Takitumu Conservation Tour

OVERVIEW

Nature and bird lovers will relish this opportunity to encounter Rarotonga’s most exotic avians during a conservation area tour. Traveling from the pier to the Takitumu region on the southern end of the island, you’ll embark on a guided walk through a rain-forested Conservation Center that’s deeply committed to researching how best to the protect the Cook Islands’ most endangered and precious species. At the very top of that list is a tiny flycatcher known as the kakerori, an indigenous bird found only on Rarotonga. Once populous, the population had dwindled to barely 30 breeding pairs in the 1990s due to predation by introduced feral cats. Happily, thanks to efforts that your visit here will help fund, their numbers are once again viable and on the upswing. You’ll learn the details, and perhaps spot a flycatcher and other feathered Rarotongan residents, as you walk the conservation area. You’ll also be introduced to the many species of medicinal plants that grow in the rainforest and learn about how local healers have used them as herbal remedies for centuries.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take a guided walking tour through the lush rainforest of the Takitumu Conservation Area.
• Learn about the rarest of its residents, a tiny highly-endangered flycatcher that lives only on Rarotonga.
• Feel a swell of pride knowing that your visit helps fund the landowners and conservationists who have brought this one-ounce beauty back from near-extinction.
• Be on the lookout for other exotic birds as you walk, while your guide also points out tropical plants whose medicinal and healing properties may surprise you.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.