Queen’s Baton on its Rarotonga journey

It will be all hands on deck today as Rarotonga hosts the Cook Islands’ leg of the Queen’s Baton world relay.

The baton arrived on our shores last night to a turou at the Rarotonga airport.

The baton is on its way around the island this morning after the relay began at the BCI Stadium in Nikao at 7.30am.

The baton will be carried around the stadium by primary school students before it begins it round Raro journey and carried from vaka to vaka.

All outer islands and national sports federations will get the opportunity to carry the baton from their designated areas around the island.

The baton is expected to return to the Tereora College grounds by 5pm for the final closing ceremony of the relay, with a cultural performance to wrap-up the day’s event.

Motorists are asked to avoid the back road of Nikao both this morning and this afternoon as the baton leaves the BCI Stadium at 8am and returns again at 5pm.

The baton will travel along the main road for the majority of the relay, with a few scheduled detours to places such as the Rarotonga Hospital.

If you would like to hold or touch the baton, be ready along the sides of the road where the baton will travel.