Guest Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 A few months ago I visited Penryn (Tongareva).I was disappointed to find that yachts are still not allowed to enjoy the lagoon and are restricted to two anchorages.Its a beautiful large lagoon,and getting more beautiful as the human population is in decline.There is now no economic activity there,unless you count weaving natural fibres.The oysters are dead.Exporting fish is uneconomical.No one is harvesting the copra.Its too expensive for tourists to travel there.The only paid jobs are government jobs.Anyone know where the Cook Islands government gets its money? So most of the people have left and most of them have gone to NZ and Oz,and ,of course,they get into Oz through the generous agreement they have with NZ.There are about 500 people remaining in the main village of Omoka and about 300 in the other village.These people mainly live on government wages,remittances from relatives in NZ and Oz and some retirees getting pensions from NZ.Anyone know if a Kiwi can retire to the Cooks and still receive the NZ pension? What I am getting at.....NZ is supporting the place.And there are THOUSANDS of Tongarevans living in NZ and have the same rights and freedoms as me.Imagine the stink there would be if any restrictions were placed on them. So why cant they reciprocate?What do they fear a few visiting yachts might do to their lagoon? Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 So it is not an issue of damage to the Lagoon? Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 It would be a great place to have a retirement villiage or two. That would provide employment and being in a warmer climate probably a lot more comfortable for the aged folks. All they need do is employ young girls to be nurses and dress them in the traditional garb....grass skirts and topless. They would have heaps of work. But seriously , are the yachts to blame for the oysters dying? Link to post Share on other sites
PaulR 3 Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 It would be a great place to have a retirement villiage or two. That would provide employment and being in a warmer climate probably a lot more comfortable for the aged folks. All they need do is employ young girls to be nurses and dress them in the traditional garb....grass skirts and topless. They would have heaps of work.But seriously , are the yachts to blame for the oysters dying? "heaps of work" from all the extra heart attacks . . . . Oh It's so great to know one can die in warmth with a smile on one's face Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 I have never heard of proof of yacht damage in lightly visited places. Pretty much all places that have had problems are close to population centers or used by charterers.At the moment Penrhyn (got the spelling right) gets less than half a dozen yachts a year.If they put out the welcome mat,how many would they get?Maybe 20? It seems to me that NZ has a special relationship with the Cooks and it is one way.And you pay gringo. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 Looks like the population numbers I was given may be high.Cook Islands websites say much smaller population.And with the cost of fuel for outboards the residents cannot afford to get around their lagoon so its getting wilder and more beautiful. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 I have never heard of proof of yacht damage in lightly visited places. Let me rephrase, although I think my question is somewhat answered anyway. I wasn't sure from the original post if the reason behind not being able to anchor was an environmental one or was it that they did not want boats full stop. Is there anywhere else you can anchor or moor or berth, other than the Lagoon?? For instance, Nuie has a mooring field (we have supplied lots of gear for them) so as to minimise damage and that they don't have a lot of room in water shallow enough to anchor in. Coral reefs are getting a lot of protection these days. Even just one or two boats a year create far more damage than can be repaired by the natural growth rate of the coral. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 The risk of damage argument can be used anywhere,not just with coral.You could argue NZ's national parks need to be closed to protect them.Penryhn is not a park.Its always been a regular atoll and residents are free to gather food and anchor anywhere.And they do want visiting boats but they do not want to reciprocate the freedoms they enjoy in NZ.Apart from that they are very friendly and hospitable. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I am not buying the line that Niue is putting in moorings to protect coral.I suspect they are getting some sort of benefit from using that line.They need moorings because their water is too deep for many yachts to anchor.There are only a couple of spots close in with about 75ft. Are they buying any moorings for supply ships? The roadstead at Niue would be a tiny percentage of their total coral which suffers absolutely no anchor damage. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 .They need moorings because their water is too deep for many yachts to anchor. That could well be it. KM knows all the details and he is going up to inpsect the moorings in the NY. Lucky bugger. Link to post Share on other sites
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