Cross-Island Track
The walk across the island past the Needle, a 1,355-foot basalt spire.
Duration
4 hrs – 5 hrs
Difficulty
●●●○○
Best time
Early morning, in the dry season
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
The track crosses Rarotonga north to south by way of the Te Rua Manga saddle, the four-hundred-and-thirteen-metre basalt spire everyone calls the Needle. It is an old volcanic conduit, the hard rock left standing when the cone eroded away around it.
The trail is seven kilometres and takes three to four hours. It is done north to south: the climb is steep but short, the descent long and muddy alongside a stream, down to the Wigmore falls where you swim at the end.
Getting there
Starts on the Avatiu road, in the north. The island bus stops at both ends of the track.
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- Swimsuit
- Sportswear
Rules on site
The path is muddy, slippery and poorly waymarked in places: do not do it alone or after heavy rain. The stream can flood and cut the descent, and there is no mobile signal.