The Story of Punanga Nui Market, Told by Founder Mrs Q in Rarotonga
Mrs Q welcomes us to Rarotonga, which she simply calls paradise. She explains how the 1992 Pacific Arts Festival left behind a village of huts where countries had carved, woven and crafted. She had just come home from travelling around Australia with her art, and she joined a friend in turning that space into a market, which opened in 1993.
Every great destination has a gathering place with a story behind it. Normand Schafer of Far and Away Adventures.com (https://farandawayadventures.com/) heads to the Punanga Nui Market in Rarotonga to hear that story from Mie, known as Mrs Q, one of the people who started it.
The early days were a struggle. The market was small, tour buses were rare, and the mamas and papas needed encouragement to come and sell. It took several years to catch on. Then came COVID, when the island had to rely on its own people, and the market kept going. Now it has a new building, opened only weeks before this interview.
At her stall, Mrs Q shows off her handmade jewellery and earrings crafted from Northern Group shells and pearl shell, alongside pareu, flower ei and local oils, including monoi oil for sun tanning. She laughs that she will create anything that can make a living, and she is at the market Monday to Sunday.
Ready to hear these stories in person? Plan your trip with a Far and Away Adventures specialist.
Normand asks how the original market compared with today. Mrs Q says it began with food, carving and art, run by only a handful of people. Over the years the number of vendors kept growing, and the market became a gathering place for locals as well as visitors, a role it still plays every weekend.
It is a warm, personal destination story about resilience, craft and community, and about why Saturday is the market's busiest and best day.
Get a free trip quote from Far and Away Adventures: https://farandawayadventures.com/form/quick-trip-request/?dest=Cook%20Islands&src=spotify
Every great destination has a gathering place with a story behind it. Normand Schafer of Far and Away Adventures.com (https://farandawayadventures.com/) heads to the Punanga Nui Market in Rarotonga to hear that story from Mie, known as Mrs Q, one of the people who started it.
The early days were a struggle. The market was small, tour buses were rare, and the mamas and papas needed encouragement to come and sell. It took several years to catch on. Then came COVID, when the island had to rely on its own people, and the market kept going. Now it has a new building, opened only weeks before this interview.
At her stall, Mrs Q shows off her handmade jewellery and earrings crafted from Northern Group shells and pearl shell, alongside pareu, flower ei and local oils, including monoi oil for sun tanning. She laughs that she will create anything that can make a living, and she is at the market Monday to Sunday.
Ready to hear these stories in person? Plan your trip with a Far and Away Adventures specialist.
Normand asks how the original market compared with today. Mrs Q says it began with food, carving and art, run by only a handful of people. Over the years the number of vendors kept growing, and the market became a gathering place for locals as well as visitors, a role it still plays every weekend.
It is a warm, personal destination story about resilience, craft and community, and about why Saturday is the market's busiest and best day.
Get a free trip quote from Far and Away Adventures: https://farandawayadventures.com/form/quick-trip-request/?dest=Cook%20Islands&src=spotify