Rarotonga - sun, sand and fun on a pacific island

Rarotonga is all about chilling out. Take the time to walk along the coral beaches - the water is crystal clear and so shallow you can walk on numerous little atolls and make like Robinson Caruso. The colors of the water are so fantastic, clearly divided by the reef into a lucent pale blue by the shore, the white of the waves crashing on the reef and then the dark blue of the ocean.

Quick Tips:

The water on Rarotonga hasn't been treated. This means it's drinkable and is drunk by all the locals who are used to it. It's up to you whether to chance it. Some people aren't affected, some are. If you do drink the local water and start to get stomach cramps, switch to bottled water right away and you should be okay.

My other BIG tip is watch out for the coral when you're paddling in the water. Wear beach sandals if you've got them otherwise you're likely to end up with cuts all over your feet. Also don't step on sea cucumbers - they won't hurt you, they're just the most disgusting things and squidge when you walk on them.

Best Way To Get Around:

The island isn't very big at all - you can walk all the way around it in about eight hours. On the other hand, unless you like very long walks, there are other forms of transport.

The Island bus goes all the way around clockwise and counter-clockwise, and costs .50 single or return. If you think you might be making a few trips you can get a strip of 10 journeys for . The alternatives are hiring a bicycle, about for the day, or a moped or car. If you choose the last two options you'll need to get a license from the Police Station in Avarua.

The choice is yours. There's really not that many places to go so most people travel either by bus or moped. Watch out for the local dogs though. Most of them make a game of trying to be run over by your bike.

Vara's Beach House is actually right on the Muri Lagoon. And that's its main attraction as the beaches around this area are the best in the island.

The accomodation itself is basic but fairly decent. Generally 6 single beds in a room, shower block across the way depending which room you're in.

Warning: the showers are solar heated, the best time is about 3.30 - 5 pm.

There are single rooms and units for rent as well. The kitchen in one of blocks is pretty crap - ancient and dodgy cooker with few untensils but the accomodation block next to the beach has a much better kitchen if you can be bothered to cook.

There's a large common room where most people gather in the evening and the local shops sell booze. Free local telephone calls, use of barbecue, laundry ($4.50 and up). At Vara's office you can rent bikes and snorkels. There are also a couple of bar/restaurants in walking distance and, more importantly, a fish and chip shop five minutes away. The bus stop is right outside Varas.

Vara will send someone to pick you up from the airport and you can also book a shuttle for the return trip. Key deposit $20.

One other thing about Varas, it's one of the friendliest hostels I've been to, I had a great time here.

Mai Tai is one of the cafes in the main town of Avarua. Its got a little courtyard where you can sit and watch the world or at least everyone in Rarotonga walk by.

The food is your usual cafe type and pretty good, although a little pricey for what it is. I do reccommend the ice cream and the smoothies though.

Mai Tai cafe is open daily, closed evenings.

The cross island trek takes you straight across the interior through rainforest, mountains, river and all the tricky bits inbetween. Make sure your footwear has good traction otherwise you'll be slipping all over the place. Also remember to take water.

Its easiest if you start off at the end near Avarua. The start is signposted and we asked the bus driver to drop us off. The path started off fairly steep and just kept on getting steeper as we climbed up the mountain using tree roots as steps. Everytime we thought we must have levelled out it just got worse.

Our aching legs were justifed by the view up the top. You can see all the way out to the ocean, even over the coral reef. For the really daring theres a rope to climb up the Needle rock, watch out for the wind though.

Once you reach the peak you have a choice between a shorter steeper distance back or longer easier route. Obviously we took the hardest option - based on the fact that someone had worn the sign away so you don't actually know which route is which, so we left it to a chicken to show us the way. The chicken hated us because the way down was even worse than before, being as it's much easier to fall down if you're headed in that direction anyway. And I did. I soon developed the bum technique which involved giving up my dignity and slithering down steep slopes on my bum. It took two washes to clean the mud from my shorts but I survived the climb, so bonus.

Eventually we descended down to the river and kept criss crossing back and forth. The track did disappear a few times at this point so we had to just follow the river along and sometimes wade through it. Watch out for the mosquitos!

Finally we came out by the waterfall on the other side of the island. Sadly the waterfall was dry - it not having rained recently, so wasn't much of a view. But the climb itself was well worth it. The views at the top and traipsing through the rainforests and river was quite incredible although flipping tiring. And best of all there was a garage selling ice creams and cold drinks at the end of the road. Aaaaah!

Rarotonga island is enclosed by a coral lagoon creating shallow protected beaches all along the coast. The best of the beaches is Muri Beach. The water here is crystal clear and extremely shallow with white golden sand and palm trees.

There are a few small atolls in the lagoon. Captain Tamas' boats ferry people over there for a barbecue but its easy enough just to wade over there to explore. Wear beach sandals though as there are enough pieces of coral to cut your feet to shreds. There are a few fish in the lagoon but if you want to go snorkelling try further up the coast where there's more to see. The conditions of the beach make it a great place to try wind surfing and you can hire all the equipment here.

The Cook Islands museum is attached to the Library and you pay here first to enter. Opening hours same as the library.

Its not particularly big or organized. Just a large room filled with various bits and pieces. The exhibition includes a variety of items - types of sealife, mainly shellfish found here, the old treaty documents, European pictures, and accounts of the islanders. It's all a hodge podge really, but the museum also displays several large pieces of sculpture by local artists and some of these are rather lovely.

The museum does give you a bit of insight into the Cook Islands and at $2 doesn't exactly break the bank. I would recommend a visit, probably on a rain day though.

NB visitors can join the library for $25 ($15 deposit).

A bike ride around the island only takes a few hours - Rarotonga just isn't that big. Just follow the main road along - you'd have to work very hard to get lost. And although it is the main road, it's not too busy.

It's a good way to see more of the island and you can take your time, stop off at a beach and a little cafe for lunch. You'll get the chance to see what the local houses are like (and count the number of graves in the backgardens - Rarotongans often bury their relatives at home).

One thing I'd really reccomend, make sure you get a comfortable bike. A lot of the rentals are old bone rattlers and after a few hours in the saddle you'll really feel it.

We purchased our tickets for the pub crawl from the Muri beach internet cafe. And the minibus showed up at 8pm on a Friday night to ferry us around to the varous clubs and bars.

The minibus was packed and we all got to know each other quite well by having to sit on people's laps to fit everyone in. Predictably, the drunken singing started off right away and only increased as the night continued.

The pub crawl took in 7 pub/clubs, which is probably most of the ones on Rarotonga. They ranged from quiet local hangouts like the Fisherman, to definate tourist places like Ronnies - a karaoke bar where boys and girls are encouraged to get up on the tables and attempt island dancing. This is best done completely trashed as there's no point hanging on to your dignity. And you'll appreciate watching the boys' hilarious attempts even more.

The night finished at the Staircase - with those cheesey classic hits to groove to. This being Rarotonga the club closes at 2 am, but there's always the beach if you want to (and can) continue the party.

If you have a desparate urge to go shopping, your choices are pretty limited on Rarotonga. Apart from the odd souvenir shop along the main round, the only other shops are all centred in Avarua.

The souvenir shops sell all the same sort of thing - shell jewellery, black pearls, grass skirts, sarongs, floral shirts and of course coconut bras. If you're tempted by the pearls, check the quality - basically you get what you pay for and if its cheap its likely to be flawed. There are some nice carved shell pendants as an alternative.

There's a local market worth checking out on Saturday mornings in Avarua. It sells the usual souvenirs sometimes a bit cheaper, fresh fruit, traditional food and flowers. And there's usually a display of traditional dancing or music. Be warned like most of the shops on Saturday, the market closes at noon.

There are various island nights to choose from, a lot of the big resorts put them on as well. The Staircase island night is one of the cheaper options. It includes transportation there and back and there is the option to have dinner there as well. Apparently the dinner is quite good, but not traditional food.

The show started about 9 o'clock giving us time to grab a drink and table. The dancers bounded into the bar, swinging their hips to the traditional beat of the drum. The first group were all girls, dressed in, I'm not kidding, coconut bras and grass skirts. Lets just say they had the attention of all the guys in the room. They were followed by a three young guys wearing not much more. And the two groups alternated for the rest of the show doing traditional dances.

I have no idea how authentic the show was, but it was certainly good entertainment, culminating in sheer comedy. At the end of the show the dancers invited members of the audience up to dance with them, perhaps getting a bit of revenge on the tourists. Watching middle aged western men who generally aren't the best of dancers attempt to keep up with a grass-skirt hip-rattling Raro dancer is one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. And if you find you've been inspired, after the show there's a bit of a disco with slightly more modern music (be prepared for Michael Jackson and Abba!)