Notes

Radio New Zealand programme : Untold Pacific History.
Episode 4: The Cursed Cook Islands Hotel (Rarotonga) | Untold Pacific History.
Available as both audio podcast and short documentary.
Podcast audio: 28 minutes.
Video: 15 minutes.

This is a story of indigenous land rights gone awry, a makutu from an aggrieved family and the failed business ventures of an infamous 'haunted hotel' in Rarotonga.

In pre-colonial times, it was the scene of bloody battles between rival tribes, and ancient spirits are said to patrol the area. It is also the subject of a bitter ownership dispute that dates back more than a century and which gave rise to the curse that is still said to hang over the area.

This is the ‘cursed’ Sheraton hotel complex in Rarotonga, a long-abandoned luxury resort that has lain derelict for a quarter of a century. The stories of Italian Mafia connections, failed government business dealings, and indigenous land rights come together in this episode of Untold Pacific History.