Escape Magazine Issue 17 by Ultimo Group

Mauke Where my heart rests

Join us as we visit this delightful little island and chat with a resilient environmentalist couple

Charlie ‘Cowboy’ Frisbie Amelia Borofsky chats with one of the South Pacific’s most iconic characters on remote Pukapuka

CORAL ROUTE Relive the days of the 50’s when TEAL’S Solent flying-boats offered a touch of daring, swashbuckling allure

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contents Issue 17 • February 2013 104

Up front

Tour of the Cook Islands

Introduction

An introduction to the Cook Islands

Contributors to this issue

Rarotonga

Aitutaki

Atiu

Southern & Northern Group Islands

Features 44 Mauke ‘Where my Heart Rests’ Mauke is picturesque, to be sure, but its comparative advantage is an overwhelming sense of peace. Join us as we re-visit this delightful little island and chat with a resilient environmentalist couple, who are effecting positive and rippling changes in a small community. 52 Te Aito Rarotonga paddlers are picking up the challenge from Tahiti and training longer and harder, to compete in this crème de la crème of single-man canoe races. 58 Te Vara Nui We take a peek behind the scenes at Te Vara Nui Village; revealing the history, talking to the participants and discovering just what makes this a most successful cultural village and show. 70 Coral Route Relive the days of the 50’s when TEAL’S Solent flyingboats offered a touch of daring, swashbuckling allure, touching down in Aitutaki and flying low enough to see the sharks. 80 Tapuaetai The legend of One Foot Island as retold by pupils of Araura College, Aitutaki 82 Charlie ‘Cowboy’ Frisbie While visiting remote Pukapuka, intrepid journalist Amelia Borofsky chats with Charlie Frisbie, one of the South Pacific’s most iconic characters. 88 Golden Tuna Laying a foundation for the manufacture and international export of a distinctly Cook Islands brand of tinned tuna, fished from Cook Islands waters. 95

Accreditation An insight into the launching of the Cook Islands Tourism Council’s new quality assurance programme.

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Regulars 14 Art Scene An enchanting set of playing cards by well-know artist Joan Gragg will appeal to art lovers and card players alike. Plus a short interview with artist Judith Kunzlé, the premier artist of Cook Island’s dance. 20

Book Worms A review of topical authors and their books.

22 Raro Rhythm 18 year old Cook Islander Jaik Berg on a fast moving trajectory into the music world. 24

What’s in Store? Taking a look in shop windows.

Island Cuisine We visit local restaurants and share their best recipes.

Great Places to Stay A guide to some of Rarotonga’s best accommodation.

100 ‘The Bond’ Entertainment Guide The inside story on the best clubs, island shows and nightlife. 104

What’s On? A calendar of events and holidays.

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Explore a diversity of dining options from a choice of 3 world class restaurants. Be entertained at ‘Island Night’ feasts and cultural shows, or relax with sand-in-toes during daily sunset happy hours. Crown Beach Resort & Spa offers a dining option for every occasion. Tel. +682 23953 for reservations. p. +682 23953 | f. +682 23951 | e. info@crownbeach.com w. www.crownbeach.com | fb. crownbeachresort Crown Beach Resort & Spa is the finest full service luxury boutique resort nesting 36 stand-alone villas, on-site spa & beauty clinic, on-site dive centre, a choice of restaurants and bars, concierge, gymnasium, 24-hour deli, beautiful waterfall mineral pool and daily spectacular sunsets. This is the perfect haven to rest, recharge and rejuvenate. So why not indulge with the one you love…

EDITOR'S Note Kia Orana It is always a pleasure to visit one of the so-called “outer islands” of this little country. Such a description leads one to imagine that they are either not included in our thoughts, or are too far away from us. Neither of course, could be further from the truth.

publisher South Pacific Publishing Limited, Rarotonga editor Noel Bartley design Christina Thiele | Ultimo Group Auckland, New Zealand printed in Korea Tara TPS Ltd Seoul, Korea advertising director Noel Bartley regular contributors Rachel Reeves Judith Kunzle Rachel Smith Alan Syme Florence Syme-Buchanan advertising sales rarotonga Noel Bartley Phone: (682) 23449 or 54449 Email: advertise@escape.co.ck advertising sales new zealand Phone: 09 419 6416 Email: scenix@ihug.co.nz distribution rarotonga Danny Kelly Phone: (682) 20777 or 77876 Email: kelly@oyster.net.ck distribution aitutaki Annie Bishop Phone: (682) 31009 Email: bishopcruz@aitutaki.net.ck Escape is published bi-annually by South Pacific Publishing Limited P.O. Box 3010, Rarotonga, Cook Islands Email: advertise@escape.co.ck All contents of ESCAPE magazine are copyright of South Pacific Publishing Limited. Any reproduction of any part of this magazine without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. front cover Rapota Island, Aitutaki. Photo: Noel Bartley.

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There is a line from Rachel Reeves’ story of the island of Mauke on page 44 that really appeals to me: “Mauke is tranquil. It’s picturesque, to be sure, but its comparative advantage is an overwhelming sense of peace.” When I first visited Mauke some years ago, I could not have imagined a more perfect sanctuary from the trappings of real life. The perfect escape, if you will. It seems Rachel picked up the same feeling on her recent and first visit to the island. People there are more than friendly; they have a way of touching your very soul, such that you will never forget your acquaintance with them. There, life is uncomplicated, inoffensive, colourful and utterly charming. I’m sure visitors to Mauke, or any of our “outer islands” will find the same peace, not only within the environment, but also within themselves. So why not consider that a forty minute flight from Rarotonga will not just take you to an “outer island”, but perhaps to a different time warp, where the soul and the mind will find harmony with nature and people. It is the greatest tonic. These islands are where you find the real gold of Polynesia; in idyllic retreats that are far from the modern world, where the warmth of our people really shines through and where unique adventures await. You will be richer for the experience! Ka Kite! Noel Bartley

KIA ORANA Welcome We are delighted that you have chosen the Cook Islands for your vacation. Our fifteen islands are scattered over a vast expanse of ocean, yet our people are closely knit through community and family values, Christianity, age-old traditions and a vibrant culture. The Cook Islands are an ideal escape from today’s world of turmoil and stress, and destinations like ours are becoming increasingly difficult to find. The Kia Orana spirit is the foundation of the warmth and hospitality we offer our visitors and we hope you will have a most enjoyable stay with us. Escape Magazine will provide you with an invaluable insight into our life, through its various stories, regular columns and information about activities and attractions that our destination has to offer. You will find it an invaluable guide and well worth keeping as a souvenir of your visit, or to pass on to friends at home. We wish you a wonderful stay in our little paradise. Kia Manuia. Hon. Teina Bishop Minister of Tourism, Education, Marine Resources, Cook Islands Pearl Authority

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CONTRIBUTORS Rachel Reeves Born and raised in California, Rachel Michele Teana Reeves has Atiu roots on her father’s side. She moved to Rarotonga two years ago to get to know her Cook Islands heritage, and has fallen in love with the island and island life. This young and vibrant 23-year-old has a passion for writing and works as a journalist for Cook Islands News. Upon graduating from university, she taught English in Vietnam, Thailand and Nepal. Rachel enjoys being active – running, swimming, oe vaka, windsurfing, snowboarding – and reading. She is grateful to the people of the Cook Islands, who have welcomed her with warmth and the spirit of aloha.

Rachel Smith Rachel moved to the Cook Islands with her family two years ago, exchanging her career as a health professional for that of a freelance journalist. She has fallen in love with the beauty and relaxed lifestyle of the Cook Islands, where her days are filled with writing, swimming, helping out at Takitumu School, and looking after her children. The opportunity to travel to the outer islands of Mangaia and Mauke has been a highlight during her time here, as has watching her son learn to speak Cook Islands Maori.

Florence Syme-Buchanan Cook Islands freelance journalist Florence Syme-Buchanan has been writing about her country for many years, as correspondent for various international news agencies and publications. She now lives in Auckland with her partner Tanara Buchanan and children Te Manava and Fe'ena, after moving there last year.

Alan Syme Alan lives on the beach with his wife and young family, on the west side of Rarotonga. He has lived in the Cook Islands for the past three years and has developed a real affinity with the people and the country. A secondary school teacher during working hours, after hours he can be found game fishing, surfing, playing sport, writing or spending time with his three children. Alan is also a senior writer for the NZ Fishing Coast to Coast Magazine. He enjoys visiting the outer islands as well as indulging himself in the wide range of outdoor activities that are available on beautiful Rarotonga. During his time here, Alan has made plenty of friends, is enjoying the challenge of developing his maori language skills, and is looking forward to a few exciting adventures in the Cook Islands coming up in the future. Also: Amelia Borofsky, Matariki Wilson, Glenda Tuaine, Jason Brown, Judith Kunzle and Noel Bartley.

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The Cook Islands 15 tiny islands in paradise, that a small nation calls home.

here would someone say, “may you live long,” upon meeting you for the first time, but in the Cook Islands. The Cook Islands greeting Kia Orana, means exactly that, “may you live long.” It is a unique first gesture of friendship from a special Polynesian people, renown for their hospitality and warmth. It is as if God chose his 15 most precious gems, and then sprinkled them over 2.25 million sq km of the Pacific to become the Cook Islands – an ei (necklace) of islands awaiting to embrace all visitors. All the islands combined make up a land area of just 240 sq km. Each of the ‘gems’ is unlike the other and all have their own special features. From the majestic peaks of Rarotonga to the low-lying untouched coral atolls of the northern islands of Manihiki, Penrhyn, Rakahanga, Pukapuka, Nassau and Suwarrow. The latter, inhabited only by a caretaker and his family, is a popular anchorage for yachts from all over the world. The Southern Cooks is made up of the capital Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Atiu, Mangaia, Mauke, Mitiaro, Manuae, Palmerston and Takutea. Takutea is an uninhabited bird sanctuary and managed by the Atiu Island Council. Manuae is the remaining uninhabited island. Cook Islanders have their own Maori language and each of the populated islands a distinct dialect. It has a population of around 13,000. The Cooks has been self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1965. By virtue of that unique relationship, all Cook Islanders hold New Zealand passports. The country is governed by 25-member Parliament elected by universal suffrage. The Cook Islands Parliamentary system is modelled on the Westminster system of Britain. The Queens Representative is Head of State. A House of Ariki (traditional paramount chiefs) counsels and advises government, as does the Koutu Nui, a body of traditional chiefs.

Cook Islands

This is a delightful Pacific country where the ‘metropolis’ of Rarotonga offers a wide range of activities, accommodation and cuisine and visitors can choose to be as busy as they wish. A short inter-island flight away are the less developed southern group islands each offering something different. Travelling to the isolated northern islands by inter-island flight or boat, one savours a South Pacific rarely seen by outsiders. Due to distance and infrequency of transport there are fewer visitors to the northern group islands. But wherever you turn you see bright tropical colours and movement, whether it is the sway of palms and sea in the trade winds, or dancers entertaining at one of the many nightspots found on Rarotonga and Aitutaki. While you may nearly always hear the ocean, you will always feel the warmth of the people and their tropical paradise. The Cook Islands truly is a slice of heaven.

ESCAPE • 13

art scene

Joan Gragg Playing Cards Cook Islands Style story: Judith Kunzlé

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year ago, I had lunch with fellow artist Joan Gragg at Tamarind House on Rarotonga, exchanging ideas while looking at the sparkling sea. Joan was eager to reveal a new idea. She sat up straight and declared: “I'm going to design a set of playing cards!” I had to laugh out loud - Joan's work does that to you. It draws you right into the fun - and now also the games - of well observed Cook Islands life and culture. For over 30 years, Joan has recorded what Cook Islanders do, how they move, congregate, play, sing and celebrate. In earlier works she captured people on bikes with their babies, household items and garden equipment. In village scenes of an umukai (traditional feast prepared in an earth oven), there are dogs under the table and chickens scratching. Inspired by her many boat trips from Rarotonga to Manihiki, she had drawn and painted people playing cards from memory. There was no tediously painted ship environment. Instead she zoomed right in to where the action was, the passengers with their intent and laughter, all expressed through very characteristic body language. Joan is an astute observer with a lot of experience of having fun local style. She grew up in Rarotonga, her mother was from the island of Palmerston. Her father from England had researched and introduced pearl farming in Manihiki. She has twin brothers and four sisters, all but one sister living in the Cook Islands. The Powell Sisters, as they are called, after their maiden names, are a famous and well respected team. They sailed and won competitions on Muri lagoon, and they watch the yearly dance competitions of

Air conditioned Matavera Store (Eastern side near Muri beach) Market Store (Punanganui market on Saturdays)

(Joan) knows how to have fun inside out and this is evident with each single playing card. There are people dancing and singing, on bikes, there are friendly dogs, tropical flowers, lagoon fish and coconuts, all colour coded and marked with numbers and symbols, ready to enjoy.

LORETTA REYNOLDS Original Artwork BCA Gallery, Avarua The Art Studio, Arorangi

lorettareynolds.com ESCAPE • 15

Te Maeva Nui. You can see them debating the quality of the performances, seriously, but always laughing a lot. Now they have taken up playing bowls and you can bet they will soon be happily competing and rocking the establishment at the Rarotonga Bowling Club! The idea of Joan's set of playing cards with local icons was uplifting, like the presence of the Powell sisters at any Rarotonga event. Joan put her idea into action and at our next lunch together she showed me some of her artwork. The cards were hilarious – but at the same time, represented Cook Islands culture in detail. With her wit and great skill of observation, Joan has picked out the hallmarks of the

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local scene and environment. She knows how to have fun inside out and this is evident with each single playing card. There are people dancing and singing, on bikes, there are friendly dogs, tropical flowers, lagoon fish and coconuts, all colour coded and marked with numbers and symbols, ready to enjoy.

Joan’s Cook Islands Souvenir playing cards can be purchased at the Beachcomber, The Art Studio and the Furniture Centre on Rarotonga. They come in a hard box containing 52 cards + Joker + extra card.

Judith Kunzlé We spoke with Judith Kunzlé on another impossibly blue-skied, puffy-clouded day at her home on Rarotonga, in the Cook islands. Experiencing her work was part of our introduction to the Cook Islands, and to the two parts of its culture which have found expression in her art: drawing and dance. She is in fact the premier artist of Cook Islands [and in fact Polynesian] dance, with works in galleries and private collections all over the world, and with a following that regularly reaches out to her on the World Wide Web. We wanted to explore with her the origins of her work, and the direction that it is presently taking.

ESCAPE • 17

Judith - when did you begin to draw? “When I was a child in Switzerland. I was completely taken by and involved with horses, and fascinated by their movement. I was drawing them daily, from memory, and always in action, trotting or running. Their magnificence for me was their combination of grace and size. Cats are graceful, and elephants are large, but horses are beautifully both”. Are there connections between that time and this, in your drawings of dancers? “I realize that my attachment has always been to life and movement. The work to first capture living movement by sketching from life, and later to convey it by working from the sketches in the studio, has been the joy of my artistic life. Because I work from sketches and memory, never photographs, I have been as much focused on the mystery of feeling – of touch – in living movement, as I have been on any particular expression of it... whether it be contemporary dance, Tango, or the many varieties of Polynesian dance, including, especially, Cook Islands dance”.

You have many subjects besides dance, from landscape to highly detailed plants and animals, to people in the street in China or Patagonia. How do they figure [pardon the pun] in your vision of life and movement? [Laughing] “That is a completely appropriate pun, since my work can be experienced as figures, as bodies in action, be it a mountain or a papaya or a head of a person, but there is so much more, and right on the surface, to see and feel”. Like what? “Like the visual sensation of touch, of tactile interaction with my work and with its subjects. From the time that I became a serious artist, long before I discovered Cook Islands dance, I have not been satisfied to only represent, to only ‘make a picture’ of a person or thing”. “The effort to recreate the presence of nature is always humbling, because nature is the ultimate artist, and trying to reproduce it always falls short, is bound to fail. And the effort to interpret nature is a poetic, worthy one, but that has never been what I have tried to do”. Which is what? “I want to convey the experience of personal interaction. I want to put on paper my own participation in the action of my subjects, and project it through the lens of my technique”.

Cook Islands Artists are a diverse lot, but they have found common ground in The Cook Islands Arts Community, an organisation established in April 2012 to promote and communicate about all the many arts of The Cook Islands. Their new website is appropriately beautiful, entertaining, and informative: www.cookislandsarts.com

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Tell us about your technique. “Essentially, it is to take my consciousness out of the creative process... to enable my senses – of sight, of hearing, of touch – to guide my hands on the paper. Of course, I have learned over many years to use the expressive tools of my art, pens, brushes, and so forth, but now my most important tool is my ability to convey my sense of my subjects, as I experienced them - to the viewer of my work”. “For instance, when you look at Female Drum Dancer [image], note that there is no background, she is suspended in space – there is no “floor” either – but she is firmly rooted to the ground, by which I mean not only to the floor that our minds imagine under her, but to the conceptual space that surrounds her and the imagination of the viewer. That space is the viewer’s space, not hers”. “Those creative choices – and those which represent her body and her movement – give the viewer not a picture of another person, this faraway dancer, in a faraway time, but our dancer, on this page, right now”.

Judith’s website: JudithKunzle.com

Island Memories

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book worms

Sonja’s Kitchen Dee Pignéguy & Sonja Raela We all know that diet is one of the most important issues to address for sustained health and wellness. Simply put, eating more fruit and vegetables is one of the best things you and your family can do.

Say it in Rarotongan Mana Strickland This little book introduces readers to the common language throughout the Cook Islands. Author, Mana Strickland, was a leading authority on the Polynesian language and on the history of the Cook Islands. He had a distinguished record in the field of education, being a former principal of Rarotonga’s largest primary school, a senior teacher trainer at the Cook Islands Teachers College and also served as Minister for Education in the early years of self-government. His contribution to education and the community was recognised in 1989 when he was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) and again in 1995 when he was awarded an Honorary Masters Degree from the University of the South Pacific. One of Mana’s daughters, Tuaine has taken steps to republish this popular book after on-going requests. Available from Bounty Bookshop.

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Beautifully presented with photographs from the island of Aitutaki, the tasty recipes in this book are based on ingredients available in your garden, or most supermarkets and fresh food stalls. These delectable dishes can be made in your own kitchen with very little effort and great nutritional reward for everyone. Most of the recipes use food with minimal processing. The tasty recipes include an array of herbs and vegetables that can be grown in an organic backyard, together with readily available tropical fruits and vegetables such as bananas, mangoes, papaya, taro, breadfruit and cassava. Foodie or Greenie, Sonja’s Kitchen will take you on an adventure to explore the delicious food of Aitutaki and the Cook Islands.

Raurau ki to Rima Favourite Recipes of our Families The title says it all really. This wonderful little book, wiro-bound for ease of use on the beach-top, contains recipes from the kitchens of local mamas. Food lovingly prepared for Cook Island’s families on a day to day basis can be found within its pages. Recipes such as Lamb off-cuts Curry or Rukau Lolo Rourou (rukau or spinach leaves, stuffed with tinned meat or fish and herbs) are typical of the easily prepared recipes. This neat little recipe book is colourful with supporting photographs and would make an ideal gift. Available from Bounty Bookshop.

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ESCAPE • 21

raro rhythm

A Pacific Break for Jaik Berg story: Glenda Tuaine

In today’s world of TV shows such as Idol, The X factor, and the Voice perhaps we sometimes miss or overlook the less glitzy or glamorous competitions that are also finding new talent. This cannot be said for the Cook Islands. We now have our very own rising star. His last minute entry into Radio Australia’s ABC Pacific Break’s competition - the annual search for the best unsigned artists in the Pacific Islands - sees 18 year old Cook Islander Jaik Berg on a fast moving trajectory into the music world.

aik’s pathway to music is one that he remains so very steadfastly honest and casual about. You can tell from Jaik’s demeanour that he has taken all the acclaim and the whirlwind experience of winning, being flown to Melbourne to record his songs with leading ABC live music producer Dave Manton, and international session musicians, with great appreciation and very little ego. His approach is that he is resolutely grateful to have had that experience and now looks forward to what the future brings. I was lucky enough to see Jaik performing at the ABC in Melbourne, and although I may be a little partial being a Cook Islander, it has to be said it was obvious as to why he won the

22 • ESCAPE

competition over the other 100 entrants. Vocally Jaik is reminiscent of early Motown, and for those of us who can remember, his voice contains faint echoes of Terrence Trent Darby. It is soulful, rich and with a maturity to it that bellies his 18 years. Add to that his adept skill at song writing and Jaik Berg is set to have a long and productive career in the music industry. Jaik credits his mother Lyza for introducing him to his musical influences, listing the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner as the sounds that kick-started his interest in music and performance. He jokes with me that as a very young

boy he would often give the family a show singing along to these artists. At 13 he had a short stint with guitar lessons, but it wasn’t until two years later when he met up with gifted local artist Kura Happ, that Jaik really started to get the bug for being a singer and song writer. Having already penned the brilliantly clever ‘10 Again’ - a song I heard him play in Melbourne at the ABC performance - Jaik was beginning to perform around Rarotonga at various night markets. Prompted by some of his local fans and family to enter the ABC Pacific Breaks competition, Jaik recorded his entry with the assistance of fellow entrant Calib Teulilo and sent the winning song ‘My Oh My’ off on the very last day. Fast forward to today and Jaik is back in Rarotonga awaiting the final mix of his recording. His mother Lyza is now his manager with a huge new task ahead her. Jaik has already played at various events in Rarotonga and is looking to do more to build up his performance style and of course writing more songs is inevitable. The tracks he recorded, once finalised, will be sent to radio stations around the world and to itunes and uploaded to Youtube. Jaik will undeniably be a part of the music industry.

romantic sanctuary

Jaik however remains grounded. When asked what success looks like for him he replies “making music that earns enough money to have a nice house in Rarotonga”. When asked who he would like to sing with, his answer is Amy Winehouse, if she were alive. He admires clever singers and good song writing and believes strongly that the Cook Islands has some brilliant talent, but that we just need to be more adventurous with our styles.

If you want to know more about Jaik’s recent experience winning the competition, go to: www.facebook.com/pacificbreak and keep your eyes and ears open for Jaik Berg.

fine dining breakfast & lunch from 8am tapa’s & cocktails from 4pm dinner from 6pm reservations recommended ph:24280 email:sales@littlepolynesian.com www.littlepolynesian.com

Top 10 Hotels for Romance in the South Pacific

Cook Islands Leading Boutique Hotel

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what's in store

Polynesian wedding bands by Beachcomber Pearl Market. Fall in love with this romantic range of island inspired motif wedding bands. Choose from Happiness, Love, and Faithfulness. Available in both yellow, and white gold.

Cushion covers for the outdoors, in a variety of colours, plus a great selection of bedcovers are available from Tivaevae Collectables. See their advert on page 21.

This Mangaian Ceremonial Adze, made by Allan Tuara of Mangaia has taken many painstaking hours of intricate and loving work. Elaborately carved adzes, which are a rare and beautiful souvenir of the Cook Islands are sometimes available from the Moana Gems shop in uptown Avarua.

Perfect for the beach, these cute jandals are available in a range of colours and sizes from Perfumes of Rarotonga shops. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find them at Cooks Corner (at the bus-stop in town) and opposite Aquarius Hotel near the airport.

24 â&#x20AC;˘ ESCAPE

Tokerau Jims’ is the place to find exquisite pearl shell jewellery. You will find a large range of pendants, carved black pearls and pandoras at either of his two shops; one on the main road at Matavera and the other at the Punanga Nui Marketplace on Saturdays.

See our article on page 76 for the real low-down on Atiu coffee. Once you’ve read the story you’ll want to take home a pack to make a delicious Cook Islands brew for you and your friends. Available at most stores and supermarkets.

If you’re looking for a no hassles, no hard sell place to browse for Cook Islands black pearls, you should visit Farm Direct Pearls at Harbour House. As the name suggests they are directly opposite the harbour. There you will find an excellent selection of earrings, necklaces, pendants and loose pearls. These guys really know their product and farm their own pearls on Manihiki.

ESCAPE • 25

RAROTONGA a smorgasbord of south pacific fun There are few places in the world that equal this special emerald island in the Pacific - capital of the Cook Islands. A place where a visit is certain to capture the heart. And upon reluctant departure, will generously add to a lifetime of good memories. 26 â&#x20AC;˘ ESCAPE

his is Rarotonga, named Tumutevarovaro by the first Polynesian settlers over a thousand years ago, who composed chants and songs in praise of her natural splendor. Those ancient Maori people who navigated the Pacific in their ocean voyaging doublehulled canoes would have relished her fertile abundance and delighted in her safe anchorages and plentiful water.

or travel agent. Less strenuous than going across the island is the informative scenic walk offered by guides of the Takitumu Conservation Area (TCA). Covering 380 acres, the TCA is home to the indigenous Kakerori, (Rarotongan Flycatcher). Once on the critically endangered list, this tiny bird is now thriving well, thanks to the efforts of environmentalists and the TCA group to save the bird from extinction.

The beauty of Rarotonga is still awesome. Especially when viewed from the air on an Air Rarotonga aircraft. Or, from beyond the reef aboard one of several deep sea fishing boats available for charter, where you can behold the mountains rising majestically from the centre of the island, piercing blue skies and passing clouds. From these cloud mountains, the early Polynesian settlers believed Rongo, the goddess of the land lived and watched over them as they fished, planted and lived a simple, but rich life.

Rarotonga is lush and carpeted with plantations that yield year-round fruits and vegetables. The largest of the 15 Cook Islands, it is 32 km around its main coastal road. An inland road and various tracks will further reveal a palette of dazzling tropical colours equaled by few other places.

There’s also a breathtaking view of Rarotonga from the ‘Needle” if you take the “cross island” walk which starts from Avatiu Valley. From this point you can see the necklace of white surf that forever pounds the reef enclosing this volcanic island. The cross-island walk is best done with a guide and does require some effort, so being of average fitness will help as will sturdy footwear. Guided sightseeing walks and learning about the island’s flora and fauna can be booked through your hotel

Like other islands in the group, Rarotonga’s white beaches with sand as fine as powder stretch into clear blue lagoons around the island. Lagoons where children safely play are food cupboards for the local people, who live an unhurried lifestyle in a unique, unspoiled place in the Pacific.

Traditional Voyaging According to ancient mythology, Rarotonga was settled over a thousand years ago by Polynesians from an ancient land called Avaiki. They travelled in massive double-hulled ocean voyaging canoes, crisscrossing Te Moana Nui O Kiva (Pacific Ocean) in search of fertile, sheltered land. That traditional voyaging,

ESCAPE • 27

navigating by the stars, has been revived in the Cook Islands and two traditional ocean going vaka built in the early 1990’s have notched up thousands of nautical miles, travelling as far as Hawaii, New Caledonia and New Zealand. The vaka, Te Au O Tonga and Takitumu can be viewed at Vaka Village in Avana, Ngatangiia. Avana channel is also the site where seven canoes Takitumu, Kurahaupo, Tokomaru, Aotea, Tainui, Mataatua and Te Arawa, departed Rarotonga for New Zealand over 700 years ago. A circle of stones and plaques bearing the name of each canoe commemorates that great voyage.

Shopping The capital of Rarotonga is Avarua and many shops offer a wide selection of goods and souvenirs. Possibly the best souvenir of the Cook Islands is a black pearl from the northern islands of Manihiki or Penrhyn. The Cook Islands is the second biggest producer of black pearls in the world. Punanga Nui Marketplace on Saturday mornings is busy and colourful – stalls and small huts selling souvenirs, food and

28 • ESCAPE

clothing. The market is the best place to buy a pareu (sarong) and handmade pearl shell jewellery, or to try some of the local delicacies. It is a lively meeting place for hundreds of locals each Saturday morning. There’s often a live show by dance teams, or a local string band.

Water Sports With clear blue lagoons and a huge ocean at its doorstep, there is a good range of water sports to suit all ages. You can choose from skimming the lagoon on a windsurfer, kayaking, lagoon boat trips, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, reef watching in a glass bottom ‘submarine’, or just swimming, snorkelling and sunbathing. One of the best spots to snorkel is in Tikioki opposite the Fruits of Rarotonga Café where Mama Puretu makes delicious smoothies from local fresh fruit. A raui, (a traditional ban on fishing and the gathering of seafood) protects the Tikioki lagoon, so it teems with fish and other marine life. Raui are also in place on other parts of Rarotonga’s lagoon coastline and these areas generally offer the best snorkelling. Look for the Raui signs around the island, but please protect our marine

Harbour House, Avatiu phone: 20635 email: temu@mblackpearl.co.ck

P E A R L FA R M E R • R E TA I L E R • W H O L E S A L E R

Come in to view our extensive range of sarongs, island clothing, footwear and t-shirts. Rarotonga’s largest selection of souvenirs, crafts and gift ideas.

Mana Court, Avarua | Ph: 22325 Rarotongan Resort | Ph: 27325 Edgewater Resort | Ph: 28325 Pacific Village Muri | Ph: 21325

treasure@oyster.net.ck ESCAPE • 29

www.perfumes.co.ck

of mesnga u f r Pe to

A fActory visit not to be missed!

“Experience our exotic local Oils, Perfumes, Soaps and Liqueurs and meet the people that make them.” on the Main road before the airPort! ph–25238

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environment – take nothing but memories and leave nothing but bubbles. Because Rarotonga is surrounded by clear waters, the visibility when scuba diving is excellent. All dive operators offer lessons for beginners in the safety of the lagoon before venturing out over the reef. Both Koka Lagoon Cruises and Captain Tama’s Lagoon Cruizes operate from Muri Lagoon, next to Rarotonga Sailing Club, offering visitors lagoon tours in glass bottom boats with loads of fun exploring the lagoon plus swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing and a barbeque lunch. Outrigger canoeing teams train on Muri lagoon and at Avarua wharf. Watching the teams powering through the water in their six-man or single outrigger canoes is stirring. The annual canoeing festival, Te Vaka Eiva, is held every November with teams from all over the Pacific travelling to Rarotonga to race.

Sports

sh styli Beach

Cook Islanders love their sports, with rugby and netball the top favourites. More often than not, a local will play several different sports during the year and be good at all of them. Saturday sees keen inter-village rugby, netball, cricket, tennis, soccer and rugby league games, depending on the season. Spectators are welcome, as is participation in after-match socials at village clubhouses. Entry fee and drinks are cheap, the atmosphere is always lively, especially if teams are putting on a small show with lots of humour. The Rarotonga Bowling Club in town has matches most Saturdays and a bar to relax in after games. The Rarotonga Golf Club welcomes visitors to its 9-hole course at Black Rock and offers clubs and trundlers for hire.

Nightlife There’s always lots to do in the evenings. Island nights staged by local hotels feature buffets of local food cooked in

30 • ESCAPE& local designers international

banana court – Phone: 25060

an umu or earth oven. Entertainment is provided by one of the islands’ professional dance groups and you are guaranteed a vibrant, sensual show and drumming that’s recognised as the best in the world - see our Entertainment Guide for more information. Guided night tours by bus to well-known establishments like the Banana Court, Trader Jacks and Whatever! Bar after the island show is also fun and there’s also the comfort of knowing one doesn’t have to drive home after several bar stops. Rarotonga has numerous excellent restaurants that serve tempting food from around the world. One could eat out every night of the week and still not experience all the great food that’s available. The Tamarind House Restaurant in Pue (just out of Avarua) is a beautifully converted colonial house that once belonged to the Union Steamship Company. Situated close to the beach, the Tamarind looks over the ocean and meals can be taken in the garden under the stars. See our cuisine section for the pick of Rarotonga restaurants.

left: Fields of PawPaw and magestic mountains below: Convict Surgeonfish, Aroa Lagoon Photo: The Dive Centre

Cook Islanders love their sports, with rugby and netball the top favourites. More often than not, a local will play several different sports during the year and be good at all of them.

Takeaway meals also are available from outlets all around the island and excellent fish n’ chips are served up by the Flying Boat Grill located at the Cook Islands Game Fishing Club. Visitors are always welcome to join the locals at the club for a drink or a meal. The location of Aramoana Takeaways at Avatiu Wharf ensures that their fish is always freshly caught by local fishermen.

Rarotonga has a three-cinema complex with air conditioning, a big screen and surround-sound in Cinema 3. A good selection of recent movies is shown. For those wanting a quiet night in, there are several local video and DVD outlets, all with a comprehensive selection of classics and latest releases. Some outlets also hire TV’s and DVD players.

Other things to do Whale watching is possible in Rarotonga during the months of August and September. The humpback whales come from Antarctica to the warmer waters of the Cook group to mate and calf. The Cook Islands exclusive economic zone has been formally declared a whale sanctuary. The Whale Centre in Nikao is an interesting

ESCAPE • 31

…walk a little slower, savour every moment of your holiday in paradise Christian Churches. CICC coral limestone churches, hand built by the forefathers of Cook Islanders, are in every village and visitors are warmly welcomed to Sunday services. Morning tea is provided by the congregations.

Weddings Rarotonga has become a popular location for weddings and honeymoons. Wedding packages designed to suit each couples taste and budget are available from a number of operators on the island. The golden beach of uninhabited Koromiri islet in Muri lagoon is one of the most popular locations for weddings. Young coconut saplings planted by each newly wed couple line the beach and are testimony to the islet’s popularity.

Relax

place to visit, to find out more about these magnificent ocean creatures. Two libraries and museums just out of town are great for browsing. On the way to the “old library and museum” you’ll pass the Avarua Christian Church. The adjacent graveyard is interesting to wander through and of note is the bust of the late Albert Royale Henry, the first Cook Islands premier who was instrumental in guiding the country towards self-government in 1964.

Sunday After a busy Saturday night, relax on Sunday like the locals. Sunday is regarded as a day of worship and rest. A wonderful memory to take home is the singing in one of the islands’ Cook Islands

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In the Cook Islands you’ll hear the phrase “island time” a lot. You are a long way from the hustle and bustle of the outside world, so…walk a little slower, savour every moment of your holiday in paradise and don’t worry about being a bit late for engagements. That is island time on Rarotonga.

Manuia

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Beaches Restaurant & Bar

For Reservations Phone +(682) 22 461

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island cuisine

KIKAU HUT RESTAURANT Kikau Hut, a hexagonal restaurant on the island’s sunset side, has good food and a pleasant ambiance, but its tactical advantage is its staff. Its owners are Kiwi couple Kevin and Cathy Simkin, who both embody the hospitality and warmth that attracted them to Rarotonga in the first place. The waitresses are polite and efficient; TripAdvisor reviews almost always include references to the friendly service. Kevin offers guests two-way transfers in his own vehicle so they can visit the

c i t n e h t u A an Cu isine As i

A TA S T E O F A S I A

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Air-conditioned private room for dining & meetings (with conference facilities) A short stroll east of town Ph: 28830 or Email: bamboojacks@gmail.com

try our

Pizza Shack eat in or take out

NUMBER ONE FOR SEAFOOD PH 26464 • info@traderjacks.co.ck Wheelchair access available

TAMARIND HOUSE RESTAURANT & BAR fresh local vegetables. Two thumbs up – and this, from someone who consistently orders the fish. One friend had the pasta, smothered in a cream-based sauce and tossed with chicken, sundried tomatoes and mushrooms, and the other ordered the stuffed chicken breast. Both invited me to have a bite; instead I helped myself to several. Early on we’d made a decision to sacrifice entrees in the interest of saving room for dessert, which proved to be a wise move; dessert was the jewel in the menu’s crown.

Arorangi eatery after the buses have stopped running and so they aren’t tempted to drink and drive. He also makes it a point to introduce himself to every person that sits down to eat at Kikau Hut. He even follows up by visiting tables to ensure occupants are enjoying their meals. Kikau Hut invites diners to bring their own bottles of wine, and offers to filet and cook fish that guests may have caught aboard a fishing charter that very day. Several nights of the week, a local musician serenades patrons with the sounds of the islands. The restaurant is open and airy, with big expansive windows and a thatched-roof patio, but it’s still a small and intimate affair, a nice place to share a bottle of Merlot and dig into some flaky local fish or rich, creamy pasta. That’s what my two girlfriends and I did, anyway. I ordered the catch of the day – juicy wahoo, dressed with a sweet pawpaw salsa –with grilled bananas and a salad of

I had the chocolate wontons – yes, wontons for dessert – which were worthy of a postcard home. Served with berry couli and ice cream, the deep-fried pastry cracked open to reveal a warm, gooey mixture of white, milk and dark chocolates and banana. One friend ordered the Banoffi pie, which was also delicious – a rich combination of bananas, toffee and cream atop a base of butter and crumbled biscuits – and another the rich chocolate pudding with ice cream.

Tamarind house is a beautiful heritage colonial house, located on the seafront, just 3 minutes from the town centre. Come and enjoy morning coffee or lunch overlooking palm-shaded lawns and the ocean. Dine with piano by candlelight in the peaceful seclusion of a romantic tropical setting. Experience a feeling of nostalgia for a bygone era in our unique and beautiful century-old colonial home. the peRfect venue foR youR wedding oR pRivate function

It would be a sin to eat at Kikau Hut and skip dessert. Go ahead – you’re on holiday. And if you’re too full to drive, Kevin will drop you at your hotel. RR

Open 7 nights for dinner from 6pm Tel 26860 for reservations

LUNCH - MONDAY TO FRIDAY DINNER - MONDAY TO SATURDAY

ReseRvations aRe Recommended email tamarind@cookislands.co.ck weB www.tamarind.co.ck

PHONE 26487 ESCAPE • 35

Casual and friendly Asian street-style café Vietnamese, Indonesian, Chinese, Malaysian, Thai.

Muri Village Phone: 22232 or 75449

Beaches Restaurant & Bar at Manuia Beach Resort

Dine in our indoor covered restaurant overlooking Te Vara Nui‛s beautiful tropical waterfall rock garden and large pond, or relax outside on our deck. We have a lovely selection of Grilled Skewers, savory and sweet Crepes, Wafes, all day Breakfast and a fantastic selection of other great dishes. Have lunch or join us for great Coffees, Smoothies and Cocktails.

WiFi available...

Located Muri Beach

Phone 24006

36 • ESCAPE

As an escape from the sweltering summer heat, Beaches Restaurant and Bar at Manuia Beach Resort in Arorangi cannot be beaten. It was a relief to sit and enjoy the onshore breeze and the stunning lagoon views, while tasting the complimentary fresh seasonal lychees, cubes of frozen watermelon and fruit flavoured water. The restaurant and bar are set at the front of the resort, with seating around an inviting infinity pool and also under cover within the sand floored restaurant itself. They offer meals all day, from snacks and brunch, to lunch and dinner. It was for lunch that I visited, with a number of tasty options to choose from including Manuia Chicken Salad, Seafood Chowder, Beachside Burgers and Fish and Chips, all from $17. In the end I selected the Caesar Salad with garlic bread, and island fries to share; with my partner opting for the Gourmet Sandwich made from fresh

locally made bread, with champagne ham, tomato, sprouts, relish and mayonnaise. We were both more than happy – the taro and maniota fries accompanied by a delicious chilli mayonnaise, and my salad with a perfectly poached egg, a good amount of bacon and a creamy anchovy dressing on the side. These were washed down by an iced coffee, just how I like it with lots of ice and caffeine and a touch of icecream. Resort manager Alex Root-Reed says the resort is “big on fresh fish,” with the restaurant getting first choice of the fish caught daily by local charter boat ‘Marlin Queen’. The dinner menu includes a range of dishes such as Sashimi, Island Tomato and Coriander Soup, Marinated Chicken Thighs with Cook Islands Risotto, but it is in their daily chef’s specials that most of this delicious fresh fish can be found. The bar offers a range of New Zealand wines, local and imported beer, and a delicious selection of cocktails. RS

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days, with an interactive ‘Island Experience’ cultural show on Wednesdays. Tel. 22461 for bookings

The Sands Restaurant & BaR at Moana Sands Beachfront Hotel A visit to Titikaveka on the south side of island will lead you to one of the newer eating establishments in Rarotonga, that of The Sands Restaurant and Bar. The Sands is located at Moana Sands Beachfront Hotel. A restaurant with a new name, a fresh new menu and a new look thanks to new owners Tony and Kelly Bullivant. Tony has over 20 years experience as an international executive chef and on the night I visited he was busy creating delicious meals in the kitchen.

The Sands offers undercover beach-side dining, or with the sand beneath your toes and the stars overhead if you prefer easily catering to small intimate dinners, or for larger groups. They make the most of the abundance of local seafood, with the dinner menu including locally smoked marlin and eke (octopus).

I opted for an entree of Blue Cheese, Apple and Vegetable Spring Rolls served with a pesto dipping sauce. The spring rolls were delicious, two large crispy rolls with the best pesto I have ever tasted, and perfect when accompanied by a glass of crisp white wine, a sunset and the soft sound of live music from Boogie’s band.

Open Everyday Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner An authentic taste of Polynesia – dishes from around the Pacific PH: 23000 for reservations Located Absolute Beachfront Muri Beach Club Hotel

ESCAPE • 37

It was difficult to make a selection for my main meal, with the menu including fish curry, tuna and broadbill, and also chicken and local pork options. In the end I selected Parmesan Crumbed Mahimahi which was served over maniota fries with a slow roasted tomato salad and salsa verde. It was all cooked perfectly - the thick fingers of fish moist and delicious, and with the tomatoes and salsa verde a perfect combination. My companion was very happy with her sirloin steak which was served over a cheese and bacon croquette, topped with caramelised onion jam, red wine jus and lemon hollandaise. We had just enough room to squeeze in a dessert, and chose the recommended Coconut and Cashew Pie, served with a butterscotch sauce and vanilla icecream – a perfect ending to our meal. RS

The Sands Restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner seven days. Tel. 27189 for reservations

Rapae Bay Restaurant

most fastidious gourmand a wonderful selection of dishes that fully embraces local ingredients.

at Pacific Resort Aitutaki

I started with an entree of salmon accompanied with a chilled rosé. Served with strawberries, baby thyme, cherry tomatoes and tofu croutes, this was a heavenly fusion of flavours. I had the distinct impression that the chef was taking great delight in playing with my pallet. My partner opted for sesame and pinenut crusted prawns with orange segments and grilled watermelon. Both dishes were beautifully presented and a fun beginning to our meal.

You know you’re arriving somewhere special before you even get to the reception area of Rapae Bay Restaurant. The stunning entrance to Pacific Resort, Aitutaki takes you through richly landscaped tropical gardens and lily-pools that exude a tranquil and calming ‘shades of Bali’ feeling. The restaurant’s elevated location overlooking the lagoon, was seemingly more dramatic when we were shown to an immaculately presented table, as the sliver of a new moon farewelled a dramatic sunset, on a warm breathless evening. This is certainly one of the most perfect romantic locations for dining in the Cook Islands. A recently re-constructed menu resulting from the appointment of a new chef, and constantly under review, offers the

It’s a challenge to decide on which of the restaurant’s main dishes to order. All are very tempting. Examples are grilled veal rack with baby spinach, creamy potatoes, baby carrots and red wine reduction; and dukkah spiced lamb, slow braised garlic in red wine, potato gratin, beetroot pure and lamb jus. I opted for the catch of fresh mahi-mahi encrusted with black sesame crumbs, with cabbage, herbed butter beans and citrus broth. Simply Superb! Faultless service ensured a relaxing and leisurely experience and we concluded our meal with a shared dessert. The Coconut Trio comprised of coconut crème brulee, coconut crumble salad and coconut sorbet complemented by ginger syrup. Without doubt, this was the best presented and imaginative food I have encountered in the several years I have been in the Cook Islands. Although not inexpensive, Rapae Bay Restaurant delivers big time with a memorable dining experience in the most exotic of locations. NB

Rapae Bay Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tel. 31720 for reservations www.pacificresort.com

38 • ESCAPE

On the waterfront at Avana Harbour. Fresh off the boat! • Open 7 nights for dinner from 6pm • Gluten free, vegetarian & children catered for • Fully licensed • Live music some nights • Reservations appreciated • Transfers by arrangement The freshest sandwiches & salads on the rock! Mon to Fri: 9.30 to 3.30 Sun: 12.00 to 4.00 Sat: Closed

Kevin, Cathy & staff welcome you Phone: 26860 Email: kikauhut@oyster.net.ck Situated on the main road at Arorangi (500 mtrs from Edgewater Resort – towards town)

POlynesian RestauRant & BaR the little Restaurant with the Big Reputation!

Please support the advertisers in this magazine… they make it possible for you to read this for free.

Indoor & Outdoor Dining in an Authentic Island Setting Extensive Menu with a Touch of Tropical Flavours Weddings, Birthdays, Special Occasions Licensed Bar | Open 7 Nights a week from 6pm | Transfers Available Situated right on the beach in Vaimaanga! Reservations Recommended.

Ph 26123 | www.vaimarestaurant.com

ESCAPE • 39

local recipe

Renga Crusted Pork watercress, radish and two bean salad with kuru wafers & pawpaw seed dressing.

We extend our grateful thanks to Tim Tierney, Executive chef of Sails Restaurant & Bar for providing us with this exciting recipe to share with you.

Salad Ingredients

Sails Restaurant & Bar. On the beachfront at Muri Lagoon. Open 7 days from 8am till late. Phone 27349 for dinner reservations.

Red and green runner beans - cut into 2â&#x20AC;? batons, blanched in salted boiling water for 15 seconds then refreshed in iced water Red radish - thinly sliced Wild valley watercress - washed & drained

Pork Loin Ingredients 200gm pork loin 2 tsp whole grain mustard 15gm fresh renga (wild turmeric)

Tomato - cut into concasse (cut into quarters then seed and centre pulp removed so you are left with skin and flesh. Then finely diced. Celery - diced to same size as tomato Red onion - diced to same size as tomato Extra Virgin olive oil - to dress Salt and pepper - to season

3 tbsp toasted bread crumbs Salt and pepper to season Oil to coat (pure olive oil) Method Finely grate the renga. Combine whole grain mustard and breadcrumbs, season. Add pork loin, oil to coat, mix well. Marinate for a minimum of 2 hours, overnight will give the best result with flavour.

Method Prepare all vegetables as described above, season, add olive oil. Toss lightly and arrange on plate.

Kuru Wafers Ingredients 1 x whole bread fruit Salt Canola oil to deep or shallow fry Kitchen paper towels to drain excess oil

40 â&#x20AC;˘ ESCAPE

Method To prepare bread fruit: cut into quarters with skin still on, bring to the boil in a pot with a splash of oil and salt. Cook for 2025mins or check degree of softness with a knife as per a potato. Allow quarters to cool, then refrigerate for best rest when cutting wafers. Cut off skin and cut the quarters in half, then cut thin long slices to create wafers. Deep fry in oil at 180 degrees for 5-7 mins Salt while still hot.

Pawpaw Seed Dressing Ingredients 1 half ripe pawpaw 200ml cider vinegar 4 tbsp whole grain mustard 4 tbsp sugar 1 tsp mild curry powder 600ml canola oil Salt & pepper Method Pulp pawpaw into a blender, including all the seeds. Blend till smooth. Add vinegar and remainder of ingredients except oil, blend again for 1 min. While still blending slowly pour oil into mix till all incorporated. Season to taste.

Restaurant “ Where meals and memories are made...”

“The Sands... bringing great food and people together”

Open 7 days for breakfast & dinner with specials menu also available. Enjoy happy hour and daily cocktail specials... enjoy a cocktail on the beach. Cook Islands catering specialists. Located at Moana Sands Hotel Titikaveka Beach p: (682) 27189 | rarosands@gmail.com www.rarosands.com

On the beachfrOnt at Muri LagOOn

Relax and enjoy your Breakfast, Lunch, a cup of espresso coffee, an icy cold beer or your favourite drink while gazing out to the beautiful lagoon. We serve authentic Thai food, tasty Mexican, burgers, fish and chips, home-made desserts and much more… OPen 7 DaYS 8am till late Mince Pork Salad

Opening Hours Sunday to Thursday 9:00am – 2:30pm

Down south in Titikaveka

Tel.(+682)20020 S ALTWATER CAFE - R AROTONGA

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner Dinner Reservations Recommended Happy Hour Cocktails 4pm Mon - Sat Saturdays – Sailing Regatta Day Wireless Internet Available Beachfront Bar

Tropical Garden Restaurant and Bar WeDDIngS & PRIvAte FunCtIonS A SPeCIALty Consult with our Personal Wedding Planner. info@theweddingguys.co.ck dine@sailsrestaurant.co.ck

You’ll find us in a unique island setting in Arorangi, just 70 metres from Edgewater Resort. Open 7 nights from 6pm. Taste and feel what the islands are all about in a casual dining atmosphere! • • • •

full a-la-carte menu fresh fish and quality steaks vegetarian and children’s dishes incredible seafood platter for two

ed reservations recommend

ph 20501

PHone • 27349 www.sailsrestaurant.co.ck www.theweddingguys.co.ck ESCAPE • 41

local recipe

The Flame Tree is an iconic name amongst Rarotonga’s eclectic mix of restaurants, café’s and dining out options. Recently we asked their chefs if they would provide us with a recipe for fish that was simple to prepare and yet have plenty of ‘wow’ factor to impress any dinner guest. If you want to have a little sample before trying it for yourself, this dish can now also be found on their menu.

MAHI MAHI WITH CITRUS HOLLANDAISE SAUCE Fresh mahi mahi fillet, pan-fried and served on a kumara and potato rosti, topped with a citrus hollandaise sauce. This recipe is for one serving (adjust ingredients according to the number of servings you are preparing).

Mahi Mahi

Rosti

Ingredients

220-250 grams fillet of mahi mahi (or other firm white fish).

100 grams potato (peeled)

Method Heat pan, with olive oil, salt & pepper. Seal mahi mahi fillet on both sides. On an oven tray, place the fillet on the rosti and bake for 15 minutes at 180c.

42 • ESCAPE

100 grams kumara (peeled)

Citrus Hollandaise Ingredients 4 x egg yolks 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice 125 grm salted butter (melted) Pepper to taste Method In a blender, pulse for 5 seconds the egg yolk, lemon juice & pepper. Drizzle melted butter slowly into yolk mixture until it thickens. To Serve Transfer the fish and rosti to a plate, drizzle liberally with the hollandaise sauce and serve with a fresh green salad or season’s vegetables, such as asparagus.

2 eggs Salt & pepper Method Grate potato and kumara. Place in bowl and add eggs, salt & pepper to taste. Mould into round shape & bake for 15 minutes at 180c.

Flame Tree Restaurant, Muri Open 7 days for dinner from 5pm Tel. 25123 for reservations

Sunset ’s Barro’aBBQ eachside Inn

Beachfront Mini Resort On the western leeward side of Rarotonga

at A

Seafood | Kati Kati | Great local food & cocktails with live local entertainment twice a week. Pub meals also available Reservations required

Phone (682) 22166

www.aroabeach.com

THE

Flame Tree

R E S TAU R A N T

offee Great C ervice S t a e r G ensed c i L y l l Fu Creative cuisine at affordable prices. Delicious wood-fired pizzas & bread. Roasted Addiqtion Coffee.

Breakfast Brunch & Lunch Mon to Sat from 7.30am

MURI, RAROTONGA OPEN 7 DAYS FROM 5PM

--Dinner Friday from 6pm (Seasonal)

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ESCAPE • 43

story: Rachel Reeves photos: Noel Bartley

Mauke my heart where

44 â&#x20AC;˘ ESCAPE

rests

eaning against the weathered wall of a beachside hut, June Hosking gazes at the wind-whipped sea before us. She’s wearing garden gloves and a tie-dyed pareu; her feet are caked in mud. This is her mid-afternoon break. She spent the morning feeding pigs, tilling vegetables, plaiting coconut fronds, measuring planks that will become the house she and her husband are building on their little patch of soil – and she’s telling me why she left the bright lights and big city for a life on Mauke. It’s a story I’ve heard several times during the five short days I’ve been here. Our hospitable hosts at Tiare Cottages, Tangata and Teata Aretiano, have told it. Several locals we clinked plastic glasses with at Tura’s Bar on Friday night told their own versions. It’s a story of te pito enua, literally the umbilical cord, a symbolic representation of the spiritual and cultural connection a people feel with a place.

Mauke is tranquil. It’s picturesque, to be sure, but its comparative advantage is an overwhelming sense of peace. Mauke’s traditional name is Akatokamanava, which, according to some translations, is Cook Islands Maori for ‘where my heart rests’. It’s easy to see why so many have willingly given their hearts to this island. Not just locals, either; the Tiare Cottages guestbook is filled with pages passionately penned by tourists who just keep coming back. One couple has been making an annual pilgrimage to this South Pacific paradise since the 80s. Mauke is tranquil. It’s picturesque, to be sure, but its comparative advantage is an overwhelming sense of peace.

ESCAPE • 45

You can find peace on a lonely path in a sun-dappled ironwood forest. You can find it beneath the expansive canvas of the island’s enormous banyan tree, its aerial roots spread over nearly an acre, or on one of its footprint-free white-sand beaches, sprinkled with pink and blue shells. And you can find it beneath the high tamanu beams of the Cook Islands Christian Church, its ceiling awash with bold primary colours.

The limestone structure, a longstanding Mauke icon, has been dubbed the divided church; years ago, the conflicting visions of two villages and two architects begat a building with two distinctly decorated halves and two separate entrances. Some people today, though, prefer to think of it as a unified church that reflects two unique personalities, as it shelters one people who worship one God. And worship they do. The resonating a capella harmonies delivered on Sunday mornings by a chorus of 30-odd locals clad in white are heartrending, proof that peace isn’t the same as quiet. Mauke is scenic and serene – a honeymooner’s paradise – and its people embody the Polynesian spirit of warmth and good humour.

46 • ESCAPE

You can find peace on a lonely path in a sun-dappled ironwood forest. You can find it beneath the expansive canvas of the island’s enormous banyan tree, its aerial roots spread over nearly an acre, or on one of its footprintfree white-sand beaches, sprinkled with pink and blue shells. And you can find it beneath the high tamanu beams of the Cook Islands Christian Church, its ceiling awash with bold primary colours.

Local kids run barefoot down the harbour’s concrete loading dock, squealing with laughter as they catapult headfirst into gentle waves. Piglets shuffle obediently after their mother, who takes her time crossing the crushed-coral road as we wait to resume our drive through town. When we do, people stop what they’re doing to wave. This is Mauke, the garden isle, its tidy roads lined with tiare-studded shrubs and low white walls. Yards are impeccably raked, our cottages are clean and stocked with such luxuries as soap and towels, and the sky is an unbroken blue.

Cook Islands Clockwise from top: Ceiling of the CICC Church, children in their Sunday best, an aerial view of the Church.

Our hosts are gracious and considerate, and each morning we wake to a beautifully arranged breakfast of fresh pawpaw, warm doughnuts and nu, our plates decorated with red hibiscus and tiare Maori. Here on Mauke, the bigness and the badness of the world is far, far away. The whales are sometimes “so close you can touch them”, Tangata tells us. We look for them over a glass of Merlot, from lounge chairs on a precipice overlooking the ocean. As the sun wanes, our hosts hand-deliver to us a tray of curried fish, rice, taro chips and fresh vegetables, and we eat and chat about the charm of the Cook Islands until the moon rises. This is our cue to wander into “town” and mingle at Tura’s Bar. There, we have three choices – vodkalemonade, bourbon-Coke, Steinlager. As the hours pass, people start to fill the dance floor, a concrete slab illuminated by a string of coloured lights and a canvas of stars – and the picnic tables occupying this open-air space. We sit and make conversation with the island’s Member of Parliament, the government representative and a halfdozen other Maukeans both young and old, whose life stories span the globe but all culminate on this island with a 12-mile circumference. I ask them what’s special about Mauke. “It’s easy. It’s slow,” one woman tells me. She has a husband and family in Auckland, New Zealand, but escapes to her Mauke home whenever she can. “I bypass Rarotonga and come straight home. Raro’s too commercial” – this, from an Auckland dweller – “and I have to come back to Mauke to find peace.” Tangata lived in New Zealand for years but much prefers the Mauke lifestyle. As

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ESCAPE • 47

Top: A secluded cove, typical of many around the island. Centre: Current home of June and Andrew. Below: Mauke's main street.

we breakfast one morning, he strums his guitar and sings us a local tune. Dressed for church in his suit and jandals, he tells us that “this half” – the suited half – is “from there”, or the Auckland he once called home. “That half” – he points to his feet – “is from here”. Amused at his joke, he throws his head back and laughs. Nearly everyone here has lived overseas or has family overseas; like all islands of the Cook group, Mauke struggles to cope with depopulation. But Maukeans like June Hosking are hopeful. They have a dream, and that is to bring more Maukeans home. June chose to return to the land of her tupuna because she felt a strong connection to the land, but she had several other motives. Her father, who passed away in 2007, asked her to iron out the legal issues with the family’s land in Mauke. Several years ago she began toying with the idea, and eventually she decided to embark on a journey that would land her in Nga-PuToru*. A professional teacher and educator, June wanted to observe a school on an outer island to determine whether it requires different curricula than the schools of Rarotonga; as an environmentalist she wanted to effect positive and rippling change in a small community. Today, she’s doing both. A champion of sustainable living and a passionate caretaker of the land, June sacrificed her job as a school principal at Apii Te Uki Ou in Rarotonga, and the regular income it supplied, to prove it’s possible for a household to expunge its carbon footprint. She and her husband Andrew are living on her little section of Mauke soil – and entirely off the grid.

48 • ESCAPE

June and Andrew have a twofold aim: they want to model a sustainable lifestyle so people will think twice before wasting, polluting, and consuming; they also want the people of Mauke to realize they can live entirely off the land, and come home. They publicise their sustainable lifestyle by writing articles for a Cook Islands newspaper and for magazines overseas. “We want to do the right thing for the environment, to lessen our impact, but also we want to challenge everyone else to think about their impact,” June says. “Our aim is to effect change by example, but we know change takes decades. It’s a paradigm shift. That’s a long and tiresome goal, but we have to change one person at a time, one household at a time. We’ve got to promote individual action. We can do something. We don’t want people putting their hands out; we want them to do what they can with what they have.” June acknowledges that living in the margins of the mainstream economy is not for everyone; she just wants to prove that it’s possible. She wants to make people think. She and Andrew are walking the talk, and it’s hard, laborious work. Living off the land with minimal power consumes most of their time.

Their sustainable lair is chaotically organized. Every detail has been considered. Electricity derives from four photovoltaic panels and communication from one solar-powered radio that June calls her “lifeline”. The homestead has lights, a computer, a low-wattage deep freeze, a low-wattage washing machine

and an electric drill, but otherwise no powered appliances. June and Andrew are in the process of building their own house, and even do their sawing by hand.

Top: Coconut palms shade the road around the island's perimeter. Centre: June and Andrew building their new house. Bottom: June and Andrew's garden, awaiting new planting. Next page: The Rota-Loo.

Their grey-water â&#x20AC;&#x201C; water leftover from activities like washing and showering â&#x20AC;&#x201C; channels into a mulch pit that feeds their garden. They shower using a foot pump to release water from a tank, and use a toilet that transforms waste into useful compost by means of hot air and a fan. (June is proud of her Rotaloo; she points out that the composting system eliminates odours by pulling air from the toilet, housed in a hut on stilts, toward the ground.) The vegetable gardens are lined to retain soil and prevent leaching.

ESCAPE â&#x20AC;˘ 49

pawpaw, and coconut. They fish and they eat roosters. They do have an oven, which has been cleared of all its innards to create space for an open fire. Today, four years into her sustainable adventure, June’s passion hasn’t waned one iota. She is dreaming big; she wants to make a difference using the media and the potential of individual change agents, and she has the faith and determination to pull it off.

June and Andrew have hens and pigs, worm farms and compost bins. They grow and eat eggs, pumpkin (June found the mother plant at the dump), avocadoes, passion fruit, capsicum, tomato, banana,

“I once heard a politician say he had no vision for the outer islands. That floored me.” June said. “My mind said there’s got to be a way to save the outer islands. This is our ipukarea, our place of origin. We want people to know they can come back and live off the land. We want to make a change, one individual at a time.” It seems to me they’re certainly on the right track.

fact file: Nga Pu Toru is the name given to the cluster of islands of Mauke, Mitiaro and Atiu. Mauke is a 45 minute flight north-east from Rarotonga. Book through Air Rarotonga Travel Centre. tel: (682) 22888 | www.airaro.com For enquiries and bookings at Tiare Cottages. tel: (682) 35192 email: te4ta@mauke.net.ck. Meals and rental motor-scooters can be provided upon request. For accommodation at Ri’s Retreat. tel: (682) 35181 or 55359 email: keta-ttn@oyster.net.ck More information can be found at www.mauke.com

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n athlete knows that the only way to push through a plateau is to compete against someone better, stronger, faster, fitter. As for the prototypical Polynesian sport of outrigger canoe paddling, the best, strongest, fastest, and fittest are in Tahiti.

52 â&#x20AC;˘ ESCAPE

Te Aito Cook Islands

story: Rachel Reeves photos: Matariki Wilson / Cook Islands News

ESCAPE â&#x20AC;˘ 53

ith 7,000 registered competitive paddlers and a slew of big-name sponsors, Tahiti sets the international bar for competitive canoeing. Now, Cook Islands athletes are aiming for it. 2013 will be the fourth year Cook Islands paddlers have taken on Te Aito, Tahiti’s famed 28-kilometre circuit for individual paddlers. A massive moving flotilla of over 900 racers, Te Aito is the crème de la crème of single-man canoe races. Several years ago, to build local interest in Te Aito, Cook Islands Canoeing Association president Fletcher Melvin and a group of dedicated friends created Te Aito Cook Islands – a local qualifying event, the winners of which fly free-of-charge to Tahiti to compete. Melvin says simply: “Tahiti has the best. The idea is to give people the opportunity to try against the best.” Even for the cream of the Cook Islands crop, the caliber of paddlers in Tahiti can be unnerving. “We read about them and watch them on TV but seeing them firsthand is so different,” Melvin said. “There are 15-yearolds and 50-year-olds at the front of the pack. It seems like everyone is good. I (compare) paddling in Tahiti to rugby in New Zealand.” In terms of skill, energy and scope, Te Aito has no match. That Cook Islanders have started to set their sights on Te Aito, Melvin says, is having a ripple effect on the local paddling community. Athletes are training longer, harder, and more often - and it's starting to pay off. Locals have competed at Te Aito for three consecutive years, and this year star paddler Reuben Dearlove placed in the top 50 at Super Aito, Te Aito’s crowning event. “Our paddlers are training harder than they would have otherwise,” Melvin said. “I’d

54 • ESCAPE

Melvin says he and his Te Aito Cook Islands organising team – a group of friends who have invested “personal time as a labour of love” – have designed the young event around the Vaka Eiva model.

For eight years now the Cook Islands has played host to hundreds of paddlers from around the world – Canada, Hawai’i, Australia, Samoa, Tahiti, New Zealand – during one week of November. Dubbed Vaka Eiva, the festival is a seven-day celebration of paddling, replete with sprints, endurance races and a roundRarotonga marathon. There are V6, OC1 and V1 events, but the spotlight has traditionally shone on six-man teams. “Vaka Eiva has been great for V6 development,” Melvin said. “When in 2003 we went to Fiji we were coming in eighth or ninth in the Pacific but now we’re between second and third for the women generally and our men are placing because of Vaka Eiva and the development of canoes and coaching”. Previous page: Te Aito Tahiti where over 800 singles paddlers line Point Venus for the race that saw just as many support boats. Clockwise from left: Te Aito Cook Islands junior winner Andre Tutaka-George entering Muri Lagoon through Avana Passage; Taaroaiti Teheiura was one of the Tahitian paddlers competing at Te Aito Cook Islands, in May 2012; Joyce Fortes competing in the Te Aito Cook Islands woman's race in May 2012.

like to think we’ve opened the door a little bit wider for some of our elite athletes like Reuben Dearlove and Serena Hunter (local women’s division champion), who have been able to participate in this world event. They could’ve done it anyway, but I like to think Te Aito Cook Islands opened the door wider.” Equipment is also changing as a result of heightened interaction with Tahitian paddling. As local paddlers pay closer attention to Tahiti’s paddling milieu, they are starting to ditch their ruddered carbon-fibre outrigger canoes (OC1) for the canoes Tahiti prefers – the rudderless, sit-inside Vaka 1 (V1). While OC1 paddlers can compete at Te Aito, they aren’t able to place; it’s a V1’s race. “We’ve always wanted to do just a V1 event because there’s a big difference between V1 and OC1,” Melvin said. “We wanted something specifically for V1 because we

felt that was the way the sport was going”. “A lot of people have given up their OC1 and switched to V1. Some paddlers have had a new lease on life, so to speak. A few people got bored with the OC1 thing and now they’ve found a love of canoeing again.” The V1 is a different beast, demanding of its handler careful steering and textbook technique. V1 training builds muscle memory that translates directly into six-man outrigger canoe (V6) paddling. As paddlers catch V1 fever, local V6 performance improves. Melvin coaches V6 squads, and will personally attest that individual V1 training is building better six-man crews in a ‘sum of all parts’ kind of game. Melvin is hopeful that the Te Aito Cook Islands event will grow V1 paddling the way another home-grown canoeing event, Vaka Eiva, has advanced V6 paddling.

“We’re punching above our weight but we’re thrashing the Kiwis – they have the same amount of paddlers as Tahiti and the Australians have three or four thousand. We have a registered base of just over 100. I think the paddlers are doing pretty well, considering. We see the same sort of thing happening with Te Aito.” Melvin says he and his Te Aito Cook Islands organising team – a group of friends who have invested “personal time as a labour of love” – have designed the young event around the Vaka Eiva model. “The number one thing we learned from Vaka Eiva is the importance of having flexibility – running courses to suit conditions. In Tahiti they’re quite flexible; on the day of the race everything can change. It’s kind of crazy and you can’t really prepare for it, but I think through Vaka Eiva we’ve learned to be flexible.” The overriding idea behind both Vaka Eiva and Te Aito Cook Islands is the same: that “if you build the competition, they’ll come”, Melvin says. “If the competition exists, people will ultimately want to compete, try their skills against others and see where

ESCAPE • 55

Te Aito woman paddlers battle it out on a course along the eastern reef of Rarotonga

“You know, you go out for the first time and you stop and you look back at the island and you realize you’ve never seen it from that perspective. It’s pretty surreal,” he said. they stand. If you build it, they’ll come.” Melvin’s immediate goal is to expand the Te Aito Cook Islands event, as part and parcel of his long-range goal to develop the sport of paddling. In Te Aito Cook Islands’ inaugural year, 10 canoeists competed. The number of entrants doubled in the year after that, and this year the list of competitors included names of top paddlers from Tahiti. “It’s growing every year. We don’t know where it’s going to go but the idea is to get the numbers up,” Melvin said. Melvin is aiming within the next three years to get at least 30 men and 30 women on the water for the qualifying event. He hopes that Te Aito qualifier winners from New Zealand and Australia will look to Te Aito Cook Islands as another training opportunity in anticipation of the Tahiti event.

56 • ESCAPE

He considers 60 registered paddlers to be a feasible goal, as people are quickly becoming more interested in both Te Aito and V1 paddling. Another plus is a new direct shipping line between Tahiti and Rarotonga, which means local paddlers can order and source the best V1 in the world. Melvin hopes that more Cook Islanders will gravitate toward paddling, especially as the sport matures and canoes become more accessible. “In Tahiti people use canoes like bikes – they don’t run for exercise, they take their canoe out for lunchtime. That’s their preferred exercise and sport, and that’s what I want for the Cook Islands. I want people to think of it not just as a sport but as a cool way to enjoy the ocean and get some exercise.” Melvin says a number of young people who were, once upon a time, adrift have joined oe vaka (outrigger canoeing) and rediscovered a sense of purpose. They have connected with a sport that is quintessentially Polynesian. “Polynesians have always raced canoes. Everybody in the Cooks relates to paddling because it’s always been around,” Melvin said. “Plus, the Polynesians are world champions. We can look at Tahiti and think they’re the same as us – Polynesians – and we can aspire to that without spending millions of dollars on development.”

He points out that paddling can give Cook Islanders an outlet and give them the chance to compete internationally – in both outrigger canoeing and sister sports like slalom kayaking and dragon boating. Melvin is proud of the growth oe vaka has achieved in the last decade. “I keep reflecting on the fact that we’ve introduced a lot of Cook Islanders to the sea, believe it or not,” he said. “That’s the whole point. In the overall picture we want Cook Islanders not to limit themselves to land and the sports field but to go and see another world out there.” It is, indeed, another world. You could be doing a sweaty cardiovascular workout inside a gym, watching the wall, or you could be exercising on a cerulean sea, so clear you can see the bottom, with Rarotonga and her verdant peaks at your back and whales breaching mere metres from your boat. “You know, you go out for the first time and you stop and you look back at the island and you realize you’ve never seen it from that perspective. It’s pretty surreal,” he said.

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ESCAPE • 57

spirit the

of Te Vara Nui

58 • ESCAPE

story: Rachel Smith

“Join us in the spirit of Te Vara Nui,” we are told by MC George Williams. It is a difficult thing to resist - to avoid being swept away by the drums, the dancing and the tales of the Cook Islands...

rom the time the conch shell sounds and the patu roa drums on the heavy wooden door, there is a feeling that the stories and traditions about to be shared are an integral part of those telling the story. Te Vara Nui is the creation of a family of hard workers, owned by husband and wife team Moana Hunter Nair and Fodil Nair, and named after Moana’s mother Vara Hunter. Vara is a well known dancer in the Cook Islands and beyond, having performed across the Pacific, including touring New Zealand with Sir Howard Morrison, and being the first Cook Islands woman to appear on New Zealand television. These days she no longer works the stage but can be found mending costumes for the dancers, or handing out brochures at Punanga Nui on a Saturday morning. Together they have seen Te Vara Nui grow from an idea into the reality that it is today. Moana does not pretend that it has been an easy road, or that the end result has not deviated from their original plans. Instead it has been a journey of ‘tears and energy’ with the site growing organically as new ideas emerged. It was a big project from the onset and one that was three years in the making. What was once tepid swamp land has been transformed into an area of beauty. The original swamp is now a lake formed with

such care that most visitors believe it is a natural setting. Every rock and plant in the garden has been placed by Moana and Vara, to the point where Moana can tell the story of each plants journey to Te Vara Nui. The original idea was for a boutique hotel on large grounds, but when the recession hit and plans had to change, they found that many visitors were interested in the beauty of the site alone. The idea of forming a cultural village and night show came about slowly. Moana says they were approached by a number of people who had previously been employed at the cultural centre in Arorangi. Families like Papa Tuapata and his sons James and Travel, who have a passion for sharing the culture of the Cook Islands, were excited to be able to continue this at Te Vara Nui.

The original swamp is now a lake formed with such care that most visitors believe it is a natural setting. Every rock and plant in the garden has been placed by Moana and Vara, to the point where Moana can tell the story of each plants journey to Te Vara Nui. ESCAPE • 59

They wanted their cultural village to have “depth and substance” says Moana, so she and Fodil spent a lot of time researching and learning about areas of Cook Islands culture that were new to them. The village eventually opened in June 2010. Accommodation bungalows, originally intended for the hotel, were converted into the huts that now make up the cultural village tour: Are Korero - where George, who is also a guide and drummer, shares the history of Polynesia and explains the villages marae; Are Vai Rakau - where guests are shown some of the traditional medicines still used today in the Cook Islands by guide Apii; Are Tautai - with fishing enthusiast James saying he would “love to keep you here all night and talk about fishing”; Are Rakei - where George explains the skills of creating the costumes seen in action later in the evening; and finally Are Akari - the tree of life, where Papa Jack scales a coconut tree in seconds. Te Vara Nui now employs 57 people, from those visible to the public such as drummers, dancers, guides and office staff, to chefs, waitresses, restaurant managers, cleaners, and sound and light technicians. It is a family of multi-taskers, with most employees such as George working in more than one area. George can easily be described as a man of many words - a man with a passion for drumming and meeting new people. He joined the Te Vara Nui team shortly after they opened, originally as part of the drumming team. His story is similar to many Cook Islanders, in that he has spent much of his life living in New Zealand. Unlike others, his passion for Cook Islands culture stayed with him during his time away, where he performed in a number of cultural groups, including Te Riri Ote O, of which he was a founding member.

60 • ESCAPE

George says he “loves culture” and drumming in particular. He grew up in Aitutaki, where music and culture was “very much alive”, saying he was never taught specifically how to drum, he just learnt because it was simply all around him. He remembers first trying his hand at the pate (drum) around the age of seven years, and he still has such a passion for it that he drums six nights a week, every week. George can be seen chatting to guests, his favourite part of the job, as they take their seats for the over water night show for which Te Vara Nui is perhaps most famous for. After a meal of delicious local and western cuisine, guests flock to the edge of the restaurant to watch the dancers take the central stage in the centre of the lake. From the first beat of the drums it is common to hear a gasp of disbelief from enthralled visitors. As they watch, the legend of Tongaiti is woven together through dance, song, fire and drums. Warriors appear on stage while eels swim

Above: Patrons enjoy a free pick-up from their accommodation.

From the first beat of the drums it is common to hear a gasp of disbelief from enthralled visitors. As they watch, the legend of Tongaiti is woven together through dance, song, fire and drums.

silently through the waters of the lake, and young women move to the fast and furious pace of the drums - making it all look effortless. There is more than just energy that comes from the stage, there is a passion for dance and music that is almost palpable as it moves across the water. Lead female dancer, Kate Ngatokorua says the energy is returned, that the dancers themselves feed off the enthusiasm of the crowd. Kate has been dancing at Te Vara Nui from its inception, playing the part of the maiden Tekura. She and the 13 other women who make up the female component of the dance show, practiced for four hours a day for over a month until they were ready to perform. The choreography is the work of Alana Short, with the original separate dance items evolving into Ura te Po, Dances of Legends. Like others at Te Vara Nui, Kate’s love of her Cook Islands culture began when she was a young girl growing up on the island of Mangaia. There she learnt to dance, through school performances and also with a dance group ‘New Generation.’

ESCAPE • 61

Kate describes being on stage as a feeling of freedom and that nothing else matters, saying she “can’t dance without smiling”. It is also very hard work, with the physical nature of the dancing, particularly the fast paced drum dance, exhausting. Their performance three nights a week is practice enough for the team, unless of course there is a new dance to learn or a new dancer joins the ranks. Backstage the History Hut becomes a place for costume change, with the various outfits lined up ready for a quick turnaround. The original costumes were made specifically for the dancers and of mostly natural colours. Since then more have been made, with a focus on beautiful and well created costumes that will last the distance. Some of these are made from kiriau, the most recognisable of island costumes, others from simple pareu, or the rauti skirts which the dancers make themselves. There is a level of perfection that is expected from the dancers, with Kate saying they are pushed to perform to their very best. The dancers in turn want to make every show a great show, encouraging each other to go “hard out”, pushing each other to dance faster and with more energy. It is this high standard, promoted by Moana and Fodil across the entire experience that makes Te Vara Nui what it is. Moana tells the staff to treat all visitors as if they are VIP’s, knowing full well that the memories of a great experience will be shared with others. She says much of their success is due to word of mouth recommendations, and their fight and drive to make a success of all their hard work. The same level of energy is expected of the dynamic drumming team, who provide rhythm and energy to the dancers each night. Moana cannot speak highly enough of the 15 drummers they employ, especially their leader Pa Matapo. Pa arrived at Te Vara Nui, as part of the already established drumming team, and

62 • ESCAPE

as a sound and light technician with a wealth of experience. He has also been drumming since he was young, learning from his uncle whom he describes as a master of drums. A mix of people make up the drumming team, including Pa, George, experienced drummers and a number of younger men. The work is rotated so that eight to ten drummers play each night, with most of them also holding down day jobs, ranging from electricians to police officers. The drumming itself is based on the choreography of the dancers, with the team working to match the drum beat to the mood of the scene. Pa is responsible for much of the creativity of the beats, with the team working together to perfect each item. “Everybody is always still learning” he says, with the team encouraging young and more inexperienced drummers to join in, saying

that the only way to learn to perform to an audience, is to jump in and do it. There is a sense of family within the group, a feeling that they support one another in ways other than drumming. The team encourages members to abstain from drinking alcohol and smoking, as a lifestyle change that can benefit them all. When asked if he ever gets tired of drumming by the end of a performance, Pa replies with a laugh “I could drum all night I love it so much – drumming is a passion.” For Moana and Fodil there is much pleasure in seeing that the passionate performances they encourage, and the high standards they set, are beginning to pay off. The business has been steadily growing - the winter months of 2012 being especially busy with many nights reaching full capacity. The popularity of the cultural

village tour has also been increasing. Moana says that it has taken time to ensure they achieved a good balance of being both informative and fun. Growth has allowed a new cafe to open on the premises. Les Palmiers Cafe and Grill has a view of the water and gardens – a great advertisement for Te Vara Nui itself. Moana and Fodil agree that in a small place such as the Cook Islands, they have found the best way to succeed is to focus on themselves and their vision, and to “do the best we can.” As for the end result, George has the last say, “The whole place is magic.”

Spectacular Overwater Night Show & Buffet Dinner!

Book now! Ph: (682) 24006 www.tevaranui.co.ck

ESCAPE • 63

any visitors to the Cook Islands take the opportunity to discover Aitutaki’s beauty by taking a day trip from Rarotonga, which usually includes a cruise on the lagoon. However, the luxury of a little extra time fully reveals the stunning palette of a tropical retreat unsurpassed anywhere in the world; and a welcoming and friendly local populace who live life at an easy, relaxed pace. So if you’re considering a visit - stay over a night or two, or preferably longer; you will not be disappointed.

And certainly, a visit to the Cook Islands is not complete without visiting Aitutaki. It is a place of unsurpassed natural beauty and simple tranquility, providing a rejuvenating tonic to sooth away the pressures of the outside world. The breathtaking allure of its crystal clear turquoise waters and sparkling white beaches confirms that it is “one of the places to visit while you are still on this earth”.

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Aitutaki a little slice of -heaven-

Aitutaki is 220 kilometers north and an easy 45 minute flight from Rarotonga, the capital of the Cook Islands. Considered one of the most magnificent lagoons in the world with small uninhabited islands on its surrounding reef, it is unquestionably the most picturesque of the Cooks southern group islands.

Looking toward Motu Rapota from Motu Rakau

ESCAPE â&#x20AC;˘ 65

BOUTIQUE BEACH VILLAS AITUTAKI, COOK ISLANDS

Voted #1 hotel in the Cook Islands

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AITUTAKI • COOK ISLANDS

Samade Escape to

on the beach

12 garden view bungalows Restaurant & bar open 7 days Best swimming location on Aitutaki Breakfast, lunch & dinner • Sunday - all day barbeque Tuesday - Island Nite • Kayaks complimentary to house guests Stand-up paddleboards for hire

samade@aitutaki.net.ck | www.samade-on-the-beach.com Check our special deals on www.wotif.com Accommodation • Bar • Restaurant • Tel: (682) 31 526

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From the air this island paradise has to be one of the most beautiful sights in the South Pacific. Aitutaki is made up of a triangular-shaped reef encompassing an aqua lagoon in which three volcanic and twelve small coral islands nestle. A small island is known locally as a motu. The best thing about Aitutaki is undoubtedly its lagoon. They have taxis here, but rather than those normally found on land, these are small fast boats equipped with outboard motors. They can take you to your own private island where you can spend the day snorkeling, sunbathing or having a picnic, and then pick you up after several restful, sun-filled hours. There are also numerous lagoon tours, which last almost an entire day. Lunch, refreshments, snorkeling gear, and towels are always provided and nearly all tour operators can pick you up from the airport, or your hotel. Possibly the most wellknown is Air Rarotonga’s day tour onboard Titi-ai-Tonga, a large double hulled vessel that cruises languidly in the lagoon. Sit down meals are served by friendly staff, and after snorkeling in the lagoon visitors are taken to One Foot Island (Tapuaetai). Bishops Cruises is perhaps the lagoon’s most experienced and they offer a choice of cruises to various islands. And you can opt for a smaller boat with a more intimate and personal tour if you wish. After a wonderful morning of snorkeling and feeding the fish, lunch is usually served at One Foot Island which boasts what

Aitutaki’s

ISLAND WEDDING Specialists

could be the world’s smallest Post Office. Don’t forget to take your passport with you; because you can have it stamped here, making a great souvenir of your visit. This vast lagoon was once a stopover for the TEAL (Tasman Empire Airways Limited) Short Solent flying boats traveling the renowned ‘Coral Route’ through the South Pacific. TEAL is the former name of Air New Zealand and TEAL themery can be found in a small lodge on Motu Akaiami. The lodge has been built on the exact spot where the original terminal stood and remains of the original base and jetty are still visible today. Here the well-to-do of the fifties, including movie stars John Wayne, Cary Grant and the like, stopped for a few hours or even overnight, while planes were refuelled, serviced, or waiting for weather to clear. Passengers would swim in the clear warm waters in the bay, shower outdoors under the palms and eat lunches of crisply cut sandwiches and local pawpaw, before re-embarking. Aitutaki has an interesting aviation history. It was 1942 when the construction juggernaut that would soon become known as the Seabees came ashore and began constructing what many feared would be the last line of defence for allied forces fighting the Japanese. The airport at Aitutaki was constructed as part of operation Bobcat. With their slogan ”we build – we fight”, the Seabees soon had the island air-base operational; just in time to see them move from this part of the Pacific, as they pursued the Japanese further to the north and west. The runway has recently been completely rebuilt. Charmingly small, quaint even, Aitutaki airport is the busiest it’s been since the war days.

For a wedding MADE IN HEAVEN, let us arrange your special day for you – beneath the palms, on the sands of romantic One Foot Island.

We offer a choice of cruises and safe boats, with transfers, snorkelling gear, beach towels and lunch on One Foot Island all provided. Join us for a fun-filled day cruising, snorkelling and swimming in our picturesque lagoon. We are Aitutaki’s most experienced cruise company.

Motu Akaiami

Reservations Essential Ph. 31 009 ESCAPE • 67 bishopcruz@aitutaki.net.ck | www.bishopscruises.com

hired car or motor scooter. A winding road criss-crossing the island and lots of small tracks, lead to interesting, unexpected places and a number of local villages. A short drive up Maunga Pu provides a fantastic 360 degrees lookout of the entire vista – whichever way you turn. Several guided tours are available on the main island, visiting ancient sites, burial grounds and major points of interest. Most serve light refreshments or lunch.

Back further in time; the first European discovery was by Captain Bligh sailing on the Bounty in 1789. He sighted the island just 17 days prior to the infamous mutiny. Bligh returned later to Aitutaki and is said to have introduced the pawpaw which, like other varieties of tropical fruit, grows in abundance all over the island. 50 years later the first missionary, the Reverend John Williams of The London Missionary Society, introduced Christianity to Aitutaki and the Cook Islands Christian Church, down by the wharf at Arutanga, became the very first Church built in the Cook Islands. A grand old lady with coral walls, stained glass windows and ornate ceiling decorations, she is a constant inspiration to locals and a reminder that Aitutaki was the first of the nation’s islands to embrace Christianity.

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Delving further into the islands past is local trainee archaeologist Ngaakitai Pureariki. On a four acre sight in one of Aitutaki’s bush-clad valleys Nga’a is uncovering remnants of his peoples ancient past on a site strewn with large obelisk-like stones. Carbon dating of samples reveal that the Marae at Paengariki was established around 1000 A.D. Warriors met here before and after battle; sacred feasts and coming-of-age ceremonies were celebrated and human sacrifice took place. This is a fascinating place to visit. Visitors will find a wide range of accommodation options available on the main island; from award-winning resorts to less expensive clean and comfortable motels and backpacker operations. The best way to see the Aitutaki mainland is by

Island nights with cultural shows are on throughout the week. Experiences not be missed are the island nights at Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Samade On The Beach and Tamanu Beach. Some of the best meals using local produce are to be savoured at Café Tupuna, Boatshed Bar & Grill and Te Vaka Bar & Grill. On the waterfront near the wharf at Arutanga, is the Aitutaki Game Fishing Club which has a bar inside a shipping container; this is a good place to make contacts for deep sea fishing enthusiasts. At O’otu Beach you’ll find the Koru Café is an ideal spot for lunch and Samade Restaurant & Bar, a great place for a meal any time of the day or night, or for lazing away long hours on a white sandy beach. Fishing aficionados will be in heaven on Aitutaki, as several operators offer game and sport fishing beyond the reef and there is always the call of the elusive bone-fish within the lagoon. Scuba diving is excellent in clear, warm waters and there is a choice of accredited operators who will show you a great time and a memorable underwater experience. Hot sun, white sands, swaying coconut palms, a stunning turquoise lagoon and romantic sunsets - Aitutaki is blessed with them all; and friendly, laughing people that make you feel very welcome – all the time.

D IL W WEBOTAT& CHARTERS For an awesome holiday t! ge experience you won’t for

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28 years of diving Aitutaki guarantees you the best dives • PADI Instructor #452677 • NAUI Instructor #8812

P: 31651 or 31657

Ph: (682) 31703 or 31103 Mob: (682) 56103 Email: scuba@aitutaki.net.ck

E: wetnwild@oyster.net.ck

M: 56558 or 75980 www.wetnwild-aitutaki.com

Tupuna’s Tupuna’s Restaurant Restaurant aitutaki

For quite possibly the best a-la-carte dining on Aitutaki visit Tupuna’s Restaurant. Here, in a truly relaxed island setting, we promise you an evening to remember and cuisine you’ll want to tell your friends about. Relax with sand in your toes while we serve you the freshest island produce of the day. We are fully licensed and open Monday to Saturday from 6pm. Visa, Amex & Mastercard accepted.

Reservations Recommended

Phone: 31678

Email: tupunasrestaurant@aitutaki.net.ck

ESCAPE • 69

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Aitutaki was heaven on earth for passengers from a cathedral in the sky

TEALS

Coral Route Stopover at Aitutaki Story: Jason Brown

Flying 33,000 feet above sea level, as is normal these days, it’s a bit hard to spot sharks, especially when cloud covers the Pacific Ocean far below.

magine flying at less than 7,000 feet, for hours on end, wave tops thrillingly close underneath, beams of glowing sunlight lancing down from the heavens through gaps in the clouds overhead. “Flying over the boundless blue Pacific in the 1950s still had a touch of daring, swashbuckling allure, especially when you were low enough to see the sharks,” says enthusiast Stewart Haynes. “Pilots were demigods in RayBans. Hostesses were angels in nifty uniforms,” he says. TEAL being Tasman Empire Airways Limited, was the forerunner to Air New Zealand and a trademark from a colonial

era which focused towards Australia and the northern hemisphere, rather than islands in the south. Back then, bemused passengers were advised to bring a change for swimming, unusual advice even then. TEAL themery can still be found at the Flying Boat Beach Bar & Grill at the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa and at the TEAL Lodge located on the old flying boat islet of Akaiami. “The lodge has been rebuilt on the exact spot where the original terminal stood,” says lodge host Tearuru Carl Marsters. “Here the well-to-do of the fifties, including movie stars John Wayne, Cary Grant and the like, stopped for a few hours, or even overnight, while the planes were serviced or waiting for weather to clear.” Bare backed labourers wrestled 44 gallon drums down a stone jetty, remnants of which were rebuilt by the lodge and can still be seen today. Passengers would swim in warm lagoon waters around the grandly named terminal building, shower outdoors under the coconut palms and eat lunches

ESCAPE • 71

u Beach

Tamanu Beach of crisply cut sandwiches and fresh tropical fruit. In other words, passengers on TEAL’s Short Solent flying boats had a front row pew in the cathedral of nature — filled with celestial glories and earthly delights.

The perfect lagoon-side setting for breakfast, lunch & dinner, as well as regular live entertainment. • Island Night & Fire Dance - Thursday evenings • BBQ with live entertainment - Sunday evenings • Excellent A La Carte menu - every other evening

Ph. (682) 31810 Fax. (682) 31816

reservations@tamanubeach.com • www.tamanubeach.com AITuTAkI • Cook ISLANDS

72 • ESCAPE

“The Solent ambled along un-pressurised at about 220 knots - 400 kilometres per hour,” says Haynes. “Human fascination for flight was at an all time high in the forties and fifties. Travellers who could afford luxury air travel were to be envied and admired. The world seemed enormous, fragile, newly reborn after the war and flying was a wonder,” says

Haynes, an unusualy poetic chronicler for a Kiwi. “Passengers were always treated to fabulous scenery as the maximum cruising height was only 3000 metres and the pilot often dipped well below this restriction to take full advantage of the view below.” Starting in 1952, TEAL flew the Short Solents on the Coral Route until September 1960. When flying boat services were finally stopped, the coral route was the last of its kind in the world’s new jet age. Airfare for the coral route was about 30 pounds, six times the average wage. About NZ$3,500 or US$2,500 in today’s money.

“Flying over the boundless blue Pacific in the 1950s still had a touch of daring, swashbuckling allure, especially when you were low enough to see the sharks, Pilots were demigods in RayBans. Hostesses were angels in nifty uniforms,” he says.

ESCAPE • 73

To add to the occasion passengers dressed in their finery with women in their hats and furs, men in suits and neckties. A few residents flew from the islands to New Zealand. That was even more expensive. “Carrying about 45 passengers, the aircraft with luxurious two deck surroundings were more like high-class restaurants, complete with silver service, tables with linen tablecloths and powder rooms,” says Haynes. “An onboard chef cooked meals to order.” Coral Route flights were the domain of the wealthy, including rich tourists from the United States and Europe and the occasional movie star, he says. “Flying was seen to be very glamorous back in the 1950's. To add to the occasion passengers dressed in their finery with women in their hats and furs, men in suits and neckties. On rare occasions, when children accompanied their parents, they wore their Sunday best.” Haynes and many others have described Aitutaki as being the most romantic spot in the South Pacific. So what makes it so adorable? Today, most visitors to the Cooks arrive via Rarotonga on the TEAL successor, Air New Zealand. Aitutaki is still superlative, a breathtaking lagoon arrangement of tropical turquoise and topaz, fringed with white breakers and moistened with thousands of green swaying palms. No sharks in the lagoon, but, if you watch closely as you come into land at Aitutaki on Air Rarotonga, you should just catch a glimpse of the little islet of Akaiami, a legendary location of the south seas.

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When flying was smokin’ Ciggies were OK, but no pipes or cigars aboard your fifties flying boat “Welcome to TEAL service. We look forward to having you with us. Your comfort and convenience are our business. We believe in the finer points that make good service excellent.” Much of the language in Trans Empire Airways Ltd pamphlet sounds surprisingly familiar. Some doesn’t. “This pamphlet,” explains TEAL, “is designed to provide answers to questions about TEAL travel.” Explaining what a pamphlet is for seems charmingly old world in today‘s multimedia blizzard. Other hints include the careful way words like “aircraft” and “plastic” are used, revealing the exotic rarities both items were just half a century ago. “Cigarettes only” means no smoking pipes or cigars onboard. Cultural motifs used in the pamphlet bear small resemblance to anything we would recognise today. This is before the plastic tiki of Air New Zealand fame during the seventies and eighties. Boarding procedures, often slept through, had to be spelt out. Post-war air tourism, after all, was still dewy fresh, a new frontier. Welcome aboard, indeed, to a peek back into another era of aviation, with a selection of the finest TEAL pamphlet moments… Meals and refreshments In flight, meals are served with the compliments of TEAL. Drinks, light refreshments, cigarettes and souvenirs are also available. Upon request before the flight, any special infant foods required will be provided. Magazines, games, children’s toys and a hundred and one other items from safety pins to writing paper are also carried. There are wash room facilities on TEAL aircraft and spacious interiors provide plenty of room to walk about and talk with your friends. Seating Seats on TEAL aircraft are reclining, rubber-foam armchairs. Smoking (cigarettes only) is normally permitted in all cabins.

Tipping Gratuities are not required. We’re glad to be of service. Baggage Free allowances are: First Class - 66 lbs. for adults and children paying half fare. Tourist class - 44 lbs. For adults and children paying half fare. Don’t worry about carrying suitcases - we do the lifting. Baggage and clothing hints For swimming in tropical waters, bathing shoes are often required: many travellers carry a pair of light sandals to use as beach shoes, bathing shoes and slippers. Brushes, shoe trees, coat hangers, bottles. Warm dressing gowns (light, uncrushable gowns save space, weight and ironing). Leather containers for toilet gear. Tropical travelling In tropical climates, easily washable frocks are the best. Seersucker and nylon are particularly suitable. When arranging male wardrobes, remember that closely woven gaberdine is not cool and that on many Pacific Islands there are no dry-cleaning facilities. It is always wise to select dualpurpose garments. TEAL Coral Route passengers When flying over the Coral Route, you may wear light, completely informal clothes. Prior to take-off the temperature of aircraft cabins is high, falling rapidly immediately you are airborne. If you are travelling on a TEAL aircraft calling at Aitutaki (Cook Islands) you should remember that through passengers’ baggage is not available at this stopping point. Soap and towels are provided at the TEAL rest house but we suggest you carry the following in your overnight bag: Toilet gear. Change of clothing (if likely to be required). Bathing suit. Beach towel. Sun glasses. Bathing shoes.

If you’re looking for the perfect Cook Island experience, then this is the trip for you.

• Kids & family fishing • Light tackle sports fishing • Half, full day & other options • Blue water game fishing

AITUTAKI

fishing@aitutaki.net.ck

Ph: 31479

ATIU

RAROTONGA incorporating

Air Rarotonga’s

Aitutaki Sports & Fly-Fishing Lodge

Two Island Discovery

www.aitutakisportsandflyfishing.com

We’ll fly you from Rarotonga to Aitutaki Aitutaki is frequently referred to as one of the world’s favourite islands. It encircles a spectacular turquoise lagoon where opportunities for swimming and snorkelling abound, or you may choose to simply wander the white sand beaches.

… then on to extraordinary Atiu … Atiu is also known as Enuamanu, “island of the birds”. Amongst the magnificent rain forest bird life is prolific. You may even see the recently re-introduced Kura, or Rimatara Lorikeet. Delicious local fruit is always available along with a great brew of Atiu grown coffee.

www.cookislands.travel

LM/SD 2022178B

and back to Rarotonga

www.airraro.com

atiu

here are few places left in the world like Atiu, an island with just over 500 people and acres and acres of untouched rainforest and coastal bush.

There are no western bars (apart from the small one at Atiu Villas), bright neon lights or busy roads. For travellers searching for an island paradise, Atiu is it.

Most overseas visitors to Atiu lament on departure that they wish they’d organised a longer stay on this unspoiled island gem, full of captivating history, scenery and friendly people. The Anatakitaki Cave walk is the perfect offering for visitors who want an unforgettable nature experience. On the day we went, we were guided by Marshall Humphreys. Married to Atiuan Jeanne, Marshall is proud of Atiu conservation and how the locals “always leave a bit for the next day, like when they go fishing and catch just enough to eat.” He’s also

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enua manu Re-discovering nature and solitude on ‘the island of birds’.

impressed with the way the island works as a community. Reasonable fitness and covered shoes are needed for the trek through tropical forest that resembles a fantastically overgrown garden. Regarded by environmentalists as a national treasure, Anatakitaki Cave is home to the Kopeka bird, a swallow unique to Atiu, which like a bat, navigates its way in the pitch black caverns using sonar. The towering limestone caverns contain cauliflower coral, proving that the caves were once beneath the sea, as these coral formations only occur underwater. There are huge stalactites reaching to the cavern floor and massive stalagmites sparkling as though they are embedded with millions of diamonds. The magnificence of the caverns is breathtaking. Another tour takes you to Rimarau Burial Cave that includes visits to age old marae and “walking the dramatic route taken by hundreds as they went to meet their

death in ancient times.” If beaches, historic sights and panoramic scenery also appeal, opt for an island tour. It offers contrasting scenery, drives through shady roads and forest thick with ancient trees to coastal tracks and points of interest including the coral garden, sinkholes and fabulous little beaches ideal for shell collecting or leisurely lolling in the warm, pristine sea. George Mateariki, better known as Birdman George, takes us on his morning tour – first stop is to catch a glimpse of the endangered Kakerori bird. We are a bit startled as George begins loudly beeping his car horn as we near the nesting ground. He explains that being inquisitive birds, Kakerori are drawn to unusual noises. He calls to them, walking through the picturesque bush and making kissing noises. The birds do not disappoint, replying with their call sounds. To see Kakerori so close is a real treat, as they were once on the brink of extinction.

...shady roads and forest thick with ancient trees to coastal tracks and points of interest including the coral garden, sinkholes and fabulous little beaches ideal for shell collecting or leisurely lolling in the warm, pristine sea.

birdman GEORGE band for added entertainment. Visitors are always welcome to stop in, partake of a cup of the local brew and meet the locals. “There’s money in the land,” says Mata Arai, pointing to her coffee bushes laden with ripe berries. Mata is an industrious Atiuan woman who produces the 100 percent Atiu Island Coffee using a technique she learnt from her grandmother as a child. It’s a process all done by hand. Atiu Island Coffee can be purchased from Mata’s home, in Atiu stores, or supermarkets on Rarotonga. For someone who “never wanted to be a coffee grower” Juergen Manske produces Atiu Coffee, some of the finest coffee to be found in the region. He and artist wife, Andrea Eimke settled in Atiu some 23 years ago. Discovering acres of coffee plantations, Juergen took 20 kilos to Europe to have it checked out. The verdict – “terrific coffee,” says Juergen. “We established that it is arabica coffee with very low caffeine content.” Coffee connoisseurs should take Juergen’s informative tour of plantations and factory, ending with a tasting on the verandah of their home at Atiu Fibre Arts Gallery.

Along the way, George points out medicinal plants and how they are used to treat various ailments. “I love my history and everything I know about Atiu was taught to me by my grandfathers,” says George. A fun experience is a visit to one of the legendary Atiu tumunu – ‘clubs’, where local men gather to drink homebrew and chat about island affairs, with clear rules about conduct. Often there’s a string-

The Atiu Fibre Arts Gallery is definitely on the ‘to visit’ list when on Atiu. Andrea Eimke’s exquisite technicoloured tivaivai (quilting) is displayed, along with other textile art. Completing an embroidery apprenticeship before settling on Atiu, then seeing what local women were doing “the dies were cast, I was hooked” says Andrea. And so it all started with one sewing machine, a lot of inspiration and the desire to preserve traditional knowledge and skills, plus creating jobs for local women. Today, Atiu Fibre Arts Studio has developed into an enterprise that produces world class textile art, drawing students for workshops on Atiu from far afield.

A unique island. A unique guide. Let George show you the highlights of Atiu. Explore the ancient trails, discover the birds, learn the uses of many plants, visit a burial cave, verify the recovery of the near extinct Kakerori bird and picnic island-style at a secluded beach. Atui’s most popular guide!

Phone 33047

Email: atiu@ihug.co.nz

Please support the advertisers in this magazine… they make it possible for you to read this for free.

ESCAPE • 77

Bacon

ringing Home the

story: Rachel Reeves photos: Brie Zeman

had twigs in my hair and blood on my hands and I was running toward a pack of barking dogs, their urgent yelps piercing the silence of the forest in its post-dawn stillness. It was not yet 7am. It sounds like a scene out of ‘The Hunger Games’, but I was neither fighting for my life nor required to be there, sweaty and bloody in the bush. I signed up for this. My cousin Brie, our friend Shannon and I were hunting wild pigs in Atiu – or, to put it more accurately, we were panting to keep up with our trailblazing guide Nookura, who carried a rifle, cut through the bramble with a bush knife, and wore no shoes. We arose with the sun and drove to the edge of Atiu’s bush, where we stopped for a short prayer and joined the anxious dogs. They’d been tied up and deprived of food for a few days in anticipation of the hunt, into the wild pig’s forested lair.

Not ten minutes into our walk, they had one. Frantic barking ensued, the pig’s pleading squeals barely audible. Our guides stopped, listened, and bolted toward the commotion. Waist-high grass concealed the action, but moved with the excitement of hungry dogs and a panicked pig. We had been told to keep our distance because the prey manages to wriggle away sometimes (though probably just because we were in the way), but suddenly one of our guides stuck a short knife in the air and yelled for one of us to grab it. With one large bare foot he was pinning down a screaming pig; one hand held its four legs together and the other summoned one of us. A long and awkward pause followed, but finally Shannon lunged at the opportunity to stab the thing in its heart. Five pigs later, it was my turn – or so one guide told me before he set off running after the dogs. I followed. By the time I’d waded through the grass to reach him, he’d already cornered the pig and motioned for me to stab it. Now, I’m not much of a hunter, but I’m convinced that making a kill activates a peculiar adrenaline rush. It’s the only explanation I’ve got for the creepy photo my cousin snapped of me holding a bloody knife and wearing a lopsided grin. Animal lovers should know, by the way, that Atiu has a real wild pig problem. The story goes that when people emigrated overseas they left their pigs behind; it didn’t take the animals long to break out of their pens and go feral. To cope, villages plan hunt days that end in dozens of kills, but still there

78 • ESCAPE

are too many pigs and they uproot taro and other valuable crops. Pig hunting isn’t for the faint of heart; so if you’re after the experience of capturing your own dinner but can’t stomach the thought of killing a pig, go fishing. We went with Andrew, who picked us up and drove us down a steep, rocky ramp to the beach. He handed us rods, cracked open a crab with a stone and used our hooks to spear its meat. Swinging his bucket, he walked with us to the edge of Atiu – we were standing on an exposed reef, waves crashing against our shins, rising from the depths of a blue sea, their faces glassy and their crests foamy. Andrew asked us if we knew how to fish. We lied. He found out. Laughing, he taught us to cast and for several hours we fished under the sun, our worries far, far away, our thoughts focused on the line and what was – or wasn’t – on the end of it. Every catch was a thrill for this inexperienced fisherwoman; in the commotion of reeling in a fish I’d dig the end of my rod so hard into my stomach that the next day I had a sore belly button. We filled our bucket with pipi (topsail drummer fish) that we threw on an open-fire grill that evening as the sun waned. Before we dug into a meal of fresh fish, taro chips and cold beer, my friends and I looked at each other. Wordlessly we were saying the same thing: “It can’t get any better than this.” Convoluted land rights issues mean that pig hunting isn’t always an option for tourists, but talk to locals while you’re on Atiu and more often than not they’ll sort you out. Fishing is never an issue, though – a number of locals will be happy to take you to the reef. Ask around.

Phone. (682)33041 | Email. marshall@atiutours.co.ck | Web. atiutoursaccommodation.com

Atiu Tours ’

Atiu B&B Jeanne’s Art

Enjoy personalised bed & breakfast service plus the luxury of a comfortable home away from home. Lunch, dinner & vehicle hire also available.

Irresistible images of Cook Islands flora & fauna

- available from Atiu, Koru Café Aitutaki, Island Living Rarotonga. Email: jeannehumphreysart@gmail.com

Marshall’s Discovery Island Tour, Anatakitaki Kopeka Bird Caves, Rimarau Burial Cave. Secluded beaches, tropical rainforest, amazing caves, rich bird life, fascinating archeology & legends.

u i t A as l l i V

Atiu is an exciting eco island adventure you shouldn’t miss. Make this a prime destination or stop off on your way to, or from Aitutaki for a little extra airfare. Stay in comfort at Atiu Villas, the island’s most experienced hosts. Amenities and services include a licensed restaurant and bar, swimming pool, tennis court, tour packages, rentals and free Wi-Fi for emails.

Book online at: www.atiuvillas.com Ph. (682) 33 777 | Fax. (682) 33 775 | Email. roger@atiuvillas.com | www.atiu.info

ATIU COFFEE

Atiu Fibre Arts Studio traditional and contemporary textile art www.atiu-fibrearts.com

Atiu

Guesthouse

Step off the beaten track. Visit the Atiu Coffee Factory and plantations. Taste our organically-grown and sun-dried Arabica coffee. www.atiu-coffee.com

Stay at Atiu Guesthouse and become part of village life on our secluded island. ESCAPE • 79 www.atiu-guesthouse.com

ESCAPE asked the pupils of Class J of Araura College on Aitutaki, if they would like to write about a local legend for us. This story was written by Taupu Kamoe and Tumou’ata Tamarua. Ioane Ioane drew the illustrations.

TAPUAETAI The legend of One Foot Island

nce, long, long ago, there was an area, in the lagoon of Aitutaki that was forbidden to islanders to fish in. Early one morning, a man named Tangaroa wanted to fish in that area, so he asked his son Tangaroa to go and prepare the canoe and everything they needed for fishing. When his son had finished preparing the canoe they started paddling out to sea. When they got to the area they started to fish quickly but before they knew it the sun started to rise, but Tangaroa the father did

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not want to go yet because he thought that they did not have enough fish, so they kept fishing. By this time the island warriors awakened to see two people fishing in the forbidden area of the lagoon so they got onto their canoes and paddled off to where Tangaroa and his son were fishing. But luckily Tangaroa had spotted the warriors coming towards them and told his son that they had to leave. While they were trying to escape they spotted an island and when they got there Tangaroa told his son to get out of the canoe and run into the bushes and then he would follow behind. The boy ran and hid in the bushes while the father looked behind to see the warriors were still chasing them and so he followed in his son’s footsteps.

When Tangaroa reached his son he was standing under a pandanus tree waiting for him and when he stopped to listen he heard the warriors running into the bushes after him. When the warriors stopped to look at the footprints on the sand there was only one pair of footprints and they got confused because they were sure they had seen two people in the canoe but they continued following the footprints. In the meantime Tangaroa heard the noises getting louder and louder so he told his son to climb up the pandanus tree that they were standing under and wait for him to return. Then suddenly the warriors passed the pandanus tree and kept on following the

footprints until they found Tangaroa at the end of the bushes with a look of horror on his face fearing what the warriors might do to him, almost as soon as they saw him the warriors got out their weapons and killed Tangaroa slowly.

No one knows what happened to the boy and the body, but that’s how the little island in Aitutaki was named Tapuaetai meaning One Foot Island.

Escape Magazine donates $250 to schools in exchange for a legend written and illustrated by their pupils. Many of our issues have featured different legends. This scheme benefits the schools and encourages pupils to research and write about their own culture.

It was a while when the warriors passed the pandanus tree still puzzled about the footprints. When they had gone at last, Tangaroa’s son climbed down the pandanus tree and ran towards the area where his father was and found that the warriors had killed him. As he wept Tangaroa plaited a coffin out of pandanus leaves to wrap his father in. When he had finished he then dragged it down to the beach and into the sea and started walking towards the reef with tears still coming out of his eyes. When he got there he left the coffin with his father in it and wept.

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ESCAPE • 81

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CHARLIE story & photos: Amelia Hokule'a Borofsky

Charlie Frisbie wears a woven pandanus leaf hat, interlaced with pink and yellow ribbon. His button-down Aloha shirt remains unbuttoned, keeping him cool in the heat. His grey slacks sit loose on his hips and I half expect to see a holster and a gun there. On his feet he wears a pair of brown reef shoes with the clasps broken. “Poor old Charlie,” he says, “can’t even afford a good pair of shoes.” And then he laughs so hard I can see his two gold teeth.

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FRISBIE

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harlie Frisbie stands at the copra shed. He is the first to greet me as I disembark from the cargo boat KWAI which visits Pukapuka only every six months. “Ahoy there,” he calls out with an American accent. “Is that Charlie Frisbie?” I ask with disbelief. For years I had read of this legendary Pacific cowboy, sportsman and storyteller and at last I was meeting him in person. “Charlie Frisbie is an iconic figure in the South Pacific,” says Pio Lavalua chairman for the Kau Wo Wolo or the Council of Important People, “he links us to the past.” At 82 years old, Papa Charlie is the Wola or the oldest man on Pukapuka. This means that he gets invited to all the feasts, receives the best share of the food and the fattest kaveau (coconut crabs). I often find him on his turquoise and pink veranda reading his father’s The Book of Pukapuka. Seventy years after its publication, Charlie Frisbie still reads and rereads the brown water stained pages with the missing cover. Charlie Frisbie’s father, Robert Dean Frisbie, popularised a romantic Pukapuka that sold well to American audiences of the 1930’s. “The people of Pukapuka owe a debt to him otherwise no one would know

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of Pukapuka,” says Lavalua. “Few tourists come here,” he continues, “and those that do usually come because they read The Book of Pukapuka.” In the Autumn of 1920, Robert Dean Frisbie set out from San Francisco on a steamship bound for the Pacific, hoping to escape modern industrial life. First landing in Tahiti, he wrote with disappointment that, “the Pacific that so many had imagined had already died.” He went on to the Cook Islands with stints in Rarotonga, Manihiki, Penryhn, and Pukapuka. He wrote, “The only remote and isolated place I could find was the atoll of Pukapuka, which became my eventual home.” He went on to write eight fictionalised accounts of South Seas romance and adventure. Tom Neale credited him with the inspiration to live on uninhabited Suwarrow for six years and write An Island to Oneself. James Norman Hall and Charles Nordhoff of Mutiny on the Bounty as well as James A. Michener became Frisbie’s friends. Michener described him as “a man who destroyed himself through the search for beauty.” In Pukapuka, “Lopati,” as he was called in Pukapuka, found the beauty he searched for. He married the young Ngatokolua and they had five children: Charles, Johnny, William, Elaine and Ngatokolua. He called

his children “my cowboys” and wrote of them with great affection. His eldest daughter Johnny Frisbie, who now lives in Hawaii, wrote Miss Ulysses from Pukapuka at the age of sixteen. In her book, she writes of how Charlie did not grow up with the rest of the “cowboys.” Following

When the boat would come everyone would run and tell her, ‘Mama Piki-Piki run and hide, Lopati Frisbie and his band of cowboys are here,’ and she would run and hide with me in the taro patch.

Pukapukan tradition, an aunt raised the first-born Charlie. While drinking his customary “morning cup o’ tea” with cabin bread, Charlie Frisbie explains in his trademark cowboy English, Rarotongan and Pukapukan: “When I was

born my mother was quite ill. My auntie Piki-Piki looked after me and claimed me as her own. My poor Piki-Piki, she made sure I stayed with her. When the boat would come everyone would run and tell her, ‘Mama Piki-Piki run and hide, Lopati Frisbie and his band of cowboys are here,’ and she would run and hide with me in the taro patch. She could stay there for days until someone came and told her ‘it’s safe now you can bring Charlie out.’” The practice of adopting children out to be raised by other family members was, and still is, common throughout the Cook

Islands and Polynesia. Charlie’s sister, Johnny Frisbie, explains how their mother, being raised on a culture where sharing children is customary, believed adopting Charlie out was the right thing to do. Johnny writes, “Piki-Piki would only let us spend time with Charlie if my father promised not to take him away from her.” I ask Papa Charlie if his sister’s description is accurate and he nods. “That’s pretty much how it was,” he says “I loved Piki-Piki. She raised me and I couldn’t leave her.” Charlie Frisbie grew up in Pukapuka, Rarotonga and later New Zealand. His eyes get misty recalling his days in Rarotonga singing from the coconut trees, sneaking into cowboy films and the boxing gym. “Did you ever see those old cowboy movies?” asks Papa Charlie. “If there was a new cowboy movie we would all go crazy!” It turns out that he and his friends usually had no money for the movies, but that didn’t stop them. They would sneak around the side door and take turns watching from the window. “One time the policeman caught us and pulled us all away,” he laughs. He pulls out his right hand and pretends to shoot me “Bang, Bang!” he says and then blows the smoke from the top of his finger.

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ate plain toast, no butter no jam, tea, no sugar, and lettuce. That’s all we ate all day. Had to be thin. Yup, you had to be lean, small and starving to ride the GG’s.” And even today, he only drinks tea and eats cabin bread until sundown. With his thin, tanned muscular frame he looks more forty than eighty.

I join him on his colourful veranda as he continues to tell me story after story. How he went on to become a champion boxer in Rarotonga. How he wandered in the mountains from dawn to dusk. My favourite stories come from his days as a professional jockey in New Zealand. For the third time in three days, Papa Charlie asks me, “Did I ever tell you about my days riding the GG’s?” and we’re off. After finishing school in Rarotonga, Charlie and his brother Jakey Frisbie went to New Zealand to train as jockeys. Charlie had to give up boxing as it made his arms too muscular, “you have to be lean and mean to ride the GG’s,” he says. Charlie and Jakey became the first islander jockeys in New Zealand. “We were the first Cook Islanders to ride in a King’s sport,” he says with pride. Pukapukans are well known for their small stature and exceptional athletic abilities. These qualities served Charlie and Jakey well during a demanding career. “It was a tough life,” says Papa Charlie, “we

For his health, physical strength, island knowledge and storytelling, I would choose Papa Charlie as my deserted island companion. While on Pukapuka, he teaches me how to keep from being impaled on the coconut husking stick. While walking out on the reef we see a small shark. I gather some rocks and start throwing them into the water thinking that I am cleverly keeping the sharks at bay. “What are you doing?” asks Papa Charlie. “Scaring away the sharks,” I say. “You’re attracting them.” he says, “The sharks will think it’s a fish and all come running. You just got to talk to them or give them a good ‘BOO’.” Papa Charlie offers me many more survival lessons. He still gets fresh coconuts from the tree, though he no longer climbs but uses a long bamboo pole. I watch as Charlie husks five coconuts in five minutes. “Nothing like a fresh coconut,” he says, “that’s all I need to survive.” I ask him if he has ever been afraid of anything. He replies, “I have only ever been scared of

a woman!” I ask him what he would do if he had a million dollars. “I would throw it away,” he says, “all the women would come chasing after me and I would have to run!” Papa Charlie starts whistling and breaks into his favourite song, “I was dancing with my darling to the Tennessee Waltz…” One of his neighbours Mima Katoa says, “I can always hear Charlie before I see him. I hear that song and I say - yup its Charlie coming.” Everyone hears Charlie before they see Charlie. In the morning Papa Charlie rides his blue motorbike, taking his ten year-old adopted daughter, Pati, to school. In the evenings he rides around with his unbuttoned shirt and his pandanus hat, “making the rounds” and waving “hello there!” to everyone. “Where are you going?” I ask as he rides pass. “Getting a breeze,” he says. Before he turns the next corner, the wind blows back the last words of Tennessee Waltz. He loops around the atoll and passes me again, this time singing “She’ll be Coming ‘Round the Mountain.” Back in Hawaii, I ask his sister Johnny about Papa Charlie and his cowboy ways. She sums him up saying “He is a Frisbie cowboy, because he had in the beginning the spirit of adventure riddled with fearlessness.” And I can still hear his songs carried through the wind and across the sea.

One of the first locals you’re likely to meet is Tevai Napa. Tevai is part of the Air Rarotonga family and like most of the crew is a Cook Islander who has grown up in these islands and developed her skills with our airline. If you want a true Cook Islands experience talk to Tevai. She’ll tell you about mountain hiking – where you’ll discover lush flora and fauna and beautiful indigenous birds. Ask her where you can buy black pearls from the Manihiki and Tongareva lagoons, traditional decorative quilts with their bold colours and designs. She’ll tell you about finely flavoured foods steamed in banana leaves, some of the best coffee you’ll ever taste, and traditional cultural performances – even where you can enjoy a few rounds of golf. There’s nothing like talking to a local to find out how to get the best out of your Cook Islands’ experience.

e come l e “W to th ” k CooIslands

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Island Escape Over thirty years ago an Air New Zealand DC10 arrived in Rarotonga, carrying a youthful Australian family on the adventure of a lifetime. Disenchanted with the duties of a suburban housewife and

As fate would have it, during the 1980's a new industry was

never seeing a husband that typically worked 12-16 hour

born on the Island of Manihiki. Black Pearls.

shifts as an electrical engineer, my mother rebelled and escaped to the little known Islands of the South Pacific with a friend & mentor. Having visited Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, the duo arrived in Rarotonga. The effect was immediate and my mother realised that she had found our new home. Shortly thereafter and much to the chargrin of friends and neighbours, the Bergmans abandoned the suburbs of Melbourne for an unheard of future, on an unknown island. Since that time, my family has built a company specialising in Cook Islands Pearls. Relocating to the northern group Island of Penrhyn for 5 years in 1976, my parents collected natural pearls for European and Asian markets.

Our family business naturally evolved to include these beautiful gems and became the first local company to specialise in Black Pearl Jewellery. Today we operate four shops on two islands and our specialty remains Cook Islands Pearls. On the occasion of our 35th anniversary, I warmly welcome you to our Cook Islands Black Pearl Jewellery Stores to experience a part of our continuing family adventure. And I take this opportunity to bid you Kia Orana and welcome to my adopted home. My name is Ben Bergman, Pearl Jewellery Designer & Director of Bergman & Sons, Black Pearl Jewellers of the Cook Islands. Kia Manuia.

Cooks Corner RAROTONGA Pacific Resort AITUTAKI p +682 21 902 e lukeb@oyster.net.ck w www.bergmanandsons.com ESCAPE â&#x20AC;˘ 87

Golden Tuna Launching a unique Cook Islands brand

inister of Marine Resources Teina Bishop is a jovial guy to begin with, but any mention of Cook Islands Golden Tuna summons an unusually bright sparkle to his eye. He is proud of his pet project, which is laying a foundation for the manufacture and international export of a distinctly Cook Islands brand of tinned tuna, fished from Cook Islands waters. Bishop says Golden Tuna fuses the interests of the Cook Islands government, Chinese fishing companies, and USbased, Korean-owned enterprise StarKist. The premise of the arrangement is that Chinese boats catch Cook Islands tuna and offload it at the StarKist factory in Pago Pago, from where it is exported to markets in the Cook Islands, New Zealand, China, the US and Japan. The Cook Islands government, Bishop says, will reap both the exposure and the profit without having to establish and maintain its own processing plant. Bishop set the ball in motion last year. Uncomfortable with the one-sidedness of his government’s relationships with foreign fishing companies, he set out to negotiate for greater control of those marine resources other countries were extracting

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from the seas of the Cook Islands. Licensed Chinese boats were hauling in hundreds of tonnes of albacore for Chinese markets; meanwhile, the Cook Islands was importing 80 tonnes ($720,000 worth) of tinned fish per year. “The days of government simply licensing vessels to fish in our waters and then allowing them to trans-ship the raw product and depriving us of the opportunities for processing and marketing are falling behind us,” Bishop has been quoted as saying. He visited the StarKist factory in American Samoa and the company’s headquarters in Pittsburgh, USA but to no avail; the cannery was not interested in his proposal. Armed with the same offer, Bishop approached Taiwanese company Yuh Yow, which has packaging and processing capabilities and is also licensed to fish in the Cook Islands. Yuh Yow jumped at the chance, suggesting Bishop design a uniquely local label for the tuna tin.

Above: Marine Resources Minister Teina Bishop shakes hands with American Samoa Governor Togliola T. A. Tulafono after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of American Samoa.

Dennise Nanai, of the minister’s home island Aitutaki, designed the winning logo, which bears 15 stars to represent the 15 islands of the Cook group.

Bishop delegated that job to the schoolchildren of the Cook Islands. Dennise Nanai, of the minister’s home island Aitutaki, designed the winning logo, which bears 15 stars to represent the 15 islands of the Cook group. Not long after Bishop had spoken to Yuh Yow, a StarKist representative arrived in Rarotonga and expressed his company’s interest in securing a fishing licence. Its factory needed more fish. Bishop declined, advising him that the government had maxed out its quota, but agreed to an arrangement whereby albacore would be offloaded at the StarKist factory and the company would participate in the Golden Tuna project. “The StarKist representative agreed. All they wanted was our fish to keep their factory going,” Bishop says, adding that StarKist needs 480 tonnes of tuna per day to stay afloat. Last year, under financial pressure, the company was forced to lay off hundreds of workers. “They’re not after a profit; they’re after the raw material to keep the factory going and the workers on.” The Golden Tuna proposal has sparked a bit of criticism, but Bishop says it is just

stemming from a misunderstanding of the project’s basic premise. He is clear that the brand and the profits belong to the Cook Islands government, which is relying on the technical and technological capacity of Chinese fishing boats that are heavily subsidised by the Chinese government. He says the arrangement is mutually beneficial for all four major players involved. The Chinese want the fishing licence and the tinned product, the Cook Islands government wants a better return on its resource, StarKist wants product. The government of American Samoa wants to stimulate economic activity, and one way to do that is to invite Chinese boats to refuel and re-stock in Pago Pago. The memorandum of understanding Bishop signed with the government of American Samoa indicates the possibility of the Cook Islands setting up a fisheries office in Pago Pago. This, Bishop says, will enable his government to more effectively monitor its resource. Bishop promises that Golden Tuna will be “one price for all” at home in the Cook

Islands – in other words, the price will be the same, whether the consumer is a family, a small shop or a major retailer. This is a point he labours, as he believes tinned tuna should be available at reasonable prices as a heart-healthy alternative to canned corned beef. The minister adds by way of background that consumption of fish in Rarotonga is “alarmingly” low – 25 kilograms per year, 10 fewer than the 35 kilograms recommended by the World Health Organisation. It’s why he points with pride to the label, which advertises the product’s Omega 3 content. The two products Bishop is interested in focusing on are a lunch pack and the 12oz (340g) tin of solid chunk tuna in oil. In June he issued to Cook Islands schoolchildren samples of a lunch pack –containing a tin of tuna, crackers and a lolly – that will one day feature Cook Islands tuna. At press time he was envisioning the project would be underway by Christmas 2012. “As a present to all of us,” he said, beaming, “I’m introducing Cook Islands Golden Tuna.”

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Our South Pacific home

sprinkling of island gems on an indigo blue ocean... The Cook Islands combined make up a land area of just 240 square kilometers. They are scattered far and wide in the vast expanse of the South Pacific Ocean, covering a total area of 2.25 million square kilometers. Each of these ‘gems’ is unlike any other; all having their own special characteristics and every one offering a warm welcome to visitors.

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The Southern Group Atiu See our story on page 76. Takutea Just a few miles off the coast of Atiu lies the uninhabited island of Takutea. Numerous seabirds thrive on this pristine island that has been declared a bird sanctuary by the Atiu Island Council. Only they can give permission for visitors to land there.

Mauke The garden island of the Cook group, Mauke is 18 kilometres around. It is surrounded by makatea (fossilised coral) with a volcanic plateau in the centre. Parts of the foreshore are dotted with isolated white sandy coves and caves that one can swim in. Inland there are fresh water caves and the famous Motuanga Cave that has galleries reaching beneath the reef. The reef is so close to the foreshore that crashing white breakers are visible from most of the unsealed coral road that runs around the island. Do visit the “divided church” built where the villages of Ngatiarua and Areora meet. Shared by the two villages, it has two separate entrances and sitting areas. There are clean and comfortable places to stay in Mauke - try Ri’s Retreat or Tiare Holiday Cottages. They can also organise cave, reef and forest tours. Be sure to obtain a garland of the fragrant maire, a creeper that grows along the makatea. It is gathered by the women and exported to Hawaii. Mauke is picturesque, unhurried and tranquil – a wonderful tonic for frayed nerves! Mitiaro Of the cluster of islands in the southern group called Nga Pu Toru, Mitiaro would be the least visited by tourists. Not because it is any less beautiful than sister islands Atiu and Mauke, but simply that it is the least known. In the centre of Mitiaro are two lakes full of itiki, freshwater eels.

Mitiaro itiki are considered a delicacy in the Cook Islands. Tilapia (bream) are also abundant in the lakes. The lakes are from time to time protected by a traditional raui, a prohibition on all fishing to preserve stocks. At its widest point, the island is 6.4 km across and private gardens in the village are beautifully kept and neat. Community activities include fishing, sports, handicrafts and uapou, or village singsongs. Pretty and unspoiled, life on Mitiaro is refreshingly uncomplicated. Mangaia Imagine visiting a fairly large island where you and maybe a handful of others are the only tourists? Mangaia is an island of incredible, serene beauty – from its rugged coastline to the lush, green interior. It is peaceful beyond belief for those accustomed to the constant rush and haste of the outside world. This is a place where one can trek for miles along the coast or in the interior and not meet another soul or hear a vehicle. Nor see any dwellings, just lots of well-tended plantations of pineapples, vegetables, taro, kumara and other crops. Deep-sea fishing excursions are available – just ask your host Jan Kristensson of Ara Moana Bungalows or Ura, who manages Babe’s Motel. They can also steer you in the right direction for guided tours that include caving, reef/lagoon walks and bush walks. Check out the market on Friday mornings in the ‘town’ centre and

opposite page: Palmerston above: Mitiaro

the craftwork by the skilled Mangaian women. The shell necklaces and woven pandanus bags are labour intensive and sold for very reasonable prices. Mangaia is the destination for those who love the outdoors, appreciate peace and quiet and want to experience a friendly island that’s not in the least “touristy.” Palmerston Made famous by Englishman William Marsters, who settled there in 1863 with three wives. He later married and raised a large family. Marsters’ modern day descendents are scattered all over the

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right: Suwarrow below: Pukapuka

world. About 60 still remain in Palmerston, which has six motu or islets in a big blue lagoon about 11 km across. The family exports fish, supplying in particular, parrot fish to Rarotonga restaurants. Palmerston hosts the occasional cruise ship and yachts frequently call in. The island also boasts one of the world’s most isolated bars, where thirsty yachties can enjoy a “cold one” and hear tales being regaled by the islanders. It is 500 km NW of Rarotonga.

important sea bird breeding areas in the Pacific. A caretaker and his family live on Suwarrow during the cyclone off-season, between April and November each year. Yachts often visit the island during these months. Suwarrow was made famous by New Zealand hermit Tom Neale, who lived there during the early 1950’s and again in the early 1960’s. He wrote about his experiences in his book “An Island to Oneself.”

Manuae Manuae is an uninhabited nature reserve and an important seabird and turtle breeding ground. Its two islets in a large shallow lagoon make-up this incredibly beautiful island, situated about 100 km SE of Aitutaki. Many Aitutakians can claim traditional land rights to parts of Manuae. Once inhabited by work gangs of Cook Islands men who produced copra, it is now only occasionally visited by Aitutaki fisherman for its rich fishing grounds outside and within the lagoon. It is possible to view Manuae from the air, on a flight from Atiu to Aitutaki.

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The Northern Group Suwarrow Suwarrow is one of the few "untouched" sanctuaries left in the world where existing endangered species can survive. The Suwarrow National Park is the first National Park in the Cook Islands - international environmental groups recognise the group of tiny atolls as an untouched haven and breeding area for turtles, sea birds and crabs. Because of the lack of human intervention, Suwarrow is acknowledged as one of the most

Pukapuka Lying northwest 1150 km from Rarotonga, Pukapuka is one of the most isolated islands of the Cook group. One interisland flight from Rarotonga about every six weeks and irregular shipping has kept Pukapuka one of the most untouched and secluded places in the Pacific. Its remoteness has also kept the traditions and culture of Pukapuka largely unchanged for centuries. Islanders speak the distinct Pukapukan language as well as Cook Islands Maori. According to legend, almost 500 years ago the Pukapuka population was almost entirely wiped out during a catastrophic storm that struck the island. Fourteen people survived, from whom Pukapukan’s today are said to descend. The late American writer Robert Dean Frisbie settled there in 1924 and immortalised Pukapuka in the books he wrote about life on the island. The now

uninhabited area where he lived with his Pukapuka wife and children is one of the most beautiful – an untouched white sandy beach with palm trees reaching out to tease the clear blue lagoon. Nassau Access to this tiny island of about 80 Pukapukans can only be gained by interisland boat. Regarded as the sister island of Pukapuka, a voyage from Rarotonga takes about three days. The islanders are adept at surviving an isolated lifestyle that remains unchanged year after year. Nassau was hooked up to the country’s telephone system only in 2001 and many of the people had never used a telephone before. Just 1.2 sq. km in size, where families live in kikau thatched cottages. Manihiki The cultured black pearl capital of the Cook Islands. Quality black pearls become centrepieces for fine jewellery that are worn by women and men all over the

world. In 1997, the island survived one of the worst cyclones in Cook Islands history. It claimed 20 lives after a tidal wave swept men, women and children out into the huge, raging lagoon. Pearl farms dot this remarkable lagoon. Villagers use small outboard boats to travel between Tukao and Tauhunu – two villages on separate islets – or to their pearl farms set up on coral outcrops. Some of the pearl farms are sophisticated operations jutting out of the deep blue lagoon, complete with small gardens and poultry farms that help support workers who live in modern quarters. Manihiki women have made history for entering what was once a male dominated vocation. A number of women own and manage their own pearl farms, diving, seeding and cleaning the oyster shells all year around. The women are also renowned for their finely woven craftwork. Manihiki is astonishingly beautiful and those who have been fortunate enough to visit the island, have never been disappointed.

Rakahanga Sister island of Manihiki and 42km north-west. Visits to Rakahanga are only possible by boat from Manihiki or interisland vessel. There are two main islands and seven islets in the Rakahanga lagoon. The island is picturesque and unspoiled. Penrhyn Penrhyn (or Tongareva) is the most remote of the Cook group, lying 1365 km NNE of Rarotonga. It has a remarkable blue water lagoon measuring 233 sq km. A 77-km coral reef encircles the islets in the extraordinary lagoon. The villages of Tetautua and Omoka are on different islets that are barely visible to each other. Penrhyn island women make the finest rito craftwork in the Cook Islands. Hats, bags, fans and mats made in Penrhyn are amongst the best to be found anywhere in the world.

Ever wanted to run away? To get lost on a deserted island? To hide out with a group of friends and stay as long as you want? Why not charter your own plane and explore the magnificent outer islands of the Cooks.*

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Call our Travel Centre on 22-888 and we’ll help you escape!

Optional extras include:

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Rarotonga & Aitutaki

Pictorial Books One of the largest and most comprehensive collections of Cook Islands photography has been created over two decades by Escape Magazine publisher and photographer Noel Bartley. The two pictorial books ‘Rarotonga’ and ‘Aitutaki’ feature some of the very best photography of the Cook Islands. This stunning imagery is supported by informative text. Both titles are on sale at most retailers at a recommended retail price of $39.90. Why not purchase one today as a souvenir of your visit, or as a wonderful gift for friends back home…

Look for this symbol… Rolling out the new Cook Islands Accreditation scheme

he Cook Islands Tourism Industry Council and the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation have teamed up to revive a nationwide accreditation scheme that gives hoteliers and accommodation providers a means to prove to tourists their businesses meet agreed-upon standards. First established in 1997, the quality assurance programme has for 15 years been setting benchmarks for Cook Islands tourism operators. The changing face of tourism and the proliferation of accommodation units in recent years, however, prompted the Tourism Industry Council to reconsider and update the accreditation scheme. The Council recently launched its new and improved quality assurance programme, which features new standards, more effective monitoring mechanisms, and a new logo. To be accredited a business must observe all legal, financial and health regulations applicable in the Cook Islands. It must agree to give independent assessors – who will visit each accredited property regularly – access to all facilities. It must also agree to rectify any problems the assessor identifies in a timely and comprehensive manner.

Initially the new accreditation process is simple. Tourism operators grade themselves in a series of pre-defined categories and email the finished result to the Accreditation Council administrator, who has the ultimate authority. Accommodation providers are asked to honestly answer a series of questions about their premises – they include whether a manager is always on duty, whether guests have access to a telephone, and whether marketing campaigns are an accurate reflection of the property. There are questions about environmental impact – whether the hotel recycles and its sewage systems are working properly, for example – and about safety, such as whether guests have access to first aid kits, tsunami procedures, and emergency numbers. Cleanliness is another issue – the survey asks, for example, fundamental questions such as do all beds have clean linen and mattress protectors, and the do the showers drains properly. Accredited properties must have fans, mosquito nets or insect screens, fire extinguishers, lockable onsite safes, and must meet a raft of other requirements.

Those tourism operators that make the cut receive an accreditation sticker to display on the facility’s premises and may use the new accreditation logo within their advertising. Their businesses also qualify to be featured on the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation’s website, which attracts thousands of visitors annually. Accredited properties will feature in the Tourism Corporation’s road shows and visitor information centres and advertisements. They will be eligible for other benefits, among them participation in training sessions and seminars, access to agent and journalist famils and programmes, Tourism Industry Council membership, and entry to the bi-annual Tourism Awards. The scheme has at its core the industry charter, which obliges all operators to comply with health and safety regulations, be courteous and professional, ensure marketing and pricing is fair, handle complaints quickly and efficiently, maintain fair wages and working conditions for staff, and respect both the environment and the Cook Islands culture.

The Tourism Industry Council is introducing the accreditation programme for accommodators first, and will follow with similar schemes for other sectors of the tourism industry during 2013. For further information visit www.tourismindustry.co.ck

ESCAPE • 95

great places to stay

Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa

elax by the pool with a tropical cocktail, soak up the sun, rejuvenate your soul, and luxuriate in the warmth of a romantic evening under the stars, with exotic foods and fine wine. Whatever your Cook Islands holiday dream consists of, you can be sure there is a style of accommodation to suit your taste and attentive staff to make all those dreams come true. From deluxe beach resorts to simple budget facilities, you can choose your own standard or quality and plan according to your budget. Here on these pages, we bring you some of the nicest places to stay on Rarotonga.

happy holidays! www.muribeachclubhotel.com RAROTONGA COOK ISLANDS

Aro’a Beachside Inn Beachfront accommodation | Self contained Swimming & snorkelling at your doorstep On the western, leeward side of Rarotonga Daily tropical breakfasts & sunsets Home of the ‘Shipwreck Hut’

elax

Retr e at

,R e

R & e viv

Absolute Beachfront Sanctuary for 18yrs and over Premium Wedding Specialists Delightful Polynesian Cuisine at SilverSands Restaurant & Bar Onsite Beauty & Spa

P. (682) 23 000 info@muribeachclubhotel.com

96 • ESCAPE

Phone (682) 22166

www.aroabeach.com

ont Prime beachfr location!

Situated in the heart of popular Muri Beach, our 22 tastefully furnished spacious units & villas are air-conditioned & self-catering. Complimentary kayaks, SUP’s, snorkelling gear, transfers; plus friendly staff will ensure you have a memorable ‘Rarotongan’ experience.

P. 682 21 022

www.beachcomber.co.ck | muri@beachcomber.co.ck

Te Vara Nui Wedding offers it all: • Wedding Specialist • Amazing Tropical Over Water Wedding Venue • Beach Wedding Ceremony • Exclusive Fine Dinning reception • Personal Wedding Planner • Professional Wedding Photographer • Great Accommodation for all Budgets…

Wedding

“Let Te Vara Nui Wedding make your day that memorable occasion of a lifetime.”

Contact us now at: culture@tevaranui.co.ck | www.tevaranui.co.ck 18 self-catering air conditioned villas set amongst tropical gardens and across the road from its own stunning beach and reserve. Ideal for couples and families.

Motel Conveniently situated just 2 kilometres from the centre of Avarua, with shopping, restaurants and attractions nearby, our motel provides self-contained, comfortable accommodation at the most affordable rates. Overlooking the ocean, we offer a choice of 24 spacious rooms, Budget, Standard and Deluxe, all with full kitchens and separate en-suite bathrooms. Our family units have separate bedrooms. We also have two beach bungalows situated on the western side of the island.

Your home away from home!

tel: (682) 21937 fax: (682) 22937 email: relax@kiikiimotel.co.ck www.kiikiimotel.co.ck

E: reservations@lagoonbreezevillas.com p: +68 2 22020 • f: +68 2 22021 www.lagoonbreezevillas.com

ESCAPE • 97

COOK ISLANDS’ ICONIC SISTER RESORTS

ife is not Measured by the Breaths we take, but by the Moments that take our Breath Away. John Lennon once said: “Life happens when you’re busy making other plans”. Now is the time to reconnect with yourself, your partner or your family. Our lovely sister resorts offer you the place, the space and the freedom to make beautiful memories together. Take the time now to stop and … smell the frangipani!

he Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa. Rarotonga’s leading beach holiday, wedding group and family resort. Experience the true Cook Islands spirit! NEW creche (0-3yrs)! NEW teen zone! KIDS STAY + PLAY FREE!

anctuary Rarotonga-on the beach. Rarotonga’s leading new adults-only absolute beachfront resort. Stunning swim-up pool bar! South Seas sophistication.

itutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa. The only resort directly on the World’s Most Beautiful Lagoon, Aitutaki. Breathtaking views. One of the World’s 12 Best Private Islands. Your Bucket List must-do! NEW! Premium Beachfront Bungalows now launched and $2 Million Resort Upgrade now completed!

SANCTUARY rarotonga

Aroa Beach + Lagoon Marine Reserve Rarotonga l COOK ISLANDS P (+682) 25800 l F 25799 info@rarotongan.co.ck | TheRarotongan.com

Aroa Beach + Lagoon Marine Reserve Rarotonga l COOK ISLANDS P (+682) 25 900 l F 25 988 info@sanctuaryrarotonga.com | SanctuaryRarotonga.com

Motu Akitua (Akitua Island) Aitutaki Lagoon | COOK ISLANDS P (+682) 31 200 l F 31 202 info@aitutakilagoonresort.com | AitutakiLagoonResort.com

on the hook

P UAIKURA R L ™

EEF

Cook Islands Giant Trevally Y

ou most probably have heard of, or seen a type of fish called trevally. They are widely found round around the globe. But have you ever come across, or laid eyes upon the species called ‘Giant Trevally’ more commonly referred to as GT’s? If you have, you will have an appreciation of their size and power. If you haven’t, you should, as these guys are the pit bull, angry cage fighters of the ocean. They are, as the name suggests, huge. They inhabit tropical reefs both inside the lagoon and on the outside fringe. They are bullies. They swim around beating up and eating smaller fish.

ODGES

Great value, idyllic location, gorgeous white sandy beach, perfect for the family... Enquire now for competitive rates at our popular motel and private holiday homes.

Story: Alan Syme

GT’s can be caught land based, but your best chance is to book a charter boat that does this type of fishing on the island you are visiting. It is not for everyone, as it is no holds barred, street fighting right in amongst the razor sharp coral and breaking waves. But if you are like me, it is one the most fishing addictive habits that you can engage in!

PHONE (682) 23537 ACCOMMODATION@PUAIKURA.CO.CK WWW.PUAIKURA.CO.CK

During your stay in the Cooks Islands, consider this as an exciting fishing option as it is unlike anything else. When you can see fish in excess of 50kgs striking your lure in two-meter deep water, your heart skips a beat. Landing them is another story…

The Cook Islands are home to some of largest and most accessible GT’s in the Pacific. They are usually targeted by casting large floating lures called ‘poppers’ that are fast retrieved across the surface, to create a splashing, bubbling and popping motion which provokes savage and spectacular visual strikes. It really is some of the most exciting and adrenaline filled fishing available. They are possibly the hardest fighting fish that swim anywhere on the globe. Tackle needs to be of high quality.

ESCAPE • 99

entertainment guide

Take in the sunset with a cocktail near the water; catch an Island Night Show with beautiful dancers, and get down to live local Cook Islands music and dancing all around town. By now you may have seen our “ura” (local dance) or taken a dance lesson or two at your hotel/resort, now it’s time to put it all into practice and shake those hips all around town; you’ll have some strong competition from the locals as well. Raro’s night life is special – you can have a great night out whether you’re on your own, or with friends. 18 or 80 years old, it doesn’t matter, everyone just gets together. And you’ll feel welcome wherever you go. Crown Beach Resort & Spa

Shimmering silver lagoon, sunsets pink and purple, orange and blue; a long cool cocktail, friendly locals, soft island music; yes Rarotonga is definitely the place to be.

CORUBA

ABSOLUTE

JOHNNIE WALKER

JACK DANIELS

VILLA MARIA

WOLF BLASS

TIA MARIA

McGUIGANS

CASTLEMAN XXXX

Island Night Shows are a must for every visitor. There is nothing better than seeing our beautiful men and women, adorned in flowers and local costume, dancing to the wonderful pate (hollowed wooden drums), ukulele, guitar, and full voiced singers. It is a joyful, sensual and exuberant experience. Check out our Island Night Shows Guide on these pages to find a venue to suit you.

During the week On Monday night at the RSA (or “Razza”), just opposite the Airport, DJ MacDad gets a great crowd going at around 9pm till 12

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE

ALLAN SCOTT

DELEGATS

DRAMBUIE

TOOHEYS

BACARDI

OYSTER BAY

midnight. It’s a blast for everyone and you can take advantage of the complimentary bus service to get you back home. Tamarind House Restaurant, Windjammer Restaurant and a number of other Rarotonga restaurants feature live music during the week - refer to our Night Life Guide for details of what’s on, when and where. It’s great to wander into some of our smaller local bars too - the Game Fishing Club is right on the water; meet the locals and play some pool. For some of the best fish and chips on the island, try their Flying Boat Takeaway. Chillies Bar is great for a cold beer and the sounds of a live group playing a great mix of country/rock and local music, and occasionally some footie watching on their big screen. Both of these bars are just east of town. The Nu Bar is a wonderful little local bar/restaurant near the airport, serving great value food and there’s always a nice selection of music. Also try Hideaway Bar in Cooks Corner, for a more eclectic feel. On the eastern side of the island, the Avana Game Fishing Club has the perfect backdrop for a cold beverage and local ambience. Check out the local paper or ask your resort what’s happening at the local sports clubs – join in for some good live music, cheap drinks, and great company.

KAHLUA

PENFOLDS

COINTREAU

MUDHOUSE

STEINLAGER

Check out our huge range…

Over 600 wines, all popular brand spirits, liqueurs, beers, RTD’s, mixers, ice, etc. Wedding and special occasion catering, party-hire, we deliver! In central Avarua, opposite Punanga Nui Marketplace. Open Mon - Thur 9 to 5 | Fri & Sat 9 to 7

Phone: 21007 Email: trish@thebond.co.ck

YOur NO.1 cellarS 100 • ESCAPE

We’ve got them all!

Local women enjoy dressing up, and the men prefer comfortable shorts, shirt/t-shirt and sandals, but dress code is open. Don’t forget your ‘ei (flower garland) or a flower behind the ear, (both men and women enjoy wearing flowers here in paradise). Remember that it pays to make a reservation if visiting a restaurant, to avoid disappointment; and if you want music with your meal, ask who their resident singer is that night.

Friday Night Friday night is party night, as clubs and bars can open until 2am, unlike every other night, which is 12 midnight. Downtown Avarua is a great place to start: First up is a sunset cocktail at either Trader Jacks, or at Whatever Bar where there’s always a nice mix of locals and tourists. After a couple of hours, walk across the road to the Garden Bar at the BC (Banana Court), known all over the Pacific. BC’s Garden Bar features local bands from 4pm to 9pm and then its inside for some raw local music and dancing. Trader Jack’s ‘Boogieman’ band, with some of our best musos on the island, starts around 8pm. Hidies Bar, located in Cooks Corner, comes alive with DJ Marama playing the latest sounds. Later in the night it’s back to Whatever Bar for some dancing, or perhaps try Rehab (near Whatever Bar), for some of the latest hip hop, R’n’B, and techno sounds or back to Jacks for a great end to the evening. The great thing about this town is that the bars are only minutes away from each other, so it’s easy to park up and walk. It’s safe and people are friendly and will give you directions. Remember to organise a dedicated driver or taxi if you’re drinking, because you may be breathalysed on your return home. An organized Nightlife Tour is another great way to enjoy your Friday night and you won’t need to do the driving. The Edgewater Resort & Spa and The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa both run their own legendary ‘Pub Crawls’. Be sure to book a day in advance to avoid disappointment. The usual route is a stop in Arorangi at the Tumunu Restaurant & Garden Bar, then a round at the Roadhouse Bar; a visit to the Golf Club for a Lion Red; pick up your tiare maori flower and a drink at the RSA; a quick round and a tall tale at the Fishing Club; a short stopover at Hideaway Bar and then off to either Trader Jacks, Whatever Bar, Rehab, Staircase Restaurant & Bar, or BC to dance the night away. If you’re staying on the East side around Muri, or in the Titikaveka area, try Silver Sands Restaurant at Muri Beach Club Hotel, Sails Restaurant, Flame Tree Restaurant for a la carte dining and some local music, or perhaps Pacific Resort for their Island Night show. Remember you’re in Raro now, on ‘Island Time’, so relax and enjoy.

ESCAPE • 101

entertainment guide Keep our roads safe if you’re drinking: Dial a driver: 55580 / 55512 / 55515 Taxis: Refer yellow pages and book homecoming fare before you go out. Clockwise Bus: Evening bus departs Cook’s Corner clockwise only, every hour Monday to Thursday and Saturday from 6pm to 11pm. Friday evenings from 6pm to 10pm and 12 midnight to 2am.

Island Night Shows – Quick Guide

Rarotonga night-life guide

Resort & Spa: ‘Legends of Polynesia’ Island Night UMU Feast & Drum Dance Show @ $49 pp + Karaoke

Monday

THURSDAY

Crown Beach Resort & Spa: Te Rau Maire dance troupe / Island Feast and Cultural Show

Anchorage Restaurant @ Sunset Resort: Pub Night menu with live entertainment

RSA (“The Razza”): Local DJ Pumping dance music from 9pm

Aro’a Beachside Inn: Sunset cocktails with live music by Rudy Aquino

Kikau Hut Restaurant: Great a la carte dining 7 nights a week. Live music some nights

Crown Beach Resort & Spa: Akirata dance troupe / Island Night Show & Dinner

Edgewater Resort & Spa: Tok 6:30-8:30 Great Classic tunes, jazz, pop, rock

Edgewater Resort & Spa: Ru & Boys A la carte menu with great local sounds

SilverSands @ Muri Beach Club Hotel: Live island music / Nooroa & Soko on island strings

Garden Bar - Banana Court: Live Entertainment

Pacific Resort: Papa Jake, Danny Mataroa and Te Korero Maori Dance Troupe - Polynesia Night Show & Dinner, on the beach Te Vaka Restaurant @ The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa: Fire Dance and Island BBQ @ $49 pp + Karaoke

(Bookings are recommended) Monday Phone Crown Beach Resort & Spa Pacific Resort Rarotonga The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa

23953 20427 25800

Tuesday Edgewater Resort & Spa Te Vara Nui Village Samade on the Beach, Aitutaki

25435 24006 31526

Wednesday Beaches @ Manuia Beach Resort 22461 Highland Paradise 21924 The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa 25800 SilverSands @ Muri Beach Club Hotel 23000

Thursday Crown Beach Resort & Spa Staircase Restaurant & Bar Te Vara Nui Village Tamanu Beach, Aitutaki

23953 22254 24006 31810

Friday Club Bana Bistro Highland Paradise Pacific Resort Rarotonga Pacific Resort, Aitutaki

23236 21924 20427 31720

Saturday Edgewater Resort & Spa Te Vara Nui Village

25435 24006

Remember you’re in Raro now, on ‘Island Time’, so relax and enjoy!

102 • ESCAPE

TUESday Anchorage Restaurant @ Sunset Resort: Seafood Night with entertainment Aro’a Beachside Inn: Garth Young on keyboard / Great beachside BBQ and classic tunes

Whatever Bar: Local string band 7-9pm

Kikau Hut Restaurant: Great a la carte dining 7 nights a week. Live music some nights SilverSands @ Muri Beach Club Hotel: Live music with the sweet sounds of Cathy on keyboard Pacific Resort: Leilani & Co on keyboard & guitar. Originals, classics & soulful r’n’b Staircase Bar & Restaurant: Island Night Feast & Cultural Show Te Vara Nui Village: Cultural Village Tour and Over Water Night Show & Dinner. Spectacular “Dances of Legends” cultural performance & island/western fusion buffet

Bluewater Grill @ Sanctuary Rarotonga-onthe-beach: Live entertainment with Tara Kauvai

Te Vaka Restaurant @ The RarotonganBeach Resort & Spa: Reef & Beef night @ $36 pp with mellow musical accompaniment by Andre Tapena

Crown Beach Resort & Spa: Live Band A la carte menu with live entertainment

Windjammer Restaurant: First class dining with piano by Garth Young

Edgewater Resort & Spa: Ta’akoka Dance Troupe / Island NightBuffet and Cultural show

Whatever Bar: Great value meals with local music

SilverSands @ Muri Beach Club Hotel: Live music with Ephraima on keyboards

FRIDAY

Pacific Resort: A la carte dining & live music with guest artist

Beaches Restaurant @ Manuia Beach Resort: Enjoy the sounds of Manuia Beach Resorts famous string band with Natua and the boys

Te Vaka Restaurant @ The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa: Spices of Asia Mongolian BBQ @ $36 pp + crab racing and Karaoke Te Vara Nui Village: Cultural Village Tour and Over Water Night Show & Dinner. Spectacular “Dances of Legends” cultural performance & island/western fusion buffet

WEDNESday Beaches Restaurant @ Manuia Beach Resort: Interactive island experience, with cultural activities, dancing, island buffet, and fire show

Cafe Salsa: Live entertainment with great music & fabulous food Club Bana Bistro: Island Night Island Night Buffet & Show Crown Beach Resort & Spa: Live Band T-Bone Steak Night with live entertainment Edgewater Resort & Spa: Tok 6:30–8:30 Dining with great local music + Edgewater Resorts “Nitelife Tour” Garden Bar - Banana Court: Great local & upbeat music with bar snacks available

Edgewater Resort & Spa: Local Band / A la carte Seafood menu with local entertainment

Highland Paradise: ‘Drums of our Forefathers’ Island night show and feast

Kikau Hut Restaurant: Great a la carte dining 7 nights a week. Live music some nights

SilverSands @ Muri Beach Club Hotel: Island Night Extravaganza / Top Akirata Dance Troup

Pacific Resort: Tamariki Manuia Island Night Show on the beach

Pacific Resort: A la carte dining & live music with guest artist

Rehab: Boogie night with local DJ. Hip-hop, R’n’B, Techno SilverSands @ Muri Beach Club Hotel: Pig & Prawn Night with live music by Lei

Te Vaka Restaurant @ The Rarotongan Beach

Te Vaka Restaurant @ The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa: Flame-Grilled Steak Night @ $36 pp + The Rarotongan’s famous Friday Funbus Nitelife Tour @ $25 pp.

SUNDAY

WEDNESDAY

Anchorage Restaurant @ Sunset Resort: BBQ with live entertainment

Trader Jacks: Boogieman - rock classics & seafood, steaks& pizza

Bluewater Grill @ Sanctuary Rarotonga-onthe-beach: Live entertainment with Tara Kauvai

Aitutaki Game Fishing Club: A good evening to visit and meet the locals. Where else would you find a bar in a 20 foot container?

Whatever Bar: Live Band &DJ T. Bone steak, fish, burgers

Club Raro: BBQ night with local string band Crown Beach Resort & Spa: Roast Night with live entertainment

SATURDAY Aroa Beachside Inn: Great Seafood Beachside BBQ & the island music of Papa Jake Numanga Crown Beach Resort & Spa: Live Entertainment A la carte menu with local & classic tunes Edgewater Resort& Spa: Island Night Buffet & Cultural Show with Orama Dance Group Kikau Hut Restaurant: Great a la carte dining 7 nights a week. Live music some nights

Edgewater Resort & Spa: Ru & Boys -local string band SilverSands @ Muri Beach Club Hotel: Beach BBQ Grill Night from $25 pp + live music with Papa Jake Numanga Pacific Resort: Fine dining with local and mixed melodies by Thomas Rauru Te Vaka Restaurant @ The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa: Sunday Carvery Roast @ $36 pp with Tok on guitar

Te Vaka Restaurant @ The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa: Fire Dance Show & Island BBQ @ $49 pp + Karaoke Te Vara Nui Village: Cultural Village Tour and Over Water Night Show & Dinner. Spectacular “Dances of Legends” cultural performance & island/western fusion buffet Te Vaka Restaurant @ The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa: Firedance Show & Island Barbeque + Karaoke Whatever Bar: Scrumptuous menu with live music by local string band

Pacific Resort: Fire dancing show – fabulous a la carte menu The Boatshed Bar & Grill: Check out this popular restaurant any day of the week. A-lacarte menu for lunch & dinner. Great cocktails!

THURSDAY Tamanu Beach: Island Fire & Dance Show on the beach. Fantastic entertainment with a great selection of food

FRIDAY

Pacific Resort: Tok 6:30-8:30 Great Classics, jazz, rock, r’n’b Rehab: DJ. Hip hop, R’n’B’, dance night

Flying Boat Beach Bar & Grill @ Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa: Live entertainment with Greig Mose

Aitutaki night-life guide MONDAY Bounty Brasserie @ Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa: Fire dance show, a la carte dinner & crab races Tupuna’s Restaurant: Great a-la-carte dining with the freshest local foods in a relaxed garden setting. Mon-Sat from 6pm

TUESDAY

Aitutaki Game Fishing Club: One of the most popular local bars to visit for a sun-downer Coconut Crusher Bar: Entertainment and party the night away with your host Ricky Flying Boat Beach Bar & Grill @ Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa: Live entertainment with Greig Mose. Funbus Nitelife Tour @ $35 pp Pacific Resort Aitutaki: Island Night & Show With great local entertainment and food

SUNDAY Samade On The Beach: Barbeque with great entertainment Tamanu Beach: Sunset Barbeque Night with great local entertainment and island food

Samade OnThe Beach: Island buffet and cultural show on the sandy beach at Ootu

Prices or schedules are subject to change at any time.

check out the amazing at Muri Lagoon An effortless way to have fun while exploring Muri Lagoon. A great platform for swimming and snorkelling. Each Treddlecat is equipped with an anchor and dry stowage places, so you can take a picnic, dry clothes, camera etc with you. Check it out on the beach at Muri Beach Club Hotel. A 16 ft sailing dingy also available for competent sailors plus lessons for novices

Ensure you get your ride when you want it...

pH Ken on 26668 | EMAiL upwind@oyster.net.ck ESCAPE • 103

what's on

h roughout the year we find many reasons to celebrate and have fun, and there’s always plenty to do and see on Rarotonga and her sister islands. As most Cook Islanders are willing sports participants, you’ll find a multitude of sports codes and clubs active throughout the islands, where you are always welcome to visit. As for festivals and celebratory events, it is certain that you will always find something of interest taking place.

February

May

July

Dates TBC Canoeing – Oe Vaka Sprint Season commences

Thur 2nd Te Mire Ura – National Dancer of the Year Open Senior National Finals Venue - National Auditorium

Mon 8th “Ra o te Ui Ariki” – public holiday

March

Mon 6th School Term 2 begins

Sat 2nd Triathalon – Business House Team Relay Sun 3rd International Women’s Day Thu 7th Te Mire Atu, Song Composers Competition Venue - National Auditorium Sat 9th Women’s Triathalon Wed 13th Penrhyn Gospel Day – public holiday Penrhyn only Sat 23rd Oe Vaka V12 Corporate Race Fri 29th Good Friday – public holiday

April Mon 1st Easter Monday – public holiday Thu 11th Te Mire Ura – National Dancer of the Year Competitions commence Fri 19th School Term 1 complete – School Holidays begin Wed 24th Te Mire Ura – National Dancer of the Year Junior & Intermediate Finals

Thu 9th Te Mire Ura – National Dancer of the Year International Dancer Senior Finals Venue – National Auditorium International Triathlon Week Commences With Trader Jack’s Boiler Swim Sat 11th Air New Zealand Rarotonga Triathlon Sun 12th Mothers Day Triathlon Awards Dinner Tue 14th Turtles ‘Tour de Raro’ Cycle Race Wed 15th Matutu Mile fun run Tue 21st – Sat 25th Oceania Masters Squash Tournament Fri 24th Palmerston Gospel Day – public holiday Palmerston

June Mon 3rd Queens Birthday – public holiday Kumete Sports (athletics) Venue - BCI Stadium

Thu 18th Ministry of Education Careers Expo 2013 Fri 26th School Term 2 complete – School Holidays begin Thu 25th to Sat 3rd August Te Maeva Nui Celebrations 2012 Commences Fri 26th with Float Parade downtown Avarua Date TBC Sailing. National Class Championships, Aitutaki

August Sat 3rd Te Maeva Nui Tangi Kaara competition, prizegiving & official closing ceremony Constitution Day Ceremony Mon 5th National Self Governing Commemorative Day – public holiday Constitution Day Rugby 7’s Thu 8th Manihiki Gospel Day – public holiday Manihiki Mon 12th School Term 3 begins Thu 15th Rakahanga Gospel Day – public holiday Rakahanga

Date TBC International Kitesurfing Competition, Aitutaki

Thu 25th ANZAC Day Air New Zealand ANZAC Golf Tournament

N.B. All events take place on Rarotonga, unless stated otherwise. Dates and events are provided courtesy of Cook Islands Tourism Corporation and are subject to change without notice. Visitors are advised to confirm event dates with the Visitor Information Centre – phone (682) 29435, or by email: lydia@cookislands.gov.ck

104 • ESCAPE

Events that you shouldn’t miss…

Kitesurfing Competition

May Te Mire Ura – Dancer of the Year

June International Kitesurfing Competition

Poetry in motion is a euphemism made literal in Polynesia, no truer than when the annual Dancer of the Year competition is held each April. Dozens of dancers in three age groups, junior, intermediate and open, take to the stage at nightspots on Rarotonga and the outer islands. Finals are then held at the 2,000 seat national auditorium in Rarotonga under the direction of the Ministry of Cultural Development.

In June some of the biggest names in kitesurfing will head to the Cook Islands to vie for the top spot at the international kitesurfing competition on Aitutaki.

An entertaining evening watching the finals at the auditorium sees a mingling of locals and tourists filling the place up, packed out with kids - every dancer of the year is every kid’s idol until the next year. Winners are chosen on criteria like costume, choreography and degree-ofdifficulty. Years ago an ideological invasion by the London Missionary Society stamped out all but the most demure of dance moves, barely tolerating those. What was long lost has now been renewed, as it was for centuries, with inspiration from nature, visitors, and ‘foreign’ influences in a competition of the imagination; always competitive and always a most entertaining and enlightening spectacle for visitors.

The Cook Islands Kitesurfing Association, in conjunction with the events team at Cook Islands Tourism, will manage this big event which promises to catapult the Cook Islands on to the international stage as a desirable kitesurfing destination. 2011’s inaugural event has already generated support for the association, which has been admitted as an official member of the International Kitesurfing Association. The competition is held at Motu Maina Iti on Aitutaki. Check with the Visitor Information Centre for dates. Tel (682) 29435 or email: Lydia@cookislands.gov.ck

July/August Te Maeva Nui – Celebrating our nation’s independence Every year from June to August about 2000 people on Rarotonga and on the outer islands put their lives on hold to prepare for Te Maeva Nui, the national culture and dance festival. It is a week-

long cultural marathon held around the date of August 4th, which is the birthday of the Cook Islands as an independent nation. Whilst each year in April, solo dancers compete for the title of ‘Dancer of the Year’, it is the big dance teams from different islands and districts who challenge each other during Te Maeva Nui. It is an intense competition, which requires energy and dedication from a large percentage of the Cook Islands population. For five nights the exuberant performances become a vibrant testimony of the passionate commitment Cook Islanders have to their dance and culture. The dynamic drum dance is the favourite of most locals and visitors, but each team competes in four disciplines in total: Ute (song-chant), Pe’e (chant and theatre), Kapa Rima (action song) and Ura Pa’u (drum dance). And, it is the thrill of anticipation that excites the local audience – what new dances, costumes, songs and chants are in store? You may have seen cultural dance shows around the island, or perhaps in your resort, but you haven’t seen anything that even closely resembles the vibrancy and passion of the finals at Te Maeva Nui, held in the National Stadium. This is the cultural highlight of the Cook Islands year; the only people who are ever disappointed are those who miss it.

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November Vaka Eiva Hundreds of paddlers and their supporters hit Rarotonga’s shores in November each year for the Steinlager Vaka Eiva; an exciting and fun outrigger canoeing festival, which is now the largest sporting event in the country. While the rugby 7s festival generates plenty of excitement in these rugby mad islands, there’s no doubt the influx of paddlers and supporters to the island hypes things up even more for the exciting week of Vaka Eiva activities; and oe vaka is fast establishing itself as one of the largest and most popular sporting codes in the country. What makes it even more special, is that outrigger canoeing is one of the few traditional Polynesian sports that have survived the test of time, plus it has strong cultural significance and roots in the Pacific islands. Vaka Eiva is a festival promoting both competition and the culture of oe vaka.

Held annually since 2004, Vaka Eiva has established a reputation as a hugely enjoyable week of racing, culture, and festivities, and attracts crews from throughout the world. There’s an air of festivity on the island the whole week long, from the opening ceremony, throughout the week of racing and social activities, to the wrap up paddler’s party at Trader Jack’s waterfront bar. Trader Jack is one sponsor who has been involved from the start and this is the hangout of choice for paddlers and spectators throughout the week, giving close views of the start and finish of the ocean races.

December Te Mire Tiare Flower Festival This happy and colourful festival is held every year in December and usually features a different theme each year. There are competitions for the best floral

Vaka Eiva

decorated shops, schools and government buildings, each one on a different day of the week long festivities. Locals also vie for the honour of making the best head or neck ‘ei (garland), best pot plant and much more. The glamorous focal point to the week is undoubtedly the ‘Miss Tiare’ competition which sees attractive young ladies competing for this prestigious title. The first appearance of the contestants is usually at the Punanga Nui marketplace on the first Saturday of the festival; the weeks wraps up with a colourful float parade and crowning of Miss Tiare on the following Saturday. For more information and to confirm event dates, visitors are advised to contact the Visitor Information Centre – phone (682) 29435, or by email: lydia@cookislands.gov.ck

www.cookislands.travel

Downtown Avarua Next to the ANZ Bank We’re here to help you! Advice on accommodation, tours, restaurants, activities, entertainment and travel to our other islands. Phone or call in to see us.

Open: Monday to Friday 8am - 4pm Saturday 9am - 12 noon Phone: (682) 29435 Email: headoffice@cookislands.travel

106 • ESCAPE

Head Office P.O. Box 14, Rarotonga, Cook Islands Phone: (682) 29435 Fax: (682) 21435 headoffice@cookislands.travel

New Zealand 1/127 Symonds Street P.O. Box 37391 Auckland, New Zealand P. (649) 366 1106 F. (649) 309 1876

Southern Europe Via Caravaggio, 14 57021 Campiglia Marittima, Tuscany, Italy P. (39) 056 585 3375 F. (39) 178 223 36560

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Australia Shop 38, Niecon Plaza, Mezzanine Level, 17-19 Victoria Ave, Broadbeach, QLD 4218, Australia M. (61) 7 55 045 488 M. (61) 7 55 045 732

USA 1334 Parkview Avenue, Suite 300, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, USA P. (310) 545 4200 F. (310) 545 4221

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Northern Europe Fraunhofer Strasse 8 82152 Martinsried, Germany P. (49) 891 2909 6512

United Kingdom Ocean Marketing Europe Ltd 1 Hollywell Drive Port Solent, Portsmouth Hampshire PO6 4TB, England P. (44) 2392 386401

europemanager@cookislands.travel

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The rental car company operating to international standards.

• Hatchbacks

• Toyota Rav4 Jeeps

Aroa (across from The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa)

Ph: 29227 Ph: 26227 Ph: 23227 Ph: 25227 Ph: 24227 Ph: 21039

Phone 29227

Roadside Assistance (8am to 10pm) Ph 54325 Email: reservations@polynesianhire.co.ck

www.polynesianhire.co.ck

• Yamaha Nouvo 115cc 2 seater - fully auto • Hybrid, Mountain & Beach Cruiser Bicycles

Phone 29227 www.polynesianhire.co.ck

Printed in Korea

cook islands black pearls