South Seas

A Lovely Spot In The

PASSENGERS flying the TEAL Coral Route to Tahiti are en thusiastic about the brief fuelling stop at Aitutaki, Cook Is.

I Eastbound from Suva, the big Solents drop down through the clouds just after daybreak into a veritable fairyland. The lagoon it self is amazingly beautiful, with its shades of pastel pinks and greens, framed by the waving palms of the main island and its little satellites strung along the eastern side of the 6-miles triangle.

I While the aircraft refuels at its buoy the passengers land on a little islet at the south-east corner of the lagoon, completely remote from the main settlement and from the land lirbase. Here Mrs. P. McVeagh gives them a wonderful welcome.

Beside the white sand beach, nestling imongst the palms, is a large native material reception house where re freshments, including the iced juice 3f local oranges are provided.

Showers are available, and many passengers take the chance to have i swim in the luke-warm water of he lagoon and a stroll through the ;oconut groves to the ocean side of ;he islet.

Many passengers wonder why some enterprising person has not es tablished a hotel on this islet so that those who wish—and there are many, it seems—could remain here for a few days’ restful holiday, and pick up an aircraft a few days later.

For a restful holiday in the winter months there could be no pleas anter place than Aituttaki’s sleepy lagoon. (A photograph of the islet re ferred to was published on the front cover of August PIM.)