T-shirts  
Inspired by Cook Islands natural history and culture

click on thumbnails to see the t-shirts
 

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Cook Islands Dance

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T-shirts

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Contact &Links

Contact and Links

 

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Three Kura
Rimatara Lorikeets,
Atiu, Cook Islands
on a white T-shirt
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The Kura or Rimatara Lorikeet is a native bird
to the Southern Cook Islands. It was extinct here
before European contact, because of over-harvesting
of the colourful feathers. Fortunately it survived on
Rimatara, an island in French Polynesia, because
it was protected by the Rimatara queen.
In 2007 the community of Rimatara generously
agreed to give Atiu 27 birds to establish a second
population to help protect this beautiful lorikeet from the
modern threat of rats. Atiu, like Rimatara is still free of
ship rats (Rattus rattus), and is monitored closely
to remain a sancutary for the precious Kura,
the Rimatara Lorikeet.


The shirts are good quality, 100% cotton, sizes: Unisex: S, M, L, XL or women's S, M, L

NZ$45 each, plus handling and airmail NZ$15 per order

Inquiries about mail order of T'shirts

 

Cook Islands Fishes
on a royal blue t-shirt
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The 15 islands of the Cook Islands are host to
more than 500 different species of colourful reef fishes.
These three are, from top down:
Picasso Triggerfish are very common in the lagoons.
They occasionally defend their territory boldly against
snorkellers. Longjaw Squirrelfish are nocturnal and
hide during the day in cavities under corals.
Orangespine Unicornfish are gracefully cruising around
coral heads, left alone by predators because of their
two sharp spines at the base of their tails.

 

Dance is the most important art form in
the Cook Islands. A dancer is telling a story
with the hands, while the hips and knees
keep the beat, fast and rhythmic in
a drum dance, slower and sensual in
an action song.
Every year in April, the best dancers are
competing for the title “Dancer of the year”,
and in August, groups from Rarotonga and
the outer islands perform to celebrate the
birthday of the nation.

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Cook Islands Drum Dancer
on black, white and sand t-shirts
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Cook Islands Reef Life
on a black or navy t-shirt
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The coral reefs surrounding each of the 15 Cook Islands
are complex eco-systems supporting a huge variety
of animals. Crabs, sea-cucumbers, starfish, sea-slugs,
shellfish and fishes live together on the big underwater
structures built by millions of tiny coral polyps.
The reefs protect our tropical islands, but they are fragile
and can only thrive in clean, clear water of a temperature
around 27°C (75°F).


Palmerston,
Cook Islands on a dark blue (navy) t-shirt
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Palmerston is an atoll in the Cook Islands
where Green Turtles breed. The island is
very remote, there is no airport and a boat
takes two days from Rarotonga or Aitutaki
to get there. About 50 people live
on Palmerston and it has a school with
two teachers and 15 students at different
levels.
Part of the revenue of this T-shirt goes to
the school on Palmerston to buy supplies
and for the maintenance of the school.


Palmerston,
Cook Islands
on a white t-shirt
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Cook Islands Male and Female Drum Dancers
on a white, black or navy t-shirt, also available on singlets.

In the Cook Islands, we know how to have a good time and
we express our joy of live with our dances.
We dance to the beat of five or more drums in our dynamic
drum dances. The graceful action songs are performed
to songs, accompanied by ukuleles and guitars.
Dancers and choreographers enjoy a lot of freedom
to be creative, and we have a great variety of dances,
which all tell a story about the past or present.


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Tanga'eo is the local name for the Mangaia Kingfisher,
a unique bird of Mangaia, the most southern island in
the Cook Islands. Most land birds that made it to these
isolated places in the middle of the South Pacific,
without the help of humans, evolve to become endemic,
a species found no where else in the world.
There are only about 600 Tanga‘eo on Mangaia,
and it is considered an endangered species.
It’s population is monitored by local environment
agencies.
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