Memory Lane
Colourful tattoos, decorated canoes: Captain Bligh’s account of Aitutaki
Saturday 3 February 2024 | Written by Rod Dixon | Published in Features, Memory Lane, Weekend
Captain Bligh made two visits to Aitutaki and left unique accounts of their vaka and tattooing, writes Rod Dixon.
Thousands celebrate Airport’s golden anniversary
Tuesday 30 January 2024 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Features, Memory Lane, Weekend
Dance, drums, song, and a downpour of rain marked the 50th Anniversary of Rarotonga International Airport as joyful cultural celebrations took flight on the tarmac yesterday morning.
From 5000 to 3.2 million: Celebrating Rarotonga International Airport’s golden voyage
Tuesday 30 January 2024 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Features, Memory Lane, Weekend
Thousands attended the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Rarotonga International Airport yesterday morning, the festivities starting with a refreshing shower of rain that blessed the opening formalities.
Golden memories of Rarotonga International Airport
Monday 29 January 2024 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Features, Memory Lane, Weekend
At 5am this morning the tangi kaara of the drums around the island will signal the start of the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Rarotonga Airport which starts 8.30am.
50 years of connecting the nation
Saturday 27 January 2024 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Features, Memory Lane, Weekend
Anticipation builds as the Rarotonga International Airport prepares to mark its 50 years of excellence on Monday, January 29, celebrating its Golden Jubilee.
Building Rarotonga’s runway: A land surveyor’s journey
Saturday 27 January 2024 | Written by Candice Luke | Published in Features, Memory Lane, Weekend
Eighty-four-year-old Oliver Peyroux is an esteemed land surveyor with a myriad of local and international projects under his belt, including every airport in the Cook Islands. Candice Luke reports.
Welder remembers airport build
Saturday 27 January 2024 | Written by Candice Luke | Published in Features, Memory Lane, Weekend
William Cowan of Arorangi was 30 when he became part of Cook Islands airport history.
Emotional homecoming: Nassau, Pukapuka communities reconnect after decades apart
Saturday 27 January 2024 | Written by Candice Luke | Published in Features, Memory Lane, Weekend
Ninety descendants of Nassau have returned to Rarotonga after a month in their homeland. Alongside a group of 76 who visited Pukapuka, the Nassau community of Auckland, with some from Australia, reconnected with their people, places, and unique cultures of their respective islands. Candice Luke reports.
Airport’s longest-serving employee reflects on 45 years of service
Saturday 27 January 2024 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Features, Memory Lane, Weekend
Amidst the bustling hub of aviation activity at the gateway to the Cook Islands, Rarotonga Airport, stands Rescue Fire Services’ dedicated manager, George Nicholls, who has committed nearly 45 years of solid-service to the community. Melina Etches reports.
Reconnecting with Airport’s past during runway walk
Saturday 27 January 2024 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Features, Memory Lane, Weekend
Prime Minister Mark Brown was one of the close to four thousand people who took up the opportunity presented by Airport Authority Cook Islands to walk along the 2.3-kilometre airport runway for the first time on Tuesday.
Papa Spoila keeps ‘Kūkis’ connected
Saturday 27 January 2024 | Written by Candice Luke | Published in Features, In Depth, Memory Lane, Weekend
Multi-talented Cook Islander Tautape Samson wears many hats. Samson is known worldwide as a comedian, a dance tutor, costume designer, and a music artist alongside his siblings in Samson Squad. Candice Luke reports.
Past meets present at Johnson’s Photographic Studio exhibition
Saturday 20 January 2024 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Art, Entertainment, Features, Memory Lane, Weekend
The ‘Glimpse of the Past’ exhibition at the National Archives showcasing Johnson’s Photographic Studio images from the Cook Islands in the 1960s to 80s, sparks nostalgic memories for viewers.
Iconic photos to feature at ‘Glimpse of the Past’ exhibition
Friday 12 January 2024 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Features, Memory Lane
Memories of the Cook Islands in the 1960s to 80s will be relived through ‘Glimpse of the Past’, a photographic exhibition and digital screening featuring the collection of Johnson’s Photographic Studio.
‘Home where the heart is’: Beloved broadcaster laid to rest in Matavera
Monday 8 January 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Features, Local, Memory Lane, National, Weekend
Flamboyant personality, passionate advocate for the Cook Islands language, broadcaster, and producer Bernard (Bernice) Tairea, affectionately known as “Poepoe”, was laid to rest in Matavera on Saturday.
Serving the Ui Ariki - A decade of challenges and triumphs for Rakanui
Saturday 6 January 2024 | Written by Candice Luke | Published in Features, In Depth, Memory Lane, Weekend
Tupuna Rakanui, Te-O-Tari-Kura o te Are Ariki (Clerk of The House of Ariki), has resigned from his tiresome but rewarding role. But he says: ‘I’m not running away’. In an interview with Cook Islands News reporter Candice Luke, Rakanui reflects on his tenure with a mixed bag of emotions – from regret to pride, and sends well wishes to the new candidates. Although his time in the job has come to a welcomed end, his service to Te Are Ariki will continue.
Transformational work in Rarotonga earns New Zealand Navy Commander second honour
Wednesday 3 January 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Features, Memory Lane, Weekend
When Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) Lieutenant Commander Makoare (Mark) Kohupara Te Kani posted to the Cook Islands in January 2020 as a Maritime Surveillance Adviser, he expected to travel. Weeks into posting, lockdowns isolated Rarotonga from the world.
2023 year in review
Sunday 31 December 2023 | Written by Rashneel Kumar | Published in Features, Memory Lane, Weekend
A look back at the year’s biggest news stories.
200 years strong: Mangaia prepares for Bicentennial
Thursday 28 December 2023 | Written by Supplied | Published in Church Talk, Features, Memory Lane
Preparations are well underway on Mangaia for the celebration of the 200-year anniversary of the arrival of Christian missionaries on the island in 1824. By Pamela Steele.
Karioi – the pleasure months
Saturday 2 December 2023 | Written by Rod Dixon | Published in Features, Memory Lane
There was a time when Cook Islanders lived and worked in closer harmony with the seasons and enjoyed significantly more leisure time. Summer holidays lasted several months during which young people dedicated themselves to pleasure. By Rod Dixon.
Wheel of Fortune?: The‘revolutionary’ invention that was born on Rarotonga
Saturday 9 September 2023 | Written by Rod Dixon | Published in Art, Features, Memory Lane
For two decades Rarotonga was home to the inventor Henri Rey who partnered with local resident William McBirney to form the Rey Wheel Company of Detroit, Michigan. Story by Rod Dixon and Allan Tuara.
