Cook Islands Migrants

Prefer It De Luxe

By Johnny Frisbie and Carl Hebenstreit

In terms of ease and comfort, there has never been an emigration movement quite like the one now in full swing from the Cook Islands to New Zealand.

TNLIKE most of today’s migrants J who travel in special migrant lips or the tourist class sections of sgular liners, the majority of the )ook Islanders going to New Zealand re travelling in the luxury of the two latson liners, Mariposa and Mon key. Often they occupy the best abins on board.

In this, they have little choice as erths in the Government ship Moana loa are scarce and the waiting list 5 long. , , Of some 800 Maoris who left the :ook Islands in 1961 for new lives q New Zealand, nearly 550 paid out m estimated £35,000 passage money or the privilege. The figure for 1962 vill probably be even higher.

One might suppose that such large numbers of emigrant natives thrust into company with comparatively well-to-do and sophisticated travellers from abroad would create unhappy problems between the islanders and regular passengers and with the ship’s crew.

But although there is occasional friction generated by an individual passenger, or a rare remark by a dis gruntled crew member about the “brown orang-outangs”, these troubles are results of a strictly minority “Ox ford, Mississippi” mentality and do not reflect the general shipboard opinion about the dark-skinned pas sengers.

Says Mariposa Chief Purser James

Yonge: “We feel Cook Islanders should have access to every facility available on this ship. After all, they’re paying for it and deserve all the pleasures we have to offer.”

But very often it is the islanders who make things more pleasant for the rest of the ship.

Impromptu island dances and songs fill the ship from morning to late into the night.

And although a regular passengar may sometimes complain when 6 a.m. brings guitar music and spirited laughter from the passageways, most feel the presence of the island Maoris adds a good dash of romance to the four-day trip between Rarotonga and Auckland.

The Americans, in particular, seem most beguiled by the Cook Islanders.

So do the Australians. Less impressed are the New Zealand passengers, most of whom are familiar with Maoris on their home ground.

The Cook Islanders themselves are usually proud to be aboard. Some treat the trip as a first ... or a last fling.

Others regard it more as a “debut” or “coming out into the world” party and want all Iheir friends to know they are travelling “on the Matson”

This , Yes

Most Cook Islands migrants to New ?land do not mind paying up to £l0 a passage in the Matson liner ?onterey" (pictured against the back ?p of Rarotonga's mountains) or in her ?er ship "Mariposa" as it may be the ?y taste of the high life they'll ever have.

But Not This

A passage from Rarotonga to Auck land in the Government ship "Moana Roa" (left) costs only £40, but Cook Islands migrants prefer to travel "on the Matson" because of the prestige con nected with the venture.