Good morning from Rarotonga, Cook Islands! You know it's actually not even
five o'clock in the morning but today's an Anzac Day and supposedly the Anzac
Day starts with the dawn parade. So they are having a ceremony at 5:30, I believe
it starts? My Airbnb host as a flower business and there's some flower orders
to go to this Anzac parade. I was just helping out with flowers today and now we're here!
[music - bagpipes, drums and trumpets playing "God Save the Queen"]
Speaker: "...which was won for us through the courage and devotion of those who gave their lives and time.
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row
That mark our place and in the sky The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead, short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunsets glow.
Loved, and were loved And now we lie in Flanders Fields.
[music - trumpet playing taps]
[music]
All right guys that was the Anzac ceremony in 2018 here in Cook Islands.
It's my first and it's interesting to actually watch
and observe what people are doing here in Cook Islands. So for a 45-minute solemn
celebration they honor the soldiers who gave their lives during the First World
War and then also all the wars after that. There are representatives from Australia,
New Zealand, United Kingdom and of course Cook Islands and each of them had
something to say. Laying wreaths ceremony are happening right after all the
prayers and the speech by the representative. The unique thing about the Anzac Day
celebration here is that they're wearing poppies. They use something different in
Australia. But in New Zealand and also here in Cook Islands they use the same
thing as in Canada and the United Kingdom. The dawn parade is a short parade.
They just march around the roundabout and that's it.
And right now I'm desperate to try to find a coffee
[music]
And it's cool. They are so friendly. So I was hanging out to take photos and
videos and I was invited to join in for breakfast. So I'm gonna dive in!
[music]
Of course today is Anzac Day and it's a holiday, and the streets are just so empty.
[music]
I'm in Punanga Nui market. This is the Central Market of Rarotonga where locals can get
fruits, vegetables, fresh meat and all kind of stuff. If you would like to
experience some local foods, this is the place to be. Right behind me here is the
main stage where they get cultural performances on Saturdays. If you happen
to be in Rarotonga on Saturdays definitely check this place out.
Today's a holiday. There's not many things going on
[music]
I'm inside the RSA club here in Rarotonga. If you are not familiar with
RSA, that is a Return and Surface Association. It's a club that's dedicated to
mostly the Armed Forces of New Zealand and in this particular location is the
Cook Islands and today it's a special day for them. So after the parade and the
ceremony in the town Center, they all came here and they just have a small
gathering with breakfast and food and drinks and they're just chilling out.
They're socializing this is open to everybody including public not only for
the service member and their families. So you are welcome to come here. Inside this
club there's a small Museum where you can actually learn more about the Cook
Islands soldiers. It is pretty neat. I didn't realize that we're actually a
number of Cook Islands soldiers who came to fight for the British Army during the
Gallipoli War. So you can learn about who they were and all the medals that were
given to the soldiers during that time. And of course some of the little facts
and history the war and the soldiers.
[music]
1914 to 1918. World War I was fought so far away in Belgium
Let's see what we can view. And this is people's yards.