Cook Islands returns to Pacific pageant after six-year break

Twenty-two-year-old Ngatepaeru Marie Maoate, the reigning Maine Kūki ʻAirani Aotearoa 2024, will be among seven other Pacific Islands contestants competing for the regional crown.

The theme for the 36th Annual Miss Pacific Islands pageant, to be held from 1-8 February in the Solomon Islands, is “Leadership in Diversity and Adversity”.

Clee Marsters, president of the Miss Cook Islands Pageant Association (MCIPA), said the national committee endorsed Maoate to represent the country at the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant.

Marsters said he confirmed her participation with the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (MPIP) board last weekend with the support of the Maine Kuki Airani Association New Zealand committee and major sponsor TAV.

“MCIPA is excited with our representative. This is the start of our 2025 pageant calendar, starting with MPIP in the Solomons, then Miss Cook Islands later this year,” Marsters said.

Maoate was born in Aitutaki on 14 March 2002 to parents Peckham Maoate, also from Ngatangiia, and Tu Maoate, from Matavera. She is the fourth child of six.

She attended Araura Primary School until Year 5 and then migrated to New Zealand, where she attended Kedgley Intermediate School and Aorere College until Year 13.

Maoate, who flew into Rarotonga and Aitutaki last month to reconnect with her family and her heritage and to express her appreciation to the people for their support, works as a youth advocate in Auckland.

She was crowned Maine Kūki ʻAirani Aotearoa 2024 in Auckland in November and was awarded the Miss Photogenic and Miss Interview awards.

In a social media post, Maoate said she was honoured and proud to announce her participation in the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant 2025.

“This platform is an opportunity for me to represent my beautiful country, my community, my family, and share my aspirations and talents,” she said.

“As Miss Cook Islands, I present to you my authentic self and the qualities that make me a strong candidate. I endeavour to inspire others by showcasing my cultural roots and personal accomplishments.”

According to Marsters, Maoate will be accompanied by a small team consisting of a stylist, a choreographer, and a costume designer to Honiara.

“It is all last minute, we don’t have time to fundraise so if there is anyone who would like to support Ngatepaeru’s campaign, we are asking for cash donations for flights and also resources for her costumes that are polished parau, rito, black pearls etc,” Marsters said.

“We wish Ngatepaeru all the best and ask for all your prayers.”

The association’s last contestant at the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant was Terito-o-Ngakura Story, who competed in Papua New Guinea in 2019.

The pageant was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and resumed in 2023.

The other seven contestants at this year’s Miss Pacific Islands Pageant are Miss American Samoa Pauliana Felise-Vitale, Miss Kiribati Kimberly Tokanang, Miss Nauru Charlei Andriana Deiye, Miss Papua New Guinea May Torrowi Hasola, Miss Solomon Islands Elsie Polosovai, Miss Tonga Racheal Guttenbeil, and Miss Sāmoa Litara Ieremia-Allan.

Moemoana Safa’ato’a Schwenke of Sāmoa is the reigning Miss Pacific Islands.

This article was first published by the Cook Islands News.