Cook Islands Sun Magazine

22 ISLAND LIFE
CoOK ISLANDS SuN
Charlie’s, a great
'chilled-out' local eatery
EVER WONDER WHERE
TO FIND THE MOST
RELAXED, CHILLED OUT
PLACE FOR CASUAL
EATING AND LIVE
MUSIC WHEN YOU ARE
ON VACATION? WELL
WHEN ON RAROTONGA
YOU NEED TO CHECK
OUT CHARLIE’S IN
TITIKAVEKA.
A
handful of years
ago Charlie’s began
modestly in a
beachside container with
kayaks, paddleboards, snorkels
and flippers at Titikaveka.
Today, it is one of Rarotonga’s
most enjoyed venues for casual
all day dining, which also
features live evening music
from Monday to Friday.
The container has been added
to but the first thing you’ll
notice is the expansive back
deck and alfresco dining
options with an affordable
menu that includes a variety
of crowd-pleasing gastronomy
from burgers, fish and chips
and toasted sandwiches, to
sashimi, fresh salads, beer
on tap and cocktails. There’s
added seating near the bar.
The owners, Charlie and
Mary Tapurau Hoskings are
two of the happiest people
on Rarotonga. They love life,
they love their family, and
they love their businesses,
Charlie’s Rarotonga and
the new Charlie’s Villas at
Matavera.
Charlie’s began
modestly in a
beachside container.
Whilst Charlie and Mary first
met at Rarotonga’s Tereora
College, they got together
later when they both started
dancing with the Ta’akoka
Dance Troupe: “It’s named
after motu Ta’akoka out there
in the Muri lagoon,” said
Maryy.
“We were married in
Rarotonga and have six
children: Anthony, Vivian,
Tamatoa, Charlie Jnr,
Christian, and one daughter,
Elsie. The oldest is 38 and the
youngest 20. Anthony was
born in Rarotonga, the others
in Australia.”
Initially Charlie studied to
be a pastor in Melbourne at
the Harvest Bible College,
which specialised in training
for Christian ministry.
Graduating with a BA, he and
Mary lived in Australia for 21
years.
Mary was a homemaker and
Charlie’s Rarotonga logo and lagoon image
Charlie Tapurau Hosking with Charlie’s Rarotonga’s
A1 Meitaki Award
mother: “But, I also did odd
jobs in supermarkets and in
telemarketing,” said Mary.
“I came back in 2005 because
my dad passed away and my
mum was alone, so I came
back first. Charlie returned
later after he sold our house.”
Back in Rarotonga, Charlie
worked for four years at
Tereora College as a PE
teacher before starting the
Hosking’s first tourism
venture in 2010, which was
accommodation on family
land, Te Akapuao Studio
Villas. Then came beachside
Charlie’s Rarotonga, also
on family land, where they
rented out paddleboards
and snorkelling equipment,
and started a basic café open
during the day.
Charlie Jnr, who now manages
Charlie’s Rarotonga,
said he was just happy
to help out when his
parents started the
business. He began
the Charlie’s Facebook
page and Instagram
account for the café
and beach rentals:
“That was in 2014.”
“I was born and raised
in Clayton south east
of Melbourne, then
moved to the city
later. I came to Raro
in 2005 with mum
and dad. I lasted a
year then went back
working mainly in
retail and management
where I learned a lot
about advertising and
marketing, graphic design and
web design at that time.”
Charlie Jnr added: “This is
a really a family business,
although we also have a few
Indonesians working for us!”
“When we got our bar licence
about two years ago, Mum
decided we should start
serving dinner, so we did that.
“Then we added live music.
I was playing Mondays and
Fridays and Dad was playing
Tuesdays and Thursdays, and
we had Tok Haurua coming in
on Wednesdays”.
Charlie Jnr played guitar and
piano, Charlie Snr guitar and
ukulele.
“Today, Anania Brown plays
on Monday, Tupous Fynest on
Tuesday, Tok on Wednesday,
Kahiki and Mo on Thursday,
and Dad’s band PVC on
Friday: Pania, Varani and
Charlie Snr. Koti Teina also
performs on Friday.”
“On Saturday afternoon from
1pm we’ve added Mo, Ronnie,
Jimmy and Mii to the line-up
of musicians.”
The Charlie’s Rarotonga
menu is wide-ranging, and
includes local fresh fish,
chicken and steak.
Charlie Jnr represented Cook Islands in basketball
“Our sashimi is always fresh
off the boat,” said Charlie
Jnr. “We have also started to
incorporate some Indonesian
cuisine.”
Charlie Jnr is a basket baller
who has represented Cook
Islands, most recently in the
Polynesian Basketball Cup in
Samoa.
In his leisure time, Charlie
Snr is the vice president of the
Cook Islands Rugby Union.
Charlie’s offers live music from Monday - Friday
from 5pm
He and the Hosking family
are also avid supporters of
the Ngatangiia - Matavera
Sea Eagles rugby league club
where Charlie Snr played in
the B Grade as a teenager.
Charlie’s Rarotonga is one of
the club’s sponsors.
“The Sea Eagles Club won
the 2019 competition in June
completing the season without
any loss!” said Mary.
Charlie’s Rarotonga also
sponsor the Titikaveka
Bulldogs Rugby Club, the
Turangi Cricket Club and
others groups and events.
“We sponsor sports all the
time!” said Mary. “But we’re
also a sponsor for other
things like the Maori Speech
Competition, which is for
local schools.”
“Another event we
have been involved
with has been
the Cook Islands
Sevens!”
The Hosking family
is sporty, and they
are community
minded, but they are
also one of the top
visitor-orientated
businesses in
Rarotonga, having
been presented in
2019 with an A1
Meitaki Award
by the Cook
Islands Tourism
Corporation. To
receive an A1
Meitaki Award
a business, or
individual, must be nominated
multi-times by visitors to the
Cook Islands. Nomination
forms are only available from
the Cook Islands Tourism
Information office in Avarua
(or Aitutaki), and in the
Rarotonga International
Airport departure lounge.
Businesses are nominated
for ‘excellence in service to
visitors’.
On weekdays and Saturday
from 11am Charlie’s serves
up hearty light meals, teas,
coffee, smoothies and cold
drinks. Licensed, Charlie’s
also opens for dinner Monday
to Friday until 8pm, each
evening accompanied by
live music from some of
Rarotonga’s finest musicians!
Saturdays 11am-3pm, closed
Sunday.
Charlie’s Rarotonga &
Charlie’s Villas
W: charliesraro.com;
E: info@charliesraro.com;
T: 28 055