Atiu
Of special interest to tourists are the kopeka caves deep in the makatea, the Atiuan 'jungle'. The Atiu swiftlet or kopeka (Aerodramus sawtelli) nests inside Anatakitaki Cave. The swiftlet navigates in the dark using sonar, like bats.
Atiu's area is about half that of Rarotonga. Atiu is a raised volcanic island surrounded by a reef from which rise 6-metre-high (20-foot) cliffs of fossilized coral (makatea). The makatea cliff forms a one-mile-wide (1.6-kilometre) ring round the island, creating a virtual plateau. Erosion at the innerside of the ring has formed dip of about 30 metres (98 feet) into fertile land, which gradually rises again to a central 70-metre-high (230-foot) flat-topped hill. The low swampy land consists of taro plantations, marshes and a lake, Tiroto. This fertile area also grows bananas, citrus fruits, pawpaws, breadfruit and coconuts.
- Teenui Village (Te-Kuru-Kava-Nui)
- Mapumai Village (Mapumai-Nui-O-Ruavari)
- Ngatiarua Village (Mokoero-Nui-O-Tautipa)
- Areora Village (Areora-Nui-Te-Are-O-Tangaroa)
- Tengatangi Village (Taturoa-I-Te-Puta-Marama)
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