TRAVEL
Home & Away with Robert Walshe Denmark looks set to be a haven for all foodies this summer as New Nordic Cuisine makes an appearance and exciting culinary festivals take over. Visit Kerteminde in central Denmark, on the island of Funen, from 20th-22nd July 2012 and be part of the exciting ‘Cherry Festival’. The cherry has a time honoured tradition in Funen and the festival itself is a combination of cultural events, food product showcases, music and other entertainment, all under the slogan of “See, listen, and taste. SAS fly twice daily from Dublin to Copenhagen from just €75 one way including all taxes and charges. www.flysas.ie
Holiday Hotspot – Atiu - Cook Islands
www.cookislands.travel Over the last two weeks I shared my new found love affair with the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean. Atiu Island, also known as Enuamanu or land of the birds lies northeast of Rarotonga or a forty-five minute plane ride away. It’s true to say that an increasing number of tourists are looking for a different side of these islands and nothing is more unique than a visit here. The land is made up of thick jungle, secluded beaches, dark caves and a thriving bird sanctuary while the reefs are home to thousands of fish including the amazing flying variety which is usually caught at night! Several nice beaches are also available for tourists including Matai, Taungaroro and Takauroa and a number of thatched huts have been set up for visitors to relax and enjoy while here. In addition, a great place for snorkeling and swimming is in Taunganui Harbor. As Atiu is one of the few islands in the Cooks that has not been invaded by the ship
rat, two endangered birds including the flycatcher have been introduced to the island. Local Birdman George Mateariki was employed by the Takitumu Conservation Area to look after these birds as part of a recovery programme. Born and raised on the island he picked up this love from his grandparents who were avid bird watchers and protectors He now offers a full four hour eco tour showing off the islands’ thriving bird population including ancient trails where visitors see different types of plants and hear about their uses followed by a picnic from the land. Coffee has been grown on Atiu for around 200 years, having been established by the early missionaries to create a commercial crop. By 1865 the Cook Islands were major coffee exporters however the business has had its ups and downs since so when Juergen Manske-Eimke, arrived on the island in the 1980s then-prime minister Sir Tom Davis suggested reviving the island’s coffee trade in conjunction with local landowners. This prompted Juergen to set up the Atiu Coffee Factory, importing processing machinery, clearing the old plantations and producing roasted coffee beans .Today the company manages numerous coffee plantations hand-picking around 17 tonnes of beans annually which are dried in the bright Atiu sun for at least 250 hours then stored for six months to let the flavours develop and roasted to order, producing tonnes of roasted beans. The coffee is packed in sealed bags and sold to restaurants or by mail-order on the website to customers around the world. www.atiu-coffee. com His wife Andrea’s fibre arts studio next door offers contemporary handmade jewellery and “tivaivai” a
Pet’s Corner...
ok Islands.
n Atiu Island, Co
traditional ceremonial unpadded, patchwork cloth with intricate embroidery. This local art combines traditional knowledge, skills and materials with new techniques and inspiration. www.atiu-fibrearts.com As well as rocky caverns and lush rainforest visitors also enjoy Marshall Humphries’ caving tour along the coral makatea deep into the rainforest before descending into Anatakitaki Cave, home to the Kopeka birds. Another tour by the same company is the Discovery Island tour which takes clients along hidden tracks to discover many white sand beaches. They will learn of the people of Atiu, their history, customs and about the conservation programmes followed by lunch. www. atiutoursaccommodation. com. Wild pig hunting is one non-commercial activity also offered on the island where you can accompany locals for the chase. For night owls, crayfishing at night on the reef is also an option but both activities are dependent on the locals and weather and can only be arranged once you arrive. Atiu boasts seven” tumunus” or bush beer schools. Everyone gathers round a barrel which these days is more likely to be plastic than the hollowed out trunk
n Atiu Villas, Cook of a coconut tree as in the old days. The barman hands out the strongly alcoholic drink in a coconut shell. The drink itself is made either from fermented bananas or simply a home brew which is served young. Once emptied, it’s handed back, refilled and passed to the next person...and so it goes on, round after round proving popular with locals & tourists alike. All visitors are encouraged to visit the tumunu though it is best to go with a local who can explain the protocol and rituals of this drinking ceremony. Accommodation on the island varies from budget to comfortable, and most of the providers have maintained a traditional charm in line with the island itself. Roger Malcolm, who came to Roratonga over 30 years ago to research his physics PhD, met a local lady and moved here. Today, the two
Islands.
of them run Atiu Villas the most comfortable on the island offering six self-contained units. The property is surrounded by forest and also boasts a tennis court, restaurant and pool accommodating families of up to six. Clients can also hire scooters, bicycles and cars here. www.atiuvillas.com Flights from the UK are operated on the award winning 777-300 aircraft where you can try out the economy skycouch or spacious premium economy spaceseat. From Dublin fares start from €1356.00 Inc taxes and from Belfast £1315.00. www.airnewzealand.co.uk Domestic flights are operated by Air Rarotonga with daily flights to Aitutaki and scheduled flights to Atiu, www.airraro. com. If you would prefer to book with a travel agency Trailfinders offer a 14 night package from €3,899 pp in-
cludes international flights with Air New Zealand from Dublin (Cork or Shannon via London Heathrow & Los Angeles) or from £3,469per person ex Belfast for 7 nights at the 4+* Little Polynesian Resort, Raratonga in a Garden Pia Tiare Room with transfers & continental breakfast and 7 nights at 3+* Tamanu Beach, Aitutaki, in a Garden Studio with continental breakfast & flight / road transfers. These prices are based on two people sharing travelling for 1 to 30 Nov 2012 departures, subject to availability. Other dates available. www.trailfinders.ie Robert Walshe is a freelance contributor / broadcaster and Travel Editor for River Media newspaper titles across the island of Ireland. www.robertwalshe.com
Weekly Best Buy Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has some fantastic summer offers now available at over 100 hotels, with savings of up to 33% off the best available rate until the 31st August 2012*. In addition to receiving the best available rate, when customers join the Club which is free to join, guests will receive a com-
plimentary room upgrade* and after their first stay, further benefits such as complimentary breakfast, early check in and late check out. With a variety of destinations including Europe, USA, Far East, Caribbean and the Indian Ocean, there’s sure to be something to suit every taste. www.slhm. com/delaville
with Kathleen Murray
Pet birds – do some homework
In recent times the demand for pet birds has risen as people think that they are very cute, and the fact that some can talk is very entertaining. There are lots of birds to choose from and they are easily got which is a problem. Some of these birds are very expensive and have been taken from their natural environment by poachers, for cash. This is no reflection on pet shops, by the way, as they know where their birds are coming from, and can trace them back to source. If there is a bird that you are interested in then do some homework first. Find out more about this type of bird in a book or on the net. Find out where it comes from and what it eats in it’s natural environment. If you have a
Living
bird already or have lost a bird because someone has let it out by accident then you’ll know the downside to having a bird in your home. Cute as they are they need exercise like any other animal and some can be destructive. They need space to flap their wings and fly. You need to have a very safe place for them to do this. If we lived in a very warm sunny country then getting out by accident wouldn’t be as big a problem than getting out here on a cold windy day. Keeping these birds in a central heated house and then losing them to the elements outside is very upsetting as they can’t withstand the cold or feed themselves without danger. They are used to having food in a
certain place every day (provided for them) and then suddenly they are in a world that they don’t know, where there are other birds with territorial issues that won’t be so generous with the food if your bird arrives to eat with them. Pet birds are very trusting and don’t know the dangers of the outside world so enemy number one is the local cat. As our cat population is enormous due to cats not being neutered in time (6 months) the bird won’t be around for long. Safety plans are very important when you have a bird in your house. Summertime is the most dangerous as we have our windows and doors open for fresh air. If you are out and about in the garden in the summer you can
take the bird out there in the cage with you and put it up on a table or somewhere that you can supervise it. Protect it from the strong sun by putting a towel over the top of the cage. Being in the sun is fine but if you are stuck there for a lengthy period of time, in a cage, with no way to get to a tree for shade, then it is not fine any more. If there are children in the house then they must be taught not to leave doors open when they go in and out when the bird is “loose”. Children should always be supervised around any animal as they don’t know the right way to behave around animals. They often bring problems onto themselves by just simply being children. Birds are
intelligent. They can be trained to do many things and adapt to many situations, but they also need to be protected.