Kia Orana from Rarotonga. This short unplanned stopover in Rarotonga provided an opportunity for some much needed land time. We ‘berthed’ at the commercial harbor, a short walking distance from local markets, supermarkets and amenities. What struck us the most about the island were the people, this is by far the friendliest most welcoming place we have visited in our travels. Government officials, market stall holders, supermarket check out operators, and the locals who stopped at Sea Goddess for a chat or gave us a wave in passing, we were embraced in their openness and warmth. Special thanks and a big shout out to Bill from fisheries who gifted us with a huge bunch of bananas, mangos, lemons and pawpaw. We definitely have plans to return here for a much longer period of time, not only to visit the island of Aitutaki (our plans to visit here were scuttled by sea conditions) but to immerse ourselves in this wonderful culture.
General Information
Clearing In and Out processes were relatively painless. Clearing in was completed by government officials who visited Sea Goddess. First up was an inspector from the Department of Health who provided a health clearance certificate, cost $25NZ. A representative from the Department of Immigration and Customs arrived next. Passports and boat certification details were checked and logged, Peter as skipper had to complete a customs declaration as well as a form stating he was responsible for any crew who left the vessel, Sandra provided details of any controlled drugs on board, and all crew were required to complete an individual ‘passenger’ declaration. There was no charge for the immigration/customs checking in process. Lastly, a biosecurity officer came on board and removed the last of our perishable food, one clove of garlic and a small bag of mixed lettuce. In total the clearing in process took less than an hour.
There were three ordered steps to the clearing out process. Firstly, we needed to clear out with the port authority, which required payment of harbour fees and later showing the payment receipt to customs. Next stop was the immigration office, located a short walk from the harbour. Here Peter completed an overall departure form, a departure crew list as well as departure forms for individual crew members. As our crew were disembarking and staying on in Rarotonga, completion of these latter forms were limited to Peter and Sandra. All forms must be stamped and signed before heading to the final stop, customs. Customs is located in the same building as immigration, and Peter had pre-prepared as much of the required forms as he could. These were checked by the customs officer, a departure time was provided by Peter, and payment of fees completed. Fees included Customs Fee – Enter and Clear $57.20NZ and a Departure Tax $73.40NZ per person. An official ‘Certificate of Clearance Small Vessel’ was provided by Customs, which we will need to present at our next port of call, Noumea.
Wifi: We were unable to locate any cafes etc. that offered free wifi. Best option is to head to Bluesky which offers a range of prepaid wifi options for a fee. Given the short duration of our stay we opted for a 3 day pass $5.00(NZ) for 200MB. Postal services are also offered within this facility.
Transport options: These are limited to bus, taxi, hire car, scooters or bikes. There is a single road that traverses the outer perimeter of the island. Travel time non stop by car, motor bike or scooter is around 30 minutes. A local bus also traverses this route, and we planned on doing the loop by bus on Day 2 of our stay, unfortunately our time was swallowed up by formalities and administrivia associated with disembarkation of crew. Bicycle hire appeared to be a popular option, electric and grunt options are available. (Given the road incline I know which one I’d be choosing!)
Shopping: Lots of options are available a short walk from the harbour. Best idea is to grab a free map of Rarotonga which also includes a host of coupons. Here are our tips. Turn left on leaving the harbour for Punanga Nui Market, open Saturdays from 0800 – 1200, selling a range of fruit, vegetables, clothing, and souvenirs. We arrived on a Thursday and left on a Friday, and a small selection of stalls and eateries were open on both days. Thursday night is foodie night, with a range of ‘street’ foods and eateries catering to a range of tastes. There is also an ATM within the market grounds, a fee of $5.00NZ is charged for all withdrawals. (Additional ATMs as well as banking facilities are available in the main street). Further down the main street, and running parallel to the coastline, there were a number of marquees set up in a large grassed area. Mostly selling local crafts and souvenirs.
Additionally, a range of shops selling a variety of goods line the main street as well as some side streets leading off the main street. Two large supermarkets are located on the main thoroughfare including CITC Supermarket (turn right on exiting the harbour, and within easy walking distance from the harbour) and Foodland (turn left on exiting the harbour). Prime Foods, another supermarket, is located off the main thoroughfare (turn left on exiting the harbor, tucked behind the cathedral). We reprovisioned at the CITC Supermarket and found everything we needed, including some Australian treats which were a welcome addition to our trolley. Prices were in New Zealand dollars, and like most islands we have visited thus far food particularly perishables tend to be expensive.
Restaurants: For a small island, Rarotonga is awash with restaurants, cafes, takeaway outlets and street food stalls. Whatever style of eating and/or price point you are looking for you will find it here. We ate out twice and the food was well cooked, seasoned and delicious.
The island of Rarotonga might be small in size but it has a giant heart, definitely worth a visit or in our case a revisit. Click here for more information about Avatiu Harbour http://seagoddessadventures.com/avatiu-harbour-cook-islands/ .