Atafu

Atafu is the smallest and northernmost atoll of Tokelau and the last stop on the boat, with the whole population living on one islet at the north-western corner of the ring. It is the tidiest of the three, laid out on a grid between the lagoon and the ocean. Canoe building in the old style survives here more strongly than elsewhere in the group, and outriggers are still made from local timber. The reef drops steeply on the ocean side, and the ring is closed enough that the water inside stays flat. The church and the village green are the centre of everything.