Teilweise neu: 2001-10-19 Contents of this issue:
1. Hima's Hope 2. Warriors Welcome 3. Sparkling Bang: 4. WEATHER WATCH ======================================================================== Old contents were: 1. Warriors Welcome 2. Sparkling Bang: 3. WEATHER WATCH October 19th, 2001 1. Hima's Hope: Niue has a population problem - too many people are leaving. Claire Trevett of the NZ Herald spoke to the island's first High Commissioner to New Zealand, who hopes to reverse the flow. Here's her report published in today's newspaper. It's 10 minutes into the All Blacks game. The streets of Niue's Avatele Village are empty and the lights are off. Through the windows, a flickering of vivid green illuminates the night. A unified bellow splits the quiet. Jonah has the ball. The televisions of an enclave of New Zealand citizens are on and its try-time. The patriotism is courtesy of the all-embracing 100-year-long association Niue has had with New Zealand - and Niuean ex-All Black Frank Bunce. The live coverage is courtesy of His Excellency Hima Takelesi, Niue's first High Commissioner to New Zealand. In his Terrace office in Wellington, the man responsible for introducing television to Niue now lounges in his chair, one ankle crossed over the other knee, and his arm flung over the back of the seat beside him. His bright blue office walls sport grinning individuals holding aloft huge florid fish, yellows and oranges that match the bright Niuean flag limply parading on a pole behind his desk. Takelesi is not grinning. His problem is this: for each of the 1800 Niueans in Niue, there are 10 others who have been bitten by the bright lights bug and moved to New Zealand. Niue is facing a brain drain that threatens to sink the island. Takelesi has just announced that he's set himself what some say is an impossible mission - saving his tiny homeland from extinction. He explains how pervasive the New Zealand way is in Niue. All Niueans are New Zealand citizens, and the New Zealand Government has constitutional responsibilities for Niue, including its defence. But the links go well beyond the political. Support for New Zealand's sporting endeavours is fervent. Steinlager and DB stock the beer fridges, though Takelesi says Speights is earning a devoted following after a group of Southland contractors announced that other beers were made out of what the horse produced after drinking Speights. The word spread, and blue and gold boxes were added to the import list. Takelesi is well qualified to tackle the challenge of persuading Niueans to return home. The 56-year-old has lived in Niue for almost his entire career. He is a partner in Matavai Resort, built to attract more tourism to an island struggling to break its dependence on foreign aid. After 10 years as the director of the Niuean Broadcasting Corporation, establishing TV and radio on the island, he set up Manaia Studios to foster local music. The recording studio was a part-time hobby when he was a member of the Niuean Parliament, and he used it to record six CDs of local music. And now he wants other Niueans to follow in his footsteps. "I think that the dilemma facing Niue is that literally one day we'll wake up on the island and say, 'Hey, wait a minute. The population has dropped to the stage where it's not possible to have all the kinds of infrastructure necessary to run a country, because even though the size of the population is small, you've still got to have your hospitals, you've still got to have your schools, and fire engines, and everything else.' "The fear is that we'll wake up one day and say, 'This place is not viable any more what are we going to do with it?"' He breaks off from discussing serious matters of state as wife and secretary Pat enters with refreshments. "Bikkies!" he gleefully hollers, "By crikey!" He is relaxed and open. Old warts are picked at and if a question is asked he answers it, in full technicolour glory. He calls a spade a spade, saying his wisest choice in life was "letting my wife get into my pants". The man lives up to the image painted by his friends - honest, reliable, quick-witted with a wicked sense of humour. His golf is atrocious, apparently, but that's about all. New Zealand broadcasting veteran Ian Johnstone chortles with delight at the mention of Takelesi's name. "He's a brave and silly man, so wonderfully cheeky. "He is one of my dear brothers. I admire him immensely. He's a man of integrity and quality, and you only get a few like that, maybe half a dozen in your lifetime. Hima's one of those." In Niue, Takelesi is a local celebrity and talented musician. He delivers an impromptu ukulele concert during the interview, bellowing with laughter and apologising profusely for being unable to rustle up another 10 band members to accompany him. One wonders how he survives on the dry diplomatic beat. His office tells more about Takelesi than the bland brick suburban home where he lives with Pat and daughter Bianca in the Wellington suburb of Khandallah. The sagging sofa nearly sucks its sitter under. It's a relic from the Auckland consulate days, as is the garish painting of a Niuean road that hangs over the fire. He doesn't like the house, decrying it as unsuitable for a diplomat, and he plans to build a more suitable residence elsewhere for the benefit of future High Commissioners. This is not Takelesi's first experience of New Zealand. He first came aged 12, for schooling at Wanganui Technical College. He described this as departing on his big adventure, though in retrospect he resents being shipped off at such a young age. "It was a fairly traumatic time. You can imagine a 12-year-old who's never seen anything taller than a coconut tree wrenched from the comparative comfort of a very close-knit society." He came away with a degree from Wellington's Victoria University and a penchant for steak and chips. An accountant by profession, a broadcaster by inclination and a diplomat by coercion, is how he sums himself up now. The accountancy never stood a chance, beyond two short stints in Niue's Treasury Department. His broadcasting career, spanning nearly three decades, began when he was an assistant community development officer for the Niuean Government. Then, aged 30, Takelesi took over Johnstone's role as a broadcasting consultant with the South Pacific Commission in Fiji. Johnstone had started looking at TV and its effects. "I took over from where he left off. What we were trying to do was to advise the governments that this thing called TV was just around the corner. When it arrives it's going to arrive with a thump and unless we start doing something about it now, we are going to be forever watching other people's television." The 1990s gave Takelesi a chance to put his preaching into practice. An American had set up a cable service on Niue, which he says delivered old black and white westerns on a Nostalgia Channel, dubbed the "Nausea Channel" by a local wag. Takelesi was horrified, and persuaded the Niuean Government to set up the Broadcasting Corporation of Niue, of which he became the director, as well as producer, cameraman, reporter and presenter. He abruptly kicked out the American, and approached Television New Zealand for some assistance. The result was an amalgam of TVNZ programmes and the local content Takelesi worked frantically to provide. The swing to politics started with a lump on his bum. Much arm flapping accompanies the convoluted and apologetic description on how he first discovered the lump - "You know, you don't feel your bum every day to find out what the hell's going on down there". A biopsy revealed it to be cancer. "I don't want to use cliches like wake-up call, but I think it was a signal for me to go and do something else. So I left broadcasting, and it just happened it was time for the general election." His time in Parliament ended when the Premier asked him to set up the High Commission. Some say Takelesi was sent to New Zealand because he was the best man for the job. Cynics say he was sent to New Zealand to get him out of Niue for the next general election, where he was seen as a strong contender for Premier. Both may be right - in the last election common roll vote he only got 13 votes less than the current Premier, Sani Lakitani. He also confesses he spoke out stridently against policies he disagreed with, to the point where he says he felt he had to give up his position as Associate Minister of Finance. Dr Colin Tukuitonga, a Niuean working for the Ministry of Health in Wellington, says many would have been disappointed at Takelesi's choice. "Niue has problems with its political leadership. Takelesi should have assumed that role, but he's probably new to politics, and he doesn't play dirty games." He adds that he respects Takelesi's decision, "but I wish he had more political ambition. It's frustrating watching someone like that not go further". However, Takelesi feels he is now of more use in New Zealand, reminding his fellow Niueans of the little paradise that awaits their return. Niuean New Zealanders, who will celebrate 100 years of association with New Zealand in October this year, say he's got no hope of success. The family ties in New Zealand are too strong now. Betty Lakatani, the Premier's wife, hopes he does. The ideal, she says, would be to have 10 more Takelesi's in Niue. Takelesi is not so picky, but is typically happy to oblige - two of his daughters have settled back in Niue and are busily producing little Takelesis. 2. Warriors Welcome: The Governor General of Niue and New Zealand Dame Silvia Cartwright flew into Niue last evening in an airforce 727 to take part in the small island nation's 100th anniversary of political association with New Zealand. She will also take part in the island's 27th anniversary of self government in free association with NZ. The Governor-General and a large delegation from the NZ Parliament and Niuean communities in NZ were met with a takalo - a welcoming challenge by a group of Niuean warriors. Dame Silvia the inspected a police guard of honour and was introduced to members of the Niue Legislative Assembly by Premier Sani Lakatani. Today is the formal flag raising ceremony in front of the Fale Fono in the centre of Alofi village where most of the 1700 residents and 300 visitors are expected to attend. The dignitaries will be welcomed by the Speaker of the Assembly Tama Posimani and following official speeches A new entennial park will be opened on the Alofi Village green. Later there will be a luncheon and cultural performances followed by a cocktail party and a fireworks display at Sir Robert's Wharf. 3. Sparkling Bang:: The biggest fireworks display ever seen on Niue will be fired-off Friday night as a grand finale to the tiny island's flag day 100 th anniversary of political association with NZ and 27 years of self government. A pyro technician from Rarotonga is on the island to organise the $10,000 display which will be on Sir Robert's wharf. Sky rockets will be fired out to sea. Fourteen yachts are moored in the roadstead and visiting yachties will get a spectacular view of the display. The fireworks follow flag raising day ceremonies, feasting and cultural performances for special guests NZ and Niue Governor General Dame Silvia Cartwright, Maori Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu, Cabinet Ministers and members of the Opposition from the NZ Parliament and regional dignitaries. 4. WEATHER WATCH THIS WEEK of Festivities was joyfully celebrated in ideal spring weather. Occasional afternoon clouds generated welcome shade from glaring fair-weather sun. Low humidity provided very hospitable comfort for visitors' sleeping. Picturesque sunrises greeted earlybirds who found long-sleeves cozy against morning chill. Marine activities and events took place on tranquil seas along the island's west coast. A famous Niuean electric galactical display of stars was readying on Friday to compete with an historical presentation of evening pyrotechnics at the wharf. Responsible for the near-perfect weather was a lazy mound of High pressure drifting from N.Z. eastward during the week, centered along 30S. Light easterly trades and a temperature range from upper teens to upper twenties daily was the norm with only a trace of rain. THE WEEKEND continues to see the High ridge northwestward toward us. Our temperatures could ease up a degree or so with a bit more humidity as winds turn northeasterly by Sunday according to WAFS computer forecast charts. A weak spring disturbance is predicted to form south of Fiji and drift SE along a slowly approaching cold front. An increase in high clouds by Monday could signal an approaching drink for thirsty vegetation. Formalities on the island should come to a climax with the weather co-operating as if scripted for the occasion. An early-morning brief sprinkle should barely be noticed as morning sun burns off most of the dawn's clouds well before noon. Pleasant temperatures predicted. NEXT WEEK as a new, fair-weather airmass expands eastward out of Australia, models show a band of precipitation preceding the next week-long spell of High pressure. Peniamina Day looks to be dry and warm, with NOGAPS not bringing in precipitation until Tuesday or after. Thunderstorms and a chance of a significant shower are possible with the passage of the fairly strong cold front. If the nimbus fail to dump on Niue, the month of October could finish being the driest in the past three years. Look for winds turning northerly by mid week ahead of the cold front then a southerly change by Friday and a drop in humidity. Notable next week is the formation of an equatorial westerly wind burst in the Pacific, with the possible formation of twin tropical cyclones near 150E at about 15N and 5S. During the past 3 years of La Nina, there have been no good cases of TC twins until now, although models' preliminary outlook show this seasonal first for the SW Pacific, east of PNG to be probably a weak system with poor conditions for intensification. (Thanks to Darrell Spatz resident private forecaster). __END__
