Letter: The roadway that disappeared

Kia orana. Can anyone out there assist with info and photographs? Back in about 1984/85, there was a major construction of a roadway, more or less across from the Police Station today, and going across in the direction of the Boiler.

Teremoana Davis (Papa Tom was PM at the time), was in charge of this engineering project, and many tons of rock and fill were dumped into the lagoon as it edged its way towards the reef. This construction was at least 4 metres wide, and could carry trucks and diggers. Massive boulders were dumped along the way. Despite calls for caution because of the potential impact on the lagoon, the project went on. Eventually sense prevailed, and it was realised that all throughflow of tidal waters had been stopped, and that the lagoon opposite the Banana Court had effectively been killed off – there was no more marine life, and the stench was becoming overpowering. Eventually someone in authority must have made the decision to remove this structure and it was massive rock by massive rock, and all that fill was removed by diggers, put onto dump trucks, and taken away.

I have thousands of photos of many things around Rarotonga taken over the years, but inexplicably, I do not have any photo record of this roadway.  Rarotonga Hash House Harriers, of which I was a founding member, regularly used this road as part of their runs in and around the Avarua town area. Regrettably, National Archives were unable to assist from their records. Anyone with photos please contact Andy Olah, mobile 77199, or email andyolah @hotmail.com.

Andy Olah