Official Language:
English
Secondary Language:
Cook Island Maori
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Currency:
New Zealand Dollar
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Population:
Approximtaly 9,500 people call Rarontonga home.
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Weather:
Climate and current weather information for Rarontonga: The climate here is pleasant all year long. and The winter temperatures drop to a delightfully warm 75°F/24°C degrees and an average annual rainfall of 204 cm, big parts of the island are overgrown by. The island is so clean you might think somebody zips round the island every morning making sure the roads have all been swept clean and the flowers are all neatly arranged and waterded.The lagoon within Rarotonga's outer reef is narrow around most of the island but it widens out around the south side where the beaches are also best. Muri Lagoon, fringed by three sand cays and one volcanic islet, is the widest part of the lagoon althouhg even here it is very shallow. The land area of the island is 67 square kilometer and only 32 kilometer around. Around the whole island is a coastal road. Archeologists have discovered the road is more than a thousand years old.
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Raratonga is the largest of the fifteen nations that make up the Cook Islands.
Cruise ships generally dock offshore in Rarotonga , and passengers are tendered into Avatiu Harbour.
Rarotonga is served by an efficient bus system that can take you and your family all around the island. Buses leave Cook's Corner every half hour, traveling in a clockwise loop around the island. In addition, taxis are available in Rarotonga, as well. If you'd like to rent a car while in the Cook Islands, contact Avis (tel. 682/22-833).
Rarotonga is one of the premier destinations on your cruise vacation. In the South Pacific, many visitors discover that this location is more gorgeous than Tahiti.
Land at the port of Avarua on the northern coast of the island, the administrative centre of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic in origin, mountainous, and relatively fertile. The highest point is Te Manga (652 m/2,139 ft). Rarotonga's inhabitants are largely descended from voyagers from the Society Islands and the Marquesas.
The fishing off the coast of Rarotonga is incredible, and local fisherman claim to have landed some of the largest tuna and marlin anywhere. Outdoor sports are quite popular on the island; from golf to hiking to tennis, Rarotonga has it all. Typically the dining, sports engagements, and nightlife are about half as expensive as the islands in French Polynesia and the rest of the South Pacific, so get ready to have some fun! You can either do twice as much for the same amount of money, or do everything that you would do in Tahiti and spend half what you would there. Speaking of the dining and nightlife, it is tremendous on this spectacular island, with magnificent eateries and splendid stores everywhere. The Rarotonga Lagoon is a magnificent sight, and whether snorkeling or enjoying a relaxing swim, this place truly puts you at peace. The whole island has an air of harmonious joy, and everything you do you will do with a smile. The lagoon is ideal for exploring, but it is too shallow for scuba diving. Don't be alarmed, because the scuba diving expeditions outside the Rarotonga reef are glorious, and you will be hard-pressed to find more daring diving adventures anywhere.
The mountains and lagoons of Rarotonga are miraculous, and before missionaries arrived here in 1823, the island was a series of swampy habitats and dense valleys. These days, fruit trees and colorful crops light up the island, and everywhere you look, your eyes and heart will be more than satisfied. The climate here is pleasant all year long, and in the winter the temperatures drop to a delightful 75-degree range.
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Attractions |
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Golf
is a popular pastime on Rarotonga, and public and private events are held quite often. Playing a round at The Rarotonga Golf Club (682/27-360) is certainly an experience that you will not forget. If you hit a ball too hard, it is highly probable that it will end up striking the island's radio tower! Definitely tune into this great course, open Monday-Saturday.
The scuba diving and snorkeling in Rarotonga are fabulous, and the best company to contact for excellent dive expeditions is Dive Rarotonga in Arorangi (682/21-873). They send out two boats a day that travel outside Rarotonga's Lagoon. The ocean bottom gradually declines to 80 feet, and reaches depths of 12,000 feet in the immediate vicinity. Caves and tunnels make the region remarkably exciting, but you must be careful when exploring this remote underwater destination. Two shipwrecks add to the mysterious dive, and both of them can be viewed easily, as they are only 60 and 80 feet deep. Perhaps the best company for snorkeling adventures is Captain Tama's AquaSports, located at the Pacific Resort (682/27-350). Whether snorkeling or swimming, the Rarotonga Lagoon, as well as the Muri Lagoon, provide outstanding opportunities to view extraordinary marine life and picturesque scenery.
Fishermen off the coast of Rarotonga claim that this is some of the best tuna, blue marlin, and mahi-mahi fishing in the world. The deep-sea fishing adventures and shore fishing are both outstanding experiences, and Cook Islands Game Fishing Club in Traffic Circle (682/21-419) can provide you with a wide selection of pleasant opportunities.
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More Information |
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Web: www.tropicalislandvacation.com/rarotonga.html
Web: www.cook.islands-holiday.com/rarotonga.html
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