The unique social fabric of this atoll arises from the last century when Englishman William Marsters settled here with his two Rarotongan wives. The resulting small population now share the same surname and speak a local dialect, itself a mixture of Cook Island and English languages.

Accessible only by sea, a few adventurous travellers visit the island each year to experience life on this remote outpost.

Palmerston is only slightly north of the Southern Group and consists of six islets surrounding a beautiful lagoon.