Away from the water’s edge, Rarotonga offers some fantastic walking tracks and attractions. Notable sites include Highland Paradise, where visitors can explore traditional Cook Islands culture and enjoy breathtaking views and Black Rock, or 'Arai Te Tonga', which is a significant spiritual site for the islanders.

It is an engineering marvel, the world's steepest steam-operated railway. This is Tasmania's West Coast Wilderness Railway, and it is 28 tonnes of special. Today, passengers are moved by the same locomotives that began the run from Queenstown back in 1896. They take a comfortable 16-kilometre run through the wildlands, uphill through spectacular landscapes and down to a place called Dubbill Barrill, with stops for a little gold panning and sightseeing. These locos were originally built to move copper ore for the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company, delivering the mine's deep riches out of a massive, landlocked deposit at Queenstown to the port of Strahan, and from there, to the world. And every passenger is greeted by one of the line's original workhorses, a 28-tonne steam locomotive that's ready to roll — and guaranteed to raise a smile.

This church features two distinct architectural styles: Gothic and Baroque. Estimated to date from the late 15th or early 16th century, the most valuable piece of this church is the stone situated in the facade — this is dedicated to the holy martyrs buried here. The interior is full of artistic treasures such as The Main Baroque Altarpiece, baroque sculptures representing the Immaculate Conception, and a 17th century wood carving attributed to La Roldana.