Mangaia Island triples in size: for its bicentennial celebrations, the island is ready to receive 1,000 tourists

A festive atmosphere filled the island of Mangaia today as hundreds of people arrived for the long-awaited bicentennial celebrations and the official opening ceremony.

Air Rarotonga general manager Ivan Smith said they had 64 Bandaranaike flights to Mangaia from Monday until next Tuesday. They would start return flights a few days later.

Smith said the airline had carried about 700 passengers and five tons of cargo this week alone.

Mangaia Island executive officer Anthony Whyte said the island was packed with people.

They included tourists and families from Rarotonga, New Zealand and Australia, who came to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of^day Anniversary of the arrival of Christianity on Mangaia Island.

The celebrations will last for a week and will end on June 15th.

Rehearsals for the Mangaia Bicentennial Celebrations begin today. Mangaia Bicentennial Celebrations/24060726

“We have about 500 people on the island and we know that there will be an extra 1,000 people here for the bicentenary celebrations, so we have tripled our numbers,” White told Cook Islands News.

“There are about 300 to 400 people who are here officially to celebrate the bicentennial, and the rest are mostly family members who are having their own celebrations and reunions on this momentous occasion.

“There are various activities scheduled throughout the week and everyone is excited and looking forward to it.”

White said the island has imported a large amount of goods over the past few weeks to ensure there is enough supply for everyone on the island.

Fresh sashimi. Mangaia Bicentennial Celebration/24060728

“We have a lot of freight going back and forth… We have had ships (Tapi Taio Shipping) and barges coming in almost every week for the past two months,” he said.

“We have a full cold storage room, a 24-foot container filled with meats like chicken, pork, beef, and another container filled with dry goods.”

The island government also built a smaller dome (modeled after Tupapa’s) for major events.

White said the item cost them about $18,000 and was purchased from China last year.

T’s Cafe, 50 metres from the King’s Palace, was packed this week. Mangaia Bicentennial Celebration/24060731

Assembly of the dome was completed this week and decoration work began yesterday, with testing of the sound system and video. The event will be live streamed on Facebook.

White said the event is also good for business.

“All the bikes and cars were rented out and the accommodation was full. We also used school buses to ferry people from one village to another, operating from 6am to 6pm.

The hall is prepared to receive visiting guests. Mangaia Bicentennial Celebration/24060723

“The coffee shop has been busy, we are setting up a market with exhibitions, and the fruit stalls and the market on the island have been busy.

“We’ve never seen anything like this before. We’ve hosted events like the Manea Games and the Tri Series, which have been great experiences for us, but this is definitely the best. It’s far exceeded our expectations.”

Budget accommodation Babes Place in Mangaia has four motel rooms and a large two-bedroom family home with lounge and dining area, all of which are rented out.

The accommodation also runs a shop which has run out of essentials and had to have some basic items airlifted in this week.

“There are other private accommodations on the island and they are all fully booked. We have never seen anything like this before.”

Visitors from overseas enjoy breakfast at Mangaia Island. Mangaia Island Bicentennial Celebration/24060724

The organizing committee said in a statement that the faces of people coming off the plane were filled with anticipation and excitement, including Mangaia people who left as children and now returned with their grandchildren.

“Many have not been on the island their entire lives, and some have never even set foot on the island,” the committee said.

“The event was originally scheduled to open on June 8, with the closing ceremony scheduled for the 15th. However, some groups continued to arrive even after the closing ceremony – as they were unable to book flights before and during the festivities.”

The committee said it was fully committed to the people of Mangaia and was finalising last-minute details to ensure the programme went ahead smoothly from today.

“So far, we have reserved 22 accommodation places for visiting groups. If we count the number of tourists coming to the island, it is around 700. These are Puna Hall, Church Hall and Mangaia School. This number does not include people staying with their families and those staying in private accommodation.”

“The island has been expecting and anticipating this influx of people. We are ready for it,” said Numangatini Ariki Tereapii Tangitamaiti.

“We need a day or two to adjust some elements in the plans and programs, but I have faith in my staff. They will rally together because their hearts are good and we will have a grand opening because of him.

“We honor Jesus with our hearts, so we do our best.”

A worker tests the sound system at the main stadium, where the opening ceremony and other events will be held. Mangaia Bicentennial Celebrations/24060725

Today’s opening ceremony was scheduled to begin with the “Drum of Peace” at 4am. The ceremony will start at Mangaia Harbour and move through Tawaenga, the hospital, the school, Pata, Kea, Kaumata, Tamarua, Iwirua and finally back to Oneroa, followed by a flag-raising ceremony at all CICC venues, including the main Bicentennial Stadium.

The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place from 1pm to 6pm. The opening ceremony will include introductions of all groups, theme songs, the launch of the Bicentennial Book, entertainment and an island party. The opening ceremony will end with a fireworks display at 7pm.