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- Kakerori Forest Walk: the guided walk through the valley forest that the park is known for, usually a morning outing of a couple of hours, with a modest fee paid to the community operators. The guide stops often to point out birds and plants.
- The kakerori itself: a small, orange-brown flycatcher found only on Rarotonga and, since a 2001 transfer, Atiu, restored from a tiny remnant to several hundred birds. You hear its sharp call before you spot it flitting low through the canopy.
- Cook Islands fruit dove: a rare and softly colored pigeon-like bird that lives in the same forest. Look for it in fruiting trees where it sits very still.
- Native forest and mamaku tree ferns: the walk passes towering tree ferns and old hardwoods that give a very different feel from the coconut-lined coast, shaded and
- Kakerori Forest Walk: the guided walk through the valley forest that the park is known for, usually a morning outing of a couple of hours, with a modest fee paid to the community operators. The guide stops often to point out birds and plants.
- The kakerori itself: a small, orange-brown flycatcher found only on Rarotonga and, since a 2001 transfer, Atiu, restored from a tiny remnant to several hundred birds. You hear its sharp call before you spot it flitting low through the canopy.
- Cook Islands fruit dove: a rare and softly colored pigeon-like bird that lives in the same forest. Look for it in fruiting trees where it sits very still.
- Native forest and mamaku tree ferns: the walk passes towering tree ferns and old hardwoods that give a very different feel from the coconut-lined coast, shaded and damp, with the sound of dripping leaves.
- Bush medicine plants: guides identify leaves and roots traditionally used in Cook Islands remedies, and often let you crush and smell them. This is the part first-timers tend to remember.
- Avana Harbour: a short ride down the road, this narrow harbor on the Takitumu coast is the traditional departure point of the canoes that sailed to Aotearoa, marked by a memorial and quiet water.
- Ara Metua: the old inland road that runs through the district, lined with taro patches, small farms and churchyards. It is flat and perfect for a bicycle ride before or after the walk.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.