Manihiki, Cook Islands

Manihiki atoll is 1200 kilometres northwest of Rarotonga in the distant Northern Group and home to the exquisite Cook Islands cultured black pearl. Manihiki’s deep crystal clear lagoon is ideal for the black-lipped oyster to be carefully raised and implanted with a nucleus that develops after 18 months into a gorgeous gem. The bases for the pearl farms are often located precariously on a kaoa (coral head) in the lagoon where seeding and harvesting operations take place. Given the large lagoon and the small islands that surround it, the local residents main form of transport is a small aluminium dinghy. The islands population number is only around 240, depleted seriously after the devastating cyclone Martin in 1997. Located 40 kilometres nearby is Manihiki’s sister atoll Rakahanga. Today Manihiki is the second stopover on Air Rarotonga’s Northern Atolls Experience, giving visitors a unique opportunity to explore this isolated part of the Pacific.


More info: http://www.airraro.com/en/our-destina... and http://www.airraro.com/en/tours/north...

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Produced by Temaeva Mackenzie: [email protected]