Rarotonga Island. Cook Island. Polynesia. South Pacific Ocean. A tourist crosses the island of Rarotonga in the Pa’s trekking. The most popular of these is the cross-island mountain trekking, which takes approximately four hours. This includes a stop at 'The Needle', a unique rock formation high above Rarotonga. The Takitumu Conservation Area offers gentle nature walks through lush forest and along mountain streams, where you will find a number of rare and endangered species of plants and birds. Whether you call it trekking , tramping or hiking, in Rarotonga you will get the chance to see many native bird species as well as exotic butterflies and plenty of endemic plants and ferns. Tramping or hiking is an easy one day activity, and it is possible to do it alone. However if you are wanting to attempt the main cross islands walk there are no signposts, and the trail itself is quite difficult to find and follow in places, not to mention quite treacherous and hard going in the wet season. It is advised to engage Pa a local tramping guide, as many people have been injured or worse, attempting this hike alone. Pa Mountain Trekking is one of the best organized hikes on Rarotonga. The hike is around 4 hours long and is a wonderful educational experience for the entire family to enjoy. Not only do you get to learn about the local flora and fauna, but Pa is well known for telling many ancient myths and legends associated with the island. Besides the Cross Island track which passes through ‘The Needle’, some other good hiking trails on Rarotonga include the Papua Waterfall track, the Avana Valley track, the Turangi track and Raemaru Lookout. Another great hiking destination on Rarotonga is the Takitumu Conservation Area, which is a protected rainforest reserve. Home to several endemic bird species including the kakerori, walking tours need to be prearranged and booked.