Nikao is a village settlement on

Rarotonga Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 10,898 of a total population of 15,040. The Parliament of the Cook Islands, Coo ...

in the

Cook Islands The Cook Islands is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands whose total land area is approximately . The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers of ocean. Avarua is its ...

. It is located on the north coast to the west of the capital

Avarua Avarua (meaning "Two Harbours" in Cook Islands Māori) is a town and district in the north of the island of Rarotonga, and is the national Capital city, capital of the Cook Islands. The town is served by Rarotonga International Airport (IATA ...

. Nikao is the home of the

Parliament of the Cook Islands The Parliament of the Cook Islands () is the legislature of the Cook Islands. Originally established under New Zealand administration, it became the national legislature upon independence in 1965. The Parliament consists of 24 members dir ...

, Tereora College (the oldest secondary school), Nikao's modern Cook Islands Christian Church, the

Rarotonga International Airport Rarotonga International Airport () is the Cook Islands' main international gateway, located in the town and district of Avarua, Rarotonga, west of the downtown area on the northern coast. Originally built in 1944, the airport was expanded in ...

and the first division football team Nikao Sokattak F.C. Originally, Nikao consisted of three

tapere A Tapere or Sub-District is a low level of traditional land subdivision on five of the Southern Cook Islands (Rarotonga, Mangaia, Aitutaki, Atiu, and Mauke), comparable to the ahupua'a of the main Hawaiian Islands or to the kousapw of Pohnpei. ...

or settlements (Rangiura, Turamatuitui and Pokoinu). Most of the people of Pokoinu lived near the sea, but after extensions were made to the airport, the people were moved inland towards the mountain. Today they call that new tapere, "Tepuka". The new village of Nikao has three new tapere (Panama, Atupa and Tepuka). Black Rock (Tuoro) is also located at Nikao beach, across the street from the Golf Club, where in oral tradition the spirits of the dead are believed to depart for Avaiki.

References

Populated places in the Cook Islands Rarotonga {{CookIslands-geo-stub