Rarotonga may be the largest of the Cook Islands but it is still just a tiny, mountainous speck in the enormity of the Pacific only measuring 11km across its widest axis. It is encircled by a lagoon and protecting reef, and its interior consists of forest covered mountains. It has a laid-back vibe, welcoming locals and a lot of dogs, all of which seemed tame and friendly.
Beach and water based activities are the main attraction for most visitors but we also wanted to do something more energetic. Lillian’s pre-trip research had identified two popular land-based activities, a ride around the island and hiking the Cross-Island Track. We did both and had a particularly memorable experience on the hike, completing it in torrential rain. The best way to get an idea of what that meant for walking conditions is to look at the two photos below.
This is the waterfall at the southern end of the Cross-Island Track on the day we rode around the island.
The same waterfall the following day when we walked the track!
Around the Island
The circumference of Raratonga is only 32km and the road that runs all the way around the island is the only main road. The local bus service consists of just two buses, running every hour in each direction. We chose to ride in a clockwise direction so we would be on the side of the road nearest the ocean. We rented two mountain bikes from Ride Rarotonga, which were delivered to our hotel.
As well as riding around the island we rode to up the gravel roads at each end of the Cross-Island Track. With these additions the total ride distance was 44km.
We were riding on a Sunday so the road was quieter than normal. All the drivers we encountered were patient and gave us a lot of space when overtaking.
This is on the gravel road leading to the southern end of the Cross-Island Track. We passed some very noisy dogs on the way up.
The gravel road ends at Wigmore’s Waterfall, the waterfall pictured at the start of this post.
There are plenty of long empty beaches on the southern side of the island.
This is on the north-west side of the island, diametrically opposite our starting point at Muri Beach.
One of the many dogs who came to say hello to us. He had disproportionally short legs and looked like a cross between an alsatian and a corgi.
The north-west side of the island is more developed, containing the Parliament of the Cook Islands…
… and the airport.
The mountain in the middle of this picture, Te Manga, is the highest one in Rarotonga at 653m. Our map showed that there is a path up it… one for our next visit perhaps.
This is by the port in Avarua, the largest town on the island.
From Avarua we headed up the road leading to the northern end of the Cross-Island Track which is where we started our hike the following day. (It’s recommended to walk the track in a north to south direction.)
There was a map of the Cross-Island Track and useful information at the end of the public road (where the parking area is in the map above).
We carried on up the Cross-Island Track until the point where the rideable trail ended.
We were advised that it was not recommended to drink the tap water in Raro but that there were water filling stations at various points around the island… like this one near the Punangi Night Market.
This was by far the prettiest of the water stations that we passed!
Nearly all of the eating places in Avarua and beyond were closed as it was a Sunday. Our energy levels were starting to run low when we found this burger joint. Lillian thought the little girl in the picture looked like a younger version of her!
Villi’s Burger gets a 5 star rating from me.
Villi’s was only 3km from our hotel in Muri Beach so after lunch we rolled home. We were unaware that there was another gravel track we could have ridden just before Muri Beach which would have taken us up the Avana Valley. We found this three days later on a morning run. The track led to a reservoir about 4km from the main road, crossing the Avana Stream a grand total of 19 times on the way up through concrete fords. It would be well worth adding into a around the island bike ride.
At the start of the Avana Valley, which was the most scenic of the three valleys we went up.
A screenshot showing the location of the Avana Valley in relation to Muri Beach.
Across the Island
The following morning we hopped in a taxi to the start of the Cross-Island Track. We had read a blog post in which the writer’s two children, aged 5 and 7, had completed in the walk so we figured it shouldn’t be that hard… although having now walked the trail I’d have to conclude they are two hardy kids. The weather forecast said it would start raining at about mid-day so as we set off at around 9.30am we were expecting, at worst, an early rain shower.
The highest point on the track is where it passes The Needle (Te Rua Manga) which is an distinctive rock pinnacle. Unfortunately we did not get a good view of it from ground level but did see it from the air.
This photo was taken on the day after we did the hike from the plane we took on a day trip to Aitutaki, one of the Cook Islands lying north of Rarotonga.
The end of the ‘Private Road’ shown on the map where there was a reservoir and water intake.
We’d ridden past this point on the previous day and had turned around a couple of hundred meters further up the track.
Across the stream and into the jungle.
There were some steep sections on the climb up the ridge to base of The Needle.
We were caught in our first deluge at the top of the climb where the route out to The Needle branches off the main Cross-Island Track. This photo was taken by a guided party who had just descended from The Needle.
The guide mentioned that due to the wet conditions he would be taking his group down the alternative descent which was longer but less steep. Lillian is pointing it out behind the sign. The regular descent heads in the direction marked Papua Road on this sign.
It is possible to scramble up below the main cliff of The Needle. The rock was slippery and as we had agreed that we shouldn’t climb anything we did not feel confident descending in the rain, Lillian wisely turned back at the top of these chains.
I scrambled up the rocky ramp to the end where there was a vertiginous drop down the far side of The Needle. It looked like a reasonably tricky rock climb to the top of The Needle up a steep and lichen covered crack and chimney system which would require climbing gear.
The ramp had a few carved footholds as well as some stones sticking out of the rock, which seemed to be some kind of conglomerate. It was slippery so I was glad of the manky knotted ropes to hold onto.
Here I am coming back down. While Lillian was waiting for me she amused herself taking photographs of these two roosters and trying to avoid being pecked by them.
I assume the roosters are used to being fed by walkers. The pair seemed to have a tried and tested strategy which was to try and intimidate us until we fed them, stalking us all the way back down to the path junction.
The alternative descent – the one recommended by the guide starting behind the sign at the path junction – traversed the hillside and took us onto a ridge to right (west) of the regular descent. It followed a white pipe, sometimes buried, sometimes exposed, the whole way.
We speculated about what was in the pipe as it would have taken a lot of effort to lay it. My theory was that it carried electric cables across the island from the hydro plant at the northern end of the track. However we didn’t follow the pipe to its end and never got an answer.
I became so fixated on the pipe and its mysterious destination that I missed the left turn that would take us back down to the main path. We carried on for a hundred meters until Lillian pointed out that the path seemed less well trodden. The turning point is marked by the long section of exposed pipe shown in the previous picture and some arrows on the trees like the one Lillian is pointing out.
A gradual descent – never that steep – took us down to the valley stream and the main path. The rain started to get heavier which made the sections where we had to follow or cross the stream more exciting. Keeping our shoes dry was not an option.
Then the path itself started to flow with water…
… the crossings of the stream became more challenging…
… and the path itself become a mini-torrent. Little streams were appearing in every place were there was a potential channel.
Eventually, just as the rain started to ease off, we made it to the end of the track and Wigmore’s Waterfall.
From there it was about a 1.5km walk down the gravel road, past the dogs again, to the main road. We were incredibly lucky that just as we reached the road an anti-clockwise round the island bus appeared, taking us back to Muri Beach and lunch.
The walk over the Cross-Island Track all the way to the main road was 6.7km with 350m of vertical ascent. The top of The Needle is at 413m so we probably climbed to around 380m. It took us three and a half hours for which I think we were moving for about three hours. We feel lucky to have experienced it in such conditions but even in the dry I think it would be reasonably tough hike.
Our taxi driver, Ben, had dismissed it as an easy walk and had told us that the path up Te Kou, a neighbouring peak 588m high, was more exciting. His previous job had been to maintain a transmitter on the top of Te Kou and as a result he he had walked up and down it many times. So that’s an option for anyone wanting some more excitement. And then there is of course the trail to highest peak, Te Manga (653m). I don’t how doable that is. If anyone reading this walks up either of those mountains please let us know how they were.
We were in Rarotonga at the end of May which is the cooler part of the year. I think we were a bit unlucky with the weather as most days were at best unsettled, but it didn’t stop us enjoying our trip. Plus it had the benefit that we didn’t sweat too much on our ride and hike!
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