Withdrawn from use in 1948 and scrapped. Whites Aviation Collection/Alexander Turnbull Library

Jagged volcanic hills provide a dramatic backdrop to the airport at Rarotonga, and a significant obstacle to aircraft such as this backtracking Air New Zealand Boeing 747.

Rarotonga Tower and ops building, with ANZ B762 ZK-NBF parked behind. Being an air traffic controller myself, I was able to spend some pleasant hours in this picturesquely-sited Tower thanks to local Controller Mark Vaikai (and much to my wife's disgust!).

Very rare shot of this leased Jumbo, waiting to take us home after a great holiday in the Cook Islands. This aircraft was built for BA and allocated G-BDXL, but delivered straight to MAS in March 82. Ten years later it was leased to Garuda, and in 1994 to ANZ. In late 94 it was converted to a freighter and re-delivered to MASkargo in December that year. In Sept 05 it was re-registered N362FC to Focus Air, and in July 08 to TF-AAB with Air Atlanta Icelandic.

Boarding passengers at Rarotonga for a trip to one of the outlying destinations in the Cook Islands. This aircraft was test-flown in 1979 as PT-SAF before delivery to Cascade Airways as N107CA. To Imperial Airlines 82-83, leased to San Juan Airlines 84. Acquired by Air Rarotonga in 89 and re-registered ZK-FTS. Re-registered again on the Cook Is Register in 2010 as E5-FTS.