My dad Tutere Atera told me this story about his life in the past.  This story tells us that the Cook Islands are a very special place.

My Dad’s Lifestyle

My dad came from a family of 15. Nine boys and six girls. He was born in 23 of March, 1962. During my dad’s school, that time it was Matavera School, now called Takitumu. During that time, this is what my dad could remember. When he was 14 years old, during the weekends, my dad and his friend would get together and make a plan what they could do on Sunday. So, they all came up with a plan that they will go up to climb the mountain. This happened for some years and years. In 1999, my dad went to New Zealand and worked. My dad came back to Rarotonga and worked as a security officer at the airport. Until now to the end of this story, it was good for him to be back, because there is no place like home. From that day, my dad came back and never left this island for about 20 years.