The volcanic island of Rarotonga is the sleepy
capital of the Cook Islands. Once a New Zealand colony, its needle-like rock,
Te Rua Manga, pierces the sky from the island’s center. Surrounded by a lagoon,
its dramatic slopes rise up to scenic agricultural highlands where terraced
farming provides the Cooks with fresh vegetables and fruits. White sandy
beaches lined with palms surround Rarotonga. Because of the mountainous
terrain, a roadway encircles the island, but vehicles cannot cross the island’s
center directly; inland routes can be traveled only by foot. Several
ancient marae, communal gathering places typical of Polynesian
tribes, dot the landscape and enjoy spectacular seaside settings.
This is what we were supposed to see; however,
like the last time we were here, we never got ashore. The reason both times was
because the seas are to rough for the tenders. But, not like last time, it was
nice outside and we did got to see the island from the water. Last time it was
rainy and the island was surrounded in clouds. So, the pictures here are what
we saw as we circled the island before heading off to Tonga.
As you will see we did lower a lifeboat in the water to go
pick up the immigration people, so we could really see it bouncing around.
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