Ko tāku i rauka mai nō tōku tere mua ki Taratoni.
What I got from my first trip to New Caledonia.

(What I got from my first trip to New Caledonia)
What I got from my first trip to New Caledonia.

I te mataiti 2000, kua ꞌaere atu au ki Taratoni (that's New Caledonia) nō te Pacific Arts Festival nā roto i te tere o te Kuki Airani.
In the year 2000 I went to New Caledonia for the Pacific arts festival in the Cook Islands' travelling  party.

Ko tōku taime mua tēia i te ꞌaere ki tēia ꞌenua.
This was the first time I'd been to this country.

Kāre tēia i te tere mataora nō mātou.
This wasn't a happy trip for us.

Nō te me kāre mātou i ꞌāriki meitakiꞌia mai ana e te au tangata Varani e noꞌo ana i reira.
Because we were not well cared for by the French people who live there.

E kapiki ana rātou ē ꞌe Caldoches
They are called Caldoches.

Nā te Varani ꞌoki e ꞌakaꞌaere ana i tēia ꞌenua.
This land is administered by the French.

Tē meitaki ꞌua ara te ꞌārāveiꞌanga a te ꞌiti tangata Kanak
The greeting from the Kanaks was good,

(ko te Māori tērā o tērā ꞌenua).
(those are the Indigenous people of that land)

i a matou i kō i te ngāꞌi tauꞌanga paꞌīrere, inārā, i muri mai i te au ngāꞌi tā mātou ka ꞌaere (ē) kāre mātou i ꞌākono meitakiꞌia ana.
while we were at the airport, but after that, in the places we went to, we were not well looked after.

Mē ꞌakarongo koe i te tū o te ngāteitei i te ꞌārikiꞌanga a te Kuki Airani i te au tere tei tae mai ki konei nō te festival i te mataiti 1992...
If you listen to the stories about how excellent the welcome by the Cook Islands was to the groups who had come here for the festival in 1992,

Kua karangaꞌia mai ki āku ē nā tātou, nā te Kuki Airani, te festival meitaki roa atu.
it was said to me that we, the Cook Islands, held the very best festival.

Kua ꞌakaruke tō mātou paꞌīrere i a Nuti Reni i te ora ꞌā i te māiāta ē  kua tae atu mātou ki te ngāꞌi ka noꞌo mātou i roto i tētaꞌi ꞌāua ꞌāpiꞌi e toru ngaꞌuru kirimetera i vaꞌo ake i a Noumea (te ꞌōire nui roa atu tēia i reira). mei te ora, mei tuaeroaero  paꞌa
Our plane left New Zealand at 4am and we arrived at the place, we would stay, a school hostal, 30 km outside Noumea, the largest city there, at about midday.

ꞌE nui ꞌua atu te au tere nō tētaꞌi au ꞌenua kekē tei noꞌo katoa ki roto i tēia ꞌāua ꞌāpiꞌi.
There were several parties from various countries staying at that school hostal.

Kua roa mātou i te noꞌo i te tiaki i tō mātou au pi'a moe kia tāmāꞌia;
We stayed for ages to sort out our beds to be cleaned.

kāre ra te au tangata tāmā i tae vave mai ana.
The cleaners hadn't been in time.

Tō mātou riri ma te ro'iro'i, kua totoro atu ki roto i tetai ꞌua atu pia kāre e tangata i roto e kua takoto atu ki raro.
We were angry and tired and crawled into some other beds where there weren't any people and lay down.

Ko tō mātou au ro'i ꞌe sponge angiangi ꞌua.
Our beds were just thin sponges.

Mamae te tua i te takoto ki runga i te taꞌua tīmēni   i roto i tēia au pi'a ꞌāpiꞌi ꞌaunga ꞌongoꞌongo.
Our backs were sore from lying on the concrete floor in these stinky classrooms.

Kua ꞌakakiteꞌia mai ki āku i muri mai ē,
It was explained to me later that,

ꞌe ꞌāpiꞌi tēia nō te tamariki tamāroa ꞌua;
this is a single sex boys school

ꞌE ūmere tikāi au i te ꞌaunga; e mimi ꞌua ana pa'a te tamariki tamāroa ki roto i (te) tō rātou ngāꞌi ꞌāpiꞌipiꞌiꞌanga!
The stink was incredible, perhaps those boys has pissed in their classroom.

E toru rā i āku i te ꞌakakoromakiꞌanga i te māniania i roto i tēia ngāꞌi,
For three days I coped with the noise in this place

te rekakore o te kai, te mamae o tōku tua;
the tasteless food and the back pain

kāre rava tōku-tāku moe e ānga ana, pērā kāre te kōpū ꞌe kī i tā rātou mānga rekakore.
My sleep was insufficient, maybe I wasn't nourished enough by their tasteless food.

Tō rātou manakoꞌanga ē ka kī te kōpū i te vī puaka pī kua ꞌoroꞌia, pērā te mario para ē te tiōpu vaivai
They thought we'd be satisfied with grated paw paw, bananas and watery soup.

kāre ꞌe potonga puakatoro e kitea atu i roto i tērā tiōpu
There wasn't any corned beef to be seen in that soup

Mei te rā mua mai kāre ꞌe toilet peapa i ꞌapainaꞌia mai ana, kāre 'e urunga ūpoko, ē pērā kāre ꞌe au kāka'u tāpoki roꞌi i apainaꞌia mai.
The was no toilet paper brought from the first day onwards, there were no pillows and no bedding brought.

Kua tāpokipoki tētaꞌi pae i a rātou ki te pāreu ē te tauera.
Some of us covered the beds with sarongs and towels.

Ko te urunga o tētaꞌi pae ko tā rātou au kiri kāka'u.
Some people used their suitcases for pillows.

Māri ꞌua ake te au tangata Rarotonga e noꞌo ana ki Taratoni, ē te taeake ꞌaere o tētaꞌ i pae tangata i roto i te tere i ꞌapai mai i te mānga ē te kāka'u, ꞌāringa kāre kua matemate mātou i te onge pērā katoa te anu i te pō tikāi.
If it wasn’t for the Rarotongan people living in New Caledonia and some friends of some of the people in the group who brought food and blankets; if it wasn't for them, we would have died from starvation as well the cold in the nights.

Nō reira pa'a tētaꞌi tangata i roto i te pupu o te Nuti Reni i mate ei.
This might be why one of the people in the New Zealand group died.

Ko Iosefa Enari tōna ingoa, tangata ꞌīmene opara (reo metua papa'ā tēia).
His name was Iosefa Enari, he was an opera singer - this is the most prestigious European music.

Te ꞌakaaroꞌa.
Sympathies.

Tē noꞌo ꞌua ara tēta-tēia tangata ki runga i te matiē i te ꞌākarakara i tētaꞌi au tamariki e kanga pōro ara,
This person was sitting on the grass watching the kids playing ball.

ē kua takoto atu aia ki raro ē kua moe atu ki runga i te matiē kua moe atu i te moeꞌanga roa,
And he lay down and slept on the grass, slept the long sleep.

kāre roa te au tangata i te pae i aia i manako ana ē kāre aia e tū ꞌakaꞌou mai.
It wasn't long before the people around him realised he wasn't going to get up again.

Kua roa i muri mai kua tāmata atu tētaꞌi tangata i te ꞌakaara atu i aia ē kua kiteaꞌia ē kua mate takere.
Long after that some people began to examine him and knew that he had died.

Kua ringiꞌia atu tētaꞌi ambulance.
An ambulance was called.

I a ia e tākinaꞌia atura ki roto i te ambulance kua rave te Maori Nuti Reni i tā rātou i mātau,
While he was being lifted into the ambulance the New Zealand Māori people performed their ritual.

ē kua pe'e atu i tā rātou au pe'e ē te karakia, ē kua tū te kātoatoa nā runga (i te) i ngā pae o te aranui i te ve'eve'e aroꞌa atu i aia i tōna tere ki pō.
They chanted their prayers and they all stood beside the road sending love for his journey into the night.

Kia oti mai tā te Māori Nuti Reni, kua pe'e katoa atu a Raꞌitia Tepuretu i tāna.
After the New Zealand Maori, Raꞌiti Tepuretu performed his chant.

ꞌE tumu kōrero nō Rarotonga aia.
He's a Rarotongan orator.

Kua pūma'ana tōku ngākau i te kite atu ꞌanga i tēia tei raveꞌia nō te mea ꞌe ꞌangaꞌanga nō tērā taime ꞌua rāi i manakoꞌia ai, inārā ꞌe ꞌangaꞌanga mānea ē te tau tikāi tei raveꞌia.
My heart was gladdened to see this being done because it is what should be done at these times and is a beautiful comforting process.

(I) te toru o te rā  kua tū vave au ki runga e kua ꞌakapapa atu i tāku au pākau tāku au kete ē te kiri kāka'u ē kua ꞌaere atu au i te tiaki i te phone kia vā mai
On the third day, I got up early, packed my belongings, my bags and suitcases, and went to wait for the phone to be free.

ꞌe nui ꞌua atu te tangata e tāpapa katoa ara i te phone i te au rā katoa.
There were always a great many people waiting for the phone every day.

ꞌE ākā ꞌinangaro tōku i te ꞌakaruke_i -ꞌakeruuke atu i tēia ngā'i
I really wanted to leave this place

nō reira kua ꞌakamanako mai au ē ka ꞌaere atu au ki Numea noꞌo ei.
so I decided to go and stay in Noumea.

Kua tīmata au i te ringi ꞌaere i te ꞌōtēra i Numea inārā kua kitea mai e au ē kua kī pouroa, kāre ꞌe pi'a toe.
I tried to ring the hotel in Noumea but I found that it was completely full, with no spare beds.

E oti, kua ringi atu au i tōku taeake a Lisa Williams ē kua ꞌaere mai aia i te tiki i āku.
Then I rang my friend Lisa Williams and she came to collect me.

Kua mataora tikāi au ē ka noꞌo au ki taꞌi i tōna kāinga.
I was really pleased to stay at her place.

Inārā,
But.

excuse me
excuse me

nō te rava kore i tāku moe, te korenga mānga, nō reira pa'a au i tūꞌia ai i te flu i te rā i muri mai i āku i ꞌakaātea mei kō i te ngāꞌi e noꞌo ara te tere.
From by lack of sleep and food, perhaps I developed the flu the day after I escaped from the place the travel party was staying.

ꞌAtiꞌati te kōpapa, ē kua mamae tōku ūpoko, nō reira kāre au i ꞌaere atu ana ki te au tāmataora festival nō tētaꞌi ngā rā.
My body was broken and my head was sore so I didn't go to the shows for these few days.

Kia meitaki mai au i tētaꞌi mānga, kua ꞌaere atu au ki te au ꞌangaꞌanga tei raveꞌia i roto i te ꞌāua o te festival
When I was better from eating well I went to some of the events being run at the festival area.

i reira tē raveꞌia ara te au aitamu a te au ꞌenua tūkētūkē, te au pākau ꞌakaariari, te au pākau tei to'ito'iꞌia, te au ꞌangaꞌanga rimarima a te ꞌiti vaꞌine, te puka, ē te vai atura, te ꞌoko katoaꞌia ara
That was where the various countries did their items, and showed their decorations, carvings, women's handicrafts, books and everything else for sale.

Kua ꞌoko atu au i tētaꞌi po'oki to'iꞌia mei Rapa Nui mai.
I bought a carved rock from Rapa Nui.

Ko tēia te ꞌiti tangata mātakitaki roaꞌia atu e te kātoatoa nō te ꞌakaiꞌeiꞌe i tō rātou tū mata, pērā te kite i te ꞌura paniora, ē te mataora i tā rātou ꞌīmene ē te ꞌakatangi kītā.
These were the people who were the most watched by everyone because of their beautiful dispositions, as well as the Spanish dancing and their charming songs and guitar playing.

Ē teia'a ꞌoki tēia mea to'ito'i tāku i ꞌoko, nō reira kua_pati_a-kua pati atu au ki tētaꞌi tamaiti Ma'uke kia tāuru ki roto i tāna kete (backpack) kia ꞌapai atu (ē tae ꞌua mai ki Rarotonga nei).
This carving I'd bought was really heavy so I asked a Maukean young person to put it in his backpack and take it to Rarotonga.

Kua ꞌāriki aia.
He agreed.

ꞌE manganui ꞌua atu te au mea ꞌōu tāku i kite_ma-kite mata ki T-Taratoni pērā tāku au tangata i ꞌārāvei atu.
I saw a great many new things in New Caledonia and met many new people.

Ko tētaꞌi au aronga ꞌe au tangata karape roa atu i te pae moana Patifika i tā rātou ꞌangaꞌanga tātā puka, mā kore ra ꞌāmani pākau rimarima, ē te pākau to'ito'i.
Some were the most expert in the Pacific at writing books, others at making handcrafts and carvings.

Kua mataora au i te reira.
I was pleased by these things.

Inārā, kāre au i kite vave ana ē ko te mea tūkē ꞌua ake rāi i tāku i rauka mai mei Taratoni, kua pikitua takere mai ki runga i āku.
But I hadn't yet seen the weirdest thing that I was going to get from New Caledonia which was merely carried upon my person.

Kāre au e kite vave ana i tōna tāmanamanatā mai i āku kia ꞌoki roa au ki tōku ꞌenua kāpua'anga.
I didn't notice any bother until I'd been back in my homeland for a while.

Ko te reira ꞌoki ꞌe kutu.
That was, in fact, lice.

E toru rāi epetoma i muri mai kua mangiō tikāi tōku ūpoko.
Three weeks later my head was really itchy.

Noa atu tāku pu'a putuputu i tōku ūpoko, kore ake rāi ē te kino ꞌua atu ra te mangiō.
Even though I'd washed my head several times, the itch on my head was terrible.

I tētaꞌi rā, tē noꞌo ꞌua ara au i roto i tōku motoka, kua raraku atu au i toku rae ē kua iri mai tētaꞌi pākau ki roto i tōku matikao rima
One day I was just sitting in my car and scratched my forehead and something came out on my finger.

ka karo ake ra
I looked

ꞌe ākā kutu tēia e oriori mai nei
and there were a lot of lice moving around.

ꞌE taeake papa'ā tōku i roto i te motoka i tērā taime tikāi i rauka mai ei tēia kutu i āku.
I had a Pākehā friend in my car at that time when I had nits.

nō tōku ꞌakamā, kua ꞌīpana ngaro ꞌua ꞌia atu tēia kutu ki vaꞌo ake i te motoka.
And because I was embarrassed I secretly just threw these kutu out of my car.

I muri mai kua rapurapu atu au i te ꞌaere ki kō i te pharmacy i te tiki mai i tētaꞌi vairākau tākore kutu.
Afterward I hurried to the pharmacy to get some medicated nit shampoo.

Kua vitiviti au i te riringi atu i te reira ki runga i tōku ūpoko, kua tāmā'ū'ū atu ki te vai, ē kua pāro atu i tōku rouru ki te pāro kutu.
I poured it vigorously over my head, wet it with water and scrubbed my hair with nit shampoo.

Kua vinivini tikāi au i te makuru mai ꞌanga mei te rua anere kutu nō runga mai i tōku ūpoko!
I was horrified at the 200 nits that fell off my head.

That's it.
That's it.