Over a quarter of a million Pacific Islanders call NZ home. I'm a bit embarrassed to say it, but I know very little about the different nations and cultures from which they come, so I'm off on a voyage of discovery across the Pacific. UPBEAT GUITAR MUSIC Captions by Alana Cruikshank and Amy Park. Edited by Anna Bracewell-Worrall. Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2014 UPBEAT GUITAR MUSIC I'm heading to Tokelau, a trio of tiny atolls that live halfway between NZ and Hawaii. The first part of my journey to one of the most isolated countries in the world involves an easy flight and a warm welcome ` but there's just one problem. I'm currently in Apia, the capital of Samoa. I'm still 500km from Tokelau, but this is as close as I can get by plane. For the rest of my trip, I travel by ship. Not the big one. JAUNTY CLARINET MUSIC Licenced to carry just 50 passengers, this is the mighty PB Matua. Everybody and everything travelling to and from Tokelau does so on this not-very-big ship. All right. Only another 27 hours to go. Let's go and see if I can find the buffet... and a bed. TINKLING MUSIC Apart from the sea journey, there is one other obstacle I have to overcome to get to Tokelau. The Taupulega, or Council of Elders, on each atoll, has to approve every person visiting. No approval and you can't come ashore. Fortunately, they said yes to me. I guess what seems odd is that technically we're heading for a bit of NZ. Yes, we are. This is` Tokelau is a NZ protectorate, and, um, a non-self governing protectorate of NZ. What does it actually mean? What does it actually mean? It means that the people of Tokelau are NZ citizens. They have NZ passports. They have all the rights and responsibilities of citizens of NZ, like you and I. Um, and they're very proud NZers and very conscious of their relationship with NZ. Is there any move for them to become not a part of NZ? They've had two referenda on self-governance, and both of those have been defeated narrowly, I guess. It requires a two-thirds majority, and the people of Tokelau, I think, decided that those two occasions weren't the time when they wanted to make that move. NZ took over the administration of Tokelau in 1926. Today, there are around 7000 Tokelauans in NZ. Only 1400 remain in Tokelau. This boat is the lifeline to Tokelau, and the people rely on it, really, so... This is everything. This is it. This is their` their connection with world. That's right. This is the fourth atoll. > Dinner ` a good hearty pie. And the best thing ` it's complimentary. All right. Ready for a nice night's kip on the ship. General sound of the ocean splooshing and the relentless throbbing of a diesel engine. It doesn't get much more romantic than this. (SIGHS) SERENE PIANO MUSIC As the sun rises, it reveals the first atoll, Fakaofo, lying before us. Don's told me to expect an impressive reception, because barring the odd news story, the last time a film crew came here to make a documentary about Tokelau was way back in 1970. CHEERFUL CHANTS, RHYTHMIC DRUMBEATS The atoll was home to around 500 people, most of whom seem to have turned up to welcome us. PERKY BRASS MUSIC MUSIC CONTINUES Tokelau may be geographically isolated, but they do have satellite internet. And no doubt many of the images of the fishermen's return from a night on the water captured by these folk with their wealth of high-tech gizmos will soon be beamed to family around the world. You look at that, and you think, 'Oh, it's a fish market,' but it's` it's not a market. It's not really a market. This is where we distribute the catch of the day to ensure that everyone get their equal share. Do people have to pay for the fish? Do people have to pay for the fish? No, no. All the expenses has been catered for by the Taupulega. So it's, I guess, a sort of community input and then fishermen go out and everyone gets... That's right. That's right. It's an equal share. What's the system called? Inati system. And we are proud of it. It is all part of the community responsibility to ensure that the women without husband, you know, children without a father, they get the equal share. In a way, it's like a` the welfare system. Everyone's looked after. You're exactly right. I guess that is our version of the welfare system, although it is food, but` Food is welfare, of course, yeah. Food is welfare, of course, yeah. BOTH CHUCKLE HUBBUB The inati system of community-sharing is deeply embedded in Tokelau society. How would someone get on if they just, sort of, lived here` you know, came and lived by themselves and...? Would they still get an...? Would they still get an...? Of course. Even you. You are new here. You share has been taken over for chef to... So everybody's been catered for. Wow, that is a` that is a delightful surprise. I could have some fish for breakfast. I wonder if there is anywhere else in the world that have this system. I don't know. It's a very good system. I know. GENTLE MUSIC A few years ago, a cargo ship bound for Tuvalu stranded here on the reef. It was carrying assorted goods and some beer ` 3200 dozen. Naturally, the people of Fakaofo claimed that beer as a bounty and under the inati system divided it equally so that every man, woman and child on the island received their fair share ` some 70 cans each. Apparently, it was quite a party. JAUNTY MUSIC One of the big pastimes here is kilikiti, or Polynesian cricket. It's very much a community affair, with the atoll divided into two teams, and it seems that anyone who wants to can play. Great hit. The great thing here is a six can be hit out into the ocean, and everyone has to go and disappear and try to find it. And every time a wicket's taken, it's great celebration. Not really sure what the gestures mean, but it is very much fun to be a part of. JAUNTY MUSIC CONTINUES After two hours of sweltering in the field, it's our turn to bat. But I suspect I'm not the most valuable player on the team. MAN WHISTLES MAN WHISTLES I'm out? Oh, I'm out? Oh. Oh, I'm out. That was anticlimactic. Despite my abject failure with the bat, my team is triumphant, and on Tokelau, that means you also win the right to subject the opposition to ritual humiliation. JOVIAL LAUGHTER SOFT DRUM TAP This drum signals that it's 6 o'clock at night, which means it's curfew time. Everyone has to stay quiet, make sure no one's walking around singing or making noises. Right. It's quite strict. Right. It's quite strict. It is really strict. It's a very important time for our` for the community to stay home and think about the day, you know? In some ways, I suppose it's a part` sort of, religious and a part of, I guess, a special family time. Yeah. But there is another, um,... um,... drumstick again coming out, so that's time when no one's allowed to walk around. so that's time when no one's allowed to walk around. Oh, right. No one at all? And what happens, like, if there are people out there now playing games or swimming, what happens to them? Once we've got that, then we have to report that to the Taupulega. Oh, OK. Oh, OK. Yeah. Oh, OK. Yeah. And what do they do? Shame them? Yeah. Well, give them a punishment. Oh, OK. What kind of punishment? Community work. Community work. Oh, OK. (BEATS DRUM) Wow, a curfew for the whole atoll. Reminds me of boarding school. DRUM BEAT ECHOES An overnight boat trip takes us to the second Tokelauan atoll of Nukunonu. Being such a difficult place to reach means they only get a handful of inquisitive tourists each year. But with me are many working visitors, including engineers, solar power and internet experts and the police, all of whom only have a few short days to get everything they need to do done. Naturally, our party gets another rousing reception. SINGING, RHYTHMIC DRUMBEATS RHYTHMIC CLAPPING I feel a little bit like David Lange. When he arrived, I don't know if it was this island, but there was no car, and so he just walked into the village with a policeman carrying a flag in front of him. I'm just happy to get another flag-raising ceremony. Wonderful. LOFTY STRING MUSIC After the formalities, I take a stroll to the school, which, it turns out, isn't difficult to find. You just need to listen. CHEERFUL, ENTHUSIASTIC SINGING It does appear to me that Tokelau children are far better singers than NZ children. The singing was so loud, and, you know, children in here are very happy to sing. Why did you choose to come back? Why did you choose to come back? Because I'm the only one in our family that's here. So I want to come and look after our properties, and... especially I wanted to teach again, looking for the future of the Tokelauan students. Is it quite hard to get staff? You know, it's a long way from anywhere. These are very big problems, you know, because we are short. That's we have a new teacher here come in this boat. Ah, from where? Ah, from where? From Tonga. Ah, from where? From Tonga. Oh, from Tonga? From Tonga. Cos I've` you know, since I've been here, I've met teachers from Tonga, Tuvalu, NZ. It's very... multicultural here, you know, with the teaching staff. That's right. That's right. Must be great for the kids. What's their favourite subject? Oh, their` it's maths. INCREDULOUSLY: Maths? INCREDULOUSLY: Maths? Yes, maths. > INCREDULOUSLY: Maths? Yes, maths. > No one likes maths. BOTH LAUGH If you don't` If you don't know maths, we can't... yeah. Exactly. You can't count. You can't do anything. Exactly. You can't count. You can't do anything. Yeah, you can't do anything. There are some nice schools in NZ, but none of them would have a view like that. We're closer to sea. We go swim. We go fishing. But in NZ, oh, very very far. There's a David Lange building. There's a David Lange building. Yes. David visited the school, so it's named after him. Right. I wonder if he got as good a song as I did, cos that was a pretty awesome song. And I'm pretty sure he didn't get to play murderball. GROOVY COUNTRY MUSIC LAUGHTER LAUGHTER Don't kill me! Not entirely sure what the rules are. (SHRIEKS) I think the rules are hit the Palagi. RAUCOUS CHEERS RAUCOUS CHEERS They won. What happens now? Do I go down there? CHEERING, JOVIAL LAUGHTER Kind of always prefer to be on the throwing side than being the person the ball is being thrown at. JAUNTY MUSIC My education is somewhat lacking, which is why I'm off to visit Maima. A Tokelauan who lives in Wellington, she's a policewoman back to help train local officers. What I'm interested in is her knowledge of just how devastating the Pacific slave trade was to places such as this. Who was it? Who sailed in and took people away? Peruvian ships. And it came through in the early 1860s. And it came down through Easter Island, came down Cook Islands, came through Niue, the Kiribati, and then right down through Tokelau. And if you look at it, it was more or less, um, to the small islands that were not properly, I guess, administered at that time by the colonial powers. Would they come in and take everyone or just, sort of, fit young men or women as well? Mostly the able men, the strong men that were taken by the ships, because that` um, that was what was required, you know? The men were taken for, um, farm work, um, labour work, and also for` to do work for the wealthy people, yeah, back in Peru. My island's history, really, is that, um, only six elders left, the children and the women. At the time, the population was around a hundred, and about 75 were taken. So they took three-quarters of the population? Yeah. Yeah. When you take away that many men, you take away the ability, I guess, for the people to fish, to do all of the work. That's basically the livelihood of the island, is able men. And it's an ongoing story, really, of the Pacific that a lot of the societies have been on the backbone of the women because of these kind of disasters. Would you ever think about coming back and living here permanently? I mean, I couldn't seriously think of any other place where I'd rather be much later than being here, yeah. Cos, I mean, it's pretty romantic, isn't it? You know, you, me, the ocean, these guys. I always take the view that I'd have my coconut tree any time. Yeah. Sit under that coconut tree, read my book. That does sound rather idyllic. The pace of life here is quite alluring, especially as the temperature rises and people retreat inside to escape the afternoon heat. SOOTHING, IDYLLIC MUSIC Sio Perez is a representative for the workforce known as the able-bodied men. How do jobs work here? The Pulenuku will give us a call every Monday morning to carry out each task for the week. You have to be a fisherman, um,... a carpenter, plumber, Mr Everything. 'Although he's an accountant, Sio, like other men on the island, is called upon to do community work. 'This is especially useful when labour is needed for a big project, 'like building the new school or hospital.' What happens to people who` who don't wanna do the jobs, who just wanna come over here and muck about? Currently here, um,... going to work is compulsory ` for the men, that is. You have to join the work gang. Right. There's no unemployed people? Right. There's no unemployed people? No. But then if you retire, you get your allowance and all that, but you must at least give us a hand for what we do every week. I reckon it's a pretty good system. > Yeah, community... power. Yeah, community... power. Yeah. Yeah. > So it's fair to say that the idea of everyone pitching in to help their fellow men and womenfolk is alive and well in Tokelau. It goes a long way to explaining how these vibrant communities managed to survive for a thousand years, isolated as they are on their tiny atolls in the middle of the ocean. My last stop is Atafu, the most northerly of Tokelau's atolls. INDISTINCT CHATTER Not another welcome. That's because this is a Sunday in Atafu, and apparently on a Sunday here, absolutely nothing happens. BELL PEALS GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC SERMON ECHOES After going to church on a Sunday, the only thing you're allowed to do is rest. Work is forbidden. 1 JAUNTY UKULELE MUSIC On an early-morning stroll, it's always good to find a man to bring something intriguing with a coconut tree. In this case, he's collecting the juice that runs out of the freshly cut stem. We can ferment. Yep. We can ferment. Yep. Oh, and does it make an alcohol? Yeah, alcohol. Yeah, alcohol. Oh, OK. And so because there's an alcohol ban on the island, but that alcohol's OK? but that alcohol's OK? Yeah, it's... I mean, it's locally made. Local is good. Local is good. (LAUGHS) Local is good. (LAUGHS) Little bit of local produce. Unfortunately, there are now so many people tying up shoots to collect this tottie juice that there's a shortage of coconuts on the island. What's disconcerting is how far apart those steps are. They are not designed for a short-legged man like me. But I am gonna give it a go. JARRING GUITAR MUSIC (GRUNTS HEAVILY, GROANS) I'm like a Tokelauan Hillary. (LAUGHS DRILY) But more the, sort of, the lady Hilary, as opposed to the Edmund. ENGINE RUMBLES GENTLY From the tree, I have a fairly good view of the able-bodied men out on business, collecting the island's rubbish and recycling. GENTLE MUSIC Another group of able-bodied men have been charged with replacing the roof on this hut. GROOVY UKULELE MUSIC It's one of only two traditional buildings still standing in the whole of Tokelau. And the reason for that is that roofs like this, while cheap, aren't particularly effective at catching rainwater. That ` and birds eat them. UKULELE MUSIC CONTINUES IDYLLIC MUSIC (SHOUTS IN LOCAL LANGUAGE) Who`? Who were you talking to? Who`? Who were you talking to? Oh, the people in the village. Oh, right. Like a` Like a town crier? Yeah. Yeah. So you walk around and tell people the news? Yeah. That's my job, part of my job. Yeah. That's my job, part of my job. What a good job. What, you don't just ring them up? Nah. That's rude, if you do it. Is that right? Is that right? Yeah. I get it from the toeaiina, the old people, and then they tell me what to do. and then they tell me what to do. Right. and then they tell me what to do. Right. So I go there, do the job. And how often would you do this? Like, every day? And how often would you do this? Like, every day? Oh. It depends, really, if something special's going on. if something special's going on. How would I get a job like yours? Oh, you just go and apply to the Taupulega. < Oh, really? < Oh, really? Yeah. < Oh, really? Yeah. < I wonder if I'd be very good. Shall I have`? Shall I have a go? Shall I have`? Shall I have a go? You wanna try? Shall I have`? Shall I have a go? You wanna try? Yeah. Yep. OK. OK. So, what will I say? You just say... (READS LOCAL LANGUAGE) Like this. (REPEATS LOCAL LANGUAGE) (READS LOCAL LANGUAGE) Sorry, let me correct that. (REPEATS LOCAL LANGUAGE) (READS LOCAL LANGUAGE) (READS LOCAL LANGUAGE) (REPEATS LOCAL LANGUAGE) Er... (READS LOCAL LANGUAGE) That's it. That's it. How did I do? All right. All right. All right. I don't want to take your job. (LAUGHS) (LAUGHS) I reckon if I` I'd have something to do if I came here. Thank you for your time! Thank you for your time! OK, thank you! I thanked them for their time. (LAUGHS) One of the biggest challenges now facing Tokelau is a change in climate, especially when the total land area of the entire country is only 12km2, all of it just a few metres above sea level. BREEZY MUSIC Even though it's a tiny country, Tokelau has been proactive about sustainability. In 2012, the NZ government funded a project to replace the country's diesel electricity generators with solar panels and massive banks of batteries on all three atolls. These are capable of producing more electricity than is currently needed, and they make Tokelau the first country in the world to be entirely powered by renewable energy. BREEZY MUSIC CONTINUES 'Some boffin has even invented an online computer game called Coconut Sunshine, 'where people from anywhere in the world can pretend to manage Tokelau's solar-energy system.' Get that! Sell it! Down there. Sell, sell. Yes! So, now we just basically have to keep harvesting energy until` until we extinguish the national debt. Look at that. We're solar barons. She's applauding. She's nonplussed. She's just busy collecting energy from the sun. UPLIFTING MUSIC Some people have suggested that because the islands are so isolated and increasingly threatened by cyclones and drought that the 1400 residents should relocate to NZ. But although the world is changing, Tokelauans hold tightly to their tiny island home with its rich and unique culture. The modern world's a recent arrival in Tokelau, but now there remains the last vestiges of a wonderful form of Pacific socialism ` one for all and all for one. Long may it last. (SPEAKS LOCAL LANGUAGE) How long till Apia, Captain? How long till Apia, Captain? < MAN: 30 hours. How long till Apia, Captain? < MAN: 30 hours. Oh. 'Now, if you do happen to find yourself in hospital on the Tokelauan atoll of Nukunonu...' It's fair to say the view from the bed is breathtaking. Fortunately, there's oxygen. (INHALES DEEPLY) RASPILY: Marvellous. Marvellous. (INHALES DEEPLY, SIGHS) Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright Able 2014