Cook Island Chain. So travel to a South Pacific Paradise that has changed little in the past century, to the islands of beautiful beaches and the friendliest people in the world. This guidebook is written in a relaxed style, full of helpful information, presented with a touch of humor and the author's personal opinions. You will enjoy the lighter side of this well-researched guidebook as you discover the natural beauty of these islands. The second edition of Papa Mike's Cook Islands Handbook includes expanded evaluations on virtually all lodgings on Rarotonga, from budget to luxury, including mail, phone, E-Mail and web site listings. Revised and expanded coverage of all thirteen occupied islands in the Cook Islands chain, including inter island flight and shipping schedules. This guidebook offers trip planning from virtually anywhere on the planet to the islands, with over sixty maps and pictures to enable the visitor to experience the pristine lagoons, cultural beauty and kindness of the islands and the people that inhabit them.

Tabuaeran, Fanning Atoll

Fanning Island is an atoll of 3 islands, each about 10 miles long and half a mile wide. There is no electricity, plumbing, or phones. The one road is a sandy 2-track path used by the 1 pickup truck on the island. The islanders live in grass roof huts, unchanged for the past 100 years.

From Wikipedia:
At some 900 miles distant, Tabuaeran is one of the closest landfalls to the Hawaiian Islands, and the atoll was possibly used as a stopover by the Polynesians who first settled Hawai‘i. Artifacts have been discovered that indicate possible early settlements by people from Polynesia—probably the Cook Islands or Tonga.

The atoll was discovered by the American captain Edmund Fanning on June 11, 1798, on the American ship Betsy and was named for him.[1] At the time, the atoll was uninhabited, and in fact, like all of the Line Islands, has no truly native population. After Fanning, it was visited by whalers of several nationalities.

Reef fish and shellfish, babai (Cyrtosperma chamissonis), coconut, pigs, chickens, and seaweed (limu) grown in a lagoon are local foods, supplementing a main diet of imported rice and tinned meats.

pop. 2500

Went back to Fingal Heads, to give the Grad filters another go. The sunrise wasn't all that spectacular, and I was running late. Arrived just as the sun was coming up.

Not sure this works all that well - in fact I nearly binned it, because of all the flares - but really liked the sunlight through the spray from the wave, so decided to keep it.

Only two fishermen out there, which is few for a Sunday morning - it is pretty amazing to see how they get across the narrow passage while they keep an eye on the swell to pick the right moment to cross.

Would like to try and get across to get a photo from that side, but I don't think I am that surefooted.

Single tonemapped image
f11 1/12 ISO100
Hitech 0.9 Reverse Grad Filter

The area was named after Fingal in Ireland because the basalt headland was thought to be similar to the Giants Causeway there.

Fingal remains a rather sleepy village at the mouth of the Tweed River on the border coast of New South Wales, just a few kilometres south of the hustle and bustle of the Gold Coast.

The Cook Islands, named after the British Captain who seems to have been everywhere in the Pacific, are scattered like tiny jewels over a large stretch of sea between Tahiti and Samoa. Rarotonga, the principal island, is 2,500 miles due south of Honolulu - as far south of the equator as Honolulu is north of it - a similarity that provides both places with ideal climates. But that's as far as the similarity goes, for in spite of her recently built international airport, the Cooks remain off the beaten path. Even Avarua, the port, capital, and mecca to these 15 islands, is little concerned with tourists. Here there are no buildings taller than the highest palm, no traffic lights, and the people who speak English with a New Zealand accent are friendly and don't regard visitors as walking money. All amenities, all reasonable comforts are available, and everything seems to work.' You can drink the water, eat the vegetables, be addressed in English, there's no tipping, and happily for Americans the US dollar goes a fairly long way. The natural beauty, particularly on Rarotonga with its forest-covered mountains, verdant coastal plain, and fringing reef, is profound. It'll take your breath away when first seen and some insist that Rarotonga is a miniature English-speaking Tahiti. The population of these islands comes to a mere 18,000. On some of them there are 50 people, on others 700, a few are uninhabited, and, until recently, another had a population of just one. On Rarotonga, the largest island, there are 9,300 people. This independent nation may be small in number, but it is large in area. Cook Islanders are Polynesians, handsome light brown Polynesians, who refer to themselves with pride as the original Maoris - the ones who made the ancient voyage of discovery to New Zealand. They are outgoing people, hospitable and warm, but not nearly as animated as their Tahitian cousins who speak the same language. Animation, or the lack of it, may be a function of church affiliation and, in looking back, the first missionaries to arrive in the Cooks were not known for unbridled humor. This guide covers all of the Cook Islands, with details on the restaurants, places to stay, how to get around, what to do.

The Cook Islands, named after the British Captain who seems to have been everywhere in the Pacific, are scattered like tiny jewels over a large stretch of sea between Tahiti and Samoa. Rarotonga, the principal island, is 2,500 miles due south of Honolulu - as far south of the equator as Honolulu is north of it - a similarity that provides both places with ideal climates. But that's as far as the similarity goes, for in spite of her recently built international airport, the Cooks remain off the beaten path. Even Avarua, the port, capital, and mecca to these 15 islands, is little concerned with tourists. Here there are no buildings taller than the highest palm, no traffic lights, and the people who speak English with a New Zealand accent are friendly and don't regard visitors as walking money. All amenities, all reasonable comforts are available, and everything seems to work.' You can drink the water, eat the vegetables, be addressed in English, there's no tipping, and happily for Americans the US dollar goes a fairly long way. The natural beauty, particularly on Rarotonga with its forest-covered mountains, verdant coastal plain, and fringing reef, is profound. It'll take your breath away when first seen and some insist that Rarotonga is a miniature English-speaking Tahiti. The population of these islands comes to a mere 18,000. On some of them there are 50 people, on others 700, a few are uninhabited, and, until recently, another had a population of just one. On Rarotonga, the largest island, there are 9,300 people. This independent nation may be small in number, but it is large in area. Cook Islanders are Polynesians, handsome light brown Polynesians, who refer to themselves with pride as the original Maoris - the ones who made the ancient voyage of discovery to New Zealand. They are outgoing people, hospitable and warm, but not nearly as animated as their Tahitian cousins who speak the same language. Animation, or the lack of it, may be a function of church affiliation and, in looking back, the first missionaries to arrive in the Cooks were not known for unbridled humor. This guide covers all of the Cook Islands, with details on the restaurants, places to stay, how to get around, what to do.