Cook Islands culture

Today we did a cultural tour to learn about the locals and their way of life.

Some background on the island. There are about 15000 people living on the main island Rarotonga, there are 15 islands in the group and all are inhabited except for two, the road around the main island takes about 45 minutes to drive, Rarotonga is ringed by a reef which harbours a lagoon, we are on the western side of the island which is the side that gets the most surf. There are a large number of people who identify as Cook Islanders living in New Zealand and Australia.

Nate was our bus driver and took us around showing us different types of crops, what animals they kept, something of the history as well as how society works today.

Of course the islands were inhabited for centuries but the first missionaries turned up around 1823 and the islands quickly became Christian. They were mostly farmers and fishermen growing crops like taro, arrowroot, coconuts, and sweet potato. Their animals were pigs, chickens, and some cows. They also made outrigger canoes to go fishing.

Today not a lot has changed. Small plots of land growing crops and keeping animals. Nate talked about how they cook their festive feasts in a pit called a umu. They line the pit with various leaves and then put the food in and cover it. Leave for a few hours and it is ready. He also talked about how important local people were honoured by the locals.

There are loads of chickens running loose on the island - and they are everywhere. Nate explained they are just wild so if someone wants a chicken to eat they just have to catch it.

Nate showed us the first church on the island, the main town, the small hospital and even the prison! They have about 27 inmates all for alcohol related issues - drink driving and domestic violence in particular. China built a large sports arena for the islanders to use which caused a bit of a stir. They have regular inter-island festivals and Nate showed us the main hall where this happens. Each of the other islands has a hostel nearby where everyone stays.

After the tour we were dropped in town and went for a bit of a walk before we caught the bus back to the hotel. There are two bus routes, one goes around the island clockwise and one goes anti-clockwise. The fare is a flat $5 which gets you all the way around. A note on currency the Cook Islands uses New Zealand currency and prices are pretty reasonable.

Back at the hotel we went for a swim in the lagoon. Very warm but also very clear. We had to wear reef shoes as there are patches of rock and coral but it is mostly sand. After that we had a dip in our private pool before walking up to the local Italian restaurant for dinner. As you do.Baca selengkapnya