Cook Islands

The Cook Islands were first settled in the 6th century CE by Polynesian people who migrated from Tahiti,an island 1154 km to the northeast of Cook Islands.

Spanish ships visited the islands in the 16th century; the first written record of contact with the islands came with the sighting of Pukapuka by Spanish sailor Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira in 1595 who called it San Bernardo (Saint Bernard). Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, a Portuguese captain working for the Spanish crown, made the first recorded European landing in the islands when he set foot on Rakahanga in 1606, calling it Gente Hermosa (Beautiful People).

British navigator Captain James Cook arrived in 1773 and 1777[11] and named the islands the Hervey Islands; the name "Cook Islands", in honour of Cook, appeared on a Russian naval chart published in the 1820s.

Thanks to Dennis for the beautiful postcard. Sent in envelope from Australia

Sent: 5 March 2015   Received: 25 March 2015   Travelled: 20 days