Eight senior Rarotonga students from Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau’s ‘Ātui’anga ki te Tango school holiday programme left for Atiu onboard Vaka Marumaru Atua yesterday morning.

They are expected to arrive on the island this morning.

In an exchange programme, the students from Rarotonga will spend a week camping in Atiu, learning about scientific and traditional knowledge, alongside students from the Southern Group island.

A group of six students from Atiu will board the Vaka Marumaru Atua today enroute to Rarotonga. They will be spending a week in Rarotonga undertaking the ‘Ātui’anga ki te Tango school holiday programme with students from here and six students from Mangaia.

Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau’s Jackie Rongo said: “This is our senior’s programme running from July 31 to August 6 in collaboration with Te Ipukarea Society and Cook Islands Voyaging Society.”

“This will be the first time for some of our students to complete overnight and inter island sail and they are all very excited with this opportunity.”

Following the completion of the programme, the students will be flown back to their home islands.

In Atiu, the students will be guided by the island’s Ātui’anga ki te Tango programme lead Joshua Jim alongside Sunshine George and Maui Matakino.

In Rarotonga, Kōrero o te ‘Ōrau chairman Dr Teina Rongo will run the holiday programme alongside Jackie Rongo and Te Ipukarea Society’s Alanna Smith and Kelvin Passfield.

“We also have three young Cook Islanders from New Zealand with the interest to connect to their Cook Islands heritage and roots and learn about environment joining us in Rarotonga,” Jackie Rongo said.

“The double rainbow and light showers when the vaka left Rarotonga (yesterday) was seen as a blessing from the Lord above that we are on the right track following our ancestors in our journey with our tamariki.

"We hope they have a smooth sail and pray the kids have a good experience.”