Northern Group Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Boat

Apart from flying, the only regular way of getting to the Northern Group islands is on the inter-island cargo ships. They unload and load at the islands by day, so if you're doing a circuit of the islands you'll only spend a few hours at most of them, overnighting only at Manihiki and Penrhyn. If you want to stay longer you either have to wait until the next ship comes by (remembering that voyages are often cancelled, so your one-month stay could become two months or longer) or, on the islands with airstrips, you could always take the boat one way and then fly out. Ask around at the harbour in Avarua to see if there are any yachts or private boats travelling up to the Northern Group - you might just be in luck.

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Air

You can fly to Manihiki and Penrhyn once a week, and to Pukapuka occasionally. Flights take 3½ to 4½ hours from Rarotonga and are really expensive - the cheapest return fare starts at a whopping NZ$1250.

Bad weather, limited fuel supplies and too few bookings can sometimes cause the flights not to run, or be cancelled at short notice. Take out travel insurance to cover unavoidable delays when you fly to the Northern Group islands, and bring plenty of books just in case.

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