Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Photo by Bill Johnson

Avarua (means "Two Harbors" in Cook Islands Māori) is a town and district in the north of Rarotonga Island which is the emerald jewel of the South Pacific. Avarua is the national capital of the Cook Islands and only a 5 minutes drive from Rarotonga International Airport is a pleasant seaside town with banks, lots of restaurants and boutique shops, but no beach and limited accommodation. The mountain views from Avarua are quite spectacular. The population of Avarua District is 5,445 (census of 2006) who mainly make their living from tourism, trade, fishing and agriculture. The one main road in Avarua is Ara Maire Nui, usually referred to as Marine Drive or Main Street, which turns into the island-circling ring road Ara Tapu at both ends of town.