Palmerston is almost 500 kilometres northwest of Rarotonga and comprises seven motu, or islets, all with English names – Palmerston, North, Lee To Us, Leicester, Primrose, Toms, and Cooks.
But Palmerston’s fame comes not only from the fact it is a perfect island paradise, but from its unique history. Covered with coconut and English is the primary language, because prior to an Englishman’s arrival in the mid 1800s, the island was uninhabited. Palmerston Island is actually a coral atoll which includes five small island groups. Raro Weather | Palmerston Island is a coral atoll which includes five small island groups. At its highest point, it's just 4 metres (13 feet) above sea level. The Shag River passes through Palmerston on it’s way to the nearby river mouth. The journey to the island is so long and hazardous that only the most intrepid visitors ever dares to visit it. Palmerston’s main landmark, visible from a distance, is Puketapu (sacred hill). Palmerston Atoll was discovered by Capt James Cook in 1774, however he did not step foot onto Palmerston Atoll till another visit in April 1777. Travel and accommodation must be arranged ahead of time. The lucky tourists who have had a chance to visit (there is no airstrip) speak endearingly of the island’s lagoon, teeming with colourful fish, protected green turtles, and busy marine life. Between Dunback and Palmerston there are a number of accessible parts of the river. It’s a small to medium-sized river which holds a reasonable population of brown trout. Their days revolve around fishing and preparing food; some people earn an income exporting fish to Rarotonga. Palmerston Island Tourism: Tripadvisor has reviews of Palmerston Island Hotels, Attractions, and Restaurants making it your best Palmerston Island resource.
The largest of the islets include Palmerston, North Island, Lee To Us, Leicester, Primrose, Toms, and Cooks. People are captivated with Palmerston’s unadulterated beauty and obvious abundance. A BBC headline called it “the island at the end of the earth.”, In the 1950s, a British lieutenant commander was shipwrecked on Palmerston for nine months. Head out to Anderson's Lagoon or Tavora Reserve for magical coastal walks and wildlife viewing or drive just 5 minutes to a lookout point to view a large colony of New Zealand fur seals. Palmerston Atoll is made up of a number of sandy islets on a continuous ring of coral reef enclosing a lagoon. Palmerston lacks a petrol station, grocery store, and hospital.
Our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy explain how we use your data and who our partners are. It’s an atoll whose highest point measures four metres above sea level. Stories | He named this atoll after Lord of Admiralty Henry Temple, who was the 2nd Viscount Palmerston. His name was William Marsters and he bore 17 children to multiple Polynesian wives, whom he met on the northern islands, then resettled with on Palmerston. Today, the Marsters family numbers more than a thousand, but only about 60 live on the island. The total land area of the islets is approximately 1 square mile (2.6 km 2).
Atop the hill sits a monument to early politician, Sir John McKenzie. The land near the reef is infertile, but there are typical atoll tree crops of coconut and pandamus. Steeped in history, Palmerston is perfectly nestled as the junction of SH1 and SH85 and is also the gateway to the Otago Goldfields heritage trail and Central Otago. Check out what other travelers say about New Zealand on TripAdvisor.
Palmerston is a hub for travellers, offering a perfect stopover with magical coastal walks, mountain views and abundant wildlife. It is one of the Southern Cook Islands.It has no airstrip; access is by sea only. There are only a couple of non-family members living on Palmerston. Find airfares. There are more great walking options and camping at the nearby Trotter’s Gorge. It’s a secluded sanctuary, both for turtles and seabirds, but also for travellers who have the good fortune to visit. Contact us, © 2020 Cook Islands Booking - cookislandsbooking.com ™ All rights reserved, By square-rigger to Palmerston & Suwarrow. Palmerston Island An island made unique by William Masters. Arthur is a sprightly sailor who turns out to be the son of a Palmerston woman and Tom Neale, a now deceased Kiwi known for living as a hermit on the Cook Island of Suwarrow, just to the north. Also, remember to take something for your hosts. Those who tackle the walk will be rewarded with stunning 360 degree vistas which take in a patchwork of farmland, rolling hills, distant mountain, lagoons, the Shag River and a beautiful, unspoilt coastline. See our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy to understand how you can manage cookies.
Palmerston is almost 500 kilometres northwest of Rarotonga and comprises seven motu, or islets, all with English names – Palmerston, North, Lee To Us, Leicester, Primrose, Toms, and Cooks. He wrote about it in his book, ‘On the Wind of a Dream: A Saga of Solace’. Your browser does not support iframes. The first site, as chosen by Boyle Travers Finniss at Escape Cliffs near the mouth of the …
This walk is on private land and is closed during lambing season. It is one of the Southern Cook Islands.
Keep browsing if you're happy with this. It’s also the only island in the Cooks group on which Captain Cook ever set foot. A true atoll, Palmerston Island consists of a number of sandy islets on a continuous ring of coral reef enclosing a lagoon. You’ll find a number of local accommodation options if you’d like to extend your stay and explore the East Otago area – including the Pioneer Motel, Waihemo Lodge and cosy Boutique B&B. A coral formation made up of six small islets, it has a 7-mile- (11-km-) wide lagoon that lacks clear passage to the open sea. We also use cookies to show you the best of New Zealand on other platforms. Locals live off fish, taro, and breadfruit, and they also treat the red-tailed tropicbird as a delicacy. His daughter later said those months were “his favourite time in life.”.
Palmerston is an atoll made up from the summit of an old volcano which rises 4,000 metres (13,123 feet) from the ocean floor.
Locals also enjoy a summer swim and paddle on parts of the river. It is famed for its hospitality to traveling yachts and is sometimes compared to Pitcairn Island, as they are both remote islands supporting small English-speaking populations. Arranging travel to Palmerston can be tricky; boats leave irregularly from Rarotonga, and the journey can take more than a week. Palmerston Island.
Palmerston’s main landmark, visible from a distance, is Puketapu (sacred hill). Discover our islands | Let us show you the best of New Zealand on other platforms by selecting 'On' and allowing us to share data from your visit(s) with our partners. Palmerston was the name chosen in 1864 for the capital of the Northern Territory by the South Australian Government, which was then responsible for its administration, in recognition of Lord Palmerston, who became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1855.
Steeped in history, Palmerston is perfectly nestled as the junction of SH1 and SH85 and is also the gateway to the Otago Goldfields heritage trail and Central Otago. If you ask anyone who’s been there, they’ll tell you all the pre-planning was more than worth it. To view cookie details and how to opt-out, please see our Cookie Policy. The geographically far-flung Palmerston Island atoll was first sighted by Captain James Cook and his crew in 1774. It has no airstrip; access is by sea only.
We use cookies to provide you with a better experience on this site. English is the primary language, because prior to an Englishman’s arrival in the mid 1800s, the island was uninhabited. The intrepid Yorkshire-born mariner gave it a wide berth on this first encounter but chose in any case (either cannily or obsequiously) to name it after Lord Palmerston.
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Wallpapers | In addition to above, we use other cookies and analytics to provide a better site experience. Currency converter | It is famed for its hospitality to yachts, and is sometimes compared to Pitcairn Island as they are both remote islands supporting small English-speaking populations.. Get in []
There is a walking track up Puketapu which is open to visitors for most of the year.
Atop the hill sits a monument to early politician, Sir John McKenzie. Palmerston is home to about 60 people, plenty of turtles, rare seabirds, and some of the Cook Islands’ most succulent parrotfish.