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The Islands

Rarotonga

Rarotonga is the most populous island in a group of islands known as the Cook Islands, with about 9,500 residents.

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Cook Islands' Parliament buildings, as well as the international airport, are located on Rarotonga. Because it is the most populous island, Cook Islanders may be referred to as Rarotongan, but they may in fact come from one of the other 15 islands in the group, such as Aitutaki or Mangaia. Rarotonga is also a very popular tourist destination with many resorts, hotels and motels.

The chief town, Avarua, on the north coast, is also the capital of the Cook Islands. Rarotonga is divided into 12 districts, the first six of which constitute the capital, Avarua, and the others villages:

1. Pue - Matavera 2. Tupapa - Maraerenga
   
3. Takuvaine - Parekura 4. Tutakimoa - Teotue
   
5. Avatiu - Ruatonga 6. Nikao - Panama
   
7. Ruaau - Arorangi 8. Akaoa - Arorangi
   
9. Murienua - Arorangi 10. Titikaveka - Takitumu
   
11. Ngatangiia - Muri 12. Matavera
   


Places of interest

Palm studded white sandy beaches fringe most of the island and there is a popular cross island walk that connects Avatiu valley with the south side of the island. This walk passes Te Rua Manga, the prominent Needle shaped rock visible from the air and some coastal areas.

Transport

There are three harbours, Avatiu, Avarua and Avana of which only Avatiu harbour is of any commercial significance. Avatiu harbour serves a small fleet of inter-islands and fishing vessels and cargo ships regularly call from New Zealand. Large cruise ships have to anchor off shore.

Rarotonga is encircled by a main "ring" road that traces the coast. In places there is also a secondary ring road slightly further inland. Due to the mountainous interior, there is no road crossing the island. Rarotonga only has two bus routes: Clockwise & Anti-Clockwise . Although they have bus stops, the bus drivers drive around picking up anyone they see and dropping them off when the passengers want them to.

Rarotonga International Airport is the main hub of inter-island Transportation with Daily flights to Aitutaki, regular flights to Atiu, Mangaia, Mauke and Mitiaro and occasional flights to the remote Northern Atolls of Manihiki, Tongareva (Penrhyn) and Pukapuka all operated by the local Airline Air Rarotonga.

In the media

  • The travel writer Robert Dean Frisbie died on the island, after having lived there only briefly.
  • The 1995 album Finn by The Finn Brothers ends with the song "Kiss the Road of Rarotonga", which was inspired by a motorcycle accident that Tim Finn had during a visit there.
  • One of the "tribes" in the U.S. Television series Survivor: Cook Islands was named for the Island
  • The Mexican rock band Café Tacuba has a song on their first album called Rarotonga, but the song title refers instead to a female jungle-dwelling character in a comic book by Antonio Gutierrez
  • In the 2008 film "Nim's Island", Rarotonga is portrayed as a waypoint for fictional adventure writer Alexandra Rover (Jodie Foster) on her journey from San Francisco to a South Pacific island located at 200 S 1620 W. On this island lives 11 year-old Nim Rusoe (Abigail Breslin) with her marine biologist father, Jack (Gerard Butler) and assorted "less than traditional" pets.