Rarotonga is a joy to explore, whether you’re on a bus, in a rental car or on two wheels. Your only real choice is whether to go clockwise or anti-clockwise around the island, though it is well worth doing both.

The main road, Ara Tapu, is flat and pretty much sticks to the coast the whole way around the island. A secondary ring road, Ara Metua, runs slightly inland from the main road for about 90% of the way around, though there’s no room for it on parts of the south and southeast coast.

There are no roads through the mountainous centre of the island, though there are two roads you may wish to explore that run up valleys to the start and the end of the Cross Island Walk. From Avarua, drive south and inland on Uruau Dr to the start of the track. On the south coast, from “Sheraton corner”, head north and inland on Papua Rd up to Wigmore’s Waterfall and the end of the track.

Take note of the graffiti-covered wreck of the Sheraton, a failed attempt by the international giant to set up a hotel on Rarotonga that was 90% complete when abandoned in 1992. It’s not always rosy in paradise!