University of Auckland Tuakana Leadership student Lena Wong learned to appreciate her culture growing up in the Cook Islands. But her internship at SPASIFIK gained her a wider perspective of her Pacific heritage.
Sitting on the warm sand of a Rarotongan beach is my ideal. And being able to cruise around the island on a scooter and jump in to a lagoon whenever the sun starts to burn. Life in the Cook Islands was good.
Fast-forward five or so years and I’m sitting in an office as an intern at SPASIFIK Magazine in jeans with a huge box of tissues and a cold. With no tropical heat or brightly colored pareaus’ (sarongs) in sight, I have a 2pm class and a whole heap of books to look forward to this afternoon.
I grew up in the Cook Islands and regardless of how much time I spend away from there it will always be my home. The move to New Zealand to attend high school (St Cuthberts, Epsom) and then University was at the time, heart-breaking. The warmth of the islands and the feeling of being at home is not something easily replicated here in the busy, crowded streets of Auckland, especially when we only have one road that goes right around the island and the only traffic lights you’ll ever see are on the television screen.
The Cooks in itself is only what can be described as paradise, with 15 islands sprawled across a space the size of India, each island has its own personality. Culture and heritage is very much a part of who we are and a visit to any of the islands will certainly prove this. Our tourism industry is one of the most competitive in the Pacific Islands and the range of accommodation, activities and cuisine is diverse, and well exceeds expectations.
Rarotonga is not your typical conservative island community however. Whilst the island is steeped in Christianity and tradition, Cook Islanders are fun people who enjoy socialising and meeting new people. There is a vibrant nightlife every night except Sunday, with Friday being the big night out as clubs close at 2am. Every other night we close at midnight to ensure everyone gets a good rest for work or church the next day. During the day, you can visit the beaches to laze around or for those who are more athletically-inclined there is a vast range of water activities and sports available.
When you’ve had enough of the sand and sunshine the interior of the island offers more to explore. Wigmores waterfall is a popular spot for refreshing dips in fresh water straight off the mountains. You can follow any of the many treks inland, for those who want to go the extra mile the cross island trek is a good few hours of hiking and breath-taking scenery. Although not exactly my idea of a ‘relaxing’ holiday it can be fun to do.
A typical trip to the Cook Islands is incomplete without having visited at least one of the outer islands, with Aitutaki being the most popular. The breath-taking lagoon and abundant marine life has been rated one of the best in the world. Many childhood memories revolve around jumping on a 12-seater plane at Rarotonga ‘International’ Airport for a 45 minute flight to Aitutaki, which for some reason always seemed to be at least four years behind Rarotonga and probably about eight years behind New Zealand. Life there runs on ‘island time’, where your days are filled by numerous lagoon cruises, crab hunting, snorkeling and if it’s the right season – the sweetest mangoes you’ll ever taste.
The Cooks can be anyone’s home away from home. My grandfather once told me, “we Pacific people are special, not because of who we are but because of where we came from.”
My passion for the islands is what drives my degree and choice of internship. I’m proud to be a Pacific Islander and I know that in most families, education is top priority for most of our parents. Being at SPASIFIK, as part of the Auckland University Tuakana Leadership Programme, has shown me a whole new perspective on Pacific Islanders in New Zealand, rather than being seen on Police Ten-7 or in the court pages of the NZ Herald, I got to see the real issues and achievements of Pacific Islanders not only here but over in the islands as well.
Thanks to publisher Innes Logan, his wife Anne, and the SPASIFIK team who made my internship interesting, fun and definitely something I’d recommend to those going through the programme.
Aroanui
• Lena Wong is Australian born with mixed Cook Island (Takitumu, Rarotonga), Fijian, Tahitian and Maori ancestry. The 20 year-old is studying Law and Arts at the University of Auckland.
