Te Maeva Nui leaves a lasting impression on visitors

The 2024 Te Maeva Nui opening ceremony left a lasting impression on most visitors, allowing them to witness first-hand the uniqueness of Cook Islands culture.

According to a visiting New Zealand Maori couple, the event highlighted the connections between Pacific Island nations.

Lloyd Smith and Aroha Yates-Smith have been in Rarotonga for about a month, and just days before leaving they had one of the highlights of their trip, witnessing the country’s most important event of the year.

This was not their first visit to the island, but it was their first time to witness the cultural festival, especially the grand opening ceremony held yesterday, which included the annual parade of floats and activities such as dance and traditional competitions.

Yates-Smith highlighted the similarities between Cook Islands culture and Maori culture, adding that Cook Islands culture has different connections and similarities with other cultures in the Pacific.

“It’s so beautiful here, I can’t get enough of it. I walk around just to see all the graceful dance moves and how some of the moves and tunes are similar to those people do back home in New Zealand,” she said.

“Also, it’s amazing to be here, looking out to the ocean from the remains of our ancestors and seeing the beautiful mountains across the ocean.

“The essence of that beauty is beyond words and hearing the beautiful music brings me back to Hawaii, Aotearoa and Tahiti, which shows the connection between the Pacific Island nations. Even some of the words we use are very similar.

“We’ve been here a few times and this is our first time witnessing Te Maeva Nui, it’s really great.”

Smith emphasized not only the beauty of the culture but also the beauty of the environment and the connection between the dancers and the people who witnessed the event.

He said: “It’s very exciting and a great introduction to this great competition and it’s really thrilling to watch the show, the sound, the colours and the dancing are incredible.”

“There are a few things that are really beautiful, one is the landscape, two is the sea, and three is the intersection of the two.

“It’s been great from the moment the language is taught to young people earlier and young people hear more people speaking the language. The second thing is the roses on the roadside.

“My favorite part about the parade is the interaction of people watching and dancing along with the dancers in the parade.”