Aitutaki

This magnificent and remote island is the stuff of which dreams are made. It is a triangular-shaped 'almost'-atoll rising up 4000 metres from the floor of the Pacific Ocean. It consists of three volcanic and 12 coral islets (motus)

It was probably first settled around 900 AD and one of its great legendary Polynesian discoverers was Ru who named it Utataki Enua O Ru Ki Te Moana. Roughly translated, this means The Leading of a Cargo of People by Ru Over the Ocean. It can be inferred that Aitutaki was, therefore, the ultimate destination of one of the great Polynesian ocean voyages. The first recorded discovery by Europeans was Captain Bligh on the "Bounty". He arrived on April 11 1789 and shortly afterwards the famous mutiny occurred. Bligh returned later on July 25 1792. He is credited with introducing the paw paw fruit to Aitutaki and this is now an important export product from the Cook Islands.

The first missionary to the Cooks, John Williams, landed on Aitutaki before any of the other Cooks and there is a large, airy coral block church in Arutanga, the main township, which bears testament to his success in converting the people to Christianity.

Life on Aitutaki moves at a wonderfully relaxed tempo which is why it is such a popular destination for visitors who fly in from Rarotonga for day trips as well as extended stays. The lagoon can be approached in leisurely fashion in traditional outrigger canoes for quiet paddling just off the beach or in more sophisticated launches favored by foreign anglers who know its reputation for saltwater fly fishing for the fighting bonefish.

The motus which are mainly at the outer perimeter of the lagoon are wonderful landing places for the day cruises available for visitors. The favourite islets are Akaiami and One Foot Island.

The first stamps were issued in 1903 when New Zealand overprinted its own stamps with 'AITUTAKI' and the currency in the local language. From 1932 to 1972 Aitutaki used the Cook Islands stamps. In 1972 Aitutaki started issuing its own postage stamps, mostly designed and printed by Heraclio Fournier in Vitoria, Spain.

Capital: Atutanga

Government: part of the Cook Islands

Area: 18,3 km²

Population: 2.855 (1971), 2.194 (2006)

Currency: New Zealand Dollar (100 cent)

Internet TLD: .ck

Dialling code: +682

Links

Aitutaki in Wikipedia.

Flag of the Cook Islands in Flags of the World.

Country description (Cook Islands) from the BBC.

Country description (Cook Islands) from the CIA.

Official website of the government of the Cook Islands.

Stamp catalogue

UPU Centenary

date: 15 July 1974

designer: -

printer: Heraclio Fournier, Vitoria, Spain

perforated: 13½:14

remark: printed in small sheets of five stamps and one label (UPU emblem, text "UPU" and "CENTENARY OF THE

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION · 1874 - 1974 ·"

size souv. sheet: 68 x 75 mm

1 25 c map of Aitutaki, stamps of 1903, UPU emblem, text "1874 / UPU / 1949"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 118/SG 121/Yvert 113)

2 50 c map of Aitutaki, stamps of 1903 and 1920, UPU emblem, text "1874 / UPU / 1949"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 119/SG 122/Yvert 114)

3 souvenir sheet with stamps 1-2, text "1874 / UPU / 1949" and "CENTENARY OF THE UNIVERSAL

POSTAL UNION · 1874 - 1974 ·"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel block 2/SG MS 123/Yvert BF 2)

International Year of the Child

date: 1 October 1979

designer: -

printer: Heraclio Fournier, Vitoria, Spain

perforated: 14:13¾

size souv. sheet: 105 x 80 mm

4 30 c girl with flowers, IYC emblem, text "INTERNATIONAL YEAR / OF THE CHILD"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 310/SG 269/Yvert 236)

5 35 c boy playing guitar, IYC emblem, text "INTERNATIONAL YEAR / OF THE CHILD"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 311/SG 270/Yvert 237)

6 65 c two boys rowing a canoe, IYC emblem, text "INTERNATIONAL YEAR / OF THE CHILD"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 312/SG 271/Yvert 238)

7 souvenir sheet with stamps similar to 4-6 but with surcharge and blue frames, tropical flowers, IYC

emblem, text "INTERNATIONAL YEAR / OF THE CHILD"

30 c + 3 c girl with flowers, IYC emblem, text "INTERNATIONAL YEAR / OF THE CHILD"

35 c + 3 c boy playing guitar, IYC emblem, text "INTERNATIONAL YEAR / OF THE CHILD"

65 c + 3 c two boys rowing a canoe, IYC emblem, text "INTERNATIONAL YEAR / OF THE CHILD"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel block 26/SG MS 272/Yvert BF 26)

UPU Centenary - reprint

date: 14 November 1979

designer: -

printer: Heraclio Fournier, Vitoria, Spain

perforated: -

size souv. sheet: 151 x 85 mm

remarks: part of a series of six stamps, issued to commemorate the death centenary of Sir Rowland Hill (1795-1879);

printed in strips of three stamps of the same denomination

8 50 c stamp nr. 1, Penny Black, portrait of Rowland Hill, text "CENTENARY OF THE DEATH OF ROWLAND HILL"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 317/SG 274/Yvert 240)

9 65 c stamp nr. 2, Penny Black, portrait of Rowland Hill, text "CENTENARY OF THE DEATH OF ROWLAND HILL"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 320/SG 277/Yvert 243)

10 souvenir sheet with the complete series in different denominations, text "CENTENARY OF THE DEATH

OF ROWLAND HILL"

30 c Man writing a letter by Gabriel Metsu (1629-1667)

30 c stamp nr. 8

30 c Woman in blue reading a letter (ca. 1662-1663) by Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), Rijksmuseum,

Amsterdam

30 c Lady writing a letter by Gerard ter Borgh (1617-1681)

30 c stamp nr. 9

30 c Detail of Lady writing a letter with her maid (ca. 1670-1671) by Johannes Vermeer 1632-1675), National

Gallery of Ireland, Dublin (from the Beit Foundation)

Albert Einstein

date: 21 July 1980

designer: -

printer: Heraclio Fournier, Vitoria, Spain

perforated: 14, souvenir sheet 13½

remark: stamps of the same denomination were printed in horizontal pairs

size souv. sheet: 114 x 118 mm

11 12 c portrait of Einstein as a young man, text "25th / ANNIVERSARY OF / THE DEATH OF ALBERT EINSTEIN"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 334 A/SG 284/Yvert 248)

12 12 c atom and E=mc² equation, text "25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE / DEATH OF ALBERT EINSTEIN"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 335 A/SG 285/Yvert 249)

13 15 c portrait of Einstein as a middle-aged man, text "25th / ANNIVERSARY OF / THE DEATH OF ALBERT

EINSTEIN"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 336 A/SG 286/Yvert 250)

14 15 c cross over nuclear explosion, text "25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE / DEATH OF ALBERT EINSTEIN" and "1963

NUCLEAR TESTING BAN TREATY"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 337 A/SG 287/Yvert 251)

15 20 c portrait of Einstein as an old man, text "25th / ANNIVERSARY OF / THE DEATH OF ALBERT EINSTEIN"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 338 A/SG 288/Yvert 252)

16 20 c hand over bomb explosion, text "25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE / DEATH OF ALBERT EINSTEIN" and "1963

NUCLEAR TESTING BAN TREATY"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 339 A/SG 289/Yvert 253)

17 souvenir sheet with stamps 11-16 in vertical pairs, atoms, text "25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE / DEATH

OF ALBERT EINSTEIN"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel block 29/SG MS 290/Yvert BF 29)

International Year of Disabled Persons

date: 23 November 1981

designer: -

printer: Heraclio Fournier, Vitoria, Spain

perforated: 12¾:13¼

remark: overprint on stamps for the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer; printed in

small sheets of 4 stamps with overprint on the sheet margins, text "INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF

DISABLED PEOPLE / SURTAX TO BENEFIT THE HANDICAPPED"

18 60 c + 5 c overprint surcharge on portrait of Prince Charles

surcharge in black on gold background, multicoloured

(cat. Michel 409/SG 394/Yvert 317 A)

19 80 c + 5 c overprint surcharge on portrait of Lady Diana Spencer

surcharge in black on gold background, multicoloured

(cat. Michel 410/SG 395/Yvert 317 B)

20 $ 1.40 + 5 c overprint surcharge on portraits of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer

surcharge in black on gold background, multicoloured

(cat. Michel 411/SG 396/Yvert 317 C)

World Communications Year

date: 29 September 1983

designer: -

printer: Heraclio Fournier, Vitoria, Spain

perforated: 14, souvenir sheet 13¼

size souv. sheet: 127 x 59 mm

21 48 c pigeon, air mail letter, WCY emblem, text "WORLD COMMUNICATIONS YEAR 1983" and

"INTERNATIONAL MAIL"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 496 A/SG 466/Yvert 374)

22 60 c punched tape forming '&' around globe, WCY emblem, text "WORLD COMMUNICATIONS YEAR

1983" and "TELECOMMUNICATIONS"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 497 A/SG 467/Yvert 375)

23 96 c satellite, satellite dish, WCY emblem, text "WORLD COMMUNICATIONS YEAR 1983" and

"SPACE SATELLITES"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 498 A/SG 468/Yvert 376)

24 souvenir sheet with stamps 22-24, WCY emblem, text "WORLD COMMUNICATIONS YEAR 1983"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel block 44/SG MS 469/Yvert BF 44)

International Youth Year

date: 16 September 1985

designer: -

printer: Heraclio Fournier, Vitoria, Spain

perforated: 13

size souv. sheet: 103 x 104 mm

remark: stamps depict paintings with children from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

25 75 c Portraits of Emily and Laura Anne, the Children of Charles B. Calmady (1823-1824) by Sir Thomas Lawrence

(1769-1830), IYY emblem, text "INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR · 1983" and "LAWRENCE (1769-1830),

«CALMADY CHILDREN»"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 564/SG 528/Yvert 428)

26 90 c Madame Georges Charpentier (Marguerite-Louise Lemonnier, 1848–1904) and Her Children, Georgette-Berthe

(1872–1945) and Paul-Émile-Charles (1875–1895) (1878) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), IYY emblem,

text "INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR · 1983" and "RENOIR (1841-1919), «MADAME CHARPENTIER'S CHILDREN»"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 565/SG 529/Yvert 429)

27 $ 1.40 Two young girls at the piano (1892) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), IYY emblem, text

"INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR · 1983" and "RENOIR (1841-1919), «YOUNG GIRLS AT PIANO»"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 566/SG 530/Yvert 430)

28 souvenir sheet with stamps similar to 22-24 but with surcharge, bas-relief of three children, IYY emblem,

text "INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR · 1985"

75 c + 10 c Portraits of Emily and Laura Anne, the Children of Charles B. Calmady (1823-1824) by Sir Thomas Lawrence

(1769-1830), IYY emblem, text "INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR · 1983" and "LAWRENCE (1769-1830),

«CALMADY CHILDREN»"

90 c + 10 c Madame Georges Charpentier (Marguerite-Louise Lemonnier, 1848–1904) and Her Children, Georgette-

Berthe (1872–1945) and Paul-Émile-Charles (1875–1895) (1878) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919),

IYY emblem, text "INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR · 1983" and "RENOIR (1841-1919),

«MADAME CHARPENTIER'S CHILDREN»"

$ 1.40 + 10 c Two young girls at the piano (1892) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), IYY emblem, text

"INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR · 1983" and "RENOIR (1841-1919), «YOUNG GIRLS AT PIANO»"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel block 57/SG MS 531/Yvert BF 57)

UNO 50th anniversary

date: 18 October 1995

designer: George Vasarhelyi

printer: B.D.T. International Security Printing, Dublin, Ireland

perforated: 13¼

remark: printed in sheets of four stamps with inscribed margins

29 $ 4.25 globe, UN Headquarters, UN emblem, peace doves, flags

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 743/SG 689/Yvert 565)

Pope John Paul II

date: 11 November 2005

designer: -

printer: -

perforated: -

remark: printed in small sheets of five stamps and one label (cross, text "HISTORIC VISIT / TO SOUTH PACIFIC /

PRE-CHRISTMAS / SEASON 1986 / POPE JOHN PAUL II / IN MEMORIAM")

30 $ 1.95 portrait, text "POPE JOHN PAUL II / 1920-2005 / IN MEMORIAM"

multicoloured

(cat. Michel 777/SG 722/Yvert 594)

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last revised: 25 November 2008