Cook Islands Sun Magazine

20 DINING & ENTERTAINMENT
CoOK ISLANDS SuN
ONE OF THE MOST
UNDERSTATED CAFÉS ON
RAROTONGA RESIDES
WITHIN THE HISTORIC
BEACHCOMBER BUILDING
JUST OUTSIDE AVARUA,
WHICH ALSO HOUSES AN
ART GALLERY AND AN
UPMARKET GIFT SHOP.
IT IS SIMPLY CALLED THE
CAFÉ.
The Café is home to the
Vinyl Revival Club
with its astonishing
collection of 60s, 70s, and 80s,
and Polynesian, vinyl records
ranging from Bobby Darin,
The Monkees and Diana Ross,
to Elvis Presley, The Troggs,
and Aretha Franklin.
About as laid back
as it comes on the
island.
Customers can personally
select and play their own music
to accompany their coffee,
cake, or light meal. Open
Simply The Café
SHOPPING
Owner Claire shows off the latest addition to the vinyl record collection
for breakfast, brunch and
lunch Monday to Saturday,
The Café serves up first-rate
espresso coffee, homemade
cakes and tasty fresh food,
including vegetarian and
vegan options. Try some of
the all time favourites such as
smoked marlin salad and feta
olive focaccia, or toasted bagel,
salmon and cream cheese!
Lots of character with a lovely
shaded courtyard, this unique
little treasure of Rarotonga is
about as laid back as it comes
on the island.
P.S. The Vinyl Revival Club
LOCAL PERSONALITY AND BLOSSOMING ENTREPRENEUR
MEREANI TALBOT IS ACTIVE IN MANY SECTORS OF THE
RAROTONGA COMMUNITY, BUT THE ENDEAVOR SHE IS MOST
PASSIONATE ABOUT IS HER BACK YARD ‘ARTS & CRAFTS’ TOURS.
Coffee and cake at The Café
‘mobile disco’ operated by DJ
Wheelie (Ian Wheeldon) also
makes regular appearances
at clubs and pubs around the
island, including Trader Jacks
and the Cook Islands Game
Fishing Club.
All roads lead to Raro
PHILLIP NORDT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY
ENTREPRENEUR WHO HAS BEEN MOVING TOWARDS
HIS DESTINY IN RAROTONGA SINCE THE 1980S. HE
CAN THANK HIS MOTHER FOR HAVING THE VISION
TO VISIT NEW ZEALAND WITH HER TWO SONS ON A
CAMPERVAN TRIP SEEKING OUT OPPORTUNITIES.
Today Phillip is a
Rarotonga resident,
master chef , master
baker and restaurateur, whose
energy is boundless.
Born in Landau, after two
years national service in
Germany, Phillip became a
management trainee with the
Vier Jahreszeiten Munich
(hotel), studied hospitality and
tourism in Vienna, and was a
commercial sales manager with
the Grand Metropolitan Hotel
Group in Frankfurt.
Years later he earned
a Bachelor of Arts in
Culinary Arts in Dunedin
and became a culinary
arts tutor, most recently
at the Cook Islands
Tertiary Training Institute
(CITTI) in Rarotonga.
New Zealand was a
goldmine of opportunities
Handcrafted ‘Back Yard’ Tours of Rarotonga
Self confessed
gourmet
for Phillip who met the right
people to help him build on,
and invested in, a range of
cafés, restaurants, clubs, and a
hotel marketing & an inbound
tourism operation. Phillip
also became passionately
involved with the international
gastronomic society,
OTB On the Beach Restaurant & Bar
Culinary entrepreneur, Phillip Nordt
La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’s
Christchurch chapter, now
he heads up the Cook Islands
chapter, which he started.
Married to Frances (the Cook
Islands connection), they have
two children Hanny (21) and
Harry (20).
Chef Phillip Nordt, selfconfessed
gourmet, has worked
for Pacific Resorts and CITTI
in Rarotonga, but is now the
owner of OTB On the
Beach Restaurant &
Bar at Manuia Beach
Resort. At the 2018
Cook Islands Tourism
Awards, OTB won the
‘Emerging Tourism
Leader Award’. It’s
been a long journey from
Landau to Rarotonga,
but Phillip knows it has
been worth it!
Born in Manihiki, Ani
(as she is best known),
spent most of her
childhood in Auckland, and
most of her working life in
New Zealand and Australia
in the IT industry, but that’s
another story. She returned
to the Cook Islands a few
years ago with her family,
particularly wanting her two
boys to connect with their
Cook Islands heritage.
Ani is now the perfect host
and tour guide, personable
and knowledgeable about
the forgotten and often
rarely seen local artists and
craftsmen, including wood
carvers, weavers, ukulele
makers, shell-carvers and
jewellery designers. Back
Yard Tours also visit makers of
coconut oil skin care products,
pareu (sarongs), and black pearl
jewellery. The list goes on! Most
tours will visit eight or nine
places, depending on what people
are open on the day of the tour.
A three-hour+ Rarotonga Back
Yard ‘Arts & Crafts’ Tour is an
Ani Talbot of Back Yard Tours
interesting and fun ‘shopping
experience’ for both the shopper,
and the non-shopper!
The tour travels around the island
visiting the skilled artisans in
villages, workshops, and literally
some backyards!
“This is the only combined
cultural and shopping tour
experience in Rarotonga,”
said Ani.
“Cook Islands arts and
crafts are so beautiful and
this unique experience
gives our guests a sense of
appreciation for what these
artists and vendors do”.
Ani added: “Nearly everyone
who visits the Cooks wants
to purchase a special gift for
others, or a keepsake to remind
them of the wonderful time they
had in Rarotonga. Many want
to buy locally made; Backyard
Tours offers overseas visitors
the opportunity to meet our
talented locals and see how they
make their products right here in
Rarotonga.
Back Yard Tours travel in an airconditioned
van in small groups,
with a minimum of two guests,
and a maximum of eight.
The tour generally takes between
3 and 4 hours, including pick up
and drop off.
T: 26 457 or 81 899
E: bookabackyardtour@gmail.com
Fb: www.facebook.com/
backyardtoursrarotonga/
Treasure Chest
'A SHOPPING TREAT'
Rarotonga's largest
selection range of island
clothing and footwear,
together with an
extensive range
of souvenirs, craft
and gift ideas.
FOUR GREAT SHOPS:
Mana Court in Avarua
(Tel. 22325)
The Edgewater Resort
(Tel. 28325)
Pacific Village Muri
(Tel. 21325)
and, The Rarotonga
Beach Resort
(Tel. 27325)
treasure@oyster.net.ck