August 4th - Constitution Day

Earlier on the 4th, I was going to go around the island on the Ara Metua. The Ara Metua originally was the first inland coral road built in the 11th century by a famous chief named Toi. He was way ahead of his time as it was a unique concept in Polynesia. It is now covered over with asphalt. It's one lane….only ½ as wide as the "highway" around Rarotonga.

I started taking photos along the way.

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A papaya field in the distance....here they are pawpaws.

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A marae is similar to a heiau in Hawaii.

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Kainuku's Marae

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Ruins

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Taakoka Motu in Muri Lagoon

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Koromiri Motu

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There are three breaks in the Ara Metua where it coincides with the main road. One is by Muri Beach where the lagoon is. I took some photos at the lagoon, then back on the road. When I turned my bike on the road that I thought was the Ara Metua, but it was really a driveway instead. I misjudged (driving on the left side as is done here) got into some gravel on asphalt and went down with the bike. I was generally unhurt except for a badly scrapped right knee. I washed it off with the water I carry, but it continued to bleed and looked terrible. I decided to go back to Punamaia and clean it up properly. Later in the day, I went into Avarua.

I was suprised to see a fairly large ship anchored offshore. I took some photos. Later on, at Metua's, I asked Billy the Fisherman about it. He said it's named the Golden Bear and is a ship from the University of California at San Diego. This is the third time they have come to Rarotonga. It has a load of university biology students on an educational cruise studying tropical flora and fauna. It had to leave it's anchor stuck in the coral because it would be too expensive to recover it.

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