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Mangaia is very unlike Rarotonga or Aitutaki. Regarded by travellers who go there as the epitome of what an unspoiled south Pacific island should be, it is never-the-less, not geared towards packaged tourism.
For those who enjoy off the beaten track, or eco-tourism related places, then Mangaia is an excellent choice. It is very beautiful but it is not a 'soft' island. It has none of the sawtooth mountains which are so much a feature of Rarotonga nor the expansive blue lagoon and palm-fringed islets of Aitutaki.
Some Mangaians believe, possibly with some justification, that many travel agents try to steer off-island tourists to Aitutaki. Mangaia is known as the oldest island in the Pacific, dating back from 18 million years ago which is probably why it arouses keen interest among geologists.
It has a central volcanic plateau and, like many of the southern islands in the Cooks, it is surrounded by a 200-foot (60 m) high ring of cliffs of fossilised coral, makatea. These limestone battlements have created a real feature of interest on Mangaia. They are honeycombed with caves of stalactites and stalagmites of extraordinary beauty.
The largest and most spectacular cave is Teruarere. This was rediscovered in the mid 1930s by a native Mangaian in company with the celebrated American writer and Pacific exile, Robert Dean Frisbie. Mangaia is home to a very rare bird, the Mangaian Kingfisher.
Regarded as a separate species, Halcyon ruficollaris never eats fish but like its distant cousin, the Australian kookaburra, preys on skinks, insects and spiders. Known locally as the "tanga'eo", in imitation of its call, the bird was feared to be under threat of extinction. However, an Oxford University team established the population to be between 400 and 700 so the kingfisher appears to be safe for the present.
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