Rarotonga, Cook Islands

October 15, Rarotonga Cook Islands

With craggy green pinnacles rising from the island center, and deep verdant valleys Rarotonga provides all of the elements of paradise. The mountain slopes are fertile, and every known color is represented in the flowering plants. Some are familiar while others are ethereal but all seem to belong.

The rugged Te Rua Manga, known as The Needle, juts dramatically skyward. Add the multi-hued lagoon that encircles the island, and it’s easy to “let go” and slip into the moment.

Avarua is Rarotonga’s capital and largest community. Stretching eastward from the airport along the waterfront, there are a few restaurants, boutiques, and an internet café. There are no high-rise hotels, no beach buggies, and no traffic jams.

Just opposite the town’s much discussed traffic circle, a cluster of seven coconut trees stand as a local landmark. The roundabout and the trees are used to provide relational directions.

We didn’t book any tours here and simply wandered about on our own. The tenders docked at the west end of town, and we strolled along the ocean towards the downtown area. We did some window shopping and wound up at the Salsa Café where we had a couple of Matutu beers which are made on the island. Very good and they were cold. We found the post office and bought stamps and sent off a couple of post cards to the grandkids.

By 1pm we found ourselves back at the dock and returned to the ship. Unfortunately we are here at the wrong time of the season to see a lot of the flowers in bloom, so it wasn’t as pretty as we had expected. Fortunately only three more islands to go before we hit our first New Zealand port.

Next up, Pago Pago (which is actually pronounced Pango Pango!).