Day 20 - January 22, 2025 - Wednesday - Rarotonga

After leaving Tahiti, we sailed for about 700 miles in 40 hours to reach our next destination, Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.

The Cook Islands consists of 15 islands whose total land area is approximately 91 sq mi. The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone  covers 756,771 sq mi of ocean.  That's a lot o ocean for a small island nation.

The Cook  Islands is self-governing while in free association with New Zealand. Since the start of the 21st century, the Cook Islands has directed its own independent foreign and defense policy, and also has its own customs regulation.  Most Cook Islanders are also citizens of New Zealand, but they also have the status of Cook Islands nationals, which is not given to other New Zealand citizens. 

The Cook Islands' main population is located on the island of Rarotonga, population 10,863 of a total population of 14,987 in 2021. It is interesting that there is larger population of Cook Islanders in New Zealand and Australia than on the island. With over 168,000 visitors to the islands in 2018, tourism is the country's main industry and leading element of its economy, ahead of offshore banking, pearls, and marine and fruit exports.

Our arrival in Rarotonga this morning was just after daybreak.

We had a quick breakfast in the World Café and met in the Star Theater for our tour group to be called.  Since this was a tender port, guests who had a scheduled tour were being tendered before it was an open tender.  Our experience, so far, with the tender process on the Viking Sky has been great.  We have had very short waits an smooth rides.  I am sure we have some more challenging tender ports before our cruise ends.  This morning we were doing an included tour which took us to Murio Beach Village on the west side of the island.  

Our 5 minute tender ride.

After arriving at the pier, we had a 15-minute mini-bus ride to the small village.  

We were discharged at the Te Ara Museum.  This was a small museum which displayed the history and culture of Rarotonga and the Cook Islands.  It spurred my interest to read more about the Islands’ history.

I can't even begin to imagine what making a 700+ mile sailing on the Pacific in a vessel like this would be like.  

Following a brief tour of the museum, we walked a couple of hundred yards to the beach.  The water was beautiful.  It was a little rocky where we enter the beach so we walked a little distance to smooth sand.  The water is very shallow.  Carl and I waded out, and it was only about waist deep 100 yards out.  The ocean floor was pure sand but covered in patches of bottom seaweed.

These dogs appeared to be walking on water.

This is the picture most guys have when they think of Polynesia and NO she is not from our ship!

Following our 2 hour beach and museum excursion, we boarded another mini-bus for the return to the pier and welcome center where we would meet our next tour.

The bus situation was interesting.  The Shore Excursion director had told us that they used all the available buses for transportation.  These ranged from 9 passenger party buses to 30+ passenger buses.  Both of the buses we used were in pretty poor condition, but it is not easy to get large vehicles to an island so remote.  The primary mode of transportation is motor bikes and bicycles.

Our next excursion was a 4x4 trip around the island and to some points interior.  

Love the motto " We go where no others dare to"

Our guide/driver was Rob, who was a native of New Zealand, but now lived on Rarotonga after marrying a local girl.  He was very animated and informative.

We has a bumpy ride up to an elevation of about 600 feet to get a good view of the volcanic valley and the “Needle”, the remaining core of the volcano which formed Rarotonga.

Following the mountain ride we visited several other areas of interest where Rob gave excellent explanations regarding the plants and crops of the islands.  We also visited THE WATERFALL.  Rarotonga is a basalt island and thus has no underground water.  They depend entirely on rainwater for their water supply.  Fortunately, it rains a lot!

There were many youths enjoying the waterfall and swimming hole.

We made several stops along the beach.  At one Rob took a quick swim.

As most Polynesian men, Rob had many tattoos.

I am not sure I would want to join a Sports Club which had graves in the yard!  Not sure what sport!

It would be difficult playing basketball without any backboards.  What do you think Hampton?

Rarotonga, like most of the Polynesian islands have a peculiar burial method, well peculiar to me.  They bury their loved ones in their yard.

We saw dozens of graves alongside and in front of homes on Rarotonga.  They ranged from very fancy

 tombs with covering to plain open graves.  Most were above ground.  We were told while in Bora Bora by our guide that if you were liked by the family, you were buried in the front yard, if not you got the back yard.  I'm not sure if he was joking or not...

This map shows our 4x4 trip around Rarotonga.  The road inward from the top was to the "Needle'.  The one from the bottom upward was to the waterfall.  This map came from my Geotracker app.

We were all exhausted when we arrived back at the ship.  Janet had suffered from a headache all day and the 4x4 ride did not help a bit.  She retired to rest and did not have dinner.  After dinner none of us were interested in the entertainment for the night, so we called it an early night.  Tomorrow will be the first of  another 5 sea days followed by 5 port days in New Zealand with excursions each day.