Sold on Raro

Listeners to Bob Sell’s former radio talk back show in New Zealand want to know where he is and what he is doing. On Tuesday morning, 5am Cook Islands time all was revealed.
Robert (Bob) Sell, was famous in New Zealand as a restaurateur who at one time owned 16 restaurants in Auckland and Wellington has for the past eight or so years made his home in Rarotonga.
Sell was famous for Fisherman’s Wharf on Auckland’s North Shore and also the Hungry Horse in the central city where during his time some 300 Cook Islanders worked.
Sell also was a talk back host on Radio Pacific in Auckland for five years. He worked the shift from midnight to 5am from Monday to Friday when John Banks would then replace him for the morning show.
During Sell’s time on Radio a survey revealed he had an audience of just over 200,000 listeners nationwide. Two topics he did not touch were politics and religion.
Radio Pacific now has the name “Radio Live” and at 5am on Tuesday Sell was contacted and interviewed for 15 minutes by Ewing Stephens one of the founders of Radio Pacific.
Sell told the Herald on Tuesday evening he was surprised to learn from Stephens that many people had been asking after him. They had asked where he was and what he was doing.
Sell said he told the radio’s listeners that Rarotonga was without doubt the cleanest and prettiest island in the Pacific and he had no desire to live any where else.
Sell told the Herald he had considered settling in Fiji but decided on the Cook Islands because of his association with the Cooks which began in 1965 when he was asked by Sir Albert Henry to recommend a site for a new tourist hotel (later the Rarotongan). Sell recommended the site where the Rarotongan is now as his first choice, Muri, was ruled out by Sir Albert who said building a hotel on Muri beach would not be allowed.
During Sell’s visit, Sir Albert asked him to manage the old Hotel where the Banana Court is now, for a short spell so the then manager could take a holiday.
Bob Sell, who served in the British Merchant Navy during the second world war, happily resides on the beachside in Kii Kii and still leads an active life for a 92 year old.

Herald Issue 463 10 June
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