Tapuaetai is a small sandbank motu at the southern end of Aitutaki's lagoon, and it has become one of the most photographed spots in the Pacific. The sand is startlingly white, the palms lean in their postcard configuration, and the water on all sides shifts between shades of blue and green that seem digitally enhanced even in person. It is the destination for virtually every lagoon cruise, and the reason many people come to Aitutaki at all.
The island has a functioning post office — more of a wooden shack, really — where you can get your passport stamped with the One Foot Island postmark. It's a small ritual that has become a genuine tradition: travellers with no interest in philately queue for the stamp and carry it home as proof of arrival somewhere genuinely remote. The post office also sells Cook Islands stamps, and the postmaster (when present) is worth chatting to. The stamp is the kind of souvenir that costs nothing but means something.
Getting here requires either joining a lagoon cruise — which is the most efficient option and includes snorkelling stops and a BBQ lunch — or hiring a boat independently. The motu itself is tiny and explored in minutes, so most visitors spend their time in the water or simply sitting at the edge of the sand where the lagoon laps against it. Arrive as early as the cruise boats allow; by mid-morning, the beach fills with day-trippers and the magic dims somewhat. The late afternoon, when most boats have left, is quieter and the light turns gold across the water.