Welcome to the Cook Islands Herald

HERALD WEEKLY ISSUE 436 : 03 December 2008

Our People

Since this week is Tiare Week, CI Herald brings you an exclusive interview with Tina Matapo nee Numanga, the first Miss Tiare crowned in 1991- here’s her story on the first ever pageant held 17-years ago and its comparison over the years to 2008.
Many changes to the pageant and its categories is one of the main comparisons the first ever Maine Tiare, Tina Matapo can automatically think of. Having being the first Maine Tiare in 1991, she says one of the main emphasis on contestants were their natural beauty and its main highlight being ‘to have fun.’
Matapo, 17-years on from the crowning has now moved into becoming a successful businesswoman taking on the newly renovated Tile Centre, formally the Tile Shop. Matapo told CI Herald that during the 1991 pageant, she was represented as Miss Bougainvillea and hailed from Vaka Takitumu and sponsored by Airport Authority.
During the earlier years, Matapo recalls flowers being available in plentiful compared to now, as back then, there were less developed sites and flowers were grown in large numbers along both the main roads and back roads. The pageant which drew in large crowds was held at the CITC carpark before moving to the Are Karioi Nui in 1993, after being built in 1992. She says that in all, there were over 10 contestants, who participated, including Heidi-Rose Henry, Dorice Tschan, Mii Shepherd and Ana Raina. She says, one of the first prizes included a promotional tour to Australia in whereby they helped promote the Cook Islands through travel shows.
Matapo recalls wearing a muu’muu dress on the day which was one of the main requirements, and compares the dress worn by her to the ones the young contestants wear today – and says how ‘modified and much nicer,’ the dressers are today compared to those worn in the early years. Another comparison she makes is the inclusion of the talent and wearable arts section to the Miss Tiare pageant as in the early days as she refers it to did not include any of these, and comments how dedicated the girls are towards the pageant compared to that 17-years ago, when one of the main draw-cards was to ‘have fun.’
Having had being chaperoned by Moari Allsworth Snr and registered to enter the pageant by Dianna Clarke, Matapo told of how one of her biggest supporters was her close family and friends and the encouragement she had from Allsworth is what contributed to her taking out the title.
Having can’t remember the detailed events behind the pageant, the proud wife and mum, recalls how life returned to normal afterwards.
However this year, Matapo has offered to take on sponsoring her own Miss Tiare contestant, Kirsten Tangapiri as Miss Tiare Tipani, and is wishing her all the best for this years pageant and best of luck to all our Maine Tiare beauties.

Herald Issue 436 03 December
- Tupa back as Acting Director
- Government may back Taio Shipping bid for vessel
- Adaptation: major focus for Cooks in Poznan
- Doubts over Doctors diagnosis raised!
- Chamber concerned at Government intervention