Port Overview

The Ports Authority is a Crown owned Statutory Corporation established by Act of the Cook Islands Parliament. The objective of the Ports Authority is to provide commercially viable port facilities and develop growth opportunities from its assets which include Crown Land and buildings, wharves, port facilities, tug boats, barges, plant and equipment, storage sheds and open storage space

Port website: www.ports.co.ck/amenities.html

Key port information may also be found at: http://www.maritime-database.com

Port Picture

1 International Terminal                            2 International Cargo (shed 2)    3 Origin Gas Terminal

4 Ports Workshop & Canteen Room        5 Domestic Cargo (shed 1)          6 Domestic Terminal

7 Southern Wall Wharf                               8 Maritime Surveillance              9 Police Launch Berth       10 Tug Berth                                     11 Pleasure and fishing boats

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

The Ports Authority is responsible for the port. Its assets include buildings, wharves, port facilities, tugboats, plant and equipment, storage/transit sheds, open storage areas, and stacking areas for commercial purposes. It also maintains the channel, approach, berth depths, navigational aids, and wharves (piers, jetties).

It provides marshalling services for the movement of containerised, break-bulk and homogeneous cargoes. It also provides cargo handling equipment for containers and general cargo, and a container cleaning service.

There is a single stevedoring company; Cook Islands General Transport Ltd and a devanning company: HPM De-vanning that unpacks containers.

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List 

Port Performance

Channel draft is from 30m from outside reef to 13m before entrance. Inside entrance at breakwaters is 10m depth.

Maximum length for vessel of more than 120m and up to 200m can either enter bow into berth and reverse out, or reverse into berth and exit bow first.

There is no congestion currently with about 60% occupancy. It does experience congestion from time to time when domestic vessels, international cargo vessels, expedition cruise ships and yachts (during yacht season, May–August) are all present. There is no established priority for humanitarian cargoes at present however there is in emergency situations.

Average waiting time between arrival and berthing, dependant on weather, is 1 – 2 hours. Winds over 20 knots will result in vessels being held offshore until they abate. This happens occasionally and irregularly.

Fuel can be discharged from tanker vessels directly to the nearby fuel farms via underground pipe from the wharf.

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges

For information on port rates and charges, please see the following link:  www.ports.co.ck

Berthing Specifications

General Cargo Handling Berths

Port Handling Equipment

Equipment is owned and managed by the Ports Authority. Maintenance and repairs is carried out by external contractors

Container Facilities

Containers are stacked (up to 3 high) on a tar sealed open-air storage area.

Customs Guidance

Customs require:

- 5 days notice for cargo shipping

- 48 hours for cruise passengers (clearance procedures are required to be made at port of departure prior to Rarotonga)

Average clearance time for cargo shipping 1-2 hours.

Customs are available 24 hours if required (not available on Sundays)

For more information on customs in the Cook Islands, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information  

Terminal Information

Multipurpose Terminal

There is one terminal. It is used for discharging/loading containerised and/or palletised cargo. It does not have Ro-Ro facilities. It does not have dockside cranes; ships’ cranes must be used.

Grain and Bulk Handling

There are no facilities available for grain and bulk handling at this Port.

Main Storage Terminal

There are 2 warehouse storage units on the international terminal and 1 on the domestic terminal. All these warehouse facilities are leased out to private companies. They are generally at 80% capacity.

There is no permanent cool store facility at the port. Goods requiring refrigeration are bought in chilled from offsite and loaded directly into refrigerated containers within 24 hours of their shipping date.

Stevedoring

There is only one stevedoring company. They are responsible for unloading vessels using ships’ cranes. All marshalling and stacking of containers, once dockside, is carried out by the Ports Authority using their own equipment.

Hinterland Information

Containers are moved from the port using side lifter trucks owned by private companies. Currently (2018) there are only 4 side lifter trucks on the Island. Other cargo is unloaded from containers and loaded to small trucks for local distribution. Containers may be left on the wharf for 3 days at no charge, demurrage is charged after this time.

Port Security

Port security is in compliance with the ISPS Code and Cook Islands Customs Act. There is security present 24/7 at the International Terminal.