To honour and preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Cook Islands, the Member of Parliament for Ngatangiia, Tukaka Ama, has announced plans to beautify the historic Avana spot.

This site, opposite the Ngatangiia CICC, renowned as the departure point for the seven “Great Canoes” is commemorated with a circle of seven stones and holds deep historical and spiritual significance for the local community.

The seven-canoe fleet Mataatua, Te Arawa, Tainui, Aotea, Kurahaupo, Tokomaru and Takitumu departed from the Avana passage around 1350 AD, marking the end of the great Polynesian migration.

With the approval of landowners, Ama aims to not only enhance the area’s natural beauty but also to celebrate the legacy of the ancestors who sailed abroad on this monumental voyage.

In a meeting at the Avana Meeting House last week, Ama sought the support, approval and blessing from the landowners of the site.

Ama said Koropuaka Rangatira Tinirau Tamarua was very supportive of the beautification project, saying “it’s been a long time coming”.

The neglected circular garden of seven stones will also be getting a long overdue makeover.

“As a Ngatangiia resident, I lived next door to this area and now as an MP, I see this place and it deserves more,” said Ama.

“I want to be proud of it, for us to be proud of this area because of its historical significance.

“It’s about getting it tidied up and being proud of the village.”

The project will involve “trimming” the toa trees, adding chairs and tables, installing lights and building a restroom facility at the far corner, and repainting the “Ngatangiia Sea Wall”.

“We will also be working with Aotearoa Māori as they want to make a contribution to putting up storyboards for the area,” Ama said.

“Thanks go out to the landowners and Cook Islands Tourism who have come on board to help with support for the storyboards and signage. Tauranga Vananga is also on board for the history part of the storyboards.”

Ama said he was enlightened to hear that the seven toa trees and seven coconuts trees at the site were actually planted there to represent the seven Great Canoes.

The late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Duke of Edinburgh each planted a coconut tree, he noted.