Te Ana O Rakanui

Another large cave on Atiu is the Te Ana O Rakanui (Ana = cave in the local language, which is a dialect of the Maori language). The cave was once the homestead of the Rakanui family. It is a complicated maze of corridors and large chambers. Large collapses interrupt the system. The passages are also decorated with spectacular speleothems.

This cave, similar to many other Cook Islands caves, was used as burial place. The remains of some ancient members of the owner's family can still be seen here.

Text from George Szentes (2004): Caves of the Cook Islands, The British Caver Vol. 127 Spring 2005, pp 1-12, 13 color pictures, 1 bw picture, 1 map. With kind permission of the author.