manea te ei katu.

former prime minister dr terepai maoate looks relaxed, stretching out comfortably next to titikaveka mp robert wigmore. citv's julie taripo and the recently ex-etches scribe, melina, head down for daily cook islands news.

"demo way, the only way" reads the slogan at the kent hall launch of the democratic party for 2004. this seems unlikely in a country with a short history of being split fair down the middle when it comes to preferred party.

the wigmore girls with their floral tribute to the launch.

about 130 people were still inside at the launch by 9.30 after starting at 7.30. another 30 or so were outside, talking, drinking, with no more than 170 people at the whole launch.

vive le demo!

prime minister dr robert woonton at the democratic party launch at the kent hall in titikaveka tonight.

show us the words

pictures can tell a thousand words, but who wants to read all of them? avaikinius hopes to bring you the country's clearest writing on our annual celebration of living, contemporary culture, te maire maeva nui 2004.

how? if an option under consideration by the ministry of cultural development is accepted, a writer with decades of skills in reporting on our cultural affairs will be asked to cover the celebrations.

these are our 39th celebrations, nearly four decades of constitutional self-government, very much a lead-up to 2005.

agency offers website

avaiki nius agency is offering the ministry of cultural development cutting edge publishing tools through blogger.com this offer forms part of a tender for photographic coverage of te maire maeva nui, the premiere cultural event in the cook islands.   ><><><><><><><

atiu action song 

maire maeva nui 04

Te Maire Maeva Nui is the annual celebration of self-government.

Village based teams from around the capital Rarotonga and some representing outer islands gather each year at the national auditorium.

They compete for cultural honours. As well as the annual title, winners also get $10,000 in prize money from Air New Zealand.

Village and island pride plus cash incentives ensure Te Maire Maeva Nui 04 will be hotly contested.

 

 

volcanic reflections in nikao lagoon. 

keeping company: 

bundles of drying bark dot the floor. 

thumbs up for the sewing machine. 

hours, days and weeks of work go into preparations for the maire maeva nui. 

dance champion nooroa prepares a costume. 

sunlight hits a coconut tree as a rainbow disappears into the kuru trees below. 

plaiting rauti 

kiriau dries in the window of au au enua hostel 

mountain 04 

mountain 02 

between a rock and a hard space 

black rock at nikao 

relaxing by the lagoon at nikao 

tangaroa at home 

art work by eruera nia 

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