Rarotonga bids

Matson goodbye

Matson’s cruise ship Mariposa made its last call at Rarotonga on September 28 and on Novem ber 15 its sister ship Monterey is to visit the island for the last time.

Almost 10 years ago the SS Monterey made the first scheduled call of a Matson liner at Rarotonga and, since that time, more than 40,000 Matson passengers have been entertained on board by youth club dancers from the various districts of Rarotonga. During that decade the two sister ships also took 2,222 Cook Islanders to New Zealand and beyond.

To commemorate the Mari posa’s last call, the Cooks* Minister of Internal Affairs and Tourism, Mr. T. A. Henry, went on board and presented the ship’s master with a carved statuette of the Polynesian god, Tangaroa.

Matson’s Pacific services have been taken over by the Pacific Far East Line and Rarotonga will not now be on the route of either ships.