New Island Landmark For Rarotonga

From W. H. PERCIVAL, in Rarotonga

Rarotonga has got its head in the clouds with a new radio mast —350 feet high. The mast was

completed on April 7 despite

rain, squalls, and one or two mis- , n na P s - THE mast is part of a new radio broadcasting station on Rarotonga, work on which started in March. It is located in the school grounds of Matavera village—selected because no hills lie between the new station and the outlying islands of the Cook group.

Although the new station won’t be in operation before 1968, the erection of the mast itself has given some people all the excitement they want The mast was imported in sections from the United States and erected on the site. A block and tackle arrangement, operated by a tractor, pulled each section to its new position.

Although eight inches of rain fell in March, when most work on the mast was done, and there were wind gusts of more than 30 miles per hour, the mast went steadily higher under the leadership of Muri Waka, a Fijian resident of Rarotonga, who was in charge of the rigging crew.

Mr. Waka is normally employed as a h ™ a £ a s ge £ o {ear of heights be. ca use of his former experience as a seaman.

Muri Waka is one leader this writer refuses to follow—vertically speaking. On the morning of April 4 when the mast was already 270 ft high, I arrived at the scene to find Muri Waka already two-thirds of the way up, the wind slapping khaki drill trousers against his legs as he climbed slowly, pausing frequently to rest, It is impracticable to knock off for a “smoko” when you are perched 200 ft from the ground on a vertical steel mast, because it takes so long to get there. The riggers disregarded the smoko when aloft, but descended on occasions when wind and lashing rain made life a bit too uncomfort able.

There was a near mishap one windy day when a bag of bolts which dropped from the mast was carried over the school and crashed like shrapnel through the fibrous cement of the roof. Nobody was hurt, luckily.

The mast is fully insulated and forms its own aerial. Six anchors and 24 stay wires will keep it there as a new island landmark.