Our extended working trip to Rarotoka on Waitangi Day began early at Te Takutai o Te Tītī Marae in Colac Bay. The six participants (Sandra Cook, Cathy Onellion, Christopher Brankin, Joan Fluerty and David and Carol Clapp), had to have everything prepared for a 9am flight to the island.

While it was a short trip with a small group, a trailer load of roofing and building supplies was being lifted over with us and securing that to be helicopter safely was a priority. However the problem was solved when pilot ‘Hannibal’ Hayes decided the easiest method would be to lift the load, trailer and all. That gave us the opportunity to get good photographs of a trailer soaring over the bay.

Once the team had landed on the island, the settling-in process happened quickly and everyone set to work. All the team members had visited Rarotoka before, some as recently as Boxing Day, so pet projects were revisited [Read more…]