Manihiki Diary

By Rangi Mitaera Johnson

It never ceases to amaze me about the beauty Manihiki provides for her people. What a fantastic way to spend a weekend. Some would call it going bush, but I’d like to call it going Indiana Johnson! The three of us packed our mekameka’s in one of our boats and took off to one of the Motu’s here in Manihiki. Tapuaeka is situated on the south/western side of Manihiki.
Day on a Motu
Neither Tukao or Tauhunu are any comparison to Tokyo or Paris, with the hustle and bustle of city life - I’ve been to both cities so I know what their like. I suppose it’s just the separation from a community and being isolated from your neighbours and the occasional motorbike passing by that makes one realise that we really do live in a beautiful and delicate island. Every time I visit one of the many Motu’s on Manihiki, I am reminded of the many people that once lived here and did the very same thing that I’m doing. My husband told me a little story when we passed a little Motu. He told me that his father told him that many years ago, because there were so many people living in Manihiki, there were over 2000 people living on this one Motu. And just for arguments sake, for those of you who live in Rarotonga, that’s about half the size of Taakoka in Muri. I couldn’t believe it, but he said if one was to look very closely on all the Motu’s, there are many old graves where a generation suddenly disappeared. Today all of the Motu’s, excluding the motu’s where the two main villages are located are uninhabited. Some areas are strictly Reserve areas and some have Raui. For example, Motu Borea. This Motu has a fresh water pond located right in the centre of the island. It is the breeding ground for our Ava or Milk Fish. The island council of Manihiki has implemented a strict Raui on this Motu to control the production and growth of Milk Fish. So no one can even step foot on the island. The air is so clean and crisp that it’s so unbelievable to breath, the growth of coconut trees and natural foliage just produces the perfect shots that one would only see in glossy magazines of New York. On arrival we quickly prepared our shelter for the evening. It was a make-shift “kapakapa fare” propped up with some rope and a piece of tarpaulin we brought and nikau. I made a thermos of hot water, so a nice hot cuppa was the first thing we wanted to drink. The air was getting cool and I know there was something pleasant we were experiencing – Yes, there were no flies or mosquitoes. What an amazing feeling. We had our dinner before we left home so we were quite comfortable and ready to knock out. I was tired by this stage so a little dip was on the agenda. Hemere had brought her pocket size game from home, so after her kaukau she was entertained and comfortable. My husband & I went for a little swim in this quiet little cove – we were then looking up towards the sky and realised that we were witnessing one of the most amazing sights, better than any movie or DVD! And we had the best seats in the house. We later settled into our kapakapa fare and rested so that we could wake up at 6am to put our net out. We were close to an outlet so it would be a matter of minutes to unpack our kupenga and then wait for the fish. By about 9am, we packed our bits and pieces and returned home with a good catch of Maringa and John rahi.
Fuel, fish and the basics
Visitors on the island made comment the other day that she was astonished with the lifestyle we live here, the abundance of seafood, and the variety of ways that we cook food that is available to us. Until my cousin read my very first journal, she didn’t really picture, what kind of life I was living up here. She is pleased to say, that she is actually experiencing it first-hand. It’s the variety of fish, and of course reef fish is so different from ocean fish. The different ways it has been prepared for her group and watching the preparations. But I must say, if you don’t like seafood and am not used to gathering or foraging for food, or appreciate the simple things in life, then it may be best that you stay in Rarotonga where you can go down the road and buy takeaways or walk into a supermarket. The other matter you would have to consider is that sometimes we run out of things on the island. Just the simplest of things that people in Rarotonga would take for granted. At the moment there is a shortage of fuel namely Diesel to run our generators and Petrol for fishing, transport and working on our farms. You are most probably wondering how we can go about doing all this fishing and gathering of food when there is a shortage of fuel. But I must explain, that we are very conscious about fuel usage and we use very wisely. When we do go out, we make sure we use a small boat that doesn’t use too much fuel. For example, when we gather Paua we also gather uto and other things from the land so that the trip is worthwhile. Most of the bigger farmers here do have a little petrol, and are very cautious with its use. We were fortunate that Te Kukupa paid us a visit recently. It brought some much needed Diesel and some staple foods for a couple of the shops. Now, we are getting phone calls from families in Rakahanga and Penrhyn asking that when we come on the Lady Naomi, can we bring some food for them. I mean, can you imagine running out of basic things like bath soap, dishwashing liquid, toothpaste and toilet paper? Well, some people are experiencing this right now. It’s something that I have been accustomed to now. Sometimes there is no sugar or milk. Now, I go without both of these pleasures and more recently, tea and coffee. So why do I like living here, well apart from the fact that this is where our business is based, my husband is the only person in his family who decided to come back home to live. He once told me that when he was young he always followed his father, fishing, sailing and gathering food. He had to feed the pigs, help with the cooking and really living off the land. Now, he has a real appreciation for everything his father taught him. I really enjoy the lifestyle, the abundance of seafood and not relying on the fancy lifestyles that dictate the lives of those that live in the big smoke. Been there, done that and I don’t want to go back there. I’m so pleased that my three kids grew up here and speak Manihikian.
Ready for the Ferry
It is 10pm now and tomorrow, the Lady Naomi will arrive into Manihiki with her passengers from Pukapuka. We’ve been struggling today to re-organise our cargo since finding out that the Lady Naomi has no winch to lift cargo on board. All cargo will have to be man-handled on board. Not an easy job to do especially when there is so much to load, but also it means that things will have to be put into smaller and more manageable parcels or containers so that at least two people can lift up to the sides of the ship. Most of the outer islands do not have a wharf where ships can come in and Manihiki is no different. The Lady Naomi is a Passenger Ferry with facilities to lower her bow so that cargo can be driven directly inside. Unfortunately, that will not happen here in Manihiki, so there may be a difference in cargo that is brought to Rarotonga and returned. The Manihiki Tere Party is ready and is standing by to board the Lady Naomi. It has been a wonderful couple of months of practices and tripping over to Tauhunu to sing our lungs out. Everyone here is excited to come to Rarotonga to take part in Te Maire Maeva Nui. We are proud to represent out island, our people and our culture. We look forward to sharing with you “Te au akairo no taku Matakeinanga”.

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