Avaiki

Avaiki Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Located near Makefu Village, 6 km north of Alofi on the coast road. Clearly signposted from the coast road.
Open:	not restricted. [2006]
Fee:	free [2006]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	none, bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:
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Accessibility:
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Address:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

Avaiki Cave is the place where, according to legend, the first canoe landed, bringing Polynesian settlers to the island. The reason is clear, this is an ideal landing place. The name Avaiki is derived from the word Havaiki, the ancestral centre of Polynesia. Later it was the bathing place of kings, sometimes called the royal swimming hole.

Today, a path leads down through a narrow gorge to the cave. A dripstone cave with various branches which connects to the coast. There is a beautiful rock pool filled with crystal-clear water, which is used for swimming by locals and tourists alike. However, swimming in the pool is forbidden on Sunday and when kaloama or kalamoana (goatfish) spawn around February.