Escape Magazine Issue 25 by Ultimo Group

TAKE ME HOME

I'M FREE

Fashion ‘Ei katu Eco tourism RSA Memorial Traditional healing

Mangaia – Island of artists

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One unforgettable Day

“The view of the island from the plane was just spectacular.”

“I think we’d all forgotten how to relax, the cruise fixed that.” “This tour was the highlight of our trip. We loved every minute of it.”

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“Once they found the fish the boys snorkelled for hours.”

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Aitutaki Cruising, swimming, snorkelling, relaxing over a barbequed relaxing over a barbequed lunch of freshly caught fish lunch of freshly caught fish as you explore Aitutaki’s asbeautiful you explore Aitutaki’s lagoon.

Cruising, swimming, snorkelling,

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CONTENTS Issue 25 July 2017

Up front

Tour of the Cook Islands

6 8

11 An introduction to the Cook Islands 22 Rarotonga 74 Aitutaki 82 Atiu 84 Our South Pacific Home – Southern & Northern Group Islands

Introduction Contributors to this issue

Features 40 Mangaia - Island of Artists Journalist Rachel Reeves talks to a number of Mangaian artists about some of their unique art and crafts that have been passed down through the ages. 48 World War 1 Cook Islands Memorial Glenda Tuaine follows up her previous story about the carving of the memorial now that it has been officially opened at the RSA cemetery. 52 Words from the Wise - Traditional Healing in the Cook Islands Rachel Smith talks with a local ta’unga about how traditional remedies are now making a comeback and how the local Cook Islanders can benefit from their skills and knowledge of traditional remedies. 56 The Art of ‘Ei Katu The beautiful flowers worn on the head by a lot of women take a lot of making and looking after and are a surviving art from many years past. 58 A Celebration of ‘Ei Katu An ethno-botanical project by Dr. Tabatha Forbes discussed with Rachel Smith. 60 Love a Little Eco-Tourism Amelia Borofsky takes us on a quick trip around some of the ecotourism ventures in Rarotonga and Aitutaki. 68 Twenty Years of The Bond Store A local institution celebrates 20 years in business. Find out why, when and how it started. 70 The Rising Stars of Fashion Read about two local businesses run by young Cook Island women and their steps on the fashion runway. 72 Lusantials – So Unique, So You Two creative entrepreneurs with their recently launched handmade fashion accessories.

Regulars 12 Art Scene Our writer Joan Gragg talks about tivaivai and her early memories of stitching a tivaivai. 16 Book Worms A review of topical authors and their books. 18 What’s in Store? Taking a look in shop windows. 20 Raro Rhythm Read about Tara Kauvai-Mustonen a young mother and a beautifully talented Cook Islander. She has a rich history and love of singing Cook Islands Maori songs. 28

Island Cuisine We visit local restaurants.

Phillip Nordt on Food Learn how to prepare and serve your fresh skipjack tuna.

64 Great Places to Stay A guide to some of Rarotonga’s best accommodation. 88 Poti Maroro A boat born and bred in the Pacific 90 Culturally Significant Plants and Animals In this issue find out what is special about the kumara and the Tahitian prawn. 92 ‘The Bond’ Entertainment Guide The inside story on the best clubs, island shows and nightlife. 96

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

80 Aitutaki Sailing Club The Aitutaki Sailing Club Front Cover: Filisi Haurua - Aitutaki Sailing Club open day. Photo: Margaret Woulfe

4 • ESCAPE

EDITOR'S Note

publisher RD Pacific Publishing Limited editors Margaret and Steve Woulfe design Christina Thiele | Ultimo Group Auckland, New Zealand printed in New Zealand Webstar a division of Blue Star Group (New Zealand) Ltd, Auckland. advertising director Margaret Woulfe regular contributors Rachel Reeves Glenda Tuaine Joan Gragg Rachel Smith Kirby Morejohn Amelia Borofsky advertising sales Rarotonga Steve Woulfe Phone: (682) 23449 or 57298 Email: advertise@escape.co.ck distribution Rarotonga Phone: (682) 57512 Email: advertise@escape.co.ck distribution Aitutaki Annie Bishop Phone: (682) 31009 Email: bishopcruz@aitutaki.net.ck Escape is published bi-annually by RD Pacific Publishing Limited P.O. Box 3010, Rarotonga, Cook Islands Email: advertise@escape.co.ck All contents of ESCAPE magazine are copyright of RD Pacific Publishing Limited. Any reproduction of any part of this magazine without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.

Kia Orana and welcome to the Pacific Paradise of the Cook Islands and issue 25 of Escape magazine. For the first time the Escape magazine is now available not only through Air Rarotonga as their inflight magazine and in Koru lounges and Flight Centre shows in Auckland, but you can now read about the Cook Islands while relaxing in Qantas lounges in New Zealand and hotels throughout the North island. You now have the opportunity to read about our Islands before you book and come for a relaxing busy holiday. We also have two “new” writers in this edition, Rachel Smith and Amelia Borofsky having both returned to Rarotonga. Some of the highlights in this issue include Amelia writing about the blossoming ecotourism industry in the Cook Islands on page 60. Amelia also gives us a review on the recently released book by Johnny Frisbie “Miss Ulysses From Puka-Puka”. Rachel Smith gives a local insight into the role and history of traditional medicine in the Cook Islands. Rachel also does a short article on ‘ei katu, what makes them so special to the people of the Cook Islands and how to look after them. She also does an article on artist Dr Tabatha Forbes and her recent display of ‘ei katu paintings at the Bergman Gallery. Our other Rachel, being Rachel Reeves on page 40, takes us on a brief journey through the arts and crafts of Mangaia and tells us what the Mangaians are up to both in Mangaia and in Rarotonga and the concerns some of the artists have for their traditional arts disappearing. In her continuing series on local musicians Glenda Tuaine talks to Tara Kauvai-Mustonen about her career as a singer here and overseas. Glenda also gives us a follow up to her earlier article “Listen to Our Past- Remembering our WW1 Soldiers” now that the memorial gateway to the Cook Islands RSA cemetery has been unveiled. Kirby Morejohn explains to us the Poti Maroro a specialised boat for fishing in these Pacific waters as well as his usual article on culturally significant plants and animals. Read about some of the young Cook Islanders and their starting steps into the world of fashion in a piece by Glenda Tuaine about the fashion girls of Rarotonga. We hope that everyone finds something to enjoy in this issue and welcome any feedback you may have either via email or on our Facebook page – Cook Islands Escape Magazine. Don’t forget if you are on Facebook to please like our page and follow our page to keep up with events and people in the Cook Islands. Don’t forget to mention Escape magazine when you book or use any of our advertisers as some are offering a discount for name dropping. To all visitors please take this magazine home with you and share with your friends so they too can come and experience our little piece of paradise. Kia Manuia

6 • ESCAPE

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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 when she was 21 to get to know her Cook Islands heritage and fell in love with the island and island life. Rachel has been writing for Escape Magazine for six years. She has also worked as a reporter and columnist for Cook Islands News and a reporter for a newspaper in Los Angeles. In 2014, she was commissioned to write a book about the impact of Cyclone Martin on the atoll of Manihiki ; Matini was published a year later. Rachel is grateful to the people of the Cook Islands, who have welcomed her with warmth and aro'a.

Dr. Amelia Rachel Hokule’a Borofsky Dr. Amelia Rachel Hokule’a Borofsky grew up in Pukapuka and Hawai’i. A global traveler, she has visited 42 countries, but Cook Islands remains her favorite place for prayer, play, food, and family. Her ideal day involves talking to people and then writing their stories. She also wears hats as a community psychologist, storyteller, voyager, and avid surfer. She is currently at work on a New Book of Pukapuka and completing a documentary Homecoming: A Film About Pukapuka. She speaks fluent Spanish and has written for the Atlantic, New Zealand Geographic, and Cook Islands News.

Rachel Smith Rachel is a freelance writer who has recently returned to live in Rarotonga. It was a love for the relaxed island pace of life, and the beauty and warmth of the Cook Islands and its people, which made it an easy decision to move back after three years of living in Christchurch, New Zealand. Her freelance and fiction work has featured in a number of online and print magazines, and she now combines freelance, fiction and policy writing with family life. http://rachelmsmithnz.wix.com/ rachel-smith

Kirby Morejohn Born and raised in California, Kirby Morejohn is a marine biologist who is currently based in the Cook Islands, where he and his partner, Jess Cramp, are studying sharks. Kirby enjoys photography, diving, freedive hunting, and cooking wild caught and locally harvested foods.

Glenda Tuaine Glenda has lived in Rarotonga since 2005 when she returned to be the Marketing Director for Cook Islands Tourism after working in the New Zealand Arts industry as a Festival Director, Producer, Writer, sometime Radio and TV Presenter and all round arts advocate. Now Glenda and her husband Mo run the successful creative company Motone focusing on Music and Performing arts development in Rarotonga and Aitutaki. Glenda is of Aitutaki and Rarotongan descent and when not working on a myriad of projects can be found at the beach with her daughter Ruby and dog Nemo.

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www.airraro.com • ESCAPE Aitutaki10 © Ewan Smith

The Cook Islands

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

London Berlin Vancouver Rome Beijing

Seoul Tokyo Los Angeles Hong Kong Honalulu

Northern Group

Capetown

Perth

Sydney

Cook Islands Auckland

Southern Group

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. 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 • 11

art scene

i a v i Tivexaperience

story: Joan Gragg

The hands that make tivaivai are guided by the thoughts and talk that fill the heads of women working together sewing in a group.

recently read that there is a belief that in the pacific,’ metaphor is a tool used to learn and teach genealogy and indigenous knowledge.’ A metaphor is an expression of one thing in terms of another.’ (Ava Teav)

12 • ESCAPE

I cannot help feeling that tivaivai is an art form that uses fabric and design to express the feelings women have about the natural environment we live in.

It embodies thought, appreciation, patience, faith and knowledge. Tivaivai is a metaphor for the natural environment we live in. I have never sewn a tivaivai at least not to the satisfaction of my friend Ngari . However I did design a tivaivai. We decided we would sew two tivaivai one for me and one for her. We would each design our own.

This all happened one evening when we had planned to go rama, fishing on the reef at night with our Coleman lamp, buckets and bush knives, when the weather turned nasty on us and we decided to stay at home. At work the topic of conversation had been about the name tivaivai or tivaevae. Lynnsay Rongokea was writing a book about tivaevae and she asked our opinion on whether the correct name of our local quilts was tivaivai or tivaevae. We were all aware of the differences in the spelling and each group had reasons why it should be one way or the other. The first group who supported tivaivai said the name came

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from the word tivai which means to mend or patch. The second group say tivaevae is so named from the scraps of material that were imported from overseas and used to make patchwork quilts but also utilised to wipe ones feet on before walking into a room from outside. Lynnsay chose to use tivaevae for her book. Andrea Eimke and S. Kuchler chose tivaivai for their book. I use both names depending on the way I feel, feet or patch! Fishing at night is exciting so I think we must have been charged up with excitement and were looking for an alternative to fishing. We had sewing lessons at school when we were kids and I remember holding my needle and thread up to the teacher with a huge knot at the end. She said snootily ‘TAKE IT away’. In spite of that I did embroider little things like a flag. It was about the size of a handkerchief folded in four. Sewing our own clothes as we grew up was the norm as readymade clothes were not available. Our family of kids were involved in cutting squares and sewing them in order on to long threads to make a pattern for a tivaivai taore that our grandmother used to make. A tivaivai taore is a patchwork quilt. I didn’t think I needed more skill than

that, to design and sew a tivaivai. I was determined not to practice on a cushion cover or a small piece of material. That would take too much time. Ngari had sewn tivaivai before with her mother but like a good friend she did not discourage me but suggested that we sew a pillow cover first. Not for me! I further did not want to copy anyone’s tivaivai or ask an expert to cut the pattern out. It looked easy. The evening was spent talking about our favourite flowers and what colours we might use. Choosing colours was totally governed by what was

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See Joan’s artwork at The Furniture Centre

ESCAPE • 13

available in the shops. CITC, Odds and Ends, and Tukis but we did have some guidelines of the colours we liked. Ngari went off home that night without any food from the reef but we were both enthusiastic about making a tivaivai. Conforming to the traditional symmetrical patterns of tivaivai was not on my radar because I had a preconceived idea that I knew what I was doing. Lunch break saw me at CITC material counter. I discussed with my other friend, the shop assistant, the practicalities of using a readymade sheet for the base of my tivaivai and seeing sheets were available in light blue. Light blue became the choice. My reasoning was that having a sheet would save having a seam down the middle of the tivaivai and we did not have to spend time sewing the base, on which the pattern would be sewn. The azlin which is used by the experts was only thirty six inches wide and needed to be joined to make a double bed tivaivai. I also thought I would have a lighter weight tivaivai, so I bought dark blue poplin for the design to go on top of the poplin sheet. The moment I bought it I had buyer’s remorse but it was too late. My rational was I would tart it up with embroidery. Ngari was not so compulsive as me and was planning her tivaivai with great thought. I however, was charging ahead.

14 • ESCAPE

Torch ginger was my favourite flower at the time. Its long stalks and compact flower heads were not delicate and pretty but gave me a feeling of strength and determination. Its leaves grow at right angles to its stalk, towering several meters above the flowers. For me, It would be an ideal pattern for an asymmetrical tivaivai. After playing around with some designs I decided that I would sew a picture using the idea of the tivaivai tataura. I had planned to make a tivaivai manu but ended up making a tivaivai tataura. The difference in these tivaivai is the manu design is folded and cut as one overall pattern. It is tacked onto the base and appliquéd onto the backing. The tivaivai tataura is usually cut in four sections and the pieces embroidered before they are neatly sewn onto the backing. My tivaivai had changed again, I didn’t want to embroider the sections before appliquéing them onto the backing. My pattern did not conform to the four section idea either. Without knowing it I was losing the idea that makes tivaivai unique and was doing a boring picture. You can probably guess that I was wishing that I knew more about what I was doing. My friend, forever supportive, went along with what I wanted to do. The problem was we had to be together to sew together and that was not always possible because we lived busy lives and we needed to be able to sew on our own when we had a spare moment. Over two nights we worked together cutting the stalks and flowers from the dark blue material, tacking them onto the light blue sheet. Oh how I wished that the pattern was simpler and more compact. However, I could see in my mind’s eye a beautiful tivaivai. Somehow these beautiful flowers had lost something in the translation from drawing to cutting but I was confident that the embroidery would make the design zing. We considered cutting out other flowers and placing them strategically around but I had not bought enough material to do what we wanted to do so we just carried on as if nothing was amiss.

When Ngari went home I kept the tivaivai overnight and continued sewing. She was adamant that I sew neatly and make sure there were no puckers in the material and the stems lay flat. I must have stayed up half the night sewing. The next morning, I have to say, she was not impressed with my work. She made me undo most of it except for about two stitches and that was so I would not be completely devastated. She volunteered to take the tivaivai home and do her share because we were going to sew my tivaivai then hers. Once she had it in her possession she didn’t want me to have anything to do with it. She totally took over and made excuses why she should keep it at her place and when I went to her place we could sew together so she could keep an eye on my stitching. I never saw that tivaivai again until it was all beautifully finished. It was a piece of art in its own right, the stitching was immaculate and I used it every day until it fell apart. Ngari made her tivaivai by herself. She didn’t want me anywhere near hers. I learned a lot from this experience firstly that experience is the teacher of knowledge, thought, patience, appreciation, and faith in the accumulated knowledge of others. Although I have never attempted to make another tivaivai I am still in awe of the women with the knowledge, thought, patience and faith in their ability to create beautiful tivaivai. I have painted tivaivai as part of my art practice and in my own way have endeavoured to enrich my own work by using this Pacific way of learning by adapting skills from one area to build and enhance the outcome of another.

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RAROTONGA BUS SCHEDULE Clockwise/Day/Night Schedule Bus Stop COOK’S CORNER BUS TERMINAL Paradise Inn Fishing Club/Club Raro Kiikii Motel Super Brown/Ariana Bungalows Matavera Village Traders Sunrise Beach Bungalows/Avana Condos Aroko Bungalows Muri Beach Club Hotel Pacific Resort Muri Beachcomber/Muri Beach/Sails Muri Beach Resort/Nautilus Fruits of Rarotonga Raina Beach Apartments/Charlie’s Cafe Little Polynesian/Maire Nui Garden Moana Sands Motel Royale Takitumu Villas/Bella Beach Sea Change Villas/Saltwater Cafe Palm Grove Lodges Wigmore’s Superstore/Waterfall Rarotongan Beach Resort/Sanctuary Lagoon Breeze Villas International Backpackers/Black Pearl Aro’a Beachside Inn Sunhaven/Rarotonga Backpackers Castaway Beach Resort Manuia Beach Resort Crown Beach Resort Edgewater Resort & Spa Sunset Resort/Cook’s Oasis Rarotonga Golf Club/Social Centre 21.3 Vaiana’s Bar Rarotonga International Airport/Islander Hotel CITC Supermarket Punanganui Market COOK’S CORNER BUS TERMINAL

Anti-Clockwise Day Schedule Mins Past Hour 00 02 05 06 07 09 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 21 22 25 26 30 31 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 42 43 44 45 48 49 50

The Clockwise bus departs Cook’s Corner Bus Terminal on the hour, every hour. Monday to Saturday - 7:00am to 11:00pm

Bus Stop COOK’S CORNER BUS TERMINAL Punanganui Market CITC Supermarket Islander Hotel/Rarotonga International Airport 21.3 Vaiana’s Bar Rarotonga Golf Club/Social Centre Cook’s Oasis/Sunset Resort Edgewater Resort & Spa Crown Beach Resort Manuia Beach Resort Castaway Beach Resort Rarotonga Backpackers/Sunhaven Aro’a Beachside Inn Black Pearl/International Backpackers Lagoon Breeze Villas Sanctuary/Rarotongan Beach Resort Waterfall/Wigmore’s Superstore Palm Grove Lodges Saltwater Cafe/Sea Change Villas Bella Beach/Royale Takitumu Villas Moana Sands Motel Little Polynesian/Maire Nui Garden Charlie’s Cafe/Raina Beach Apartments Fruits of Rarotonga Te Manava Villas Nautilus/Muri Beach Resort Muri Beachcomber Pacific Resort Muri Beach Club Hotel Sokala Villas/Kura’s Kabana/Tangaroa Cove Aroko Bungalows Avana Condos/Sunrise Beach Bungalows Tropical Sands Super Brown/Ariana Bunglows Kiikii Motel/Club Raro COOK’S CORNER BUS TERMINAL

Mins Past Hour 30 32 33 35 36 37 38 40 42 43 45 46 47 48 49 50 53 55 58 59 00 00 01 02 02 03 04 05 07 08 09 10 12 15 16 20

The Anti-Clockwise Bus departs Cook’s Corner Bus Terminal at 30mins past the hour. Mon- Fri - 8:30am to 4:30pm. Saturdays from 8:30am to 1:30pm

Sunday Schedule (April – Nov) – 8:00am to 12:00 midday and from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. There are no Sunday anticlockwise or night buses.

ESCAPE • 15

book worms

the land and the sea provide all that is necessary for life. After travelling to the big city of Apia, Samoa she writes, “Nothing that we saw or heard or tasted or smelled or felt was as fine as things in Puka-Puka. A taxi was inferior to a sailing canoe; a hotel bedroom was less comfortable than a thatched hut on the outer beach, and a soda pop was miles behind a drinking nut.” As an atoll child, she chased coconut crabs on the beach, climbed coconut trees, swam out to the motu (islets), and caught flying fish.

MISS ULYSSES FROM PUKAPUKA The Autobiography of a South Sea Trader’s Daughter Florence (Johnny) Frisbie There are some books that we never forget and then there are those that change our lives. Miss Ulysses from Puka-Puka – The Autobiography of a South Sea Trader’s Daughter by Florence (Johnny) Frisbie, is the second of these. The book tells the amazing autobiographical story of Johnny’s unique life on a remote coral atoll. Her story is all the more amazing because she wrote it between the ages of 12 and 14, and published it in 1948 at the young age of 15. It was the first publication in English by a Pacific Islander. Through Johnny’s fresh and unspoiled eyes, we read of a Garden-of-Eden existence on the atoll of Puka-Puka, where

16 • ESCAPE

Life in Puka-Puka held dangers as well. Johnny describes the terror of a hurricane that all but destroys a deserted island where her family is marooned. The sea rises and floods the entire island to a depth of six feet – they barely survive by tying themselves to the topmost branches of a tall tree. Subsistence life meant living at the whims of nature. Born in Tahiti, a second child of Ngatokorua a Mata’a and Robert Dean Frisbie, Johnny spent most of her childhood on Puka-Puka and several other islands of the Cook Islands, including an uninhabited atoll, Suvorov, and also Samoa. Her brothers and sisters often travelled with her and they became known as a band of “cowboys.” Following her father’s death, she completed her schooling in Hawaii and went on to live in Japan, New Zealand and again briefly in Rarotonga. Miss Ulysses was Johnny’s first book, impressively written in three languages (Pukapukan, Samoan, English), assisted by her father with editing and translating. Writing about her ancestors who migrated all through the Pacific, she wrote, “I guess it is in my blood, this wandering spirit.” Her second book, ‘Frisbies of the South Seas’ (1959) was also autobiographical

and written after her father’s death. Subsequent writings include an account of her return to Puka-Puka and reunion with her grandmother, newspaper columns about life in the Pacific, and numerous short stories about children’s experiences of life on Pacific Islands. Most recently Johnny participated in a documentary film, Homecoming: A Film About Puka-Puka, which she is hopeful will further highlight the stories of Puka-Pukan environmental resiliency in the face of climate change. This second edition of ‘Miss Ulysses from Puka-Puka’ was printed in 2016, after being out of print for nearly seventy years, a faithful reproduction of the original book which also included additional stories by Johnny. One of these stories, ‘I Become a Writer’, she sees as a source of inspiration for others to “take a paddle in two hands and begin your journey by paddling your canoe full speed ahead…..I really, really hope that I will inspire you to take up the challenge.” By the end of reading Miss Ulysses, you’ll want to jump on a cargo ship or write your own story, or both. The book can be purchased at Cook Islands Library & Museum or delivered to your doorstep by amazon.com. Let it change your life.

Sonja’s Kitchen Dee Pignéguy & Sonja Raela

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.

Pa and the Dolphins Jillian Sobieska A True Story of Pa, Rarotongan Hero and his Journey to Tahiti This spellbinding tale of one of Rarotonga’s most loved characters (the same Pa that escorts you on the Cross Island Walk) will delight children and adults alike. Well written and beautifully illustrated by Jillian Sobieska, a renowned Cook Islands artist, it tells the true story of Pa swimming in Tahiti and being hassled by a shark. Believing his life to be in danger he prayed for help – and was rescued by dolphins. Well that’s enough detail… do buy the book, its a little treasure.

The high point of your trip 30 minute scenic flight

Available from Jillian Sobieska: Tel 21079, or Bounty Bookshop

Escape Calendars 2018

Our high wing Cessna operates on

lendar

Cook Islands Ca

demand with a minimum of two passengers. Daily flights (after mid-day on Sunday) from Rarotonga Airport, $129 per person.

2018

Calendars available from Bounty Bookshop and most retailers.

LM/SD 2023019a

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.

PHONE 22888 TO BOOK

ESCAPE • 17

what's in store

Handmade, one of a kind, Cook Islands mabe and blue topaz earrings. Mangaian carved adze are also occasionally available from the Moana Gems uptown Avarua store. See

Bergman & Sons 18ct White Gold & Diamond Bangle set with a 13.7mm Cook Islands Black Pearl available from either of their stores in downtown Avarua or Beachcomber Pearl Market. See their advert back page.

their advert page 51.

Locally known as “half moon” bags these intricately woven clutches made from young coconut fronds ( Rito) will certainly impress you. Beautifully embellished with Mother of Pearl shells and Black Pearls. Various sizes available. Prices from $99.90. Made by the young Cook islands weaver Nanave Taime and available from Pacific Weave store in Panama. See their advert page 19.

For a selection of placemats, napkins and napkin holders in vibrant colours call into the Tivaevae Collectables shop next to the Stop sign by the weather station at the end of the runway. See their advert on page 13.

18 • ESCAPE

These cute little rooster windchimes will remind you of your time in The Cooks available from any of The Treasure Chest’s 4 locations at Avarua, Muri Village, Edgewater Resort and The Rarotongan Beach Resort. See their advert page 26.

Island Craft Ltd is able to engrave all types of phone, tablets and other electronic devices and offers a personalised graphic design service. Visit the workshop in town or contact them on 22009 email sales@ islandcraft.co.ck. See their advert page 49.

Perfumes of Rarotonga

Handmade

Island Perfumes and Gifts Looking for that eco present then call into the Dive Centre and see Sabine’s recycled plastic rubbish bags, wallets, coin holders and more. The Dive Centre (the Big Fish) is located at Aro’a Beach on the western sunset side of Rarotonga. See their advert on page 50.

fu f

Hand-made locally - these charming Cook Island rag dolls have individually painted faces and tattoos (tatau). Treat yourself or that special "little one" in your life. Call into Little Red Gallery next to Kai Pizza by Punanga Nui markets. See their advert on page 21.

Its Vera Vera hot all year around with Rarotonga Chilli Co Paleo Habanero Hot Sauce the perfect gift for someone that has everything. If you see a little too much sun then get your hands on this amazing local remedy Rito After-Sun Soothing Gel made with Tamunu and Mamuku extract heals and mosturises your skin overnight. A long standing island favourite Monoi Oil, you will be flooded with orders to bring back home. Full range including travel size, gift packs, one litre bottles and natural insect repellent available instore. All this and more available at CITC Pharmacy, downtown Avarua. See their advert page 55.

e g d ’s

k oo a

Cooks CoRneR, avaRua Phone: 24238

www.perfumes.co.ck

www.facebook.com/PerfumesRaro

Great Cultural Experience!

PACIFIC WEAVE

Factory Outlet

Rito Hat, Cook Islands handmade

Visit our factory:

Handmade local Crafts products for your skin & Woven from around hair, island perfumes, the gifts and Pacific and Mauke Miracle Oil, Cook Islands 120 ml: souvenirs.

hand cooked oil with skin healing qualities.

Just before Airport - Panama, Call: Perfumes of Rarotonga: 25238, Pacific Weave 27535, Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00ESCAPE - 4:30, Sat •9:00-1:00, 19 Onlineshop: www.perfumes.co.ck, www.facebook.com/PerfumesRaro

raro rhythm

An Island

Songstress: Tara Kauvai–Mustonen

Story: Glenda Tuaine

Like most of our music stars in the Pacific Tara Kauvai started her singing career in church.

At age 11 prompted by her father, Tara, who really just wanted to learn to play guitar, was gently pushed towards singing every Sunday, much to the amusement of her friends who spent most of their time laughing at her every mistake. She shares with me “ ….you know all my friends would be laughing at the side cracking up every time I went out of tune but every Sunday I just got better and better so eventually, I just grabbed the guitar and started to sing along. I learnt a few songs and really just did that for over 5 years”

20 • ESCAPE

At 16 she was approached to join the Cook Islands Composers Competition, an annual event held by the Ministry of Culture which supports original Cook Islands song writing and performance. In her first year Tara placed third but over the years that followed first place became a regular feature for her. At 19 she was contracted to a producer in Tahiti. She leaves Rarotonga to really venture into the music industry and where her talents may take her. Tara discussed this period in her life with a frank honesty that lets you into the frustration and the hurt that some artists experience in a cut-throat and sometimes manipulative industry. After several years working hard in Tahiti, having access to

The Little Red Gallery

ART

Originals | Prints | Gifts Phone: (682) 74981 www.thelittleredgalleryrarotonga.com

Facebook: The Little Red Gallery

Tara Kauvai has a generosity of spirit and sense of humour that makes you warm instantly to her. A young mother of three girls and a developing business woman with her husband creating a hillside tourist rental property, I get the impression Tara is an adventurer, a measured risk taker that has long term goals and dreams and a beautifully talented Cook Islands singer.

Tara Kauvai- Mustonen performs: Every other Friday night at Palm Grove

Every Thursday and Sunday at The Sanctuary

AN U

I M A R KET

Every Monday, Wednesday and alternate Fridays at Captain Andy’s

Every Tuesday and Saturday night after Island night at The Edgewater

P ITE

G AN

Tara is often given songs from the Cook Islands community with the hope that she will chose to sing and record their composition. She has an incredibly loyal fan base not only in the Cooks but Samoa, Tahiti, Australia and New Zealand and in the past has toured those countries. She has regular requests from fans for a new album and in 2017 Tara alluded that she is setting plans to free up time to possibly begin work on a new CD. There is no disputing Tara Kauvai – Mustonen is a very busy woman who juggles many roles alongside her music. Her sense of humour is strong and she happily will take the mickey out of herself as she does during our coffee interview.

Local & Pacif ic

Tara loves to sing a broad range of easy listening styles from contemporary Pop, Blues, Jazz and Country. She is comfortable in most genres and has an undeniable love of singing Cook Islands Maori songs. Her rendition of “Mou Piri” by Cook Islands composing and creative arts legend Jon Jonassen has indeed become one of the most loved renditions. In 2013 her version was used for Cook Islands film Director Karin Williams’ beautiful short film on the story of the song. When I asked Tara how she now feels about her creative bond with Mou Piri she responds “That is probably the song that most people connect with– I realise that song is what my audience wants especially for families and our local people coming back. They always ask me to sing it and I am so happy to do so.”

When I asked Tara how she feels about performing and music it is clear she is one of those individuals that had music in their soul DNA. She responds to me that music is her escape, it is soothing and that when she sings she feels like she is getting everything out. That she can truly relax; and dear readers it is why she is well worth going to see. Tara’s voice is like a full bodied rich glass of great red wine, often you are not just listening to it you are consumed by it. In 2012 my husband and I asked Tara to perform at a concert we were producing called “Divas in Paradise”. Tara would be performing alongside local singing star Kura Happ and New Zealand’s leading ladies of musical strength Julia Deans and soul, funk hip hop queens Bella Kalolo, and Ladi 6. The deal was that we wanted Tara to perform with a band. At that time she was performing with a guitarist only. Tara came out on stage and took the audience and held them in her hand from the very first song to the last. She was just as good as our New Zealand leading female musicians who were on the bill.

recording studios and engineers who taught her a lot, she called it quits with the producer due to the fact she was not receiving a single cent for her music and her gigs. Returning to Rarotonga discouraged and let down Tara abandoned music for a good two years. It wasn’t until local musicians encouraged her to begin singing and playing again that she re-immersed herself back into the gigging circuit and she hasn’t really looked back.

ESCAPE • 21

e s i d a r Pa

Rarotonga – a pacific

Story: Rachel Reeves

Rarotonga, the most populous of the Cook Islands, captivates about 120,000 hearts a year. Whether you’ve been here once or have been returning annually for decades, you know Rarotonga as paradise, an escape from the drudgery of traffic and consumerism, a window into a simpler past.

nce you’ve visited an outer island, your perspective changes; you notice the modern conveniences available on Rarotonga, the trucks and supermarkets and nightclubs, but still you appreciate the pace of life. Still you notice that there aren’t any stoplights and the same musician greets every flight. You notice that people wave at oncoming traffic. You notice there are only two bus routes: clockwise and anti-clockwise. You notice that on Rarotonga, time slows down. Photo: Kirby Morejohn

22 • ESCAPE

When there’s nothing on either television channel, when you don’t have easy access to Wi-Fi, you learn to be outside, smell the flowers, taste the fruit, appreciate the sun and stars, and commit to memory the natural beauty that’s been seducing travelers for centuries. The first visitors to Rarotonga were the Māori people who came, depending on who you believe, from either Avaiki – the mythological centre of Polynesia – or East Asia or South America. Some continued on to settle New Zealand – you can read

about their canoes on plaques at Avana, the site of their departure – but others were hooked. They had travelled over thousands of kilometres, searching for islands, navigating not with GPS but by reading the stars, swells, and skies. They were migratory people, comfortable at sea, but on Rarotonga they built homes of coconut trunks and fronds, planted crops, and created a society in which everyone had enough to eat. Rarotonga’s inhabitants split into three villages – Takitumu, Te Au O Tonga, and Puaikura, each with its own governing chief.

Centuries later the Europeans arrived, and were also entranced by the island’s breathtaking beauty. A book written in 1842 documenting early missionary work describes Rarotonga this way: “its hills and valleys are rich in the fruits of the earth: mighty trees overshadow the land, and grow down to the very borders of the sea; not in a dense unwholesome forest, shutting out the light of the sun; but scattered here and there among the green hills, and affording a delicious shade; some are covered with beautiful flowers and some with light foliage, waving like plumes in the wind.”

Rarotonga might be just 32 kilometres around, but she is versatile, with creeks and swimming holes and waterfalls some locals don’t even know about. Take a walk or ride a scooter along the back road or into the mountains; hear the air get quieter and the birds get louder. Watch the bush get thicker. You won’t get lost if you remember to use the sound of the waves as your compass.

Nearly 200 years later, Rarotonga’s splendour continues to make this kind of impact. Despite the luxury resorts and 24hour petrol stations that have since sprung from its soil, the island is still the kind of beautiful that makes your heart swell. You can’t watch an Arorangi sunset or climb one of Rarotonga’s mountains without feeling awestruck by the beautiful world we live in. You can’t drive a motorbike around the island, with the wind in your face and the salt on your skin, past coconut palms, banana and papaya trees, and remain undecided about whether you love this place. Rarotonga might be just 32 kilometres around, but she is versatile, with creeks and swimming holes and waterfalls some locals don’t even know about. Take a walk or ride a scooter along the back road or into the mountains; hear the air get quieter and the birds get louder. Watch the bush get thicker. You won’t get lost if you remember to use the sound of the waves as your compass.

From the air The best way to see all of Rarotonga is from the air. If you miss the view when the plane lands, and if you’re willing to shell out the money, Air Rarotonga does private

ESCAPE • 23

You can rent kayaks, take yoga classes on stand-up paddleboards or sign up for a kitesurfing lesson. You can swim to The Boiler – what’s left of the SS Maitai, shipwrecked in 1916 – and then jump off it into the sea. If you prefer to stay on the shore, engage with the sea by watching an outrigger canoe race, held weekly during the sport’s season. In November teams arrive from all over the world to compete in Vaka Eiva, an international paddling competition and Rarotonga’s largest sporting event. Between the months of July and October, be on the lookout for whales. You can learn more about them at the Whale & Wildlife Centre in Atupa.

aerial tours in a small Cessna. A cheaper option is to hike one of the island’s many peaks. Most require a tour guide, but a hike to The Needle, and across the middle of the island, is manageable and clearly marked. You’ll need good fitness and good shoes. Locals are friendly; ask anyone how to get to the start of the “cross-island walk” in Avatiu and they’ll point you in the right direction. The ascent is steep, but the view from the top makes the trudge worthwhile. From The Needle, one of Rarotonga’s tallest mountains, you can see every shore, ringed by a translucent lagoon, the white foam of waves crashing on the reef, and the yawning blue Pacific. It’s the kind of view that makes you feel tiny and insignificant, but also like you rule the world. Descending down the other side of The Needle will lead you to Wigmore’s Waterfall, one of the locals’ favourite swimming spots. For a more informative cross-island experience, book a tour with Pa, a traditional healer who grew up climbing mountains and studying the medicinal properties of plants. Pa takes tourists across the island six days a week.

24 • ESCAPE

From the water To behold Rarotonga from the sea is to channel the joy its settlers must have felt. They would have been at once weary from the long voyage and awestruck by the dramatic mountains and white-sand beaches of their new home. There are dozens of ways to experience this view. You can spend the day on a fishing charter, casting for deep-sea fish under the tropical sun, or you can take a ride on a glass-bottom boat. Both Captain Tamas Lagoon Cruizes and Koka Lagoon Cruises make daily trips to Koromiri, a motu (islet) off Muri Beach. Each tour features a local string band and a barbecued lunch of freshly caught fish. At low tide, the Muri lagoon is shallow enough to walk to the motu with a picnic lunch and a towel. Dive shops hire out snorkeling gear, and the best place to see marine life is in an area protected by a ra’ui – a traditional ban on fishing and collecting seafood, imposed and lifted by chiefs. Signs mark the ra’ui; most snorkelers prefer the ra’ui at Fruits of Rarotonga in Tikioki and at The Rarotongan Resort & Spa in Arorangi. If you’re a certified SCUBA diver – or if you want to get certified – visit one of the three dive shops on the island.

And if you’re a surfer, you know the drill: respect the locals. It’s their wave.

On land There’s always something to do on Rarotonga. There’s sport to watch – on Saturdays, village clubhouses host rugby, rugby league, netball, cricket, lawn bowling, and soccer matches, depending on the season. They also throw socials afterward, with cheap drinks and low entry fees. There’s a nine-hole golf course in Nikao, with a bar and eatery inside its clubhouse, and two miniature golf courses in Arorangi. There’s also a driving range in Vaimaanga. You can play paintball and laser tag; take cycling, quad, or buggy tours that go around the island; or hire bicycles (either manual or electric) to explore the side and back roads. You can take photos of the abandoned Sheraton – a hotel that was never finished because its developer, who had links to the Italian mafia, disappeared. If you believe the local legend, a curse on the land stalled the project. In Titikaveka, you can visit Maire Nui gardens, a sprawling, carefully manicured jungle with a quaint café. There are several art galleries around

the island, and you can buy handcrafted ukuleles from inmates at the Arorangi Prison. The Punanga Nui marketplace on a Saturday morning is an essential itinerary item. For locals, it’s a social outing; everyone goes. From 6 a.m., you can visit the open-air market to get your fresh nu (coconut water) and local fruits and vegetables. You can also buy cooked food, both international – the crepes and waffles are popular – and local delicacies. There’s something for every eater, from smoothies to stir-fry to sausage rolls. The Punanga Nui market is also a one-stop souvenir shop. You can buy everything from island music to large handmade quilts to coconut oil to hand-painted pareu (sarongs). Mamas sell hats and bags woven out of coconut fibre. Pearl farmers sell their black pearls, cultivated and harvested on the island of Manihiki, 1100 kilometres north of Rarotonga. If you miss the Punanga Nui market, there are souvenir shops around the island, most of them in Avarua, where you can pick up something for friends and family members who had the great misfortune of not joining you in paradise. A special way to immerse in the island culture is to attend a Sunday service at the Cook Islands Christian Church. The Cook Islands, like much of Polynesia, readily embraced Christianity; though the missionaries ruled in authoritarian ways, imposing outrageous fines and penalties on the disobedient, their gospel stuck. Church is a pillar of any Cook Islands community, both at home and overseas. Congregations are welcoming if you dress modestly, behave respectfully, and take some gold coins for the offering plate. The power of the imene tuki – a blend of traditional chanting and Christian hymns – will stir your soul.

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Two museums in Avarua – the government-run National Museum and the private Cook Islands Library & Museum Society – are excellent resources for those seeking more information about Rarotonga and its history. The latter hires out books, or you can buy beach reads at Bounty Bookshop in Avarua. For beautiful food to suit any palette, try one of Rarotonga’s many restaurants; more information is available within the pages of this magazine. Whether you’re in the mood for freshly caught fish, a burger, pizza from a wood-fired oven, French fare, or Asian fusion, Rarotonga’s got a restaurant for you.

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 Hats

Salt & Pepper shakers

treasure@oyster.net.ck 26 • ESCAPE

From your seat Celebrations of culture occur almost nightly. Attending an “island night” a must during a holiday to Rarotonga. You get a chance to watch local dancing, energetic and sensuous, and hear local drumming, reportedly the best in the Pacific. If you dread the limelight, beware the ura piani, when dancers recruit tourists of the opposite sex for a number. At an island night, you’ll also get to try local food. Dishes like ika mata (fresh raw fish in coconut cream), rukau (taro leaves in coconut cream), taro, and poke (arrowroot and coconut cream with a pudding-like texture) are available at some shops and restaurants, but at an island night you can have them all, buffet-style. Hotels and cultural centres offer island nights for a range of budgets; talk to your accommodator about your options. If you’re on Rarotonga in August, you’ll get to experience the ultimate celebration of Cook Islands culture. A bit of background: Rarotonga’s chiefs consented to becoming a British protectorate in 1888; all of the Cook Islands were later handed over to colonisers from New Zealand. In 1965, the country became self-governing, and every August, Rarotonga holds a festival to celebrate. Called Te Maeva Nui, the weeklong event features a parade

of floats decorated with local foliage and a spectacular nightly show at the National Auditorium, in which villages and islands compete in singing, dancing, and drumming.

Weddings Rarotonga is a popular spot for destination weddings; hundreds of tourists get married here each year. On-island wedding planners can design a special ceremony on the beach, and liaise with hair and makeup artists, caterers, a celebrant, and photographers/videographers before you arrive. All you have to do is bring your loved ones and prepare mentally for a wedding you won’t soon forget. Cook Islanders are notoriously generous people, some of the most hospitable in the world. They will make you feel welcome, as long as you treat them with respect, the way you would anyone who invites you into her home. Be mindful of the fragile island environment also; as the travel adage goes, take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints. But above all, enjoy yourself and a place that makes you feel a little bit more alive. When you leave, you will join the ranks of hundreds of thousands of people around the world who think often of, and talk often about, Rarotonga, who dream of the day they’ll return.

Quality Cook Islands Pearls COOK ISLANDS Top Jewellery & Gift Store

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Goldmine, Main Road, Avarua

P. 24823 | F. 24824 | email: goldmine@oyster.net.ck www.rarotongablackpearls.com

COOK ISLANDS ROAD RULES The main island of Rarotonga is circled by 2 roads – the main road along the coast or Ara Tapu and the back road or Ara Metua. Driving is on the left hand side of the road – the same as in New Zealand, Australia and United Kingdom. If you have a full driving licence from your home country then you are entitled to drive in the Cook islands for up to 6 months. If you are here longer then you must apply for a Cook Islands driving licence which can be obtained from the Cook Islands Police headquarters in downtown Avarua.

THE ROAD RULES ARE SIMPLE... 1 Maximum speed at all times for all vehicles is 50 km/h 2 If you do not have a Cook Islands motor cycle licence you must wear a helmet. 3 In villages, passing schools and in town the maximum

speed is 30 km/h 4 In villages, passing schools and in town the

maximum speed is 30 km/h

PEARL FARMER • RETAILER • WHOLESALER

5 Drink driving is an offence – you could face

Court and if convicted a fine or jail sentence 6 Be aware of dogs or animals running out from

properties wandering mainly on the back road You are here for a good time, do not ruin it through speed or drink driving. Call a Taxi 28862, 50908, 72888 or take an organised tour of the Island.

Lesley & Temu Okotai Harbour House, Avatiu P. 20635 farmdirectpearls@gmail.com

IN AN EMERGENCY CALL 999 NON EMERGENCIES: Police 22499 • Hospital 22664 • Power faults 25257 AITUTAKI: Police 31015 • Hospital 31698 • Fire 31829 ATIU: Police 33120 • Hospital 33664

ESCAPE • 27

island cuisine

RUMOURS CAFÉ, AITUTAKI ESCAPE Aitutaki This is the newest café on Aitutaki having only opened in March 2017. The host is Thomas Koteka, well known in the Cook Islands for his Polynesian cuisine. The café is an ideal place for intimate lunches or dinners with only 12 seats available making it an ideal venue for that small wedding party or family group who want the place to themselves. Being fully air conditioned it is an ideal refuge on the days you want to escape the heat and have a cool drink with a perfect meal. If you want to get in for lunch or dinner you are strongly advised to book with the venue being such an intimate place. Having popped in on the off chance we were lucky to be able to be seated for a late lunch. The menu caters to all with a strong emphasis on using locally grown and caught produce. There is a large range of choices at lunch including salads, fish dishes, homemade burgers on locally made bread to mention but a few.

Our choice was the fresh mahimahi, pan seared and served with a side salad and dipping sauces. The fish was served rare and tasted of the sea rather than a lot of seared fish dishes that leave you doubting the fish. The drizzle of hollandaise sauce was enough to give you the taste of the sauce without overpowering the flavor of the fish. The salad was a mix not only of lettuce but fresh cherry tomatoes, paw paw, pine nuts and a little balsamic dressing. The café offers a full bar service and is also available for breakfast seven days a week as well as lunch and dinner. For dinner reservations you must book to get a table or miss out. The dinner menu offers another large range of meals ranging from a vegetarian dish consisting of vegetables and root crops braised in coconut juice, citrus and served with rice, to steak and prawns served with smashed potatoes, local spinach (rukau) and a selection of sauces. For the ultimate dinner experience and as long as you pre book you can have Thomas serve you a private dinner either under the stars or actually sitting at your table in the lagoon. Located at Aitutaki Escape on the main road from the airport to town, it is well worth a visit and don’t forget to book or you could miss out.

Rumours Café 31906 or 55755

28 • ESCAPE

MURI VILLAGE

Casual and friendly Asian street-style café

Fresh flavours of Mexico for dinner, plus fresh fish, pizza, vegan, and gluten free.

Vietnamese, Indonesian, Chinese, Malaysian, Thai

Open for Dinner from 5.30pm Closed Thursdays

See you there amigo! P. 20693 or 26487

TAMARIND HOUSE

RESTAURANT & BAR

Open for dinner from 5.30pm Closed Sunday

Muri Village

Phone: 22232 or 26487

Fresh tropical cuisine

Extensive choice of vegan and fish dishes

DINNER: MON – SAT FROM 5.30 PM

M OR E

OPEN DAYS LUNCH • DINNER EAT IN OR TAKE AWAY LUNCH MENU • Assorted salads • Choice of wraps • Pizzas DINNER MENU • Pizzas & sides Lunch Tuesday to Friday 11am – 2pm

SUNDAY BRUNCH: (APRIL – OCTOBER) FROM 9 AM – 1.30 PM

A beautiful heritage colonial house, located on the seafront, just 3 minutes from the town centre. Dine by candlelight in the peaceful seclusion of a romantic tropical setting.

FAMILY PRICES

Unique al fresco dining in town

LUNCH: TUES – FRI 11.30 AM – 2 PM (CLOSED MON AND SAT LUNCH)

WOOD FIRED

Delicious food to suit all tastes

THE PERFECT VENUE FOR YOUR WEDDING OR PRIVATE FUNCTION

EMAIL tamarind@oyster.net.ck www.tamarindrarotonga.com

Open early morning until late Mon to Sat

PHONE 26487

Ph 22279 or 22299

newplace@oyster.net.ck

Dinner Monday to Saturday 4pm – 9pm Located opposite the Punanga Nui Markets (next to the Bond Liquor store)

PH 23336 • MOB 53330

locally known “Ika Mata”. Some places “Ika Mata” can be quite thick and creamy but the Blue Lagoon “Ika Mata” is light and refreshing (and the secret to this is the daily made coconut cream by the Kitchen and Groundsmen staff). The staff behind the bar are also known for their amazing cocktails, Daily Specials are available and there is no better place to sit down with a cocktail and watch the world go by. The sand-bank across the lagoon channel is a popular spot to “chill-out” with a cold beer/ drink; where else in the world can you do that!

BLUE LAGOON RESTAURANT Aitutaki Village During your stay in Aitutaki there are several excellent quality restaurants on the island to choose from, but one in particular stands out, not only for its amazing location, but the great food and service; The Blue Lagoon Restaurant at Aitutaki Village. The family friendly, locally owned and staffed restaurant is located on the Ootu Peninsula, a beautiful and picturesque part of the lagoon. Whilst dining for lunch or dinner, the restaurant offers one of the most spectacular views on the island overlooking a powder blue lagoon by day and a backlit lagoon by night with fish almost at your feet splashing about in the water. Whilst not on the west coast the sunsets are still captivating as the stretch of lagoon and sky allows the colours to reflect off each other creating an incredible painting as your evening view, they are certainly crowd pleasers. During the day, the restaurant offers a great lunch menu with a range of dishes from spaghetti bolognaise to fresh chicken salad wraps & Island fries, not forgetting everyone’s favourite dish the famous

30 • ESCAPE

Once the sun goes down the excitement doesn’t stop there. Tuesday nights are a favourite with the spectacular Island Buffet and Cultural Show; which tells the story of the history of Ootu and the arrival of Ru (Ancestral Warrior) and his tribe. It’s a Must See! Sundays are also renowned for their “All-day BBQ platters”, a fabulous way to spend the day, always popular with tourists and locals alike. The restaurant has also established Saturday night fundraisers for the local community, a big beautiful local buffet with a floor show for locals to come eat, enjoy, mingle with the tourists and share the love and support for a certain cause. This is an experience to remember as you are completely engrossed by the deep emotional core of Aitutaki culture. Whilst their dinner menu has a great selection of dishes, two that really stand out are the Famous Aitutaki Village chicken curry which has a lovely and fragrant texture accompanied by rice, naan bread and a selection of three home-made chutneys. The other outstanding dish is the Pork Belly, this is something the chef has perfected, with the ‘just right’ portion size, not too fatty like some pork belly dishes can be, teamed with locally grown vegetables such as pumpkin, capsicum, sweet potato and rukau (local spinach) in a light coconut cream which is very tasty and definitely worth a try. As always, there are a number of other meals on offer with dishes catering to most tastes. The

restaurant is also known for their fresh and local ‘In season’ cuisines, to name a few; Coconut Crab, Fresh Sashimi and Cajun Yellow Fin Tuna - “Be Alert to the Specials Board”. The restaurant isn’t just a place to sit down and have a meal as the entire setting entices you into wanting to spend a whole day there, whether relaxing on the beach, having a swim in the lagoon or just watching Island life go by.

The Blue Lagoon Restaurant and Aitutaki Village is around 3 km from the airport, 8km from the centre of town and easily accessible by bicycle, scooter or car. Transfers to and from other accommodations can be arranged, so even if you are staying somewhere else there is no reason why you should not visit this Restaurant whilst you visit Aitutaki. Contact details: Ph 31526 or 31852 reservations@aitutakivillage.com

OPEN 7 NIGHTS · MAR – OCT WED – MON • REST OF THE YEAR

Club Raro

Avarua (Town)

Arorangi

Matavera

Edgewater

E S

Located in Arorangi on the Main Road (500 metres from the Edgewater toward Avarua)

Muri

The Rarotonga Beach Resort

Titikaveka

· Open from 6pm - best to reserve a table! · Return transfers available by arrangement & location · Live music with Tani & Rose on Mon nights · Fully licensed Gordon, Rebecca & The Kikau Team Phone: 26860 ˙ Mobile: +682 55869 Email: kikauhut@oyster.net.ck

scape Magazine Ad Oct v1.indd 2

Check out our ‘all-day’ breakfast menu and join us for awesome coffee, friendly service and great home style cooking.

21/10/16 3:37 pm

Try our custard square and cheesecake – local favourites! Open Sunday – Friday 8.00am – 3pm Located on the main road at Muri Village. Wifi available.

P. 20858

ESCAPE • 31

PACIFIC RESORT HOTEL GROUP RESTAURANTS PACIFIC RESORT RAROTONGA Set on the magnificent Muri Beach, Pacific Resort Rarotonga, the Island’s leading 4 star full service authentic boutique resort is home to Sandals Restaurant & Barefoot Bar. Sandals Restaurant is the main dining facility onsite and its menu offers a combination of Pacific Rim recipes, using a varied selection of local seafood, fresh vegetables, tropical fruits and fresh herbs. For a more casual option, experience beachfront, toes in the sand dining at The Barefoot Bar, with an all day menu and the most beautiful view across the Muri Lagoon and her Motus. Indulge in a variety of local and imported beverages and be sure not to miss our Happy Hours! If you are looking for the ultimate dining experience, try our private dining option, with the choice of your own intimate dining location. Whatever the occasion, we will make your evening magical.

LITTLE POLYNESIAN RESORT Experience casual chic poolside dining at Little Polynesian Resort’s very own open air restaurant and bar. The intimate and serene atmosphere guarantees maximum relaxation and enjoyment while indulging

Pacific Resort Rarotonga

32 • ESCAPE

Pacific Resort Aitutaki

in delicious locally inspired cuisine and ice cold beverages. Start your day with a tropical Island breakfast looking out to the South Pacific Ocean. At lunch indulge in Cook Islands specialties such as Ika mata or island fries. Finally, in the evenings, enjoy dining under the starlight – a perfect blend of romance, cuisine and sea. Indulge in a tropical cocktail (or two!) from our bar or perhaps a glass of wine from our great selection of fine Australian and New Zealand wines. Whatever the time of day, you can enjoy a drink or bite to eat relaxing by the stunning salt water infinity pool with views leading out to the everlasting blue lagoon.

MOANA SANDS BEACHFRONT HOTEL & VILLAS Great dining, exquisite cocktails and a warm, relaxed atmosphere are just a few reasons to visit the onsite Sands Restaurant and Bar at Moana Sands Beachfront Hotel. The Sands is an island favourite, with a reputation for serving quality local and international cuisine. The Sands Restaurant menu showcases unbeatable pacific fusion cuisine with an array of delicious options, guaranteed to please even the most discerning diners. For a lighter meal option or to discover the tantalizing array of delicious treats, be sure to stop at Coco Latte Café, located adjacent to the Moana Sands Beachfront Villas, where you can be regaled with a made to order sandwich, a fresh selection

of tasty salads, quiches, freshly baked deserts, and a fantastic variety of coffee and beverages.

PACIFIC RESORT AITUTAKI Surrounded by Aitutaki’s world famous lagoon, its stunning turquoise waters and white sand shores, the luxurious Pacific Resort Aitutaki prides itself on its delicious island cuisine that highlights its Polynesian traditions. Set across from our stunning infinity pool is the popular Black Rock Café offering a full range of casual cuisine and beverages to satisfy each guest. Enjoy a moment to treasure at Rapae Bay Restaurant, perched high above the lagoon, offering spectacular 270 degree views, exquisite cuisine and world-class wines. The menu features a range of local and international cuisine, with our weekly Island night offering guests an authentic Cook Island dining experience. Alternatively, treat you and your loved one to a magical private dining experience on glorious white sand overlooking Aitutaki lagoon with your own personal wait chef. Lovers are free to watch the sunset as they enjoy chilled champagne in a candlelit Bedouin tent.

Experience our exceptional dining for yourself at one of our seven restaurants. For more information, visit www.pacificresort.com

Located at PUNGANA NUI MARKET (BESIDE THE PLAYGROUND), AVARUA

c i t n e h t u A e n i s i u C Asian A TAST E O F AS IA

Sashimi & Carpaccio Ika Mata Seafood Platters Fish, Chips & Salad Gourmet Sandwiches

Fish N Chips $13.00

All day breakfast And heaps more

A short stroll east of town | Phone - 28830 Now with online menu - www.bamboojacks.net We also have an air-conditioned private room for dining & meetings (with conference facilities)

Ika Mata $10.00

Mon 8am – 4pm Tues – Fri 8am – 9pm Sat 8am – 2pm

Fishermans Platter $18.00

P. 23 577 Phone orders welcome Mon – Sat 6:30am – 4pm

P. 23 575 Phone orders welcome

No.1 ! for seafood Fresh Sushi Cabinet food daily Freshly squeezed Juice Boosts Healthy & delicious Smoothies Espresso Coffee & Cake And heaps more

try our

Pizza Shack eat in or take out

PH 26464 • info@traderjacks.co.ck

Located beside the playground Punanga Nui Market, Avarua

Best chocolate

ESCAPE • 33 in Raro! brownie

The bakery was rebuilt with a commercial space. Sue and Steve decided to rebuild the Saltwater Cafe. Sue had to design the cafe from scratch as the new building was nothing like the old. The fit out of the cafe also required everything to be bought new as there was little left after the fire.

THE ICONIC SALTWATER CAFÉ Rarotonga

“We were told that we had to come to the Saltwater Cafe” is something that owners Steve and Sue Welsh often hear from their customers. Others have fond memories of the cafe in its original style before the fire in 2013. Although the structure may have changed people still love one of Rarotonga’s oldest cafes. The original Saltwater Cafe had a humble beginning. In 2001, a young man by the name of Carey Winterflood and his bride Ake came home to Rarotonga. Carey and Ake decided to start selling food from their home. Each morning they would put out a few tables and chairs on their front verandah and Saltwater Cafe would be open for business. In 2002, Carey and Ake decided to move to the bigger empty shop premises at the Turoa Bakery to rehome the Saltwater Cafe. They expected it would take about two weeks to be up and running. Tables and chairs were sourced from a cafe in the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney. A chance meeting with a coffee machine mechanic resulted in a coffee machine, grinder and barista lessons. A local gent by the name of Dave Rose Snr supplied ships wheels, portholes and other nautical paraphernalia for the decoration of the cafe. The cafe also had crab pots, surfboards and fishing rods hanging from

34 • ESCAPE

the ceiling. They removed two glass sliding windows and the sliding door and replaced them with wooden shutters that operated on a pulley system to open and close, which allowed much more air into the cafe and the wooden panels added to the nautical theme. Instead of the expected two weeks, it actually took two months to open. As time progressed a liquor licence was issued to Saltwater Cafe. Twice a week they opened for dinner. One night was Italian and the other Thai. Carey became a real estate agent and in 2008 his first clients were a young couple from Thailand by the name of Mike and Pook Welsberg, who were looking to buy a cafe on Rarotonga. They wanted something like the Saltwater Café, and so Carey made his first sale and Mike and Pook took over the ownership of the Saltwater Cafe in 2008. Mike and Pook soon set about putting their stamp on their new business. They tiled the patio and gave the building a fresh coat of paint in various shades of blue. Pook added some very tasty Thai recipes to the menu and the Saltwater Cafe rolled on. Then in 2011, Sue and Steve Welsh took over the ownership of the Saltwater Cafe. They made very few changes as both they and the customers loved the cafe. The cafe ran on in true Saltwater style with fresh food, friendly service and a great lagoon view until 2 November 2013. That night an arson attack on the Turoa Bakery, burnt both the bakery and cafe to the ground.

While the shape of the cafe may have changed, the same friendly service and great fresh food remains the same, and of course the fantastic view of the lagoon can be enjoyed while al fresco dining on the verandah. Sue and Steve also allow local artists to display their work, so if you are looking for some high quality one off pieces of Cook Islands art pop in and see the work on sale. Sue and Steve are still passionate about making sure their customers enjoy their dining experience at the Saltwater Cafe, but have decided to start looking for the next ‘new owners’ of the Saltwater Cafe. They hope that the next owners have the ‘love’ to carry on the tradition of Saltwater Cafe. The café would be an excellent venue for wedding receptions and evening dining given its fantastic lagoon views and closeness to the beach – it is literally across the road. Sue Welsh

Tropical Garden Restaurant and Bar

available

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ph 20501

in a

ed reservations recommend

• full a-la-carte menu • fresh fish and great steaks • vegetarian and children’s dishes • incredible seafood platter for two • wheelchair access available

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!

t ai

Casual Beach Side Cafe Authentic Thai food, tasty Mexican, burgers, fish and chips, coffee home-made desserts + we’re fully licensed.

Opening Hours Sunday to Thursday 9am - 2.30pm Ph 20020 Find us on your map at the halfway mark down South at Titikaveka...

SALTWATER CAFE - RAROTONGA 2013 & 2016

ESCAPE • 35 www.themooringfi shcafe.com

local recipe Method Slice leaves into thin strips. Place into pot

TUORO CAFÉ, BLACK ROCK

with a little salted water (not too salty)

FINDING NEMO

evaporates. Add coconut cream.

(Serves one)

Cook rukau stirring continually until water While the Rukau is cooking prepare the Polenta. Add 2Tblspn of brown sugar, stir Bring 1/4Ltr milk to a boil with 1/4tspn

constantly, for about 10 minutes, or until

crushed garlic, add in the polenta and

carrots caramelise.

stir, Salt and Pepper. Add 1Tblspoon of

Ingredients 200g Mahimahi 1/4Cup Polenta 1/4Ltr Milk Parmesan Cheese for flavour( Optional ) 1 hand Rukau (spinach) 3Pc Sundried Tomato 50mls Olive oil 1/2 Red onion cut into wedges 1 small carrot thinly sliced

Parmesan Cheese for flavour.

In the other pan heat 1Tblspn of oil &

Once cooked pour the Polenta on to

butter. Add onion wedges and cook over

greaseproof paper and mould into desired

high heat, until the onions are just tender.

shape.

Add 2Tblspn of white sugar, flip over constantly until onions caramelise.

Take two separate non -stick frying pans

Blend sundried tomato with olive oil until

In one heat 1Tblspn of oil & butter. Add

smooth.

carrots thinly sliced and cook, covered over a low heat, until the carrots are just tender.

Grill the fish and serve as suggested in photo.

FINGER LICKIN

(Serves one)

Method Place chicken strips in a small bowl. Add marinade, cover and rest in fridge for 10 minutes. Into a small pot pour 1/2 cup of rice and

Ingredients Chicken Thigh Strips Local Pinapi (Bok Choy)

water. Cook on low heat. Once rice is cooked add a 1/4 cup of fresh coconut cream and stir.

Medium Grain Rice Coconut Cream Hoisin sauce Flour

Chicken Marinade In a small bowl combine ingredients below 1/2Tspn Crushed Garlic 1/2Tspn Crushed Ginger 1/4Tspn Chilli Flakes 2Tblspn Sweet soy sauce ABC 1Tblspn Oyster sauce

36 • ESCAPE

In a separate bowl lightly coat chicken strips in sifted flour and shake off any excess. Heat 1Tblspn oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the chicken strips cook on high heat until colour turns light brown. Turn heat down add 2Tblspn Hoisin sauce cook for

Lightly sauté Pinapi in butter, salt and pepper to finish off.

2mins. Serve as suggested in photo.

Tuoro Licensed CAFES & RESTAURANTS

Tamarind House, Tupapa Ph 26487

Please support these advertisers for making it free for you to take your copy home.

The New Place, Avarua Ph 22279 or 22299

RAROTONGA

Bamboo Jacks, Taputaputea Ph 28830 Kikau Hut, Arorangi Ph 26860 La Casita, Muri Village Ph 20693 The Rickshaw, Muri Village Ph 22232 Shipwreck Hut @ Aro’a Beachside Inn Ph 22166 Trader Jacks, Avarua Ph 26464 Oceans @ Crown Beach Ph 23953

Kai Pizza, Punanga Nui Ph 53330

Aqua Restaurant @ Muri Beach Resort Ph 22779 Nautilus Resort, Muri Village Ph 25125 Club Raro, Tupapa Ph 22415 OTB, Arorangi Ph 22461 Silver Sands @ Muri Beach Club Hotel Ph 23000

CAFES & RESTAURANTS AITUTAKI

Flambe @ Crown Beach Ph 23953

Aitutaki Village @ O’otu Beach Ph 31526

Tumunu, Arorangi Ph 20501

Rumours Café @ Aitutaki Escape Ph 31906

Deli Licious, Muri Village Ph 20858

Boatshed @ Popoara Ph 31479

Pacific Resort, Muri Village Ph 20427

Koru Café Ph 31110

The Yellow Hibiscus @ Palm Grove Ph 20002

Tamanu Beach Restaurant Ph 31810

The Mooring Fish Café, Avana Ph 25553

Pacific Resort Aitutaki Ph 31720

Great Food! Great Views! Great Service! Lunchtime casual dining with a selection of ﬂavoursome tapas & main dishes, all homemade using fresh local produce that will tantalise your taste-buds. At very affordable prices. Located in a tropical garden at Black Rock Villas with superb elevated views over the lagoon & ocean. Live music on Sundays. Bookings Advised Open for lunch from 11am Closed Saturday & Monday

Little Polynesian, Titikaveka Ph 24280 Tuoro Café @ Black Rock Villas Ph 21233 Saltwater Café, Turoa Ph 20020 Bite Time/ Body Fuel, Punanga Nui Ph 23577 / 23575

ph. 21233

blackrok@oyster.net.ck ESCAPE • 37 www.blackrockvillas.com

gone fishing

Story: Phillip Nordt

Tartare of Bonito

with avocado, green onion, soy & lime, petite salad of Herbs

(serves 4 people)

….Katsuwonus pelamis, is a mediumsized perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae. It is otherwise known as the aku, arctic bonito, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna, or victor fish. It grows up to 1 m (3 ft) in length. It is prevalent in Cook Islands Waters, but one of the least regarded fish species, as the meat is very dark and goes soft quickly, can get slightly slimy and does not keep well. Everyone prefers Yellow Fin Tuna and Skipjack is considered bait. I believe everyone is missing out as Bonito or striped Tuna is a great tasting and eating fish when freshly caught... and when you know what to do with it. Today I am sharing a few secrets on what to do with fresh Skipjack Tuna or Bonito as I like to call it…Bonito means good for good tasting. Bonito should be bled when caught and kept covered in ice, unless you want to have it Sashimi style straight away... it’s up there with the best. We take home our Bonito and we fillet it carefully, wrap them in cling film or vac pack and put them straight on ice. I do not like waste and decide for a little appetiser with left-over bits.

38 • ESCAPE

Making “tartare of tuna” is a great little appetiser or entrée. Its full of flavour and has refreshing properties ideal before a main meal. Ingredients 200 g of Clean bonito leftover bits cut from bones and head (without any blood

Sliders

or impurities) chopped into dice

Bonito scraps x 320 g including impurities,

Spring Onions x 4 chopped to brunoise or

use everything except sinews

small dice

1 white Onion, finely chopped in brunoise,

Avocado x 1 large, chopped into dice and

small dice and washed

sprinkled with lime juice straight away

1 egg yolk

Tamari Soy or similar, kikkoman will do &

Coriander & Parsley x 1 tbsp of each

toasted sesame oil x 1 tsp each

chopped finely

Lime juice x 2 tbsp

Fresh ginger & Garlic x 1 tsp each chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

finely

Rito extra virgin coconut oil

Lemon Zest x 1 tsp, chopped finely

Method 1 bunch of coriander, 1 bunch of bush basil, 1 bunch of mustard leaves, 1 bunch of rocket, mix together lightly for a salad dressed with coconut oil and lime, salt & pepper. Mix all other ingredients together to form a tartare mix and place beside the Herb

Method Mix all ingredients together season well and form 8 small patties, glad wrap and set aside in a cold place for 15-30 minutes. Red Onions x 2, quartered and cut into petals x 4 tbsp each – seasoned, sautéed and roasted to nut brown, set aside

Salad through a mould or pastry cutter

Large, firm Tomatoes x 2, thinly sliced, and

on the plate, you can serve with fried

fried in Rito Coconut oil or similar

Taro, Bruschetta or Garlic bread, you can

Mango relish either house made or bought

garnish with Tomate concasse and/or

or any other relish can do, or BBQ… but

balsamic glace.

NOT tomato sauce

Bonito slider,

roast red onions, fried tomato, lettuce, mango relish, toasted potato bun or soft herb pide (serves 4 people, 2 sliders per person)

Toasted small buns or rounds cut from pide bread x 8 Method & Serving Grill buns & tuna patties preferably chargrill to medium. Layer Lettuce, fried tomato, tuna roast onion on bun, top with mango relish, season and serve.

Steak House Fish

Bonito steak, organic vine spinach, sautéed kumara, braised snake beans, beef demiglace, herb butter

(serves 4 people)

Herb-butter.. make your own or buy in Kumara sliced into equal rings, 200 g kumara White Onion rings, floured for frying or shallow frying Method Start by preparing all vegetables, ready to serve • Kumara sautéed…. slice kumara into ½ cm slices and sauté with the avocado oil, season while in the pan, then transfer to

The Tuna loins are nice, fresh and firm, we decide to cut steaks and use them for a Steakhouse Fish application. Once cooked to med-rare the appearance is that of a fillet steak and it can be served with any accompaniment that goes with fillet steak. Ingredients Bonito Steaks 200 g each x 4 Red Onion quartered and cut into leaves x 4 tbsp each

a hot oven and bake at 220 deg for 2030 minutes until golden brown, set aside • Toss sake beans in duck fat or butter with the garlic add some water or white wine and finish in oven for 15 minutes Method & Serving Either make demi-glace or sauté some shallots or red onions in a hot pan, deglaze with ½ cup of red wine, reduce. Blend demi-glace or gravy powder with water,

Tamari Soy 1 tbsp

mix well and add to the red wine mix to

Avocado Oil for frying x 2 tbsp

make a sauce, set aside on warm area for

Spinach washed for sautéing x 150 g

service. Grill Bonito either on hot plate, pan or char

Snake beans, braised with garlic, nutmeg

grill.

and duck fat x 200 g, 1 tbsp garlic, 1 tbsp

• Season fish well with salt & pepper, use

duck fat, sprinkle of nutmeg

flaky salt if you can. This is important and please note that you will lose the salt again in the cooking process. • While the fish is cooking fry your onion rings Just off-centre Plate the spinach, place all other vegetables in a half circle around the spinach and place the fish on top of the spinach. Lace with demi-glace, top with herb butter and a few onion rings and serve. Bon Appetite …and please note these applications can also be used for Yellow Fin Tuna if you do not have Bonito. Yours Phillip Nordt….cuisinier

ESCAPE • 39

MANGAIA – AN ARTIST’S

dream Story: Rachel Reeves

angaia is an artist’s dream – an oasis of peace, of wild landscapes and postcard beaches, a paradise not yet bulldozed by progress. For thousands of years, people on the oldest island in the Pacific have been meeting their muses, inspired by the caves and cliffs and stories of their place, moved to make beautiful things. From an island populated by less than 500 people emerges stunning artwork – traditional, contemporary, wearable, collectable. Some pieces go to markets on Rarotonga and New Zealand; others adorn the bodies of people as far away as Europe. “They do a lot of creative, artistic things here,” says Abigail Tetuanui-Peraua, who recently moved home to Mangaia and now sells jewellery made of materials she finds on the beach. “I’m not sure they understand how great they really are.” Here are some stories from a tiny sample of Mangaia’s artists. They represent a range of products, from adzes to dolls, and work in a range of mediums, from stone to cloth. Their influences vary, as does the distribution of their work. But they have in common a deeply rooted love for Mangaia and vast reserves of patience, because it takes patience to spend days in the mountain, searching for the perfect stone, or to wait weeks for a delayed ship to arrive from Rarotonga. “It’s a practice in patience and learning not to say the bad word,” says Papa Allan Tuara, a white-haired man with freckles, and promptly his warm eyes shrink into a laugh.

40 • ESCAPE

Making one adze can take Tuara several months. It’s tedious work and he’s busy enough feeding pigs, doing yard and housework, baking the island’s bread. But you make time for what you’re passionate about, and creating toki – ceremonial adzes, hand-carved tools that resemble axes – is Tuara’s passion. Traditionally an adze symbolised a chief’s status; the more beautiful his adze, the greater his power. Today they’re collectors’ items, pieces of artwork to give as gifts or hang with pride on the wall. Tuara didn’t become interested in making adzes until his daughter turned 21. He loved art all his life – drawing, singing, dancing – perhaps an inheritance from his grandfather, who sold his bird paintings to an American collector. “But we weren’t encouraged in those days, before self-governance, to take courses in the arts,” Tuara recalls. “People were encouraged to be mechanics, tradespeople. Even degree courses weren’t encouraged. They didn’t want the Māori to take over the positions expatriates had here.” Life took him down the path of least resistance and as a teenager he went to school in New Zealand to become trained as a dental technician. Decades later, his daughter Jackie asked him to make her “something Mangaian.”

of his work. He learned the art of making toki, a methodical and slow process that requires the concentration of an artist and the patience of a saint. “It’s frustrating work, because you’re cutting so finely and any mistake you make – even if you’re almost finished – spoils it and you have to start over again,” Tuara says. The first step is whittling and carving the wood of black miro to make a handle. This can be tricky work because the branches

are often rotting in the centre, but Tuara prefers to use the miro over any other wood because it resists insects and has a long shelf life. When he’s happy with the handle he paints it with linseed oil and mineral turps – he doesn’t like varnish, thinks it looks like plastic– and then enters the mountain to search for a special stone. “You can spend four days collecting a sack of stones and you cut them up only to find they have hairline fractures, so you’ve got to throw away the whole

As Tuara researched his options, he learned there weren’t any toki left, except for the ones Papa Ngametua Toko was making. The missionaries had banned weapons more than 100 years prior, and the remaining adzes foreigners had purchased or taken to be museum displays in faraway places. “The carving in Mangaia was dying out and no one was really interested in picking it up,” Tuara recalls. “I thought, this is worth preserving.” He began looking into distinctly Mangaian patterns, motifs, and methods. He chose maro itiki – a Mangaian symbol that looks like a reverse K – to be the basis of much

ESCAPE • 41

sack and try again,” Tuara says. When he’s finally happy with the stone head of his adze, he polishes it and begins the timeconsuming task of making sennit, or twine of coconut fibre. When he’s working fast he can make three-quarters of a metre in an hour, and to connect the stone and handle of a large adze requires 16 metres of sennit. Tuara prefers to work in silence, to “concentrate like a madman,” and at his own pace, unaccountable to the deadlines imposed by clients or his daughter Jackie, who now sells his products at her shop, Moana Gems in Avarua. Still he complies; he knows without Jackie he’d probably give all his months of hard work away for free. “I just don’t want to take any shortcuts,” Tuara says. “If I sell you something I don’t want you to go and say it’s not as good as the one you saw in the museum. I don’t want mine to be a copy. I want it to be as close as possible to what the ancestors made.” Papa Allan occasionally has toki for sale together with carved stone jewellery at his daughters shop Moana Gems in uptown Avarua.

Mama Metuatangi Krudean Kareroa never took any shortcuts either, but unlike Tuara’s her work was with modern materials. She does not sew anymore – she is now 79 – but her legacy lives in quilts that cover couches and clothes that cover bodies. It also lives in her reputation; mention Mangaian art to a Mangaian, and they’ll mention Mama Krudean. For Kareroa, crafting and embroidery were cathartic. They were outlets. She mothered eight children and constantly entertained guests, mostly Kiwis, because her late husband was Mangaia’s resident agent, employed by the New Zealand government. At the time there were no accommodation facilities on the island, so the Kareroa home was where visitors stayed. When she had moments to herself, Kareroa relaxed into the tedium of large patchwork projects, paying careful attention to every stitch. “I think that was her time out,” says her daughter, Anne Matunga. “That’s what she did when the housework and gardening were done and we were at school. It brought her joy.” Kareroa incorporated into her work what she learned from her husband, who was educated in New Zealand, travelled often, and liked to read books. When he came home after studying in Fiji for a year, he brought with him all the latest fashions – shoes, sunglasses, clothes, jewellery. She studied the magazines and pieces he brought home and used them to inspire her designs. She sewed her own dresses and muumuu for officials’ wives. In the seventies she organised a national fashion show on Mangaia. Throughout her life Kareroa made tivaivai and cushion covers as gifts, working

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slowly, meticulously to finish a project. “She’d prepare a year prior for a wedding or event because it takes ages to embroider a detailed tivaivai and she did very neat work,” her daughter says. “She’s a perfectionist and paid such attention to detail.” It was her fastidiousness and natural creativity – an eye that settled on the right colours and created patterns that looked real, like a garden or a sunset – that made her work memorable. “Her stuff is just so special,” says Lynn Martin, an Australian who married a Mangaian and moved to the island 15 years ago. Martin finds inspiration in the landscape of Mangaia and also in Mangaian work like Mama Krudean’s. When she arrived, she was struck by the pareu – the beautiful, hand-painted sarongs all the ladies were wearing. Her passion was working with textiles; in Queensland she had been running a clothing company, designing all her own fabrics. A year after moving to Mangaia, she began managing the little shop at the airport, selling shell necklaces and foodstuffs to the trickle of tourists entering and leaving the island. She approached the thenmayor’s wife about making pareu to sell at the shop. “She said you’re an artist, you do it,” Martin recalls. “She showed me how to make one and that was that.” She now makes a living painting pareu. At her home on the makatea – raised coral in the bush, 380 meters from the village – Martin teaches classes for tourists who want to make their own. She shows them how to print multiple colours on white canvas, then uses coconut fronds to weight the fabric down while the sun sets it. “The colours last for ages,” she says, emphasising the last word. The weather structures her business – when it rains the colour doesn’t set – but that’s the price of working in a special place like Mangaia.

“I think that was her time out,” says her daughter, Anne Matunga. “That’s what she did when the housework and gardening were done and we were at school. It brought her joy.” Martin supplies resorts on Rarotonga, including Sunset Resort in Arorangi, with hand-printed pareu. She sells her garments and a series of what she calls Polynesian rag dolls – stuffed warriors with tattoos and girls with flowers in their hair – at Hut 49 at the Punanga Nui market.

shells is time-consuming, but the finished product is worth the effort. “I’m not planning on leaving,” Tetuanui-Peraua says. “I really love it here.” Her next project is learning how to weave beautiful baskets of pandanus, the way Mama Nancy Moeauri does. Tetuanui-Peraua’s interest in an old craft is a ray of hope for an artistic community of mostly older people who worry their trades will die with them.

She also sells Tetuanui-Peraua’s handmade jewellery. Abigail Tetuanui-Peraua has always loved art – painting, drawing, tie-dying – and growing up in Australia she made jewellery, but on Mangaia she is inspired to play with new genres and mediums. She makes necklaces and earrings with fishing wire and the spikes from sea urchins. She makes necklaces of pupu shells, each of which requires nearly 100 of the tiny yellow beads. Collecting, drilling, and cleaning the

“The younger generation, they’re not very interested in this kind of thing, I think because you have to sit there all day, not moving, doing this thing, and the children of today would rather be on the phone,” Tuara says. “I’m sad, in a way, that the younger kids don’t come and ask me to learn.” Martin employs a young girl in order to perpetuate the trade, but also notices that young people are either leaving the island or disinterested in its handicraft. Anne Matunga, Mama Krudean’s daughter, wants to warn young people that they might regret the apathy later in life. “Mum used to say to us girls, you should

learn how to do this,” she recalls. “As young girls we’d just ignore her. We felt like it was easier to just buy something from the shop – dresses, sheets, whatever. She spent so much time on it. Now I wish I really learned.” Moko Papatua-Smith staffs the Mangaia Hut at the Punanga Nui Market on Saturday mornings, which sells handicraft made on Mangaia and shipped to Rarotonga. She laments that young people aren’t displaying greater interest. “There’s not many of them doing it now, really,” she says, but adds that tourists supporting Mangaian artwork might give them a little bit of inspiration.

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the best ways to rejuvenate your body and mind is to choose from the Nautilus Signature Menu, including hot stone therapy; holistic back, face and scalp massage, body wrap and other full body therapies; and after your treatment, slip into the rain shower to complete the refreshing and enlivening experience. This is where one can lavish in the soothing treatments while at the same time ‘feeling at one’ with nature. After a rejuvenating spa experience, enjoy lunch or dinner in the resort’s award winning restaurant overlooking the stunning waters of Muri Lagoon, that introduces Cook Island signature tastes and experiences. One thing you won’t feel about a visit to Nautilus, whether as an in house guest or a diner at the restaurant or a client of the spa, is let down. This place is setting new standards in the islands and should be on everyone’s Cook Islands holiday bucket list.

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Remembrance: A Gift for the Future W Story: Glenda Tuaine

hether you are a tourist or a Cook Islander returning home arriving in Rarotonga is always a welcoming and heart warming experience. As you leave the arrivals terminal and venture out you will be greeted with smiles and flower Ei’s or necklaces that are placed around your neck, a ritual that truly speaks to the warmth, traditions and Mana of the people of the Cook Islands. But when you embark out into the car park please look a little further across the road and your eyes will meet a stunning carved gateway that invites you to look further, and when you do move through that Po

gateway you will find a magnificent stone carving of a conch shell, a symbol of a Pacific communication and announcement. Combined these remarkable pieces of art provide the long awaited monument and memorial to honour and officially recognise those 500 Cook Islands men who departed our shores to fight in World War 1. The memorial erected in March 2017 and officially opened by New Zealand’s Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy represents the long standing partnership between the Cook Islands and New Zealand, a partnership that over the years has continued to grow with mutual respect and support. This monument idea was originally discussed in November 2004 at an Armistice Day service where some of the service men and community leaders who now are laid to rest in the cemetery spoke of the need to have a monument or remembrance stone to honour those who fought in World War 1. Henry Wichman the President of the RSA told me it was those people who pushed him and that now the memorial carvings can be crossed off the bucket list that he inherited from the

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previous leaders of the RSA. “It is a relief to have it all in place now. The guys in the cemetery were pushing me to get this done. Many of them never thought it would happen and this has far exceeded my expectations I am really pleased with it” he said and goes on to say, “Those men and women who rest in this cemetery now rest with smiles on their faces.” The sculptures came from the artistic drive and vision of internationally acclaimed New Zealand based visual artist Michel Tuffery who is of Cook Island, Tahitian and Samoan descent and local Cook Islands Master Carver and artist Mike Tavioni, who with a team of Cook Island artisans, sculptors and carvers including Mike’s wife Awhitia worked tirelessly and with incredible commitment and love for the story of our soldiers to be transformed into this Po gateway and the stone conch shell thus opening up the stories of our soldiers past, present and future and providing a National meeting place to recognise our countries efforts. The Po gateway or carved wood entrance has two mighty Tangaroa’s on either side wearing the iconic lemon squeezer

hat, one holding a spade to represent our role as diggers or Pioneers who dug holes, roads, trenches and tunnels and were part of the New Zealand Tunnelling Company, first to arrive on the Western Front in 1916. The other Tangaroa holds a huge bomb cartridge as the Cook Islands soldiers were well known and respected for moving artillery. The conch shell stone carving also known as the Arras Stone sculpture recognises what our soldiers did alongside other brothers in arms in the tunnels of Arras France, where a conch shell found close to a version of the Lord’s Prayer written in a dialect of Tahitian had been carved into the walls. The symbolism and impact of the sculptures only but augments and strengthens our understanding of our partnership and contribution not only with New Zealand but to international crisis.

celebrate what our two countries share and continue to share. Leading up to the Governor Generals arrival my team at the High Commission, the RSA and volunteers and Mike Tavioni and his team of carvers worked extremely hard to ensure the beautiful Po entrance and the Arras Stone Sculpture would be in place. It instils a great sense of pride in all of us."

New Zealand High Commissioner Peter Marshall reaffirms the importance of partnership and how this monument drew everyone together, “This really does

Make sure you take time to visit the cemetery and the RSA on your travels it is well worth it.

For me being a descendant of one of the World War 1 500 soldiers, my Grandfather having left Aitutaki to enlist very early on, fighting in Gallipoli, the Western European and Middle Eastern conflicts and my Father being a Vietnam vet this memorial has huge significance. It announces the reclamation of our soldiers’ stories and invites us all to research and understand more about the Cook Islands role not only in war but in peacekeeping from World War 1 onwards.

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ESCAPE • 51

“She never wrote it down,” says Tereapii, who began helping her mother make vairākau from an early age. She was shown what plants grew where, how to prepare the medicine, and when each specific remedy should be used. “All her traditional medicine was for the family we can make it for other people but we have to make it for it to work.” Today Tereapii, aged 68 years, is the ta’unga for her family and friends, preparing medicines as she was shown as well as using her own skills and knowledge to create new treatments. When her family’s vairākau was not helping with her daughter’s skin condition, Tereapii looked at what she knew and made her own mai nū, or healing oil.

Words from the Wise – Traditional Medicine in the Cook Islands Story: Rachel Smith

enga (turmeric) grows under a large vī (mango) tree and kōpī (ginger) flourishes behind the house. Tiare māori blooms. And there are, of course, coconut palms. It looks like any other garden in the Cook Islands but here each plant serves its purpose.

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“They are all things for healing – the old traditional healing and introduced plants,” says Tereapii Enua of her Matavera garden. Like many traditional skills, healing or vairākau, is learnt through doing. Tereapii was taught by her mother, Patetepa Tutangata, who in turn learnt from her parents, in particular her father - a mix of knowledge from Tahiti, Ma'uke and Rarotonga. In doing so they passed on the title of Ta’unga Vairākau Māori within their family and kept alive healing knowledge that had been gathered across the generations.

“Coconut is found in so much of our medicine,” says Tereapii, who uses a coconut oil base for her healing oil. Making the oil is a time-consuming task – 40 coconuts to be husked, flesh grated, cream squeezed out by hand and then heated for a couple of hours. It can then be used for lotions or small amounts taken internally as a purgative for cleansing. She remembers as a child her family’s monthly coconut oil cleanse, taking a few tablespoons of the coconut oil followed by nū (drinking coconut). They would all stay warm and dry inside, eating only fish and chicken cooked in water, finishing the cleanse after 3-4 bowel motions by taking a shower. These days modern appliances make the job easier – food processors or blenders instead of pounding leaves, electric graters and refrigerators - but there are still the jobs that will always be done by hand such as husking of coconuts and the gathering of plants.

Far left: Tumeric plant Left: Tumeric root

pō‘ue is pounded and added to a bath for bruised or sore muscles.

Like many traditional skills, healing or vairākau, is learnt through doing. Tereapii was taught by her mother, Patetepa Tutangata, who in turn learnt from her parents, in particular her father - a mix of knowledge from Tahiti, Ma'uke and Rarotonga. In doing so they passed on the title of Ta’unga Vairākau Māori within their family and kept alive healing knowledge that had been gathered across the generations. “Every time you pray before you collect the plants and before you make vairākau. You thank God for the healing plants,” says Tereapii. The spiritual side to vairākau mixes seamlessly with the practical – it works best when made fresh each day, is usually taken for three days in a row, and many medicines have set rules that must be followed such as avoiding wind or water, restrictions on types of food such as red meat, or the colour red being anywhere near the person who is unwell including their family and their home. For some ta’unga the remedy comes to them via a dream, while for Tereapii she dreams of an unknown person who is sick. When they arrive, she is ready - “I say to

It is also knowledge that was at one point in recent history actively discouraged. Research by W. Arthur Whistler published in 1985 (‘Traditional and herbal medicine in the Cook Islands’) states that the arrival of Christianity brought with it an attempt to “suppress practice of herbal medicine.” The Constitution Act of 1915 contained a law to this effect, which prohibited the practice of native medicine including imprisonment for those who “…pretends to exercise or use any kind of witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment or conjuration or undertakes to tell fortunes…. who sets himself up to cure disease by the use of potions from locallygrown herbs.”

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them I was waiting for you – I knew you would come.” General knowledge of medicinal plants that grow all across the islands is well-known, particularly for common conditions: the sap of tipani on a wasp sting, tiare māori bud in many varied vairākau, the wonders of nono juice, kuru (breadfruit) bark for cleansing, nita (pawpaw), miri (basil), tūava (native guava), tamanu and miro trees, and even nuisance plants such as mile-a-minute weed or pō‘ue (beach pea) can be useful. “You just pound it and put it on – it stops the bleeding. It doesn’t take long to heal,” says Tereapii of mile-a-minute, while

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Left: Coconut palm; coconut (below) Opposite page: Ginger plant (top); Ginger root (bottom)

three-year undertaking funded by the Global Environment Facility through the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund and supported by the United Nations Development Programme. “CIMTECH is a case study for the ABS project,” says Emily, the project specifically supporting the development of an ABS Agreement based on traditional

The use of traditional medicine in this way is a far stretch from the vairākau made by the likes of Tereapii, and brings its own set of challenges - who does this knowledge belong to and who should get the benefits from sharing it with the world? Despite this the practice of vairākau continued, passed down from one ta’unga to the next. Often these days it is used in conjunction with Western medicine, or some areas such as midwifery have been replaced by birthing in hospitals. Recent developments have seen the importance of this traditional knowledge recognised outside of the Cook Islands. It is a story which began the usual way, when a traditional remedy using the ‘au tree (Hibiscus tiliaceus) was used to successfully heal a rugby injury. In 2003, Dr Graham Matheson, a Cook Islander of Manihiki descent, was given permission from the Koutu Nui (traditional leaders’ forum) to research their traditional remedies, in particular the ‘au tree. Based on the success of his research at the University of New South Wales in Australia, he founded CIMTECH (Cook Islands Medical Technology) in 2008, a natural products

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research and development company which specialises in dermatological products and bone regeneration. The use of traditional medicine in this way is a far stretch from the vairākau made by the likes of Tereapii, and brings its own set of challenges - who does this knowledge belong to and who should get the benefits from sharing it with the world? Emily Pierre, from the National Environment Service, is coordinating a project whose rationale is to safeguard the Cook Islands’ diverse genetic resources and to ensure that the potential of genetic resources generates tangible local and national economic benefits. The project, ‘Strengthening the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing (ABS) in the Cook Islands’ was formally launched in 2016. It is a

medical practices for accelerated bone and cartilage healing through the use of the ‘au tree, between the public and private partnership of the Koutu Nui and Matheson Enterprises/CIMTECH. “It encourages the sharing of knowledge, research and curiosity as to the healing properties of our vairākau – why does it work?” “We are happy to support this project – it’s a good project for the people of the Cook Islands,” says Paul Allsworth, President of the Koutu Nui which forms part of the House of Ariki. As part of the ABS agreement, benefits of the technology come back to the Koutu Nui via a trust fund, with the specification that some of this is used to support rā‘ui, a protected terrestrial and/or marine area to help maintain local biodiversity. Its importance becomes all that more obvious with new challenges that are arising for ta’unga vairākau, as plants once readily available become more and more challenging to find.

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Inspired by traditional Cook Islands medicine “Some plants are gone from spraying – so I can’t make those medicines any more. Many of the plants I use, used to grow in the taro patch,” says Tereapii. Some of these plants can still be found on the outer islands, and while Tereapii has tried to grow all those she needs in her garden, there are some which only thrive under specific growing conditions that she is unable to replicate. She says that ti‘apito, the stalked adder’s-tongue fern which used to grow in abundance, is now hard to find although there is still a plentiful supply in Ma'uke. Another medicine, used for māriri ‘āmu tā‘ata, with symptoms of a hot, red and tight leg, uses bark from the i‘i (polynesian chestnut) and tūava but a crucial missing

ingredient means she is unable to make it any longer, similarly with tūtae tōrea, a plant used to treat mouth ulcers. The ingredients and methods for preparing her vairākau are all in Tereapii’s head – a wide range of knowledge that she has begun to write down. Ingredients are listed in measurements by the handful, but it is the small details which Tereapii learnt from her mother that are missing from the words on paper. “I don’t know who is going to do it after me,” she says, with the hope that in writing it down someone will be able to continue to use their family knowledge. “The medicine has been given to us – we have to make it.”

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ESCAPE • 55

The art of 'ei katu Story: Rachel Smith

n a fine weekday morning Mama Paeru will be out picking flowers. Morning is the perfect time to harvest flowers for 'ei katu, before the coming heat of the day has opened the flawlessly formed buds of tiare māori (native gardenia) and tiare taina (gardenia). She finds the flowers and greenery in her own garden and in that of her family and friends, carefully selecting each piece that will find its way into one of the 'ei katu she and Mii Teaukura make.

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i katu are synonymous with the women of the Cook Islands. As each flower is an art work on its own, so is the skill of bringing them together to create an adornment of colour and beauty. “You can use every flower – all types of flowers,” says Mama Paeru. She knows exactly where to find the traditional blooms and the more exotic introduced species, always on the lookout when she is driving around the island. Some flowers are easy to find while others such as pine, the pink, purple and white flowers from the orchid-tree, mean someone has to climb up a tree to get them. Mama Paeru gathers flowers all week in preparation for the Saturday market at Punanga Nui. Delicate petals bruise easily from handling, as well as from the heavy rain showers that are frequent visitors to the Cook Islands. Flowers are carefully wrapped in damp paper and kept in the fridge to ensure they stay fresh and fragrant. By Friday evening the table will be filled with an array of flowers - traditional blooms such as tipani (frangipani) and the bright colours and flamboyant shapes of the exotics. Rautī, in shades of red and green, are split down the main stem and cut on the diagonal, ready to be folded

and wrapped into the 'ei katu. It is only then that Mama Paeru and Mii will sit down together to make their 'ei katu. First a plastic strap base is fitted to size and sellotaped together, then a long strand of plastic string securely tied. Rautī is deftly folded and placed, one piece after another as the circle of flowers and greenery begins to grow. It is skilled work that they have learnt over many years of practice. They chat together as they work, until 20 minutes later the 'ei katu is complete - a contrasting pattern of colour, texture and fragrance. For Mama Paeru, making 'ei katu is a relatively new skill that she learnt seven years ago, at the age of 73 years. She was taught to by her daughter-in-law Mii, who

originally learnt to make 'ei katu in Mitiaro where she grew up, using the technique of sewing the flowers in place. It was when Mii was 12 years old that she moved to Rarotonga and was taught by her older sister to make 'ei katu by wrapping the flowers. She says it is the wrapping technique, the tightness of the wrap, which makes the difference and allows their 'ei katu to last for 4-5 days. Mii has a natural creative talent for making 'ei katu, her work well-known across the island. At the end of a working day she will be making 'ei katu for family and friends, for herself and for her work mates. She describes an inner joy in passing on her skills and knowledge, teaching many of her family the art to making 'ei katu, including her sister who now makes and sells 'ei katu made from artificial flowers in Australia. Mii and Mama Paeru work late each Friday completing the 'ei katu to be sold at Minar Henderson’s stall the following day. It is a family business with all women connected by family lines and a shared creativity. Together Mii and Minar explore the limits of 'ei katu as an art form and a fashion piece. They are continually looking for new flowers or greenery to use and new ways of using well-known blooms. These 'ei katu may use the more precious flowers such as orchids, and can be pre-ordered for weddings or special events. Minar will always be wearing one of Mii’s 'ei katu on a Saturday morning – long strands of pitate (jasmine) mixing with bright colours of exotic flowers and rautī. It is only when wearing an 'ei katu that you are able to fully understand their wonder. Feel the 'ei katu on your head and the weight of the flowers as you move. Inhale its fragrance. Experience its beauty and the skill of those who make them. And when the blooms wilt, it will be beautiful still.

A Practical guide to the 'ei: By Jean Mason

How to prolong the life of a flower 'ei All fresh flower 'ei can be made to last longer if they are properly cared for and not left to wilt in warm air. Wrap in damp tea-towel before placing in the fridge; 'ei will keep for 2-3 days. Alternatively, sprinkle the 'ei lightly with water and wrap in 3-4 fresh pawpaw leaves and keep in a cool, dark place.

How to carry an 'ei For ease of carrying and to ensure your 'ei remains fresh until you reach your destination: dampen a tea-towel, place 'ei in centre, enclose the ends over the 'ei and tie a knot in the top of the towel. Traditionally, 'ei were wrapped in the leaves of the pawpaw tree to ensure freshness then carried in small apuka (green coconut leaf basket).

How to discard an 'ei that has lost its looks An 'ei that is given as a gift is never just tossed in the garbage –it is treated with respect for it is a symbol of love and friendship. Once an 'ei has served its purpose, it can be used in other ways. An 'ei may have lost its looks, but it’s still useful as a hanging potpourri in the house because its fragrance often intensifies as the flower/ leaves start to fade. Cook Islanders like to hang 'ei in the bathroom, sometimes leaving it there for weeks. Many Cook Islanders, returning to the Cook Islands after a long time away, will place the 'ei they have received, on the grave of a loved one. Maire 'ei can be kept for up to 3 weeks; although the leaves will turn brown, the 'ei will impart a lovely fragrance to any room.

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A celebration of 'ei katu

Story: Rachel Smith

'Ei Katu: An ethno-botanical project, by Dr Tabatha Forbes

o much of what we experience is influenced by our surroundings. This is magnified when your location is a small island in the South Pacific where life is lived outdoors: the endless rumble of waves on the reef, the scent of salt in the air, the music of the pātē and the ukulele. Then there are the flowers – the fragrant gardenia (tiare taina), jasmine (pitate), the delicate tiare māori (native gardenia) and tipani (frangipani). When you look closer the picture becomes more diverse and complex. There are the introduced plants which grow alongside those that have always been here: bougainvillea, anthurium (who look almost artificial in their perfection), soft yellow alamander, kōpī (pink ginger flower), the bright orange of heliconia and flamboyant blooms. There is the traditional way of life and subsequent changes in day-today living throughout each generation – changes often brought about by influences outside of the Cook Islands. Artist, Dr Tabatha Forbes (DocFA, MFA Hons) spent six years living in Turoa, Rarotonga. At her inland home on the

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quiet south side of the island, she took inspiration from what she saw around her and her experiences as a visitor to the Cook Islands. “One cannot live in Rarotonga without being conscious of women both wearing and making 'ei and 'ei katu,” Tabatha says. “Every morning before school I would see one or two of my elderly female neighbours either sitting outside making that day’s 'ei katu, or picking tiare māori or gardenia flowers. We often had visitors to collect some of our abundant rautī leaves or a few more exotic tropical leaves for 'ei or 'ei katu.” It was the flora, the women who make and wear 'ei katu, and an interest in the fluidity and complexity of connecting the past with the present, that was the inspiration for Tabatha’s latest project, 'Ei Katu : An ethno-botanical project, shown at the Bergman Gallery, May 16 – June 24, 2017. “I have a long fascination with the shift in perception of botany and natural history subjects particularly in the South Pacific as they were first recorded and documented

in an empirical/ European context, and the consequent distortions made when those contexts were altered,” says Tabatha. “The most obvious example being European museum collections from the South Pacific, many of which excluded the correct cultural or ecological significance of what was presented in the collection.” Tabatha says her first show in the Cook Islands, Takeaways: Give & Take in the South Pacific in 2011, directly explored these issues - the effects of the collection and introduction of flora and fauna, and European culture into the South Pacific. Her following show in 2012, Giveaways: Ukulele project, looked closely at the shift and journey of cultural practice, as it moved through the Pacific and was adapted according to specific needs and aesthetics. “Shifting to the South Pacific has broadened my understanding of what ‘cultural practice’ means, specifically how the divergence of old and new ideas is often conflicted by the shifts and pressures of modern life,” says Tabatha.

“For example the introduction of massproduced materials or the inaccessibility of organic, or more traditional materials.” The 'ei katu project is a progression of these same themes – an observance of the changes from the traditional use of solely fresh flowers and leaves to artificial 'ei katu, which include plastic or fabric flowers and foliage. As opposed to being worn for just a few days, the long-life versions can be used over and over again, worn by Cook Islands women when they travel overseas, and sold to tourists. “The 'ei katu is very much a women’s project - a celebration of that practice of making, and in this case, wearing. Ethnobotany connects people and culture with the use of plants. This is often from a scientific perspective like the medicinal uses of plants by different cultures for example, but the use of plants in the adornment of people, especially in the South Pacific, is no less significant,” says Tabatha. In 2015, Tabatha began learning more about 'ei katu, taking photographs and talking to women about the 'ei katu they wore or made. Each of the 'ei katu she painted for the project has a personal connection, whether it belonged to or was made by someone Tabatha knew or came into contact with regularly. As individual pieces they varied in technique and materials used, from the traditional long life versions made from dried leaf work to Amelia Borofsky’s creation which included small wild roses, baby coconuts and berries along with old man’s beard moss. “The window of life of delicate works, such as Amelia’s, is really only a few hours which adds to their beauty,” says Tabatha. “In a contrasting way, the artificial 'ei katu owned by Teina Mackenzie, has travelled all around the world with her as she attended many events representing Cook Islands women. I loved her stories of women in other parts of the world asking if they might try it on.” During her six years living in Rarotonga, Tabatha worked on wide range of projects including the Oceanic Performance Biennial 2015 and curating the PIMP DA

HELMET high school art competition, while also completing her Doctor of Fine Arts from the University of Auckland. Her doctorate considered the ecological and historical understanding of place as it was influenced by 20th century Western nature writing and European 18th century landscape painting, with half of the doctoral research undertaken while working in residence in Rarotonga. “Anyone growing up in New Zealand and then travelling overseas will have a strong sense of what it means to be from the South Pacific, as a geographical position at the very least. Living on a Pacific Island has provided me with a profound understanding and respect for Pacific culture and identity, in a way I don’t think I fully understood in the New Zealand context,” says Tabatha, who now resides in Taranaki, New Zealand. “The vulnerability of both culture and environment is paramount. Issues of environmental education particularly is a great concern to me, and nowhere does it seem more prevalent than in the Pacific Islands. Fishing laws, land development, increased tourism, changes and influences from globalisation and social media – all greatly and quickly impact on these places.”

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In the end it is what we experience - what we see, smell and feel, the many and varied images of culture and environment - that shape how we see the world. It is expressed through the way we speak, how we choose to live, and in the case of an artist, in the work they produce. “There is a very beautiful story to the practice of working with flowers and plants in this way, and it’s as much of a celebration of the beauty of those plants as it is something so intrinsically Pacific,” says Tabatha. “The final works are significant tributes to both the makers and the beautiful women in the Cook Islands wearing them. The show is also a tribute to this island - in my mind embodied in nature through the vibrancy of the 'ei katu.” Limited edition prints can be purchased from Bergman Gallery  www.tabathaforbes.weebly.com

The

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m s i r u o T o c E Love a Little

Story: Amelia Rachel Hokule’a Borofsky

his holiday, bicycle through taro patches, voyage beyond the reef, see sea turtles without getting wet, and sail across the world’s most pristine turquoise lagoon. These ecotours offer a glimpse of the island beyond the poolside pina colada. In the Cook Islands, the environment is the wealth. Listen closely and you can hear the heartbeat of the `enua (land) and the moana (sea). Put a shell to your ear and the wind whistles through.

Traffic and jets can interfere with the peaceful sounds of the wind rustling through the palm trees and the gentle waves lapping on the shore. Conventional tourism can over love what the visitor comes to see. Rental beach cabanas block the views and access to the beaches. Stomping on coral reefs destroys fragile ecosystems for the various fishes. While the tide of development cannot be reversed, it can be minimized and redirected toward an informed and more caring approach within the community and the environment. Ecotourism represents an effort to preserve the chirping of the endangered ‘ura while Boeing-777’s careen down the tarmac.

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The International Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of local people, and involves interpretation and education.” While indigenous people all over the world have survived for millennia by understanding their natural environment, conventional tourism is relatively new to the concept. Ecotourism gained momentum in the 1980’s with eco-tours appearing globally. Pillars of ecotourism include: building environmental awareness, providing direct financial benefits for conservation, financial benefits and empowerment for local people, respecting local culture, tourism to unspoiled natural resources, with minimal impact on the environment being a primary concern, and affordability and lack of waste in the form of luxury. Eco-tours provide low-impact, small-scale alternatives to conventional tourism. Just off the main road in a white limestone building with a fish net hanging off the porch is an orange sign for the Te Ipukarea Society (TIS). This is the main environmental NGO in the country. TIS campaigns on a broad range of environmental issues in the Cook Islands. They coordinate and implement environmental projects on biodiversity, waste, ecologically sustainable development, and youth. Te Ipukarea Society is currently working with the Cook Islands Tourism Industry Council to create an environmental accreditation. Member Luana Scowcroft says, “for the last couple of years we’ve been pushing for an environmental accreditation. The idea is to have a green star rating system for zero waste, biodegradable soaps, energy efficient lighting, and so on.” The handful of eco tours and one eco retreat on the island all have direct involvement with TIS. Raro Reef Sub gives a small percentage of their profits to TIS. The owners of Ikurangi Eco Retreat and Storytellers Eco Cycle Tours both sit on the TIS board. Those in the budding ecotourism industry work together towards the common

By the end of the tour, I am in love with Storytellers Eco Tours and the back roads of Rarotonga. goal of brightening the island with green stars. Verdant Raemaru rises up from the back road (Are Metua), slender white kakaia swoop above Ikurangi peak, and the flame trees light up the sky with bright vermillion. A group of ten of us bicycle down a bumpy back road skirting potholes and stopping for stories. Dave Furnell and Uncle Jimmy of Storytellers Eco Cycle Tours tell us about a tiny purple flower that tastes like

mushrooms and has medicinal properties of reducing inflammation. We continue through taro patches and stop to hear an elderly man talk about the different ways of planting taro in Mangaia, Atiu, Rarotonga, and Pukapuka. I pedal up a small hill sweat satisfyingly dripping down my neck. We enter a noni plantation and the owners offer us a sip of the pungent medicinal drink. We see how pineapples grow from the ground, taste the surprisingly sweet and misnamed soursop, nibble at guavas, and chase a pig rooting in the maniota. We end up at a secret watering hole and jump into the icy mountain spring. After almost four hours of cycling and listening to stunning stories, we pull into a secluded beach in Titikaveka. One of the local mamas has prepared a healthy feast of all local fresh foods: pineapple, coconut, raw fish, breadfruit chips, paw-paw curry salad, and grilled local fish. We eat heartily and hear more about the story behind Storytellers Eco Cycle Tours. Owners Dave and Natavia Furnell first came to Rarotonga for a wedding in September 2012. “We immediately fell in love with all the charms here –the people and the culture,” says Dave. They found themselves talking about different ideas that would support a lifestyle move for their family, from a corporate city life in Sydney to a sea change little island. “We decided that Storytellers Eco Tours would be the best bet for the love affair we were developing with the islands and we wanted to share that with other travelers,” he says. It provided the perfect combination for their skills - Dave’s background in environmental management and renewable energy, Natavia’s experience in fashion and design, and a shared passion for conservation and environmental protection. The ecotourism ideals behind Storytellers is obvious – all tours are on Avanti

mountain bikes and 10% of profits is given back to the community for development projects. They acknowledge that profitability is not easy as a new business, and when there is no direct profit to share then their contribution to the community is through cycle skills development with schools, and individual community service. As a board member of Te Ipukarea Society, Dave works on eco-sustainable development, waste and biodiversity, and climate change. “It’s being engaged

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ESCAPE • 61

with the community as a business and as individual members. It’s treading gently – all businesses could be ecotourism if they make small changes to the way they do things,” says Dave. “There is more to Rarotonga than a beach and a beer. Everyone loves a good story - by the end they have fallen in love with Rarotonga and the Cook Islands.” By the end of the tour, I am in love with Storytellers Eco Tours and the back roads of Rarotonga. (Storytellers Eco Cycle Tours, 23450 or 53450). As an eco-traveler, I am ready to indulge in the only eco retreat on the island. Ikurangi Eco Retreat is built under the shadow of Ikurangi, one of the most majestic mountains in Rarotonga, meaning tail

... captain Stephenie Jansen has made a commitment to the marine environment. They pick up rubbish as they go... of the sky. Matt and Luana Scowcroft opened Ikurangi’s lush property midway through 2015. The two tropical are (homes) have high ceilings, woven materials, and a private deck facing the stunning mountains of Takitumu and a pawpaw plantation. What really sets Ikurangi apart are its four luxury safari tents, termed “glamping.” Walking up the wooden deck, the emphasis is on luxury. Big canopy safari tents, king-size bed, high-ceilings, and a divine outdoor bathroom welcome the lucky guest. The jungle bathroom is truly unique with a fancy composting toilet and a claw foot bathtub under the stars. While most tourist accommodation focuses on the beach, Ikurangi is all about the cool mountains. Eco tourism for Ikurangi means no single serve packaging and beautiful refillable toiletries instead of throw away shampoo bottles, using their own produce to make jam and sourcing locally made products such as bread. They have also set up a composting system and recycling programme keeping their garden organic, reusing all grey water to water their garden, offering free bicycles to explore the island and a salt water swimming pool. The small scale of Ikurangi Eco-Retreat means that it feels personal and at home. The delicious tropical breakfasts and relaxed conversations with Luana and

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manager Josie provide insight into the island. “One of the things that we want to emphasize is the Cook Islands as a whole - Rarotonga is such a special place to visit,” says Luana, “We encourage guests to enjoy the island and to get out there and really get to know the Cook Islands, and have an authentic experience.” While the first of its kind, Luana and Matt Scowcroft hope to pave the way for more luxury meets sustainability eco-options in the Cook Islands. (Ikurangi Eco Retreat, 25288, stay@ikurangi.com). Still wondering how you can see sea turtles without getting wet? In a semi-submersible submarine! Raro Reef Sub offers marine life eco tours. While the boat itself is not zero footprint, captain Stephenie Jansen has made a commitment to the marine environment. They pick up rubbish as they go, take class trips out on educational tours and educate them about marine ecology, and contribute a percentage of their profits to Te Ipukarea Society. Stephenie Jansen only bought Raro Reef Sub in 2015 having worked for twenty years in law enforcement in Tauranga. “I have the best office in the world—the open sea,” says Stephenie. (Raro Reef Sub 55901, 55903). To fully experience the open sea, I had to sail on Marumaru Atua the voyaging canoe of the Cook Islands Voyaging Society. Every Saturday day sails are offered from Avana Harbour at noon. The Cook Islands Voyaging Society Inc was established as a non-profit organization

in 1992 after the 6th Pacific Arts Festival held on Rarotonga. Sir Thomas Davis built and designed the first traditional ocean voyaging canoe in the Cook Islands Te Au o Tonga in 1994. Rich in cultural tradition and using wind and solar power, the vaka (canoe) uses wisdom from the past. “Our ancestors,” says Captain T, “knew the stars, the swells, the tides, the currents, the birds, the smells, the winds. They were expert scientists who could navigate the open sea.” In 2012, the Okeanos of the Sea Foundation gifted Marumaru Atua to the people of the Cook Islands in recognition of the historic Te Mana O Te Moana (The Power of the Ocean) voyage where seven vakas sailed from Aotearoa to Hawai’i. Marumaru Atua means under the protection of God. Being able to spend a day on such a historic, powerful, and cultural vessel imagining the long voyages across the ocean is a seafaring dream. “We welcome everyone,” says crew member Alex Olah, “because the more hands that touch the vaka the more her mana (power) increases.” Looking back at Rarotonga’s verdant mountains, I can feel the power of the vaka sailing us beyond the reef. The day trips around Rarotonga are filled with traditional voyaging knowledge on a vaka powered by 100% solar engines. (Cook Islands Voyaging Society, Marumaru Atua, Ph Sam 74568 or cookivs@gmail.com)

On Aitutaki’s stunning turquoise lagoon day-tours full of music, fun, and laughter abound. Only one, however, offers a tour that leaves no ecological footprint: Sailing Aitutaki. Boarding a 17’ Hobie Getaway Catamaran, three of us sail past the loud diesel charter boats and visit the remote motus (islets). I put my hand in the clear cool water and ask our captain Ted Tavai to stop when I spot a stingray. He even lets me take a turn at the sails. Ted Tavai started Sailing Aitutaki in 2009 teaching himself to sail and becoming the club coach for the Aitutaki Sailing Club. “As the only tour operator offering sailing in the lagoon,” he says, “I’m playing my part in sustainability. It is really important not to have more petrol boats. We want to keep our lagoon clean and pristine.” Also offering windsurfing, Ted Tavai provides the perfect, intimate sailing eco-tour across the world’s most beautiful lagoon.

Be captivated and charmed by Cook Island’s only Semi-Submersible Avatiu Harbour 5 min walk (west) from Punanga Nui Market

Ph +682 55901 or +682 55903

(Sailing Aitutaki Ted Tavai 56200) From cycling to glamping, Rarotonga and Aituaki’s eco-tourism market is budding. It takes tourists who want to make an ecological statement with their pocketbooks to keep the movement propelling forward for the next seven generations. We can all love a little paradise by loving a little eco-tourism.

Tours leave 9am, 11am, 2pm and 4pm (sea conditions dependent) Bookings essential for 9am and 4pm tours

Please arrive 10 minutes prior to departure time ESCAPE • 63

great places to stay

Palm Grove

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!

Look for this symbolâ&#x20AC;Ś The Cook Islands Tourism Accreditation Scheme is designed to set minimum standards. It will assist you in your choice of where to stay, what to see and what to do. Wherever you see this logo you can be sure that the accommodation establishment, restaurant, retailer, tour or activity operator has met minimum requirements to assure you of good service, good facilities, safe practices and of course friendly Cook Islands hospitality. We highly recommend that visitors use their services. For a full list of all accredited businesses please refer to our website:

www.tourismindustry.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.

Reconnect with life at our Romantic Island Hideaway. Enjoy child-free tranquillity in a perfect beachside setting. P: (682) 28465 E: sunhaven@beachbungalows.co.ck www.mysunhaven.com

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. Friendly staff ensure you of a memorable ‘Rarotongan’ experience.

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P. +682 22020

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WATER SAFETY IN RAROTONGA

Avarua

RAROTONGA HAS A BEAUTIFUL LAGOON with many safe swimming, snorkelling and kayaking areas. However, THERE ARE AREAS THAT ARE UNSAFE in certain conditions and these should be avoided for your safety.

DANGER!

ACHTUNG! DANGEREUX! PELIGRO! PERICOLO!

Arorangi

LOCATIONS

Avana

Vaimaanga Avaavaroa

EMERGENCY CALL 999 CONDITIONS IN THE PASSAGES CAN CHANGE QUICKLY and a passage that appears safe can become dangerous with just a small change of the tide.

DO NOT SWIM, SNORKEL OR KAYAK IN OR NEAR PASSAGES

YOUR PRIVATE PIECE OF PARADISE! Idyllically set on the shores of a sheltered lagoon this intimate beachfront resort enjoys stunning sunsets.

Beachfront and garden bungalows | Onsite restaurant and bar Personal wedding co-ordinator | Rarotongaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quiet southern coast PO Box 23, Rarotonga, Cook Islands email: beach@palmgrove.co.ck phone: +682 20002 www.palmgrove.net

35 spacious self-catering studios and suites are situated either on the beachfront overlooking the lagoon or beside either of the two swimming pools amid lush tropical gardens. The resort features an open-air restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

Phone: (682) 28028 Email: welcome@thesunsetresort.com www.thesunsetresort.com

s r a e 20yof “The Bond”

s part of the Privatisation process undertaken by the Government of the Cook Islands in 1996, a number of Government trading entities were put up for sale including the Rarotonga Resort Hotel, The Akitua Resort, the Government Printing Office and The Cook Islands Liquor Supplies. Up until this stage, Government had held the only license to import alcohol into the country. Bidding for the Government Liquor Store came down to 2 established Cook Islands Businesses, CITC and the Barton Family who had established and operated Rarotonga Breweries (Cooks Lager) since 1987. At the end of the bidding process, CITC won the bid. 68 • ESCAPE

Story: Trish Barton

The Barton family however having already decided to become a major player in the deregulated Liquor industry, quickly formed The Bond Ltd complete with its 007 phone numbers and registration of the name The Bond. The Bond name was chosen as this was the slang term for the Government Liquor store (bonded warehouse) that everyone was familiar with. Next up was to secure a location for this new business. It was a stroke of luck and a great friendship which lead to the Bond securing a lease on a prime piece of real estate opposite the markets in town in January 1997. Those with a long memory will remember the well-worn sign out the front “Chinese Restaurant Opening Soon”! The next step in the process was to vie for one of only 5 importation licenses that Government were handing out. One of the criteria for receiving a license was that the Company had to demonstrate they had secured an exclusive major supplier agency. In the 2nd stroke of genius, the Bond entered into a partnership with Lion Nathan the makers of Steinlager. Having enjoyed an established 20year history as the favourite imported beer of the Cook Islands, this partnership put the Bond Store firmly on the map as a major player in the industry. Having secured the Lion Nathan agency, the Bond embarked on adding to its profile a number of internationally established wine agencies such as Villa Maria, Southcorp Wines (now called Treasury Wine Estate), McGuigans, Giesens, Sherwood Estate, Negociants, Matua and

Delegates (Oyster Bay). The Bond is proud to say that all these agencies have remained with us throughout our 20 year history, a true testament to a long and prosperous business partnership. With the lease secured and the arrival of the first containers of beer, The Bond set up business in Ruatonga out of a shipping container complete with umbrella, a thatched roof and one staff member! In the background the partially constructed building started to take shape. With a herculean effort, the Bond Store opened for business in May of 1997. 20 years later the building has undergone many improvements and expansions to the finished product you see today! 20 years on, the Bond is well and truly

20 years on, the Bond is well and truly established as the leader in the Liquor Industry in the Cook Islands, a feat that has been made possible by the support of our landowner, Vakatinin Ariki, our many loyal customers, the excellent working relationship we have had with our suppliers, all the dedicated staff... established as the leader in the Liquor Industry in the Cook Islands, a feat that has been made possible by the support of our landowner, Vakatinin Ariki, our many loyal customers, the excellent working relationship we have had with our suppliers, all the dedicated staff (a special thanks must go to our Assistant GM Anita Finn- Heather for your endless good cheer and loyalty over the years) and the hard work and dedication of the Barton family. The Bond is able to supply all your drink and glasses needs for any occasion be it a small intimate party through to large family gathering. It is also a major supporter of sports including golf and both rugby codes as well as events in the Cook Islands including concerts and cultural events. When on Rarotonga make sure you pop into the Bond store and wish them a very happy 20th Birthday!

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The Rising Stars of

Fashion Story: Glenda Tuaine

tyle and Fashion in the Cook Islands is about colour, great fabric patterns and prints from our tasteful Island dresses or muumuu to our hand printed Pareu or sarongs; Cook Islands fashion draws from culture, environment and community and 2017 sees a new wave of Cook Islands based designers drawing on their experiences to bring a fresh new take on Fashion Cook Islands style.

Heihere Designs Heihere meaning “Crown of Love“ launched officially 2 years ago in Jan 2015 and is the artistic combination of twin sisters Nan and Tuaine Thompson. These young Cook Islands based designers acknowledge that their motivation and love of design and fashion originates from seeing their mother create craft, prints and Pareu as a form of income for their family. She would then sell her creations at resorts, markets and shops. That industrious attitude definitely rubbed off on her daughters whose label is becoming increasingly popular for Cook Islanders, tourists and a broadening international market via online sales. “Our designs are very feminine and pretty. They make anyone feel lovely. We accent femininity” says Tuaine who goes on to say“... we want our clients to feel really special. We see them light up when they try on our garments and we love that.” Nan adds “They tell us how beautiful they feel in one of our dresses and they hold themselves differently.”

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The sisters really pride themselves in listening to what their clients want and are all about creating one offs and exclusive dresses and items that appeal to the personalities of their customers. “We have a lot of ladies that are modest so we cater to that and then we have the other side of it with ladies who like to show skin.” Being open to the wants and needs of their customer means Heihere’s client base stretches from 18 to 60+years. Heihere designs are described as ‘Island Chic’. The label brings together influences from the Cook Islands and mixes it with a sense of urban culture and international trends that the young designers observe around them. One particular design that is extremely popular is their take on the Boho top which they receive a lot of orders for and combines original prints with beautiful lace which of course embraces Bohemian style with a Pacific edge.

They cater for wedding dress requests and personalise all prints and patterns emphasising the design a client receives is a one off. Building on exclusivity is their fashion direction so creating special event dresses or outfits is what really drives them and has built the Heihere brand and style. The future is bright for the sisters who also design the uniforms for the Maitre’d staff and special event uniforms at Pacific Resort who support them with business advise and mentoring as well. With invites to international fashion shows and online sales on the rise Heihere designs is a label to watch in Rarotonga and the Pacific. Contact Heihere via Facebook at www.facebook.com/Heiheredesigns

LAYLO designs A self confessed beach chick Terito Macquarie has created LAYLO as the one and only surf brand of the Cook Islands; firmly placing her label into an area of the Cook Islands fashion market that no one else was really considering! LAYLO which literally means to’ lay low’. As Terito puts it” No one can contact you on the phone or stress you out, it is literally about you in your zone and where you love to be. “

Like many women young and old creating clothes and making items for yourself can be a hobby or pastime but thanks to supportive family members and friends who recognised that Terito’s hobby may just be a viable business; she took their advice and decided to take her sense of design further. Terito explains “The brand formed in March 2016 when I returned to the Cook Islands after studying for my Bachelors in Spatial Design in New Zealand. At high school I had an interest in fashion, you know designing costumes for the school productions but I never took it much further than that." Terito jokes, "Initially I was not keen. I didn’t have time to sew for other people, but it was in the back of my mind and the advise I was given was plain and simple – do not waste your talent!” Cue an excellent brand logo that Terito designed which shows a whales tail as the Y in LAYLO and she was off with a range of caps, T- shirts and singlets for men and women, 100% cotton tote bags and a range of board shorts as well. “I have caps, singlet tops, .. casual and dressy but with Laylo you can wear it at the beach with your swim wear or you can dress it up with a high waisted skirt and boots to go out in it. You can buy it, then can keep wearing it wherever you travel too. My clothes don’t limit you to just wearing LAYLO in the islands. I have made it to be universal.”

loves and wears. Polynesian surf brands have provided a good reference point for her but she is very clear that her real muse is the Ocean which she describes as every minute every second being different and constantly on the change whether it be the seas, the tides, the winds or the sunset. LALYO is a brand that is also committed to being 100% local. Buying everything to create her garments right here in Rarotonga, Terito supports new families and older people in her community, learning constantly about her culture and traditions as she builds her brand. The support she receives from her family and a partner who also pushes her to design, sew and develop LAYLO even further sees LAYLO provide a fresh take on surf wear that the Cook Islands needed. Who knows, move over RIPCURL or Quicksilver the Cooks might have a contender for you. Keep an eye out for her stall at Punanga Nui market. Contact LAYLO via Facebook at www.facebook.com/LayloCreations

This young designer draws her inspiration from the Ocean having been a voyager on our traditional Vaka Marumaru Atua and a regular crew member of Koka Lagoon cruises she spends a large majority of her time on the water or at the beach so her label encompasses the clothes that she

ESCAPE • 71

Kia Orana from LuSantials – So Unique, So You W

elcome to the colourful world of LuSantials! With its range of locally handmade clutches and purses, LuSantials celebrates the tropical lifestyle of the Cook Islands: sun, beach and good times with friends and family. The brand trademark is a combination of a locally printed pareu and a robust canvas fabric which represents the sand. The splash of colour embodies the colourful life on the islands with their vibrant flora and fauna, the limitless ocean and the omnipresent Kia Orana spirit! The designers Lucile and Sandrina morphed their first names with Essentials thus creating their brand: LuSantials – So Unique, So You LuSantials displays the perfect balance between island life, beauty and practicality. The original best-seller creations include the Anua clutch – the ideal size for your phone, cards, travel documents, loose coins and other bits. The Mana clutch can also hold your sunglasses or be used as a pencil case with its longer and slimmer shape. For the perfect LuSantials set up, get yourself the matching key ring and Aro’a purse to keep your change!

The Cook Islands, its beautiful people and strong culture have captured the two designer’s hearts. Lucile & Sandrina, the creative entrepreneurs behind the project wanted their products to reflect the natural beauty of the island they have called home for the past few years. With their first collection presented – TAV Touch – a second life is given to off-cuts of TAV Pacific material. The two friends are extremely thankful to Ellena Tavioni for supporting their idea to up-cycle local prints. Tavioni, the famous fashion creator is one of the most accomplished Polynesian fashion designers of her time being present across the Pacific and all the way to Japan. It is a beautiful transition that is happening in the process of creation. The small off-cut becomes the centre piece of the newly created clutch bag, which gives every piece an identity and exclusive, distinct look. The uniqueness of LuSantials makes them the perfect souvenirs and gifts for your loved one. Your LuSantials will become your everyday companion, reminding you of your tropical getaway in the Cook Islands. And the best thing is: these fashion accessories come in endless colour and size combinations, so there is always a LuSantials to suit your mood! You even have the choice to customise your purse with engraved mother of pearl. Where to from here? The designers are well inspired to develop their brand far beyond the sandy beaches of their little paradise. With a home décor collection in the making, close relationships with other local artists and their own personal heritage in Europe and Mauritius to explore, LuSantials

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aims to take their tropical creations to the international stage. You can get your LuSantials directly through their Facebook and Instagram or at one of their fashion events – check their social media channels for details and watch that space for their new creations. Be inspired by LuSantials creations, embrace the island life and take a piece of paradise back with you! LuSantials – So unique, So You For more information: www.facebook. com/lusantials and www.instagram. com/lusantials/

Relax with a cold drink while you enjoy the cool breezes and ocean view. Enjoy a simple all-day menu, or a-la-carte dinner menu featuring local seafood. We are the restaurant of Popoara Ocean Breeze Villas. P. 31479 | Email: boatshed@popoara.co.ck www.popoaraoceanbreeze.com

i k a t Aitu a little slice of heaven

ia Orana! 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.

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Many 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”. 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,

A I T U TA K I • CO O K I S L A N D S

Tamanu Beach

Tamanu Beach CASUAL LUXURY

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”. 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 well-known 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 could

Takurua Island Night

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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

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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.

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.

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. Delving further into the islands past is local archaeologist Ngaakitai Pureariki. On a four acre site in one of Aitutaki’s bushclad 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 for the Aitutaki Cultural Tour at Punarei. 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 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. Island nights with cultural shows are on throughout the week. Experiences not be missed

The highlight of Aitutaki is her lagoon and a visit is not complete without joining us for a fun filled day cruising this spectacular wonder. Explore the incredible marine life while snorkeling and swimming. We offer a range of tours and lagoon taxi services, hotel transfers, snorkeling gear, beach towels and BBQ lunch on the famous One Foot Island. We are also ‘Island Wedding’ specialists. Tel: +682 31009 Email: bishopcruz@aitutaki.net.ck Visit our website to discover more...

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s ’ o n i R

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P: (682) 31 197 | M: (682) 55 839 | Email: rinos@aitutaki.net.ck

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.

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are the island nights at Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Aitutaki Village, Tamanu Beach and Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa. Some of the best meals using local produce are to be savoured at Blue Lagoon restaurant, 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 Blue Lagoon 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 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all the time.

ONE INCREDIBLE DESTINATION ... Aitutaki Escape. Journey to the very heart of Polynesia.

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Aitutaki Sailing Club Story: Shelley Tavai & Nick Henry

he Aitutaki lagoon has been the playground for sailors for over 1000 years when the land was first settled by Ru Enua. Whether we are sailing in vaka reti (18foot sailing canoes) or modern day hobie cats Polynesians will enjoy the azure waters of one of the world's most beautiful lagoons for many years to come. Whilst we enjoyed the fun of sailing in warm lagoon waters, it was in 1996 that the Aitutaki Sailing Club was more formally established with the construction of 10 plywood Optimists under the guidance of sailing enthusiast "Father Don', with Mike Henry and others helping to train our young Aitutaki Sailors. Made from a couple of old shipping containers the "clubhouse" is based at Ootu Beach and today we are focused on getting more young Cook Islanders into the sport of Sailing. In 2017, Coach Ted Tavai and Commodore Nick Henry are at the helm of the club and with a dedicated executive committee are enthusiastic about promoting sailing for kids and water safety within our Aitutaki community. Coach Ted reminds our young sailors “you learn something new every day ...if you pay attention".

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The Club runs a “learn to sail program weekly” and holds two regattas a year for our student sailors the Aitutaki Challenge (normally in April) and Boatshed Bar & Grill Regatta (October). The Regattas are usually run in the school holidays and include competitors from

In 2017, Coach Ted Tavai and Commodore Nick Henry are at the helm of the club and with a dedicated executive committee are enthusiastic about promoting sailing for kids and water safety within our Aitutaki community. Rarotonga Sailing Club and some of the other Cook Islands. ASC also works hard to manage, support and fundraise for our junior members to attend national and international regattas to improve their racing skills. The ASC has continued to grow and develop and its members now possess a wider range of craft including 20 Optimists, 18 Lasers (Sailing Cook Islands), 3 Hobie 16' Catamarans and recently donated by Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa – 2 Open

Bics for our junior development. To further develop their sailing skills we also have the Aitutaki Sailing Academy that operates from the Orongo Centre in the small seaside township of Arutanga. Aitutaki Sailing Club scooped the pool at the 2016 National Sailing Awards where we won: Sailing Cook Islands Coach of the Year Ted Tavai Cook Islands Youth Male Sailor of the Year - Joshua Ioane Cook islands Junior Male Sailor of the Year Shaquille Munokoa

We are proud of Coach Ted Tavai and ASC youth male sailor Tyronne Munokoa who have been selected to represent the Cook Islands at the Oceania Emerging Nations Programme being held this April 2017 in Vanuatu. Oceania sailors will take part in the ISAF World Youth Championships Emerging Nations program delivered in Vanuatu. This is a seven day intense program, culminating in a two day regatta, the ENP sailors and coaches work on development of skills both on and off the water. Alongside traditional sailing skills and coaching techniques, they also work on their media skills to enhance sailing’s profile within their nation. Membership is open to anyone who wants to learn to sail or support sailing in Aitutaki.

"Always be yourself - unless you can be a sailor ...then always be a sailor"

In the coming months we will also be encouraging more adult sailors to come and join us on the water. ASC welcomes any sailors from other countries to come along and participate in our club sailing days and activities on Saturdays.

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Atiu Be different, come to Atiu, our little Garden of Paradise

Enua Manu

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 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

u i t A las 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.

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BOOK ONLINE AT: www.atiuvillas.com Ph. (682) 33 777 | Email. roger@atiuvillas.com | www.atiu.info

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

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. 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 stringband 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.

ATIU

RAROTONGA

Air Rarotonga’s

Two Island Discovery

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.

fact file: Atiu is a 45 minute flight north-east from Rarotonga and there are regular scheduled flights. Alternatively, why not consider an Air Rarotonga ‘Two Island Adventure’ which includes two night’s accommodation at Tamanu Beach Resort in Aitutaki and two night’s accommodation at Atiu Villas on amazing Atiu. Local tours are optional and extra. Available from April to October, flights depart Rarotonga on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Book through Air Rarotonga Tel: (682) 22888 | www.airraro.com

… 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.

and back to Rarotonga

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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.

www.airraro.com ESCAPE • 83

South Pacific Our

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.

The Southern Group Atiu See our story on page 82. 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

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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. 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

Right: Mitiaro Previous page: Palmerston

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, who can also steer you in the right direction for guided tours that include caving, reef/lagoon walks, bush walks and bird watching. Check out the market on Friday mornings in the ‘town’ centre and 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 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.

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.

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.*

Plaonur y

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own

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

Optional extras include:

Inflight catering Experienced tour guide Ground tours & sightseeing Overnight adventure accommodation in the far north to luxury resorts on breath-taking Aitutaki

* We also offer charters

Island E scape

to Niue and Tahiti

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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 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.”

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

Left: Pukapuka Next page: Penrhyn

One inter-island flight from Rarotonga about every six weeks and irregular shipping has kept Pukapuka one of the most untouched and secluded places in the Pacific.

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COOK ISLANDS

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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. the worst cyclones in Cook Islands history. It claimed 19 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 inter-island 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.

Unlimited Kilometres Airport Pick-up & Drop-off Afterhours Roadside Assistance LOCATIONS Downtown Avarua Pacific Resort Muri Rarotonga International Airport RESERVATIONS Phone: (682) 22833 Email: reservations@aviscookislands.com

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on the hook

THE POTI MĀRORO

– A BOAT BORN AND BRED IN THE PACIFIC Story: Kirby Morejohn

f you were going to design a boat for the express purpose of fishing in South Pacific Islands, what would it look like? For the people here, the poti māroro is the answer (poti means boat and māroro means flying fish in Cook Islands Maori). Fish was an extremely important food source for early Polynesian settlers, as it is today. While chickens, pigs and other animals were brought to these newly discovered islands for sustenance, the sea provided the main source of protein. Māroro (flying fish) was one of those protein sources. Catching the fish, however, wasn’t easy. The māroro is an incredible animal to observe in the wild. It is acrobatic! It leaps from the water and using its long fins as wings, it may glide over one hundred meters across the surface before plunging back into the sea. Polynesians first used canoes and other simple boats to capture their māroro. After sunset, a pair of fishermen would load their canoe with kikau (palm leaf), puru (coconut husk) and a round net that was attached to the end of a stick. Once they

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reached the fishing grounds, the fisherman in the back of the canoe paddled while the fisherman in front set fire to the plant materials and held them high in the air. The bright fire combined with the boat’s movement disoriented and scared the fish, tricking them to jump out of the water. Swiftly, the fishermen scooped the fish from the water. Today, the māroro remains a prized catch and meal; however, the fishing techniques used for their capture have drastically changed. Eventually, fire was replaced with powerful handheld (or head-mounted) torches and canoes were replaced with motorboats, and Polynesia created one of its most fascinating fishing inventions. In the late 1950s Tahitian Leonard Deanne made substantial design modifications to standard motorboats that resulted in the world’s first poti māroro (called poti marara in Tahiti). The captain’s position was moved toward the bow so a single person could pilot the boat and fish simultaneously. The captain was positioned to stand, rather than sit, giving him a higher vantage point which helped to spot fish in the distance. This standing position also allowed for bending and

leaning, which enabled the scooping of māroro from the sea. The captain was positioned to stand inside of a small waisthigh box for stability. And since the bow is the bumpiest riding area on most boats, Deanne created a deeper ‘V’ in the hull. The deep ‘V’ design cut into the water and swells and made for a smoother ride. It also enabled tighter turns. The steering wheel, he decided, had to go because the multiple rotations required for turning was inefficient for catching nimble prey. In place of a wheel, a rod (rumours are that Deanne initially used a broom handle) and pulley system were installed. The new steering system allowed full lock-to-lock steering with a mere ~90° shift of the rod. With these changes, the poti māroro—the single-piloted, highly-maneuverable fishing machine—spread from French Polynesia to nearby islands, including the neighbouring Cook Islands. Interestingly, as its design expanded throughout the islands, so did its utility. The poti māroro evolved as the most efficient vessel for māroro fishing. Because of its nimble single-person piloting, a new method emerged to target a larger, faster species, the ma’ima’i (mahi mahi/dorado/ dolphinfish). The new method, however, was combined with traditional knowledge. The hunt—and its success—had upped its game. Early Polynesian voyagers observed seabird flight as a part of wayfinding to guide them to new lands. Today’s ma’ima’i fishermen also rely on seabirds, but to lead them away from land—and to the fish. Once offshore, fishermen targeting ma’ima’i will often troll for other species while scanning the horizon for seabirds. Trolling one or two fishing lines in the water affords the opportunity for blind strikes from wahoo, tuna or marlin. Trolling speed, I’m told, is also handy for spotting seabirds. The composition of specific seabird species, height above water, numbers of individuals and flight patterns, among other characteristics, guide the poti

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māroro fishermen directly to the schools of ma’ima’i. Fishermen with trained eyes cannot only identify a ma’ima’i school by the bird activity, but they do so at a remarkable distance—too far for the untrained eye to see. Until seabirds and their accompanying school of ma’ima’i are found, trolling is continued. However, once the correct formation of seabirds is spotted on the horizon, the speed of activity goes into overdrive. Ma’ima’i fishermen will stop their boats and quickly reel in the trolling lines. Fishing rods and other gear are cleared, making room for an important tool, the patia. The patia, a wooden harpoon that is 2-3 meters long with a sharpened metal tip, was designed specifically for harpooning ma’ima’i. For some, the fishing activities appear ritualistic. Salt and sweat is cleaned from sunglasses, water is drunk, and occasionally, the captain waits for the clouds to part, allowing the sun to illuminate the fishing area. With the engine wide open, the chase begins. At this point the fish are considered ‘green’ meaning they have a lot of energy. Moving quicker now, the school of ma’ima’i stays in a tight group, fleeing from the boat. Interestingly, ma’ima’i swimming on the surface while fleeing remain on the surface, much to the satisfaction of fishermen. The chase is equal parts fast and exciting. With the captain leaning into every turn, the boat makes hard rights and lefts with rapid increases and decreases in speed. Despite their high swimming speed, experienced captains are able to keep the fish within eyesight. This pursuit continues until the school tires and the fisherman selects his target. In one swift movement, the steering and throttle controls are released, the patia is grabbed, raised and thrown at the target fish. Ma’ima’i for dinner! With this method of fishing, fish are killed very swiftly, sometimes by the initial

wit Why come fishing Our record fish and high catch rate speaks for itself!

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impact of the patia. There is also zero bycatch, meaning that only the targeted fish is killed, no others. Ma’ima’i have short lifespans and high rate of reproduction, which means that they can be sustainably harvested. Combining these factors, fishing for ma’ima’i from a poti māroro is unparalleled in terms of sustainability of the resource. Evidenced by the colorful line of boats moored in the Avatiu harbor, the poti māroro is the preferred boat for many in Rarotonga. Even though the boat designs are closely guarded secrets, here, most boats are hand built. The small size of the boats (averaging 6m) may seem strange to some for open ocean fishing, however, fishermen in Rarotonga rarely go further than 15 kilometers from shore.

markets, māroro are served for breakfast. As an American, eating fish for breakfast initially felt strange, but after I tried it, I understood why the locals love it - it is delicious! The next time you are driving a scooter around the island and see a parade of swaying lights or colorful boats outside the reef, you’ll know what is happening— poti māroro fishermen are working hard, to keep us fed.

Proudly, the poti māroro fishermen state that fish caught in the Cook Islands (using this method) stay in the Cook Islands. Their catch can be found at the Punanga Nui markets or in local restaurants. At the

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plants & animals

Here we try to shed some light on the background and existence of a culturally significant plant and animal.

Story: Kirby Morejohn

Tahitian prawn, giant jungle prawn, monkey river prawn

Koura-vai Macrobrachium lar

he Tahitian prawn, called kōurā-vai, (kōurā for short) in the Cook Islands, can be found in freshwater perennial streams in the Indo-West Pacific from East Africa to Tahiti. Because of their large size, they are considered a valuable food source.

Kumara

Sweet Potato

Ipomoea batatas

hile most of the plants and animals that Polynesian voyagers brought to the Cook Islands originated from Asia, the sweet potato—or kūmara as it is locally known—has a more mysterious past. When the first European explorers arrived into the Pacific, they found the kūmara spread throughout nearly all of Polynesia, including New Zealand and Hawaii. These starchy tubers were already a staple of the indigenous peoples’ diet. Unlike the ubiquitous coconut, which may drift for months at sea before reaching a remote island and sprouting into a tree, seeds of the domesticated sweet potato fare

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When these prawns mate, their eggs are cast free to drift downstream. Once hatched, the prawn larvae enter the ocean where they feed and drift for up to three months. At the end of their ocean voyage, the luckiest of young prawns find land with a flowing freshwater stream, where they live the rest of their lives. Tahitian prawns are strong, walking considerable distances on dry land and climbing rocks and other obstacles in their home streams. In Rarotonga, the presence of prawns in pools high above Wigmore’s waterfall, which is no doubt a difficult hurdle, prove their strength. Today, prawns are caught in many streams around Rarotonga—with locals remaining secretive about their favourite spots. Prawns may be caught bare handed or in clever traps made from bamboo or other

plant materials, but they are more often netted or speared. One type of spear is made from the sharpened spokes from a bike wheel, which are then fastened to the end of a stick. Locals often have fond memories of kōurā hunting. One friend remembers spending her childhood catching prawns after school using a single strand from a kikau (palm frond) broom. She cheerfully explained how the thin end of the strand was tied into a slipknot and then skillfully, the prawns were noosed and yanked from the water. The prawns were put in a pocket of aluminium foil, which was folded into a purse. Finally, the prawn-filled foil purse was thrown onto an open fire. Steamed prawns – the perfect after school snack. While techniques for harvesting kōurā may have expanded, the joy of the hunt spans generations.

poorly in salt water. Recent archaeological evidence from Rarotonga’s closest island neighbour, Mangaia, found kūmara remains dating back to approximately 1000 A.D. Interestingly, this domesticated plant was native to the Americas, which adds to its mysterious arrival into the Polynesia because Pacific Islanders supposedly never voyaged that far East. One hypothesis is that South Americans brought it. The Quechua were coastal seafaring people indigenous to South America, but their boating technology was not sufficient to make it to Polynesia. So the question remains, how did the sweet potato take root in Polynesia? The answer is unknown. However, there are three competing hypotheses: (1) Birds carried seeds of the plant to islands; (2) A raft of floating vegetation carried potatoes or seeds; or, (3) Polynesians made it to South America. Considering that the Quechuan word for vegetable or sweet

potato is kumar, which is very similar to the Polynesian name, kūmara, the final distance from Polynesia to South America, may not have been a stretch for skilled voyagers. With European contact, new varieties of kūmara were introduced to the Pacific. Today it would be difficult to find the original, finger size variety, but the tasty sweet potato remains a popular kinake, or side dish in Polynesian meals.

Guidelines for an enjoyable time at the beach and in the lagoon… Coral is a living organism! It takes hundreds of years to develop a reef like ours and you can harm the reef just by standing on it; many steps may kill it. What you can do to help… • Make sure your gear fits properly, is comfortable and adjusted, before you go in the water. If you need to make adjustments, find a sandy area on which to stand, or swim to the shore. •

If there is a RAUI (protected marine area) in place, please respect it and leave everything in the lagoon that belongs to it.

•

Observe animals exhibiting their natural behavior rather than stimulating them to entertain.

•

Please do not harass or touch protected species, such as turtles, giant clams and fragile corals.

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There is no need to feed the fish. To attract them closer just bang two little stones together. They will come.

•

Please take your rubbish with you when you leave the beach.

Thank you for looking after our lagoon. Take nothing but memories – leave nothing but bubbles…

Photos: The Dive Centre & Jim Gariu

entertainment guide to live local Cook Islands music and dancing all around town.

Take in the sunset with a cocktail near the water; catch an Island Night Show with beautiful dancers, and get down ON EB S H T AT U T L E T E L O AB AIL MIUM V A RE W P NO AND

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. 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 that suits you.

During the week A number of 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, this bar is just east of town. If you’re staying around the Muri or Titikaveka area, try Silver Sands Restaurant at Muri Beach Club Hotel, or for a la carte dining and some local music the Pacific Resort, also well known for their Island Night show. For casual ambience, check out the Asian street-style food at The Rickshaw, or mouth-watering Mexican dishes at

RAROTONGA’S

BEST SELECTION OF INTERNATIONAL BEER BRANDS

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La Casita. Take a walk downtown and call into The New Place for great al fresco dining. For a meal and music down south, don't forget The Yellow Hibiscus at Palm Grove.

s r a l l e c 1 . o Your N

On the sunset side, you have great choices from Shipwreck Hut at Aro’a Beachside Inn for casual dining, to OTB at Manuia resort for beachside dining, to Flambe or Oceans at Crown Beach or Kikau Hut especially on Mondays for live music. 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. Check 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. Local women enjoy dressing up, and the men prefer comfortable shorts, shirt/t-shirt and sandals, but dress code is open.

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 Trader Jacks, where there’s always a nice mix of locals and tourists. After a couple of hours, walk across the road to Boogies Bar at the BC (Banana Court), known all over the Pacific. Boogies features local bands from 4pm to 9pm and then its inside for some raw local music and dancing. Hidies Bar, located in Cooks Corner, has a big open-air dance floor, great drinks, a true island flavour and is Rarotonga’s iconic local hangout, with live bands and resident DJ. Open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, Hidies famed ‘Happy Hour’ runs Friday from 4-7pm. Later in the night it’s back to Rehab for some dancing, or perhaps for some of the latest hip hop, R’n’B, and techno sounds. The great thing about this town is that the bars are only minutes away from each other. It’s safe and people are friendly and will give you directions. Remember to organise a dedicated driver or taxi if you’re drinking. An organized Nightlife Tour is another great way to enjoy your Friday night and you won’t need to do the driving. Remember you’re in Raro now, on ‘Island Time’, so relax and enjoy.

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In central Avarua, opposite Punanga Nui Marketplace Open Mon - Thur 9 to 5 | Fri & Sat 9 to 7 ESCAPE • 93 Phone: 21007 Email: trish@thebond.co.ck

entertainment guide

Rarotonga night-life guide

Keep our roads safe if you’re drinking:

MONDAY Taxis: Refer to yellow pages and book homecoming fare before you go out. Buses: Clockwise Bus: Evening bus departs Cook’s Corner clockwise only, every hour Monday to Saturday from 6pm to 11pm. Times are subject to change so contact the i Site 29435 to confirm.

Island Night Shows – Quick Guide

Crown Beach Resort & Spa: Live music Kikau Hut Restaurant: Great a la carte dining 7 nights a week. Live music some nights Edgewater Resort & Spa: Tok 6:30-8:30 Great Classic tunes, jazz, pop, rock SilverSands @ Muri Beach Club Hotel: Live island music Nooroa & Soko on island strings Pacific Resort: A la carte dining and live local artist Fred Betham

WEDNESDAY Wednesday Edgewater Resort & Spa: Local Band The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa 25800 A la carte Seafood menu with local entertainment Muri Beach Club Hotel 23000 31720

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OTB Bar & Restaurant @ Manuia Beach Resort: Live entertainment (transfers available)

SilverSands @ Muri Beach Club Hotel: Live Thursday music with Natua and then Island Night with Te Vara Nui Village 24006 Akirata Dance Group Crown Beach Resort & Spa 23953 Crown Beach Resort& Spa: Live music

Friday Highland Paradise Culture Centre

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Captain Andy’s: Tara Kauvai - Mustonen

THURSDAY

Saturday Anchorage Restaurant @ Sunset Resort: Pub Night menu with live entertainment The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa 25800 Te Vara Nui Village 24006 Shipwreck Hut at Aro’a Beachside Inn: Sunset The Edgewater Resort & Spa 25435 cocktails with live music

Remember you’re in Raro

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

Pacific Resort: Tamariki Manuia A la carte dining and live local artist Kahiki Tehaamatai SilverSands @ Muri Beach Club Hotel: Pig & Prawn Night with live music with Rob & Roy Te Vaka Restaurant @ The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa: Flame-Grilled Steak Night @ $36 pp + The Rarotongan’s famous Friday Funbus Nitelife Tour @ $25 pp. Trader Jacks: Kura every Friday lunch Friday night Rere and the boys - rock classics & seafood, steaks& pizza Yellow Hibiscus: Music every Friday night -Tara Kauvai - Mustonen or Tani & Rose alternate. Captain Andy’s: Tara Kauvai – Mustonen alternate Fridays

SATURDAY

Shipwreck Hut at Aro’a Beachside Inn: Great beach BBQ with live music Edgewater Resort & Spa: Island Night Buffet & Cultural Show with Orama Dance Group followed by Tara Kauvai - Mustonen Kikau Hut Restaurant: Great a la carte dining 7 nights a week. Live music some nights OTB Bar & Restaurant @ Manuia Beach Resort: Live entertainment (transfers available)

Crown Beach Resort & Spa: Live music followed by Island Night Show

Pacific Resort: Tok 6:30-8:30 A la carte dining and live local artist Kura Happ

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

Te Vara Nui Village: Cultural Village Tour and Over Water Night Show & Dinner. Spectacular “Dances of Legends” cultural performance & island/western fusion buffet

now, on ‘Island Time’, so

Garden Bar - Banana Court: Live Entertainment

relax and enjoy!

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

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Crown Beach Resort & Spa: Live Band Steak / Ribs Night with live entertainment

OTB Bar & Restaurant @ Manuia Beach Resort: Live entertainment (transfers available)

Edgewater Resort& Spa: Ta’akoka Dance Troupe. Island Night Buffet and Cultural show Tuesday followed by Tara Kauvai - Mustonen Te Vara Nui Village 24006 Te Vara Nui Village: Cultural Village Tour and The Islander Hotel 21003 Over Water Night Show & Dinner. Spectacular “Dances of Legends” cultural performance & Aitutaki Village, Aitutaki 31526 island/western fusion buffet The Edgewater Resort & Spa 25435

Highland Paradise Culture Centre

FRIDAY

TUESDAY

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Pacific Resort Aitutaki

Sanctuary, Rarotonga: Tara Kauvai - Mustonen

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

Shipwreck Hut at Aro’a Beachside Inn: Live music on the beach Monday Highland Paradise Culture Centre

Te Vara Nui Village: Cultural Village Tour and Over Water Night Show & Dinner. Spectacular “Dances of Legends” cultural performance & island/western fusion buffet

Captain Andy’s: Tara Kauvai - Mustonen

Anchorage Restaurant @ Sunset Resort: Seafood Night with entertainment

(Bookings are recommended)

OTB Bar & Restaurant @ Manuia Beach Resort: Live entertainment (transfers available)

Trader Jacks: Music with Tok Watch out for “Brews & BBQ” and special guests monthly at Trader Jacks.

Aitutaki night-life guide

SUNDAY

Anchorage Restaurant @ Sunset Resort: BBQ with live entertainment Club Raro: BBQ night with local string band Crown Beach Resort & Spa: Sunset roast starts at 6pm with live entertainment Edgewater Resort & Spa: Ru & Boys -local string band

MONDAY

Bounty Brasserie @ Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa: Fire dance show, a la carte dinner & crab races Tupunaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant: Great a-la-carte dining with the freshest local foods in a relaxed garden setting. Mon-Sat from 6pm

SilverSands @ Muri Beach Club Hotel: Reef & Beef night with live music with Henry & Destiny Pacific Resort: A la carte dining and live local artist Rudi Aquino

TUESDAY

Sanctuary Rarotonga: Tara Kauvai - Mustonen

Aitutaki Village: Island buffet and cultural show on the sandy beach at Ootu

WEDNESDAY

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?

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

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

SUNDAY

Aitutaki Village: All day barbeque with great entertainment Tamanu Beach: Sunset Barbeque Night with great local entertainment and island food.

Pacific Resort: Island night South Pacific cuisine and performances by local Aitutaki song and dance troupe

Prices or schedules are subject to change at any time.

w a an vai d p lab rem le a ium t Th ou e Bo tle ts nd

A taste of Marlborough IN THE COOK ISLANDS

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what's on

hroughout 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.

JULY TIURAI

SEPTEMBER TEPETEMA

DECEMBER TITEMA

Fri 7th ‘Ra o te Ui Ariki’ (Ariki Day) – public holiday

Sun 3rd Fathers Day

Tue 5th to Thu 7th Motu 2 Motu – in Aitutaki

Wed 19th Atiu Gospel Day – public holiday Atiu

Thu 21st to Wed 27th Round Rarotonga Road Race

Fri 21st Mitiaro Gospel Day – public holiday Mitiaro

Sat 23rd Oe Vaka (Paddling) Corporate Race Day

Wed 6th Pukapuka Gospel Day – public holiday Pukapuka

Fri 21st School Term 2 complete – School Holidays begin Sun 23rd Mauke Gospel Day – public holiday Mauke Tue 25th Rarotonga Gospel Day – public holiday Rarotonga Fri 28th to Sun 6th August Te Maeva Nui Celebrations 2017

OCTOBER OKOTOPA

Mon 25th Christmas Day

Fri 6th School Term 3 complete – school holidays begin

Tue 26th Boxing Day

Fri 20th to Thu 26th Cook Islands Open Squash Tournament Wed 25th Aitutaki Gospel Day – public holiday Aitutaki

AUGUST AUKUTE

Thu 26th National Gospel Day – public holiday

Fri 4th Constitution Day – Public Holiday

Mon 23rd School Term 4 begins

Mon 7th School Term 3 begins Tue 8th Manihiki Gospel Day – public holiday Manihiki Tue 15th Rakahanga Gospel Day – public holiday Rakahanga Mon 21st to Fri 25th Manureva Aquafest

Thu 14th School Term 4 complete – School Holidays begin

JANUARY TIANUARE 2018 Mon 1st New Year’s Day – public holiday Tue 2nd Day after New Year’s day – public holiday

NOVEMBER NOEMA Fri 24th to Fri 1st December Vaka Eiva 2017 Canoeing Festival A weeklong festival that attracts a large number of international paddlers. Vaka Eiva has been referred to as “the most fun event on the paddling planet!” Fri 24th to Fri 1st December Mire Tiare Flower Festival Wed 29th to Tue 5th December Netball in Paradise

All events take place on Rarotonga, unless stated otherwise. Dates and events are provided courtesy of Cook Islands Tourism Corporation and were correct at time of publication, but 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

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JULY / AUGUST 28TH JULY TO 6TH 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.

Events That You Shouldn’t Miss…

SEPTEMBER 21ST TO 27TH Round Rarotonga Road Race

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.

The Round Rarotonga Road Race celebrates its 40th Anniversary with its annual weeklong event from the 21-27 September 2017 held on the beautiful tropical island of Rarotonga. The event caters for everyone including families, social, recreational and competitive runners and is a fantastic opportunity to combine a holiday with a once in a lifetime sporting achievement. See Cook Islands Tourism for more details.

AUGUST 21ST TO 25TH

OCTOBER 20TH TO 26TH

Manureva Aquafest - International Kite Surfing Competition

Cook Islands Open Squash Tournament

In August some of the biggest names in kite surfing will head to the Cook Islands to vie for the top spot at the international kite surfing competition on Aitutaki. The Cook Islands Kite Surfing Association, in conjunction with the events team at Cook Islands Tourism, will manage this big event which has catapulted the Cook Islands on to the international stage as a desirable kite surfing destination. 2011’s inaugural event generated immense support for the association and this year marks the 7th such competition on the stunning waters of Aitutaki Lagoon.

The Cook Islands Squash Open Tournament is an annual sporting event held on the beautiful tropical island of Rarotonga. The event is open to squash players of all ages and grades and is guaranteed to be a fast paced, fun and memorable event.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 24TH NOVEMBER TO 1ST DECEMBER Vaka Eiva Hundreds of paddlers and their supporters hit Rarotonga’s shores in November each year for the Matson Vaka Eiva; an exciting and fun outrigger canoeing festival, which is now the largest sporting event in the country. 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

The competition will be held at the Rarotonga Squash Club in Avarua

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each one on a different day of the weeklong festivities. Locals also vie for the honour of making the best head or neck ‘ei (garland), best pot plant and much more.

ceremony, throughout the week of racing and social activities. The area around Trader Jack’s is the hangout of choice for paddlers and spectators throughout the week, giving close views of the start and finish of the ocean races. Te Mire Tiare Flower Festival This happy and colourful festival features competitions for the best floral decorated shops, schools and government buildings,

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.

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

Open: Monday to Friday 8am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 1pm Phone: (682) 29435 Email: headoffice@cookislands.gov.ck

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 29TH NOVEMBER TO 5TH DECEMBER Netball in Paradise The tournament is for UNDER 15, UNDER 17, UNDER 19, OPEN LADIES, SOCIAL LADIES & OPEN MIXED divisions. Netball in Paradise 2017 will run for only six days, but every day and every night you can enjoy our famous Cook Islands hospitality. For more information contact Netball Cook Islands 54107 or through their Facebook page.

For more information and to confirm event dates, visitors are advised to contact the Visitor Information Centre – Phone (682) 29435 All dates correct at time of going to print.

Rarotonga (Head Office) P.O. Box 14, Rarotonga, Cook Islands Phone: (682) 29435 Fax: (682) 21435 headoffice@cookislands.gov.ck Aitutaki P.O. Box 3, Aitutaki Cook Islands T: (682) 31767 tourism.officer@aitutaki.net.ck Atiu T: (682) 33435 tourism@atiu.net.ck New Zealand 91 St Georges Bay Rd, Studio 11, Level 3 Parnell Auckland 1052 New Zealand T: (64) 9 366 1106 nzmanager@cookislands.travel Australia Shop 38, Niecon Plaza, Mezzanine Level, 17-19 Victoria Ave Broadbeach, QLD 4218 Australia T: (61 ) 7 5504 5488 info@cookislandstourism.travel

North America canadamanager@cookislands.travel usamanager@cookislands.travel Northern Europe europemanager@cookislands.travel Southern Europe southerneurope@cookislands.travel United Kingdom ukmanager@cookislands.travel China chinamanager@cookislands.travel Japan japanmanager@cookislands.travel

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MOBILE

INTERNATIONAL CALLING

Get talking with INTERNATIONAL CAPPED CALLING. Our one-hour capped calling rates are some of the best under the Pacific sun. For up to an hour pay $5.00 to call New Zealand and $10.00 to call Australia, Fiji, UK, USA and Canada.

Enable ROAMING on your mobile phone before you leave home. We have over 270 ROAMING partners. Go to www.bluesky.co.ck to check if your network roams in the Cook Islands.

Bluezone WiFi HOTSPOT For internet connections on the go, Check out our Bluezone Hotspots. There are over 300 Bluezone WiFi HOTSPOTS in the Cook Islands giving you easy internet access to your family, friends and Social Media.

OPEN 7 DAYS, 7am to 11pm FREE CALL us on 123 www.bluesky.co.ck Come and visit us at our main Bluesky Office in Avarua

cook islands black pearls

Cooks Corner, RAROTONGA | Pacific Resort, AITUTAKI p +682 21 902 e luke@bergmanandsons.com w www.bergmanandsons.com