Watersports

Scuba-diving and snorkeling are excellent in the clear waters of the islands’ many lagoons. Visibility is seldom less than 30m (100ft) and the scenery is quite varied, with canyons, caves, 73 types of live coral and a rich marine life. A maximum of 10 persons can dive at any one site at any one time.

There are four dive companies operating in Rarotonga and Aitutaki, usually offering two diving trips a day. Divers must have a recognized diving certificate. Some of the best dive sites include the Matavera Drop-off; the Ngatangiia Swimthroughs (particularly well-known for its unusual and rare fish species); Koromiri Coral Garden; Mataora Wreck (purposely sunk in December 1990); Papua Canyon (known for its eagle ray population); and Sand River.

Whale watching can also be practiced in the Cook Islands: the humpback whale season is from July to October. In addition to observing the whales from a boat, it is possible to swim with them wearing a snorkel; for details, contact local operators. Game fishing excursions (usually five-hour trips) are available. Visitors can also watch flying fish being netted at night in outrigger canoes equipped with bright lights.

Aitutaki’s magnificent 50 sq km- (19 mile-) lagoon is suitable for fly and bait fishing. It holds the world all-tackle record for Hump Head Maori Wrasse. Windsurfing at Muri beach is the center for windsurfing and sailing. Visitors are welcome at Rarotonga Sailing Club, where sailing races are held on Saturday afternoons from October to May. Kayaking tours in the lagoon are also available, as are lagoon cruises to the coral reefs in glass-bottomed boats or in a semi-submersible vessel.

Walking

The island of Rarotonga offers a wide range of walks for all ages and fitness levels. There are 13 marked trails, and guides should be hired for all routes leading into the inland area of Rarotonga. Details are available from hotels and other tourist establishments.

The most popular trails include the Cross Island Trek (a four-and-a-half-hour trek through the center of the island on paths known to be historical war paths of ancestral warriors); Pa’s Mountain Walk (a four- to five-hour walk through the lush interior); Te Kou Trek (a five-hour trek with steep ascents and good views); and the Ikurangi Trek (a four-hour trek for experienced hikers only, also providing the opportunity for rock climbing around the top of the mountain). The Takitumu Conservation Area Walk also offers birdwatching. Guided lagoon reef walks are possible at low tide along Rarotonga’s coral fringe.

Other

The Rarotonga Golf Club has a nine-hole golf course. In addition, lawn bowls has an enthusiastic following and is a long-established sport in Rarotonga. Two-and-a-half-hour pony treks to Wigmores Waterfall leave twice daily with a maximum of six people per trip (advance booking is recommended).

The developed resorts are situated on Rarotonga and Aitutaki, and provide various amenities (see Activities section). The best swimming beaches are at Muri Lagoon and Titikaveka.

A variety of tours are available, including lagoon cruises, inland trekking, historical tours, guided walking trips, sightseeing by air, and horse-drawn and motorized drives around the islands. A scenic drive into the Takuvaine/Avatiu Valleys offers a panorama of lush tropical scenery. Papua (Wigmore’s) Waterfall, the only waterfall on the island, is located at Vaimaanga.

The museum at Takamoa has excellent examples of Cook Islands handicrafts.
The three-hour ‘cultural village tour’ offers the opportunity to enjoy demonstrations in weaving, coconut husking, fire making, carving and other Cook Islands traditions.
During the year, various festivals take place. These are generally celebrated with singing and dancing, often with a strange mixture of traditional ritual grafted on to the somewhat later Christian music and ceremony.

The choirs of the Cook Islands are renowned. Places of historical interest include: the Takamoa Mission House, built in 1842, and believed to be the second-oldest building in the South Pacific; the old Palace of Makea at Taputapuatea; Pa’s Palace in Takitumu, which is built of coral and lime; and Arai-Te-Tonga (Marae), consisting of stone structures which, in the islands’ pre-European history, formed a koutu, or royal court, where the investiture of chiefs took place. This spot is still regarded as sacred.

This article describes the economy of the Cook Islands. Like many other South Pacific island nations, the Cook Islands’ economic development is hindered by the isolation of the country from foreign markets, lack of natural resources, periodic devastation from natural disasters, and inadequate infrastructure. Agriculture provides the economic base with major exports made up of copra and citrus fruit.

Manufacturing activities are limited to fruit-processing, clothing, and handicrafts. Trade deficits are made up for by remittances from emigrants and by foreign aid, overwhelmingly from New Zealand. Efforts to exploit tourism potential, encourage offshore banking, and expand the mining and fishing industries have been partially successful in stimulating investment and growth.

Politics of the Cook Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic associated state, whereby the Chief Minister is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. The Islands are self-governing in free association with New Zealand and are fully responsible for internal affairs.

New Zealand retains some responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook Islands. In recent years the Cook Islands has taken on more of its own external affairs and as of 2005 has diplomatic relations in its own name with 18 other countries. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Parliament of the Cook Islands. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

The monarch is hereditary; her representative is appointed by the monarch. The New Zealand high commissioner is appointed by the New Zealand Government. The cabinet is chosen by the prime minister and collectively responsible to Parliament. Ten years of rule by the Cook Islands Party (CIP) came to an end 18 November 1999 with the resignation of Prime Minister Joe Williams.

Williams had led a minority government since October 1999 when the New Alliance Party (NAP) left the government coalition and joined the main opposition Democratic Party (DAP). On 18 November 1999, DAP leader Dr. Terepai Maoate was sworn in as prime minister. He was succeeded by his co-partisan Robert Woonton. When he lost his seat in the 2004 elections, Jim Marurai took over.

Legislative branch

The Parliament of the Cook Islands has 25 members, elected for a five year term in single-seat constituencies.

In the Cook Islands, Christian music is extremely popular. Imene tuki and imene metua are forms of unaccompanied vocal music known for a uniquely Polynesian drop in pitch at the end of the phrases, as well as staccato rhythmic outbursts of nonsensical syllables (tuki).

Traditional dance is the most prominent art form of the Cook Islands. Each island has its own unique dances that are taught to all children, and each island is home to several annual competitions. Traditional dances are generally accompanied by the drumming of the pate.

The Cook Islands drumming style is well-known internationally, but is often misidentified as an example of Tahitian music.

Harmony-singing church music and a wide variety of hymns and wedding and funeral music are found throughout the Cook Islands. There is much variation across the region, and each island has its own traditional songs

The Cook Islands are situated 3500km (2200 miles) northeast of New Zealand and 1000km (600 miles) southwest of Tahiti in the South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia. The islands fall into two groups: the scattered Northern Group are all coral atolls while the Southern Group is of volcanic origin. Rarotonga is the largest and highest island with a rugged volcanic interior, its highest peak being Te Manga, at 652m (2140ft).

Coral reef surrounds the island and the population lives between reef and hills where rich soil supports both tropical and subtropical vegetation. Most of the island is covered by thick evergreen bush. Most of the larger islands include lagoons surrounded by small areas of fertile land, above which rise volcanic hills. The best beaches found on Aitutaki are also part of the eight-island Southern Group. The Northern Group comprises seven islands, the largest being Penrhyn, Manihiki and Pukapuka. The Cook Islands have been used as the setting for several films, the best-known being Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence

The island’s present-day name stems from the local language, however the precise origin of the meaning is elusive. Simply, ‘raro’ means ‘down’ and ‘tonga’ means ’south’. Some say the famous Tahitian navigator, Iro, visited it once and some years later reported he had “gone down to the south,” hence raro tonga. The Samoan voyager, Karika, is also reputed to have called it Rarotonga when he first saw it from the northeast because it was leeward — ‘raro’ — and towards the south — ‘tonga’.

These beautiful islands consist of two main groups, one in the north and one in the south. The southern group is nine “high” islands mainly of volcanic origin although some are virtually atolls. The majority of the population lives in the southern group. The northern group comprises six true atolls.

The Cook Islands became a British protectorate at their own request in 1888, then were transferred to New Zealand in 1901. They remained a New Zealand protectorate until 1965, at which point they became a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand. Today, the Cook Islands are essentially independent, but are still officially placed under New Zealand sovereignty. New Zealand is tasked with overseeing the country’s foreign relations and defence, but may not impose legislation on the Cook Islands without the latter’s consent. The Cook Islands are one of three New Zealand dependencies, along with Tokelau and Niue.

After achieving autonomy in 1965, the Cook Islands elected Albert Henry of the Cook Islands Party as their first Prime Minister. He was succeeded in 1978 by Tom Davis of the Democratic Party. On June 11, 1980, the United States signed a treaty with New Zealand specifying the maritime border between the Cook Islands and American Samoa and also relinquishing its claim to the islands of Penrhyn, Pukapuka (Danger), Manihiki, and Rakahanga.

There are several interesting buildings around Rarotonga which are referred to as palaces, being the homes of the district chief or ariki. More impressive are the old limestone churches built by missionaries in the mid-1800’s. The oldest church is on Aitutaki in Arutanga Village, but of equal beauty is Matavera church on the east coast of Rarotonga and Avarua church in the main town where several notable islanders and distinguished Europeans are buried.
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The Cook Islands (Cook Islands Maori: Kuki ‘Airani) are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. The 15 small islands in this South Pacific Ocean have a total land area of 240 square kilometres (92.7 sq. mi).

Tourism is the country’s number one industry, the leading element of the economy, far ahead of offshore banking, pearls, marine and fruit exports. A popular art form on the islands is tivaivai, often likened to quilting.

Defence is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request. The Cook Islands has adopted an increasingly independent foreign policy, particularly after the adoption of an isolationist and non-aligned policy by New Zealand in the 1980s.

The islands were named after Captain James Cook, who became the first European to sight them in 1733. However, credit for the first discovery of these islands must go to the Polynesians who discovered them during their great migratory journeys across the Pacific in the seventh and eighth centuries. The main island, Rarotonga, was rediscovered by the Bounty Mutineers in 1789. In 1888 they became a British protectorate, and in 1901 became part of New Zealand. But in 1965, the islands achieved self-government as a New Zealand Dependency. (more…)