Rarotonga’s tourist dilemma

Press, 7 September 1976, Page 28

Rarotonga’s tourist dilemma

When you are cycling’ slowly along Rarotonga’s main road, with a cool breeze blowing off the c; ystal clear water and the* scent of frangipani filling the air, and with the low boom of breakers on the reef the only noise, you believe the tourist brochures that promised you a Pacific paradise on the “asalways islands.” The picture changes, though when it rains for almost an entire week. There’s not much to do in paradise when it rains. The widely-advertised friendliness of the people is marred somewhat by the doctor who charges S2O to cure you of Cook Island ’flu — five minutes at your bedside and a phial of tablets. The Cook Islands could be the last of the Pacific Islands to be developed (or exploited) for tourism. It teeters on the brink of becoming either a nation committed to a western lifestyle, or turning its back on the advantages and disadvantages of European life. If it chooses the latter path it will retain what is indigenous to the 15 islands that constitute this new nation. Already there are signs that the direction will be towards a western style of life. The beautiful white sand beaches harbour broken glass; one’s nights of promised peace are shattered by rock n’ roll of a forgotten era. But half the population is virtually untouched by these and other symptoms of the white man’s life. Rarotonga is inhabited by half the population of the Cook Islands. The other half live on barely accessible islands miles away. Only Atuitaki boasts regular air connections with Rarotonga, and a motel. The others provide nothing that most tourists would require. What, then, does Rarotonga offer the tourist? A thrice-weekly air ser-

vice from New Zealand is one of its biggest assets. The air fare of more than S4OO offsets this, advantage however. (t is a duty-free port, though prices of goods appear to be lower in Fiji (and it costs less to get to Fiji). (Travel editor's note: Advance purchase (epic) fares are not available to Rarotonga, thus the normal return economy tare is $446 — $4 more than the standard economy rate to Fiji. In comparing prices of goods, consideration should be given to exchange rates — the New Zealand dollar is worth only about 80 cents in Fiji. On the other hand, the New Zealand dollar is legal tender in Rarotonga.) The range of goods is limited. Each of the stores in Avarua, the capital of the Cook Islands, carries the same range of goods as its neighbour —- cloth patterned with hibiscus designs, and duty-free electrical goods. The climate is ideal. A light sea breeze keeps temperatures moderate, humidity is low, and the water is cool without being cold. The scenery is beautiful. The beaches are fine, white sand such as one never finds in New Zealand. The hills are covered with lush growth. The houses and gardens are beautifully kept. There is no apparent poverty. The people are handsomely Polynesian. If it rains, the advantages of the climate and the scenery are minimised. It is difficult to travel around Rarotonga to see the beauties it has to offer. There is no bus service. It costs about $7O a week to hire a car, and yet there is only 20 miles of road to drive that car on.

Hiring a motor-cycle or bicycle seems the obvious answer. But riding either in a tropical downpour that lasts several hours is not enjoyable. Nor is it to be recommended. Though it is still warm, you get very wet. Many Cook Islanders suffer from rheumatism and arthritis for just this reason. For your entertainment, the various motels and the one hotel on the island put on nightly shows. But the motels and hotel are strung out around the 20-mile coast line, and if there is no transport, you stay where you are. Furthermore the entertainment is of dubious quality. Nor can you indulge in gourmet meals. The meat is shipped or flown from New Zealand, and has been kept indefinitely in the freezer. The local waters have been fished out. You can dine expansively on paw-paw (which the Cook Islanders feed to their pigs), oranges, bananas, egg-plant and cucumber — accompanied by fish or meat tinned or frozen in New Zealand. The solution is to take plenty of books. For the Cook Islands do still offer that rarest of commodities — an unhurried, relaxed, and largely uneventful atmosphere. But even this will not last. A new 102-bed hotel is being built seven miles from Avarua on one of the best beaches on the island. Others will probably follow. There will be package tours. The amount of broken glass in

the sand will increase, as will other, less obvious, concomitants of increased tourism. The Cook Islanders are understandably ambivalent about tourism. They will become increasingly cynical as the invasion of their country grows. They will hide their cynicism under an air of studied friendliness which meets the requirements of the tourist brochures. The brochures are noticeable for their paucity now. They will proliferate, but the Cook Islanders may no longer smile and greet you in their unguarded moments as the brochures promise you they will. They certainly will not give you fruit in abundance and look embarrassed when you offer to pay. They call them the “as-always islands.” Even now it cannot possibly be true. It will become less true as tourism creates inevitably another cus-tom-built Pacific Paradise. It will then have nothing to distinguish it from its island neighbours. There are alternative ways of creating independence. But only the Cook Islanders can discover and develop these. At the moment, tourism appears to be the most obvious and easiest way of achieving economic independence. Its results may not be the happiest. The “as-always islands” will become another myth perpetuated by travel brochures.

An on-the-spot inspection of security facilities and passenger processing arrangements at Christchurch Airport was part ot a three-day course for 21 young South Island travel agents which was conducted by the Xew Zealand Travel Industry Training Council in Christchurch last month. The course, under the supervision of the council’s training officer (Mr David Hicks, of Wellington), also included briefings on I.A.T.A. (the International Air Transport Association), ticketing, internal and international reservation procedures, passenger shipping, and hotels.

HEATHER ROBERTS, formerly of Christchurch, makes an on-the-spot assessment of Rarotonga’s tourist potential.