Cross Island trek with Bruce from Maunga tours: Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Cross Island trek with Bruce from Maunga tours

turn off background music if you don’t want to listen to it

30 July, cross island walk with Bruce from Maunga tours, from the north end to the needle and down to Wigmores. It was a tough walk, pretty slippery on the way down. Pa Teuruaa was walking this as a guide but Pa retired from cross island trekking in May 2018 after completing his 5000th trek. Bruce his nephew took over this guided tour and Bruce guides most other treks on the main Island as well; Raemaru, Te Kou, Ikurangi, Maungatea Bluff, Te Manga. (these are the most well known) Get in touch with Bruce before you decide to trek by yourself because some of the treks can be quite difficult and it can sometimes be hard to find the start of the trek and the trek can have limited markers.

http://enjoycookislands.com/stories/gerald-mccormack-and-the-mountain-tracks-of-rarotonga

https://maungatours.com

Here Pa at the start of the Cross Island trek I did with him in July 2011. Look he walks on bare feet ! Pa retired from cross island trekking in May 2018 after completing his 5000th trek.

• 

• 

We started walking at the above plaque with a view of the Needle. After about an hour of pretty steep walking, we get to the Needle. The trek on the way up is not to difficult, you can use the roots from trees to pull yourself up and sometimes use them as a stepping platform

This is about 180 degrees panorama from the needle with some of the needle on the left, looking from west to north to east with the needle appearing on the right again. You can see Raemaru on the left, Maungaroa the point peak right of Raemaru. Maungatea right of the valley, te Manga in the distance far right.

From the needle you walk down to the south of the island and halfway you get to see mountain top te Kou, which is a trek I want to do as well. (unfortunately the day that was planned for it was to wet)