Hi members your President took a trip to Raro Tonga and Aitutaki Island over the New Year.
While browsing in the Raro bookshop I found an interesting book entitled “Asia in the Pacific Islands: Replacing the West” By R. G. Crocombe, you can view some of the book with this link;
The book gives a history of Asian trade and migration in the Pacific, then goes on to describe increasing Chinese and Asian dominance of services and finance in these small Pacific Islands.You may have heard Australian grumbling about Chinese construction projects that will be expensive to finance. Whatever the arguments increasing Chinese presence in our Pacific backyard is inevitable..
Photo of “One Foot Island” in Aitutaki Lagoon, Aitutaki Island
Below is a photo of the Cook Islands Coconut Crab. These crabs can be seen on the roads looking for coconuts to eat. Many are squashed by passing traffic.
I hope you enjoyed my photographs, I recommend the Cooks Islands as a great place to relax and go snorkeling. One Foot Island again.
By Andrew Hart, Tauranga
