11/2/2009 – The population of Atiu plunged from a height of 1,000+ people down to 550. Younger people moved to New Zealand for higher pay and easier living. Water supplies come from rain collected in water tanks and electricity is generated from a large diesel generator. Almost everyone lives in the center of the island away from the beautiful waters.

The people here are extremely friendly and nice. They actually apologize when they ride past you at night because of the lights from their moped. They all wave hello and flash their friendly smile whenever you see them. We asked if we could buy some fresh fruits since the grocery stores only carried canned items and piles of bananas and papayas appeared at the guesthouse. A Taro farmer also showed up with Taro, both cooked and uncooked, and chatted with us for a while. One woman even donated some flying fish to the Swiss couple staying at the guesthouse. Not a single one of them asked for money and they flatly refused when we insisted on paying for the items.

People seemed genuinely happy here. I don’t know if I can live in a place like this now as I’ve been exposed to the outside world like the young islanders who have left. The lack of modern amenities, variety of goods and technology are offset by strong family bonds and simple carefree lifestyle.