Suwarrow - over 500 miles from Rarotonga, is possibly the most isolated of all the Cook Islands. The name comes from a Russian Captain who passed by the atoll in 1814 in his ship, SUVAROV. 18TH century Spanish galleons have been found wrecked on its reef, and in the mid-1800's, a salvage expedition uncovered a treasure chest containing more than 15,000 dollars worth of historic coins from the Americas.
Author Robert Frisbie brought his family from Pukapuka in the early 40's for a short visit and was caught in the worst hurricane of the 20th century. They were fortunate that they survived, he told about their trials and tribulations in his book, Island of Desire.
Shortly after that , a sailor from New Zealand, Tom Neale arrived on the island.
He visited Suwarrow 3 times to live there. His total time living on Suaarrow totals 16 years. He was known as the Hermit of Suwarroww. His book, 'An Island to Oneself,' covers his first two visits of 3 years each.
After the book was published in 1966, he returned to Suwarrow in 1967 arriving there on the 1st of July. He remained in Suwarrow until March 1977 when he was found ill by the yacht "Feisty Lady" and later taken to Rarotonga to hospital. He never returned to Suwarrow and passed away in November 1977.
Mr. Rhys Jones, a bird researcher from New Zealand, was commissioned to make a survey of Suwarrow. Among his recommendations were that an official caretaker should be assigned to police passing 'yachties', a migratory bird sanctuary be established and supervised and that a permanent museum be erected and maintained by the government in order to have a permanent record of its history. See Suwarrow NEXT PAGEs for more of his images. |
Two-Man Team on Suwarrow
The wardens on the island, Papa Ioane and Mareko Baker, were very hospitable to Stella Neale who recently returned to Suwarrow...
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