Travelling round the island is fairly easy by bus - even from Avarua to Muri Beach there was a bus at approx. 1.30am. However, a definite must in the Cook Islands is to hire a rental scooter and get your very own Cook Island Drivers Licence. Its also a fun way to travel round the island.

A new found friend and I went on the scooter to Avarua, then up the Avatiu Valley road past the power station where we discovered good views of 'Te Rua Manga' or the 'Needle'. At 413m, this is almost Rarotonga's highest point. We headed east along the Ara Metua. Said to be the oldest Polynesian road, this old inner/inland road was where most people lived until the mid C19th arrival of the Missionaries. (The new outer coastal road now has churches with concentrated populations around them like Avarua.) From here we headed on inland dirt roads towards 'Te Manga' and it's surrounding swamp taro plantations of irrigated paddies.

On another occasion we scooter-ed along the Ara Metua to Marae Arai Te Tonga - the site of a ta'unga's koutu where the Ariki (High Chiefs) were anointed. We followed the road inland as far as Tupapa stream and followed a trail for a difficult climb up Oroenga. When we reached the uppermost point possible, it provided majestic views of the Tupapa Valley to the north and I Kurangi (Tail of the Sky) to the east.

Intro | Travelling Round | And finally...