Graves of Rarotonga

Never far from home, the graves on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands are lovingly cared for and an important part of the landscape.

By The Taphotourist

The past is alive in us, so in more than a metaphorical sense the dead are alive - we are our history. ― Epeli Hauʻofa

In the South Pacific island of Rarotonga, the spirits of ancestors live with everyone, are a fact of life, and nobody to be feared.

Family land runs from the coast to the inner hills of the island, cannot be bought and sold, and stays with the family or is leased. The graves, too, remain with the properties.

Write your story here. (Optional)

The Bible was translated into Maori in the 1800s and today nearly 70 percent of Cook Islanders are Protestant. Formal church cemeteries are far outnumbered by private backyard graves.

The living care only for the death they actually knew. The result of this tradition is a plethora of overgrown and neglected vaults.

Write your story here. (Optional)

The large and sometimes opulent burial vaults found in front yards most often belong to the woman of the family who built the house. Shoveling dirt onto a woman is a disgrace so the body is sealed entirely in concrete. For sanitation reasons, this practice spread to everyone.

Write your story here. (Optional)

It is possible to bury your own loved ones on leased land, assuming there is permission from the land owning family.

Write your story here. (Optional)

Graves are a natural extension of the landscape on Rarotonga. While it is possible to uproot derelict graves, “island time” has delayed this process. Today, hundreds of forgotten graves can still be admired from the road during a casual bike ride.