Rarotonga International Airport.

Rarotonga International Airport and the Capital of Avarua.

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The International Airport on Rarotonga and its capital of Avarua as seen by a Google Earth photo. Plans are in the works to extend the runway to enable longer range and larger aircraft to land and take off. The airport was originally built by the Americans in 1944, and the building which now serves as the "Cook Islands" parliament, was the construction crews living quarters. There are also consultation and planning for a deep water berth for cruise ships. At present visiting cruise ships have to anchor off shore and ferry boats bring the passengers ashore. Later in 2009 Rarotonga are hosting "The Pan-Pacific Mini Games."

Meet a very good friend

Meet our very good friend Tai (Tie).

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Over the past three years that we have visited the island of Rarotonga both Deborah and I have got to know the Cook Islanders quite well. The one person we have found to be very friendly and goes out of his way to ensure that we are wanting for nothing is our very good friend Tai. Both Tai and his wife work at the resort, she as housemaid and he as a general handyman and gardener. Like most Cook Islanders they have been associated with the tourist industry most of their lives, and know how important it is to look after their guests.

Tai is a very quiet person and only by returning every year I have been able to draw him out of his shell. I only found out this year that he holds quite a position in his village as an elder and chief and he takes care of village affairs which includes the village hall, which interestingly enough is called "The Kent Hall". It was opened by the Duke and Duchess of Kent during one of the Royal visits. This information came from another Maori friend.

What makes our visits to these wonderful islands great is the chance to get to know these people and their way of life. Their cultural history which has been so well preserved, together with the influence that the missionaries have had on them.

The Shipwreck Hut

The Shipwreck Hut Entrance.

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This little picture is for Chris Barnett. I was at the entrance early one morning and the place was closed tight. So I took a picture of the entrance sign board.

A Pacific Reef Heron walks the Beach.

The Pacific Reef Heron walks the waters edge looking for small fry that are driven into shallow water by bigger fish that were praying on them. The Heron then gets a chance for its breakfast. Five minutes after this shot was taken the Heron flew off and will not return until the next morning.

Close up shot of Pacific Reef Heron on Muri Beach.

The Common Myna or Mynah Bird.

The Common Myna or Mynah Bird of the Cook Islands.

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The Common Myna Bird of the Cook Islands (Maori spelling) has only been in residence for just over a hundred years. Originally from India (where it has an H added) it was introduced as a pest control agent. Now below here is that story:

Clement Wragge was an observant visitor to Rarotonga in 1904. He reported that Paper Hornets (Rango Pātia), Coconut Stick-insects (‘Ē) and caterpillars were very common pests. He was told by his round-island guide that Resident Commissioner Gudgeon would not introduce the insect-eating Common Myna for fear that it might destroy fruit. The guide also said, "If insect-eating birds are not soon introduced, the pests will ruin us."
At that time there were no insect-eating native birds common on the lowland and, obviously, the few Australian Magpies and Skylarks introduced from New Zealand in 1892 by the British Resident Frederick Moss, had not survived.
By 1904, the Common Myna, a native of India and western Southeast Asia, had been introduced to Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Fiji and Tahiti to control various insect pests. Wragge had seen it in New Caledonia and in Tahiti.
In March 1906, Sidney Davis, the manager of Cook Islands Trading Company, wrote to his trading partner in Tahiti, Mr. H. Meuel, to obtain some “Indian Minahs”. Mr Meuel replied that he knew of them as Merle des Moluques and could obtain them at about 4 shillings a pair, noting that they were “imported [to Tahiti] to help in the destruction of wasps, but it is found in practice that they also feed with preference on native fruit, such as Bananas, they multiply pretty fast.....”. Merle des Moluques, literally “thrush of the Moluccas”, refers to the Molucca or Spice Islands in Indonesia.

So there you have a brief story of how this bird arrived. I say that it is as cheeky as a Magpie, as it will visit your table if you are eating on a veranda and steal the food off your plate.

This one is for Birdman

This bird was always my early morning companion as I sat and waited for the sun to rise over the horizon. It would walk backward and forward along the waters edge of the lagoon waiting for the canibal fish to drive the small fry into the shallow water and give this bird its chance to have breakfast. One morning I saw it run up the beach and grab a left handed hermit crab, which after a little tussel extracted it from its shell. Mind you it was still trying to finish off the swallow with many trip to the lagoon for a drink to help it swallow the meal. Funny after sunrise this bird vanished and would not be seen for the rest of the day. This one is a professional photo, but I will publish my photos that I took as soon as I get my photos sorted.