Arai-te-Tonga Marae

Arai-te-Tonga is the most important marae on Rarotonga, the ceremonial ground of the Makea line where paramount chiefs of Te Au O Tonga were invested, and it survives as a raised platform with an upright investiture stone, the koutu, and paved areas among the trees. It remains a sacred site and is not entered casually. It sits on the Ara Metua, the ancient road that circles the island inland.

What you actually see

• The investiture stone - the upright the paramount chiefs were installed at.
• The raised platform - the koutu of the Makea line.
• The paved areas - the surviving stonework of the ceremonial ground.
• The Ara Metua position - the site standing on the ancient inland road.

When to go

May to October is the drier season. The site is beside the road and visible at any time. It remains in ceremonial use.

Honest expectations

This is a sacred site: it should be viewed from the edge rather than walked over, and permission matters. There is no interpretation beyond a sign. The site is small and easy to drive past.

Nearby

The Ara Metua runs past it, and Avarua is west.