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Many thanks to the travellers who used the last edition and wrote to us with helpful hints, useful advice and interesting anecdotes: Chris Evans, Inano McMurchy, Iris Hüll, Jim Green, Judy Chappell, Kaori Hashimoto, Katherine Lynch, Logan McDaneld, Steve Waters.
Meitaki ma'ata to all the friendly Cook Islanders I met on my travels, especially Christian Mani, Nane Teokotai Vainepoto Papa and Daniel Fisher at Cook Islands Tourism in Avarua. On 'Atiu thanks to Mata Arai, Roger Malcolm, and Mareta Atetu, and to Tangata and Teata Ateriano on Ma'uke. Final thanks to Carol for sharing this latest South Pacific adventure with me – especially the mammoth tuna sandwiches, bush-bashing excitement and lazy sunset cocktails.
Huge thanks to Tasmin for the gig: it had been far too long since I’d experienced the South Pacific any closer than 39,000 feet above the waves. Thanks also to the all-star in-house LP production staff in London and Melbourne, and kudos to my island-addled crew of co-authors (dirty job, someone’s gotta do it, etc). Special praise and adoration as always to Meg and our daughters Ione and Remy, who held the fort at home while I reported in from sundry remote islands with stories of coral reefs, sunsets and cold beer.
Fa'afetai tele to the wonderful folks of the erstwhile Navigator Isles for all of their invaluable guidance and assistance while researching and travelling for this book. Among hundreds of others, garlands must go to Maria, Sophie, Jay and Killi in Samoa, and Fanua, Cita, Tom and Howard in American Samoa. Frangipanis and South Sea smooches to my two crazy coconuts, Dušan and Masha.
Climate map data adapted from Peel MC, Finlayson BL & McMahon TA (2007) ‘Updated World Map of the Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification’, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 11, 163344.
Cover photograph: Humpback whale, Tonga. Maria Teresa Lara/500px ©
This 8th edition of Lonely Planet’s Rarotonga, Samoa & Tonga guidebook was researched and written by Brett Atkinson, Charles Rawlings-Way and Tamara Sheward. The previous edition was written by Craig McLachlan, Brett Atkinson and Celeste Brash. This guidebook was produced by the following:
Destination Editor Tasmin Waby
Coordinating Editor Sarah Bailey
Product Editors Grace Dobell, Alison Ridgway
Senior Cartographers Diana Von Holdt, Corey Hutchison
Book Designer Wibowo Rusli
Assisting Editors Janet Austin, Katie Connolly, Andrea Dobbin
Cover Researcher Naomi Parker
Thanks to Dan Corbett, Joel Cotterell, Laura Crawford, David Hodges, Lauren Keith, Kirsten Rawlings, Sarah Reid
Ebook thanks to Andrew Bigger, Ruth Cosgrove, Julie Dodkins, Blazej Hadzik, Liz Heynes, Craig Kilburn, Chris Love, Clara Monitto, Wayne Murphy, Jacqui Saunders, John Taufa, Glenn van der Knijff, Yanxiang Wang, Juan Winata.