From the water
To behold Rarotonga from the sea is to
channel the joy its settlers must have felt.
They would have been at once weary
from the long voyage and awestruck by
the dramatic mountains and white-sand
beaches of their new home.
There are dozens of ways to experience
this view.
You can spend the day on a fishing charter,
casting for deep-sea fish under the tropical
sun, or you can take a ride on a glass-
bottom boat. Both Captain Tamas Lagoon
Cruizes and Koka Lagoon Cruises make
daily trips to Koromiri, a motu (islet) off
Muri Beach. Each tour features a local
string band and a barbecued lunch of
freshly caught fish. At low tide, the Muri
lagoon is shallow enough to walk to the
motu with a picnic
lunch and a towel.
Dive shops hire
out snorkeling
gear, and the best
place to see marine
life is in an area
protected by a ra’ui
– a traditional ban
on fishing
and collecting
seafood,
imposed
and lifted by
chiefs. Signs
mark the
ra’ui; most
snorkelers
prefer the
ra’ui at Fruits
of Rarotonga
in Tikioki and at The Rarotongan Resort
& Spa in Arorangi. If you’re a certified
SCUBA diver – or if you want to get
certified – visit one of the three dive
shops on the island.
You can rent kayaks, take yoga classes
on stand-up paddleboards or sign up for
a kitesurfing lesson. You can swim to
The Boiler – what’s left of the SS Maitai,
shipwrecked in 1916 – and then jump off
it into the sea.
If you prefer to stay on the shore, engage
with the sea by watching an outrigger
canoe race, held weekly during the
sport’s season. In November teams arrive
from all over the world to compete in
Vaka Eiva, an international paddling
competition and Rarotonga’s largest
sporting event. Between the months of
July and October, be on the lookout for
whales. You can learn more about them at
the Discover Centre in Arorangi.
And if you’re a surfer, you know the drill:
respect the locals. It’s their wave.
On land
There’s always something to do on
Rarotonga. There’s sport to watch – on
Saturdays, village clubhouses host rugby,
rugby league, netball, cricket, lawn
bowling,
and soccer
matches,
depending on
the season.
They also
throw socials
afterward,
with cheap
drinks and
low entry fees.
You can play
paintball
and laser tag; take
cycling, quad, or
buggy tours that go
around the island; or
hire bicycles (either
manual or electric)
to explore the side
and back roads.
There are several art galleries around the
island, and you can buy handcrafted
ukuleles from inmates at the Arorangi
Prison.
The Punanga Nui marketplace on a
Saturday morning is an essential itinerary
item. For locals, it’s a social outing;
everyone goes. From 6 a.m., you can
visit the open-air market to get your
fresh nu (coconut water) and local fruits
and vegetables. You can also buy cooked
Escape Magazine • 23