O Tahiti expands horizons

On August !, 1964, E. “Buzz”

Miller founded Echoes of Polynesia, which enjoys the distinction of having been “French Polynesia’s first and only periodical in English”. The magazine, which was later re-named O Tahiti, has now been published con tinually as a quarterly for 10 years.

O Tahiti, which has its material carried in parallel English and French versions, covers general interest areas, as well as some items about current developments in French Polynesia.

The tourist trade is the main target for O Tahiti so its vision is limited by the constraints imposed by such a sec tor.

In the last issue for 1976, the magazine made an adjustment, which seems to be intended to capitalise upon the projected expansion of tourism in Rarotonga.

Miller has now published two periodicals O Tahiti and Rarotonga and Rarotonga. The first magazine carries the usual material of O Tahiti, with an additional 12-page “Rarotonga Section”.

The second magazine uses the same cover picture and uses the Rarotonga material from the omnibus section.

The larger version deserves critical examination. Ralph Varady has provided “Hokule’a expose migration proof or hoax?”, in which he raises in some depth and with con siderable vigour and critical com

merit, the doubts that must be felt in many minds about simulated or “duplicated'’ Polynesian canoe voyages. It is an article which should be read as a point of reference to the October, 1976, article in National Geographic, “Hokule'a follows the stars to Tahiti”, and PI M’s articles on the same subject.

O Tahiti and Rarotonga also in cludes George Logue's “The little grass shack,” which examines the transformation of the native-style ac commodation used by tourists in French Polynesia. There is a six-page photographic essay composed by Buzz Miller which must have been designed to titillate the fancies of tourists who have visions of unclad female Polynesian figures abounding on coral strands.

Rarotonga is also published in French and English versions and perhaps it will persuade some French tourists to use the Air New Zealand service from Papeete to Rarotonga and, thereby, visit a less-sophisticated Polynesian country.

This first edition of Rarotonga con tains mainly introductory and descriptive material and it is unfor tunate that several elementary errors have been made. However, Miller has admitted that he is aware of these failings and that future issues will be more severely edited.

w. G. Coppell.