The dos and don’ts of whale watching
Tall ship due today
‘Virtues’ workshops for parents and teachers
Shapeshifter news making waves
New Plymouth ‘old boys’ share yarns
Air NZ explains future changes
The Breeze Brothers blow in
CICC news and pictures from the past

Whale expert Nan Hauser has spent more than 20 years tracking, protecting and researching the giant creatures. 07101207

A whale breaches as it enjoys the warm waters of Nikao. 10082011

A whale slaps its powerful tail on the water and if a vessel is too close it will be crushed by the force of the slap. 10082007

Watching whales is an extraordinary experience and a rare privilege.

For locals and visitors alike – watching the majestic humpback whales play in our waters from land is a huge buzz.

But land based whale watchers have been alarmed at the number of times that boats have been seen chasing whales.

And while whale harassment is not a major issue here in the Cook Islands – the bad habit is creeping in.

Local whale researcher Nan Hauser is concerned about the number of reports of boats chasing and therefore harassing whales.

Hauser is not only concerned about the welfare of the whales but for the safety of the people on the vessels.

Careless and ignorant boat handling may not only distract and annoy whales, it can endanger them or threaten to displace them from an area that they have visited for untold generations.

Human activities now intrude on the lives of whales almost everywhere, through hunting, over-fishing, pollution, habitat degradation, underwater noise, and intrusive whale watching.

On the water whale watching guidelines not only protect the whales but also the physical welfare of those aboard the vessels who may be at risk in situations where whales feel harassed.

Whales on occasion have breached unexpectedly on a vessel and rammed small boats right here in the Cook Islands and across the world.

Humpback whales pass by the Cook Islands every year between July and October while they travel through the warmer waters of Oceania to mate, give birth and to rest.

They have migrated over 4000 miles from Antarctica where they have gorged themselves with food for 4 to 6 months and will not eat for the entire 6 months while travelling throughout the warm waters of Oceania.

Mothers and calves are particularly vulnerable to stress as they prepare for their 4000 mile migration back to Antarctica to feed.

The Cook Islands created our own 2 million square kilometer whale sanctuary to protect our annual visitors but if rules and regulations are not adhered closer to home – the whales may not return in their numbers as we have been seeing and enjoying this season.

Hauser believes that small boat owners are not intentionally harassing whales but they should be aware of the rules and regulations about being out on the water around whales.

Hauser, who has over 20 years of experience working with whales, has a special permit issued by the Office of the Prime Minister that allows her to get up close to the whales for the sole purpose of collecting samples for her research, which has cracked the migration of whales through Oceania.

We all have a responsibility to protect whales from harm or harassment whether obliged to by law or not.

A set of guidelines has been prepared in cooperation with the Cook Islands Government, Cook Islands Whale Research, Marine Resources, World Wildlife Fund, NZ Department of Conservation, South Pacific Whale Research Consortium, the Centre for Cetacean Research and Conservation and the Cook Islands Police Department. - MW

Boats and whales

- Approach slowly from the side, never closer than 100 metres (110 yards).

- Whales are free to approach you.

- It is acceptable to stop the boat 300 meters ahead and to one side of the whale and wait quietly for it to pass.

- Never approach a whale head on or directly from behind.

- Never approach, pursue or come between a mother with a calf.

- A whale with a young calf may protect her offspring aggressively if she feels threatened.

- Circling around any whales is forbidden.

- Only one boat should approach one or more individuals at the same time.

- If there are 2 boats present, position yourself ‘one behind the other’ and stay together.

Never have 3 boats around the whales or they head out to sea.

- Never separate a group of whales, cut off their path, or ‘box’ them in.

- Vessels should not be operated at high speeds around the whales.

- Avoid sudden or repeated changes in speed or direction.

Never approach closely with fishing gear out.

- Leave a whale that seems disturbed by your presence.

- Jet skis and jet boats must never approach whales and should stay at least 300 metres away from the animals. The sound is damaging to their ears and interferes with their song and communication.

- Kayaks and paddlers should stay at least 100 metres away from the whales for passenger security, but the whales may very well be curious and approach you!

Swimmers and Divers

Swimmers and divers are forbidden to approach whales or enter the water with a whale.

If the whale approaches someone already in the water, enjoy the encounter but don’t swim toward the whale.

Aggressive behaviour can occur when whales feel threatened or harassed underwater.

Active whales may consider you a threat during their mating season when males compete for females and engage in rough battles.

Please never put your divers in on the whales.

Hot spots for watching whales close

to town

- The Paradise Inn

- The Fishing Club

- Main Street through Avarua

- Trader Jacks

- Black Rock

- Edgewater Resort

The 179-foot sailing ship Picton Castle is due to arrive this morning. 10082004

The Cooks-registered Picton Castle pulls into port this morning, a load of crewmembers and even a movie star onboard.

Vaka Marumaru Atua will sail out to meet the 179-foot tall ship and escort it into the Avatiu harbour.

The ship will be docked here on Rarotonga for 10 days, before it heads to Palmerston and then Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu.

After touring through the South Pacific, she travels to Indonesia, Cape Town, Namibia and then the Caribbean before heading home to Canada in June of next year.

She’s midway into her fifth circumnavigation of the world.

Onboard is a familiar face – actor Billy Campbell, who’s starred in television series The OC, Frazier, Star Trek, Law & Order and a number of hit movies. He’s been to Rarotonga with the Picton Castle once before and is reportedly filming a documentary that tracks the ship’s current voyage.

This journey around the world is reportedly Captain Daniel Moreland’s last. Moreland has been sailing with the Picton Castle since 1997.

• Rachel Reeves

Virtues master facilitators Sheldon and Ellen Ramer with Virtues Cook Islands coordinator Jolene Bosanquet. 10081916

The Virtues Project is holding workshops for parents, caregivers, teachers and community leaders in each vaka from August 25 to September 8.

The free non-denominational workshops are a follow on from the introduction of the Virtues Project in schools.

The Virtues Project is now endorsed by the Ministry of Education. The ministry is inviting more schools to use the virtues after Takitumu School began as the pilot school for the project three years ago.

The idea is for parents and families to reinforce at home the virtues that students are learning at school. The virtues don’t become a school curriculum subject but a way of teaching and reinforcing student development.

Christchurch-based couple Sheldon and Ellen Ramer are joining members of Virtues Cook Islands to help present the workshop programmes which focus on ‘the gifts within and being our best selves’.

“If parents and teachers reinforce the same ideas then the students have a sense of continuity in their learning. They learn who they really are – that they are responsible, they are determined and they have courage and that they are able to use their creativity to learn. We often hear what we are not supposed to do and be and we behave according to what we are told we are,” says Sheldon.

Rather than being put down all the time, youth need to know they are special and have wonderful attributes, says Virtues Cook Islands.

The Virtues Project aims to offer more parent support in the way they encourage their children’s development.

The Virtues Project is a character development programme based in 95 countries. It is a global organisation that offers programmes and materials which help parents to raise morally responsible children, teachers to address spiritual and moral education and organisations to enhance corporate spirit.

Schools throughout the Cook Islands already have copies of The Virtues Project Educators Guide book but the community workshops are aimed at helping families use the virtues in their day to day lives as well.

Apart from the three evening workshops in the vaka, a two-day workshop is also being held in town on August 26-27.

Virtues Cook Islands coordinator Jolene Bosanquet says people can choose to come to the whole two-day workshop or just one of the days. Those who took part in last year’s community workshops may want to take part in the second day of the workshop which focuses on ‘honouring the spirit’ and ‘offering the art of companioning’.

The first day of the workshop will cover the language of virtues, recognising moments to teach virtues and setting clear boundaries in the family. The workshop will be held at the Catholic Church basement in town from 8am-2pm on both days.

The vaka workshops will serve as an introduction to the virtues and are being held at Takitumu School next Wednesday, Rutaki School on September 1 and Avatea School on September 8 – all from 5-7pm.

The Ramers are master facilitators of the virtues. Sheldon is a counsellor and psychotherapist, and Ellen is the administrator of The Virtues Project at the Canterbury Virtues Trust. This is the second year the pair have visited Rarotonga, although Sheldon first came to Rarotonga as a NZ ministry of health representative just over 20 years ago.

• Helen Greig

Shapeshifter is due to arrive on Rarotonga at the end of this month, in time for their September 2 show at Club Raro. Photo Google Images 10082015

News of Shapeshifter’s upcoming Club Raro show is making waves around the island.

Heaps of people have already pre-purchased tickets online and are waiting for them to be shipped from New Zealand, and others are anticipating the arrival of Monday morning, when 88FM will put a limited number of tickets up for sale.

Nick Henry of 88FM will be selling 400 Shapeshifter tickets starting Monday and said he’s already had calls from dozens of people interested in buying them.

He’s just waiting for a shipment of printed tickets to come in from New Zealand and expects to have them by today or tomorrow.

By selling the ready-made tickets, he’s giving concert-goers an opportunity to take home a souvenir ticket stub as a reminder of the Shapeshifter show.

Jaimee Raymond, who organised for Shapeshifter to come over and play a fundraising show in support of the Cook Islands Voyaging Society, said that she’s also had calls from people interested in purchasing tickets.

The Facebook page promoting the Rarotonga Shapeshifter show reports that already close to 100 fans are planning to attend. Even MTV New Zealand is promoting the Rarotonga show on their website.

The band has chartered a Pacific Blue flight that departs Auckland on August 30 to arrive on Rarotonga in time for the September 2. Proceeds from Club Raro show will go toward the purchase of vaka Marumaru Atua.

• Rachel Reeves

Boarding school memories flooded back from about 40 years ago at a reunion of New Plymouth Boys’ High School ex-pupils recently.

Accounts of great rugby games, haka performances by a whole school of boys, army cadet training and corporal punishment in the form of canings were topics that got the group going.

The gathering of half a dozen former students living in Rarotonga was held to coincide with the visit of a former teacher and boarding school house master, Max Carroll, aged 78.

Carroll is still attached to the public boys school in Taranaki as administrator of the development office responsible for the old boys association and for promoting the school’s boarding hostel, which recently celebrated its centenary.

The local past pupils who attended the function were Kau Marurai, Steve Whitta, Phillip Nicholas and John Woods. Other local past pupils include Henry Nicholas (Phillip’s older brother), Henry Puna and Lester Dean.

Carroll’s visit to Rarotonga was organised by Muri couple Jim and Noeline Gladney, who worked and lived in New Plymouth for many years and became good friends with the retired teacher and his old school mate Phil Barnes. The visit doubled as a chance for Carroll to put the word out to local parents who may want to send their sons to a solid secondary school outside of New Zealand’s main cities.

For more information about NPBHS, email Carroll on: development@npbhs.school.nz

• John Woods

Air New Zealand manager Cook Islands David Bridge was the Cook Islands Business and Professional Women’s Association (BPW) guest speaker at its general meeting on Monday.

Bridge was invited to talk about the airlines’ history in the Cooks as well as recent changes to its operations.

The meeting held at Cafe Salsa was well attended by new and current BPW members including several former presidents.

Bridge shed more light on the most recent changes at the airline such as the new one piece baggage allowance, the new plane interior’s and seats on some flights and the new choices of products on short haul flights.

His description of the challenge to fly ‘metal tubes’ full of people from one point to another was part of his entertaining and informative presentation.

Bridge told BPW that the 2009 airline of the year award winner aims to have world class customer service and is pursuing this by investing and making a huge commitment to staff development. Bridge says Air NZ chief executive Rob Fyfe has stated the award – just one of about 30 it scored last year – was a tribute to its 11,000 staff.

“The plan is to have world class customer service, re-engineer the business, review networks, be number one in our chosen markets, align our culture with our brand, and explore new partnerships.”

“Our investment in people, product and service paid dividends.”

Air New Zealand has been flying to the Cook Islands since 1951 when the first TEAL flying boats service was introduced.

It’s come a long way since then – its aircraft are going through extensive upgrades – inside and out.

The airline is planning its ground breaking changes to its B-777 aircraft used for long haul flights which include changing its seats, cabins interiors and food. These are going to be made from November.

Bridge said the airline had to challenge every aspect of its current service to result in the new generation of interiors.

The airline has a great relationship with the Cook Islands and the consultative group it holds discussions with regularly, said Bridge.

Air NZ spends a considerable amount in sponsorship in the local community and its largest sponsorship now is that of the annual Tourism Awards.

Along with new uniforms the airline is also looking at changes to its long haul seats which include the new Skycouch in economy class, the Spaceseat in premium economy and the upgraded lie flat seat in business class. On-demand food from new menus is another change – but long haul flights will also include a Kids Club – where kids can go to another section of the plane for activities during the flight.

The new baggage allowance announced recently was also a subject that Bridge was questioned on at the BPW meeting.

“As part of the purchase price of the class of ticket each passenger receives an allowance to check in a certain number of bags with a maximum weight of 23kg. Charges apply for extra pieces and overweight pieces. Class of travel and passenger status dictates if additional free allowances apply. A sporting allowance also applies – those with sports equipment only pay half of the $75 charged for the first excess piece of baggage.”

Under the old system two 23kg pieces would mean 26kg would be charged as excess – a whopping $260 charge said Bridge.

New Choices product on shorthaul flights will be unveiled shortly and the BPW members and guests had a preview of what’s to come. Passengers will soon have a choice of buying a ticket that covers ‘seat only, no bag’, ‘seat plus bag’, ‘seat, bag, movie, and meal’ and even a choice of getting lounge access and an empty adjacent seat on top of that.

On the night Bridge and his team from Air New Zealand gave away prizes of backpacks, cabin bags, flash drives, umbrellas and two flight upgrades.

BPW president Dawn Baudinet says she has already had a lot of feedback on the presentation and the association is grateful for the Air NZ team’s time and energy.

The general meeting was the first since the BPW AGM in May. The new executive of BPW includes vice presidents Theresa Barrett and Trish Barton, secretary Helen Greig, treasurer Kelly Bullivant, and committee members Jenner Davis, Andrea Cruz and Teina Mackenzie. BPW is encouraging more membership as it continues with its plan to relaunch the Business Woman of the Year award.

• Helen Greig

Photos Junior Marsters 10082002

The Breeze Brothers reckon Rarotonga is the perfect place to make music.

New Zealand musician Robin Tripp and Yorkshire percussionist Chris Bold are The Breeze Brothers, a newly-formed band that will be playing around the island this month.

Chris Musselle of Waterline, co-founder of Open Mic Nite, heard Tripp’s music in a New Zealand bar, approached him and invited him to come to Rarotonga.

When Tripp arrived on the island, he met Musselle’s son Tane, also a musician, who was keen to collaborate on and record a song Tripp had been writing.

They asked Sid Limbert and Nik Brown of The Warratahs – the popular Kiwi band that was on the island last week – to record the song with them and along the way picked up Bold, who was on the island playing some gigs.

Limbert, Musselle, Bold, Tripp and Brown recorded the track, titled ‘Love Slips Away’, and Musselle engineered the sound.

“Because of Rarotonga this has all happened,” Tripp said. “The community vibe and the people who supported us made it happen and that’s quite a special thing. You wouldn’t get that in New Zealand.”

Tripp said that a recording session like that often takes months to coordinate, but on Rarotonga it was a breeze.

“We came over here, as lost souls, really, and it just came together,” he said. “The Warratahs were here for only a week and didn’t really have the time but made the time. It was just magical – it was bigger than the sum of the individual parts.”

And of the recording session The Breeze Brothers was born.

‘Love Slips Away’ aired on 88FM this week.

The Breeze Brothers will be playing gigs at Waterline every Saturday and a few other venues in the coming weeks. They’d like to thank Chris Mussell for his hospitality.

• Rachel Reeves

This photo is a duplicate from CICC Mission House museum, Takamoa, and is of the House of Ariki in the late 1960s. (Standing left to right) Pepeu Ariki (Pukapuka), Fairoa Tewhaingaitu Ariki (Manihiki), (?), Tepou Vakatini Ariki (Avarua),Tinomana Tepai Ariki (Arorangi), (?), Paora Ngamaru Ariki (Atiu). (Sitting left to right) Kainuku Tamati Ariki (Takitumu), Margaret Karika Ariki (Avarua), Teremoana Makea Ariki (Avarua), Numangatini Louisa Ariki (Mangaia), Pa Terito Ariki (Takitumu). Ariki

1970 Boys Brigade Officers and Cadets Training Camp at Avarua Primary School. (Sitting left to right) Pae Tuteru, Teariki Jacob, Sonny Ebera, Mareva Marevatai, Tangaroa Tangaroa, Baker Kaitamaki, Mata Takairangi, Metuatai Cummings, Tereapii Moe. (Standing left to right) Anau Manarangi, Mia Tuteru, Pania David, Joe Tetauru, Nio Moutira, William Vogel, Rei Jack. boys brigade one boys brigade one

The Cook Islands Christian Church recently released its latest newsletter highlighting some of the events that has been happening in the different CICC churches across the Cook Islands.

The newsletter edited by Nga Mataio also included a section ‘history in photos’.

The segment included photos of a Boys Brigade trip to Tahiti in 1967 and training camp in 1970 supplied to the newsletter by William Vogel Snr of the Matavera Church.

Thank you to Nga Mataio for sharing the newsletter and photos with us.

• Matariki Wilson