Vibrant Centre of the Cook Islands
Southern Cook Islands, Cook Islands
Rarotonga is the vibrant centre of the Cook Islands. Its circular shape is dominated by high mountain peaks from which lush rain forests cascade to a palm-fringed shore. The island is almost completely encircled by a reef, which harbours a lagoon of clear turquoise waters and many inviting white sand beaches. Beyond the reef, the indigo blue of the ocean provides a vivid contrast and a bountiful supply of fish.
The majority of visitors to the Cook Islands base themselves on Rarotonga, visiting outlying islands by excursion.
Avarua is the main town on the island and the commercial centre of the Cook Islands. During business hours, it has a friendly, bustling atmosphere together with a good selection of shops, banks, cafés and visitor facilities. It is also the main port and host to many cruising yachts.
Background
Rarotonga Island stands over 4500 metres above the ocean floor. The island has an area of 67 km², the volcano is nearly 50 km in diameter. The highest peak on the island above sea level is 658 metres.
The interior of the island is dominated by eroded volcanic peaks cloaked in dense vegatation. Sealed and unsealed roads allow access to valleys but the interior of the island remains largely unpopulated due to forbidding terrain and lack of infrastructure. Agricultural terraces, flats, and swamps surround the central mountain area.
A large tract of land has been set aside in the south east as the Takitumu Conservation Area to protect the islands native birds and plants, namely the Rarotonga Flycatcher, Kakerori.