Avarua

Rarotonga is a green volcanic island only about 32 kilometres around, with steep forested peaks in the centre and a shallow lagoon inside a fringing reef. Visitors come for swimming and snorkelling, the lagoon and motu at Muri, the cross-island walk past Te Rua Manga, Sunday church singing, dance and a slow island pace. Aitutaki, a short flight north, adds a wide and famously clear turquoise lagoon. Accommodation on Rarotonga ranges from beachfront bungalows and family houses to apartments and holiday homes in the hills, all within a short ride on the coast road. The country is self-governing in free association with New Zealand.

Where to stay on Rarotonga

Avarua, on the north coast, suits visitors who want shops, cafés, markets, banks and the harbour close by; it is lively by island standards but quiet at night. Nikao and the area around the airport, just west, are convenient for arrivals and departures.

Muri, on the southeast coast, sits on the widest part of the lagoon, where four small motu lie offshore. It is popular for kayaking, paddleboarding and swimming, and suits couples and families who want shallow water and plenty of places to eat. Titikaveka, along the south coast, is quieter and known for snorkelling.

Arorangi, on the west coast, faces the sunset and has many beach bungalows and homes. The east coast, around Matavera and Ngatangiia, is more residential and relaxed. Because the island is small and one road follows the coast, no part of Rarotonga is more than a short drive or bus ride from any other.

Lagoon, reef and mountains

A fringing reef between about 30 and 900 metres wide surrounds Rarotonga, enclosing a mostly shallow lagoon. It is widest off the southeast at Muri, where the motu of Motutapu, Oneroa, Koromiri and Taakoka rise from the water. Gaps in the reef, including those at Avarua, Avatiu and Ngatangiia, create strong currents, so swim and snorkel away from passages and ask locally about safe spots.

The interior is the eroded core of an extinct volcano. Te Manga, at 658 metres, is the highest peak, and the needle-shaped Te Rua Manga, about 413 metres high, is visible from much of the island. The cross-island track climbs from the Avatiu valley to the base of the Needle and down past Wigmore's (Papua) Falls to the south coast. The path is steep, rooty and slippery after rain, so start early, carry water and avoid it in heavy weather. The Takitumu Conservation Area protects rare native birds such as the kākerōri.

Aitutaki

Aitutaki, the second most populated island of the Cook Islands, lies north of Rarotonga and is reached by a short domestic flight to Aitutaki Airport (AIT). It is an almost atoll: a hilly main island on one side of a roughly triangular barrier reef, about 12 kilometres along each side, enclosing a wide turquoise lagoon dotted with fifteen motu.

Lagoon cruises visit sandbanks and islets such as Tapuaetai, often called One Foot Island, and the motu of Akaiami, where flying boats on the Coral Route stopped to refuel in the 1950s. The main village, Arutanga, is on the west side, and its church is the oldest in the country. Aitutaki was the first of the Cook Islands to accept Christianity, after a missionary visit in 1821. Many visitors come as a day trip from Rarotonga, but a few nights allow slower days on the lagoon. Accommodation is limited, so book early.

History and culture

Polynesians have lived on Rarotonga since late in the first millennium, and oral tradition names voyaging ancestors from Tahiti and Samoa. An ancient inner road, Te Ara Metua, still runs around much of the island, passing marae such as Arai-te-Tonga, regarded as the most sacred site on Rarotonga. New Zealand Māori traditions tell of migration canoes that passed through on their way to Aotearoa.

European ships visited from the late 18th century, and London Missionary Society teachers arrived in 1823; within a few years the island had converted to Christianity, and Avarua grew as the religious and trading centre. The islands became a British protectorate in 1888, were annexed by New Zealand in 1901, and became self-governing in free association with New Zealand in 1965. English and Cook Islands Māori are the official languages. Sunday church services, known for powerful a cappella hymn singing, are open to respectful visitors, and drum dancing is a lively part of island celebrations.

Getting there and around

Rarotonga International Airport (RAR), about 3 kilometres west of central Avarua, is the country's only international airport, with direct flights from New Zealand, Australia, French Polynesia and Hawaii. Domestic flights link it with Aitutaki and other islands. The runway lies right beside the coast road; do not stand behind it to feel jet blast, which has injured spectators.

The coastal road, Ara Tapu, circles the island in about 32 kilometres, and there is no road across the mountainous interior. Two bus routes run around the island, one clockwise and one anticlockwise, and will stop anywhere along the road; service is reduced on Sundays. Many visitors rent a scooter, car or bicycle. Traffic drives on the left and speed limits are low.

The New Zealand dollar is used alongside the Cook Islands dollar, which exists as coins and a three-dollar note. The Cook Islands lie east of the date line, on the same calendar day as Hawaii.

Weather and when to visit

Rarotonga has a warm, humid tropical climate with rain in every month and little seasonal change in temperature. There are no sharp wet and dry seasons, but December to April is noticeably wetter and more humid, and the tropical cyclone season runs from November to April. Strong cyclones are not frequent but have struck: Cyclone Sally damaged most of Avarua's buildings in 1987, and Cyclone Pat damaged many homes on Aitutaki in 2010. Follow official warnings if a storm approaches.

From about May to October the weather is a little cooler and drier, with fresher evenings, and this is the most popular period, especially during New Zealand and Australian school holidays; book rentals and flights early. Summer brings warmer water for snorkelling and fewer visitors. The sun is strong all year, so use reef-safe sunscreen and a rash shirt in the water, and keep a light rain jacket handy for passing showers.