The caves on Atiu are famous for their extraordinary beauty and while Atiu is certainly off the beaten track and perhaps not well marketed globally, if exceptional beauty in its natural form is what you want to see, then this is the place to go. Only 45 monutes from Rarotonga, Air Raro does service it regularly. It is a place where there are plenty of guides as well as caves for the less fot, unlike Mauke where the caves are mostly underwater and you'll need to be certified as well as ask around for the caves' locations.
On Atiu, you can enjoy two separate day tours with the Humphreys family. Visit the spectacular Anatakitaki Cave, home of the unique kopeka bird. Experience a challenging walk through the bush, visit three cave chambers, hear the legends and swim in a candle-lit cave. For people who are less fit, Raka's Cave (Te Ana O Rakanui)offers a wonderful alternative. A special tour can also be arranged for visitors with special needs. If you like taking photographs, this enchanted cave is for you! It was once the homestead of the Rakanui family.
Many generations lived and died in this magnificent hideaway deep inside the island's lush rain forest that covers the razor-sharp rocks of the Makatea (elevated fossilised coral reef). Each of the fifteen chambers is different: Some are majestic like the ruins of ancient Greece; in many others stalactites and stalagmites have joined to form doors and windows, tables, chairs and beds where some of your guide's ancestors found their last rest.
Please respect their remains and the cave's uniqueness and do not take anything with you from there but the strong visual, tactile and acoustic impressions that you can gather on the guided tour. The cave is ample and relatively easy to walk through, but visitors should wear good, firm shoes and bring along a torch light, especially, if you want to take photos.
Make sure you have plenty of film, because you will be unable to stop! Aue, who is the guide to these caves, does not have his own vehicle, so it is required that you have your own transport to the cave's entrance. Aue will collect you from your accommodation.
The 2-hour tour costs $ 15.00 per person. and on request (and for an additional $5.00,) your guide will take you right through the rain forest and share with you his forefathers' knowledge of the makatea's plants: for food, for medicines and - for poisons. If you still want more, top it up with another five dollars and follow Aue along the reef and learn all over again! Both optional additions to his tour will add an approximate hour and a half each. The visit to Raka's Cave (Te Ana o Rakanui) can be booked through your accommodator or by ringing Aue directly at his home telephone number +682 33256. And for a little difference...
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On a walk back in time you will visit the sacred sites of Terea Mataiapo and Katara and learn about young lovers, fierce warriors and feats of incredible strength. Follow the dramatic route taken by hundreds as they went to meet their death. Enter the burial cave , final resting place of their earthly remains. Admire the beauty of stone-age artefacts found buried with their unfortunate owners.
Pounder and stone adz heads Strong non-slip footwear is essential! Access to the burial cave places some restrictions on people's physical size and ability to cope with confined spaces. This tour is NOT SUITABLE for those who suffer from claustrophobia nor recommended for young children! Duration of the Tour: 1.5 hours, Price: NZ$ 15.00/adultPrice includes return transfers. Book directly or phone (+682 33041), through your travel agency or accommodator.
Strong, non-slip footwear is essential for the challenging thirty-minute walk through the lush green of Atiu's Makatea (fossilised raised coral reef). Friends of fairy tales will love the moving legend of Inutoto and Tangaroa that was spun around the caves in ancient times. You will learn about the plant and animal life in the rain forest surroundings. Land crab Gate to a former pig pen in the Makatea The stunning lime stone caves are home to the Atiu Swiftlet or Kopeka (below) that builds its nest deep in between the stalactites of the cavern and navigates in total darkness guided by the echo of its clicking sounds. Kopeka or Atiu Swiftlet
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