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Since Rarotonga is the youngest island
in the Cook Islands southern group it is physically unlike its other
volcanic neighbors where erosion and periodic submersions have reduced
mountains to gentle hills. Rarotonga's central massif is the eroded
remains of a once mighty volcanic pyramid whose crags now form sawtooth
peaks and razorback ridges covered with tropical jungle. These are
separated by streams running down steep valleys.
The island stands 14,750
feet (4500m) above the ocean floor. It is 20 miles (32k) in circumference.
At a depth of 13,000 feet (4000m) the volcano is some 31 miles (50k) in
diameter. The highest peak is 2140 feet (658m) above sea level and the
island is surrounded by a lagoon which extends several hundred yards to
the reef which then slopes steeply to deep water.
Around the central mountainous area of
this beautiful island is a narrow band of agricultural terraces and flats
which, in turn, is encircled by a ring of swamps used largely for growing
taro.
The island's present-day name stems from 'raro'
meaning 'down' and 'tonga' meaning 'south'. The most popular version
of its origin is that the famous Tahitian navigator, Iro, visited it once
and some years later while on Mauke he met Tangiia who asked where he was
going. Iro replied: 'I am going down to the south.' The Samoan voyager,
Karika, is also reputed to have called it Rarotonga when he first saw it
from the north-east because it was to leeward -- 'raro' -- and towards the
south -- 'tonga'.
In 1997 Japanese archaeologists unearthed a
previously unknown 'marae' -- sacred site -- on Motu Tapu, an islet in the
lagoon at Ngatangiia. This is estimated to be 1500 years old which would
put settlement much earlier than the legend of the arrival of Kainuku
Ariki. Based on the evidence of fires, archaeologists have estimated that
there was human life on Rarotonga about 5000 years ago.
Sightseeing
The central mountainous region is
unpopulated and its highest parts consist of cloud forest, an ecological
wonderland. This area begins at about 1300 feet (400m) and contains many
species of plants unique to the Cook Islands. These include the ascarina (kaiatea
ko'u), the glossy tongue fern and the Rarotongan freycinetia (kiekie), a
plant similar to pandanus (ara).
Much valuable work has
been done recently to conserve and protect native flora and fauna by the
Cook Islands Natural Heritage Project. Funded by the Government and the
South Pacific Regional Environment Program, its main aim is to educate
people about the need for conservation.
For visitors wishing to explore the interior on
foot there is a guided cross-island walk led by the inimitable Pa. For the
less energetic there is a three-hour four-wheel drive safari which takes
one through the mountains and into the rain forests. Aerial scenery can be
enjoyed with a 20 minute scenic flight from the airport.
Rarotonga's endangered
flycatcher bird, the kakerori, is also protected by the Takitumu
Conservation Area project which provides guided tours
into the southern mountains. The revenue from these trips contributes
towards the cost of keeping down the rats which prey on the tiny bird's
eggs. Rarotonga's endangered
flycatcher bird, the kakerori, is also protected by the Takitumu
Conservation Area project which provides guided tours
into the southern mountains. The revenue from these trips contributes
towards the cost of keeping down the rats which prey on the tiny bird's
eggs.
Land on Rarotonga, as on most islands in the
Cooks group, belongs to individuals and families and can only be leased,
not sold as freehold.
The downside to this is that when
houses are not salable assets the result is often derelict homes
deteriorating in the tropical climate, the rightful heirs unable to cash
up, either lacking funds to rebuild or unwilling to leave the fleshpots of
Auckland or Sydney.
One of the main
attractions of Rarotonga is that it is a real place, not a manufactured
destination point for tourists. Real people live there and wrestle with
all the problems that tiny countries face trying to cope with the modern
world of instant communications and jet travel. It is an idyllic place for
travellers seeking lost horizons and for those interested in the ways of
Polynesia.
For more information on Rarotonga, go to Rarotonga
(2) For
more general information
on Cook Islands, go to: |
