Mauke takes its name from the legendary founder ‘Uke who came to the island in search of a peaceful place to live. By today’s standards, he certainly chose the perfect island. However, prior to the arrival of Christianity Mauke was dominated by the Atiuan’s who would often descend on murderous cannibal raids taking many slaves.

Today, Mauke’s peaceful existence belies its unsettled past and visitors will find a real Pacific haven on this infrequently visited island. It is often referred to as the ‘garden’ island of the Cook group and can be found 40 minutes by air northeast of Rarotonga.

It is surrounded by makatea (fossilised coral) with a volcanic plateau in the centre. Parts of the foreshore are indented with isolated sandy coves and caves.  The close caostal reef provides shallow swimming spots

Inland there  are several accessible fresh water caves including the famous Motuanga Cave that has galleries reaching beneath the reef and Vai Tango, near the village of Ngatiarua. Walking through the lush vegetation of the makatea is as much of a refreshment as a swim in the caves themselves.

Visitors should not miss a visit to the Oliveta Chruch at Kamiangatau, the ‘divided church’ built where the villages of Ngatiarua and Areora meet. The church has two separate entrances and sitting areas for each village. The reason for this is at the time of construction a conflict arose between the two villages. This is evident in that the interior design clearly shows two very seperate artistic expressions and styles. The pulpit railing is also inlaid with Chilean dollars.

Mauke is also well known in the Cook Islands for Mauke Miracle Oil, used by many people to heal skin ailments. Mauke is a wonderful tonic, picturesque, unhurried, friendly and tranquil.

Air Rarotonga provides a flight schedule to this island that is dependant on demand. A small amount of accommodation options are available on this island and motorbike hire is available.