Sunday, 30 November 2025

Post #296 30 November 2025

 Gentlefolk,

This post describes our main activities during the month of  November 2025.


The contents of this post are in the following sequence:

Photos of our activities during November 2025 (mainly our Cook Islands itinerary 9 - 22 November).

News items which caught my eye in November 2025. 

A brief summary from MSNBC of some key actions by President Trump during November 2025. 



Highlight of  November 2025


The highlight of the month was our two-week visit to Rarotonga (Cook Islands) 9 - 22 November, to attend the wedding of Alexander & Engara.



Herewith photos of some of our activities in November 2025:


We met up with Angie at Sydney Airport for the direct flight to Rarotonga. It was an overnight flight, left Sydney at 9.30pm and arrived in Raro at 6.30am (Raro time - the same day, Sunday 9 November, as we crossed the International Date Line). Vera can sleep on a plane but I can't, so arrived in poor shape. The main purpose of our visit was to attend the wedding of Alexander Teariki Olah (my brother Andy's son) and Engara Gosselin. They have been together for about 15 years and have 3 beautiful kids (Hinamoana, Etu and Waza). They finally decided to formalise their relationship.



The Cook Islands comprises 15 islands spread over a vast area of the South Pacific, between Tahiti and New Zealand.
The total popultion is about 16,000. Rarotonga ("Raro") is the main island, with a population of about 11,000. Aitutaki is the second most populated island with about 2,000.
Raro has an circumference of about 30km and an area of 67 sq km. The main town is Avarua, where the harbour is. There is a reef around most of the island which creates a lagoon.  


A view of Rarotonga from the south showing the small islands at Muri. The centre of Raro is mountainous. Tourism is by far the largest industry with about 170,000 visitors pa, mainly from NZ and Australia.  There are many 'guest workers' from The Philippines, Indonesia and Fiji working in hospitality (the minimum wage in Raro now is NZ$10 per hour, higher than in their own countries). 



A view of the mountains from the airport.



The centre of Raro comprises huge extinct volcanoes. The highest point is Te Manga, 652m high.



The Cook Islands were a territory of New Zealand from 1901 to 1965 when they became 'Self-governing in Free Association'. The British monarch is the Head of State, represented by a Governor.
Cook Islanders automatically have access to NZ citizenship and a NZ passport.
In fact, there are many more people of Cook Island descent living in NZ (about 80,000) and in Australia (about 30,000) than in the Cook Islands.  



The locals are pretty laid-back, although there is probably tension below the surface as the cost of living is quite high with most food and other products being imported.



British missionaries came to Raro in the 1820s and quickly converted the locals. About 40% belong to the Cook Island Christian Church (Anglican) and 20% are Catholics. There are also many active groups like the Mormans. 


A street sign to remember.

Moana Oasis Villa, Kavera


Andy and Alexander own the Moana Oasis Villa (moanaoasisvilla.com) at Kavera, which they let out for holiday rentals. We were fortunate to stay there. It was super-comfortable (except for being woken by roosters at 4am!).



The Moana Oasis Villa has a lovely swimming pool, which we used every day. 



My sister Angie by the pool.




Aniko and Andy in the Villa garden.




The Villa has several sitting areas.


We picked fresh papayas every morning for breakfast.


The beach across the road from the Villa. Here are Peter and Aniko swimming and snorkling. There is a reef about 100 metres out which creates a lagoon. But it's too shallow to swim other than at high tide. Unfortunately most of the coral around Raro is dead.




So many beche-de-mer (sea cucumbers) in the lagoon.



Angie enjoying the hammock Andy made near the beach.



We all fell in love with Max, Andy's wonderful dog.





Engara's Baptism



Engara had to be baptised before they could get married in the Catholic Church.





Family and friends came to the baptism.


The Wedding





The wedding in Raro's Catholic Cathedral.



Engara and Alex with her parents, Ma'ota and Jim Gosselin.



Part of the bridal party.



Part of the big crowd at the wedding.



The Olah contingent: Andy, Aniko, Vera, Angie and Alex.



The Reception






The reception was held at a local resort.



The Groom & Bride.


Over 200 guests attended the Reception.



Cutting the wedding cake, with kids Hinamoana, Etu and Waza.



Andy's speech as father of the Groom. There were also speeches by Jim, the Bride's father, the chief bridesmaid, the best man, and Alex. 



Engara and some friends entertained the guests with an Island dance. A small band provided music. After the formalities a local group put on a spectacular Fire Dance on the beach.



A local tradition is giving  the newly-weds quilts for their home - about 50!!!

 

Engara, Alex, Andy and Aniko. It was a wonderful night, full of laughter and friendship.
.



The After-Party




The After-Party was held at the Villa a couple of days after the wedding.



Taitapu (Alex's mother) with Angie.





Andy, Ziggy, Angie and Jim.


Ziggy & Sue Kominek and family came from Canberra. In 1979 Ziggy and Sue were working in Raro. Andy had an "around the world" ticket and stopped by to say hello. He fell in love with Taitapu and the lifestyle. When he returned to Canberra he resigned his job in the Public Service, sold his house and moved to Raro. The rest is history.


Sue with grandkids.


Engara's extended family (many came from NZ and Australia).



Visiting the Gosselin home, just up the road from the Villa.



Engara



Alex


Island Night




We went to a dinner & show at Te Vara Nui (NZ$155pp, expensive but worth it).



Peter, Aniko, Angie, Alex & Vera.


Aniko & Angie.



Peter & Aniko.



Alex & Vera


We enjoyed this Island show  - very good performances.



With the performers afterwards.



Other photos


Andy showed us the Maru Maru vaka (traditional sailing vessel). Ten years ago Alex did the voyage from Raro to Tahiti, Hawaii, San Diego, the Galapagus Islands and back home. Incredible.


At the Rarotonga Sailing Club, Muri beach.


Some locals were preparing for a big weekend of canoeing (annual canoe festival - 700 expected from other countries).


Another shot of Muri Beach.




Angie, Vera and I used to walk down the The Rarotongan Resort (about 1km from the Villa) as the swimming and snorkling was better there.
But you can see how the beach has been eroded, and has had to be reinforced with big rocks. Is the sea level rising? The reef is a long way out, but obviously big tides and waves are undermining the beach here (we noticed some erosion in other parts of the island too). 


Beach reclamation at The Rarotongan Resort, where Ani and Peter stayed.




Andy showed us the land that Alex was given by his "mob". It's a steep block. He has started to clear the jungle and level it out. Alex is intending to build one (or maybe two) houses here.
Only local families can own land in the Cook Islands, others can only lease land. I think it's a good system, otherwise rich foreigners would just take over.


Andy lives in a house in Vaimaanga - he got the lease years ago. Here he is mowing the grass.



Saying goodbye at Raro Airport. We had a wonderful 2 weeks here. 



Andy, Angie & Alex





This guy was playing the ukulele and singing local songs in the departure lounge - a nice touch.
Our Jetstar flight left Raro on time at 9am on Friday 21 November, and arrived in Sydney at 1pm on Saturday 22 November. The daylight flight was much more comfortable!
On arrival in Sydney. Angie headed off to Sasha's place while Vera & I caught a flight to Sunshine Coast Airport. We were home in Caloundra by 8pm.
So ended our memorable 2 weeks in the Cook Islands.

Aniko and Peter came for a week, so the 4 Olah siblings spent time together;
we did NOT watch TV for 2 weeks (and survived!);
weather was comfortable (although some days were very windy), intermittent showers didn't worry us; 
 wore shorts and T-shirts and sandals the whole time;
picked our own papayas and bananas; coconuts (from Wigmores);
caught the local bus into town several times (Peter hired a car which was handy);
walked around the neighbourhood - one street back from the main road and you feel in the countryside; saw lots of dogs, few cats;
good to meet Engara's parents Jim & Ma'ota Gosselin, Jim was a very senior public servant and is very knowledgeable about CI government and history;
Angie master chef;
Andy master host.


Other activities



The Social Club of our Village organised a number of events on Melbourne Cup Day - good fun!




Some people dressed up (or, cross-dressed!).



The U3A Brain Health group (Monday mornings). Our introduction to crosswords!



Ian Cran the coordinator of the Brain Health group - an extraordinary person. He rode a motor bike around Australia, decided that was too easy and at the age of 72 he rode a bicycle around Australia. Now in his 90s, he still rides motor bikes and leads a very active life. 


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Books I read during November












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News items which caught my eye in November 2025.

($ are US dollars unless otherwise shown)

Global

 

UK: Andrew lost his “Prince” title and will move out of the Royal Lodge. David Beckham was knighted. Max Dowman played for Arsenal in Champions League game at 15 years 308 days, youngest ever.

Wealthiest: USA: Elon Musk $422B, Larry Page $257B, Larry Ellison $253B. Japan: Masayoshi San (Soft Bank) $55B, second is Tadashi Yana (Uniqlo), The Trump Family is worth $6.7B.

Country “Wealth Funds”: Norway $2.1T (began in 1996, based on a 56% special surcharge tax on Oil & gas); China $1.6T; UAE $1.1T; Kuwait $1T; Singapore $936B; Saudi $930B; Australia $103B.

Typhoon Kalmaegi killed 114+ in the Philippines before hitting Vietnam.

G20: the leaders meeting held in South Africa was boycotted by Trump.

Indonesia: 2 bomb blasts at a mosque in Jakarta injured 100+; a 17 yo student arrested.

COP30: held in Belem, Brazil was inconclusive. USA absent (Trump called Climate Change a huge con job).

South Korea: announced that the 62 coal-fired power plants will be phased out by 2040.

World Health Organisation (WHO) will reduce staff by at least 25% following withdrawal of the USA.

Hong Kong: a huge apartment block in Tai Po (New Territories) caught fire, many killed & missing.

France: will introduce “voluntary national military service” of 10 months, paid for young men (a response to Russia’s aggressiveness).

Silver: passed $55 per ounce – new record.

Heavy Monsoon rains cause major flooding in parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka - hundreds dead and missing.

 

Israel – Hamas & Hezbollah & Iran

153 Gazans arrived by plane in South Africa (likely facilitated by Israel to embarrass SA which has been a vocal critic of genocide in Gaza).

In October there were over 200 attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank.

Israeli airstrike on Southern Beirut killed a Hezbollah leader.

 

Russian invasion of Ukraine

The Economist calculated the cost of defending Ukraine has been about $389B since the Russian invasion.

President Zelensky dismissed several senior Govt ministers in an anti-corruption drive.

Russia attacked several cities, targeting infrastructure, many civilians killed. Ukraine attacked the Novorossiysk Oil Port.

Trump released a 28-point Peace Plan which seemed to favour Russia – currently being reviewed by Ukraine and Europeans.

 

USA

 

The Reuters/Ipsos poll has Trump’s approval rating falling to 38%, the lowest this year.

US Govt shut-down finally ended on 13 November after 43 days – the longest ever – 8 Democrat Senators crossed the floor to help pass the Budget.

Pres Trump ordered the military to resume testing of nuclear weapons (suspended in 1994).

The US Supreme Court heard arguments that Trump’s tariffs did NOT meet the requirements of the 1977 International Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA).

To curtail rising grocery prices, Trump cut tariffs on 100+ food products including coffee, bananas, and beef.

Trump pardoned Rudy Giulani and others who tried to overturn the result of the 2020 election.

US intake of refugees reduced from 125,000 to 7,500 pa (South African whites will be given priority).

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.25%.

Baseball: The LA Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 to win the World Series.

Stock market: Nvidia passed $5T valuation.

Trade: China agreed to pause export controls on rare earths; the US will pause port fees on Chinese vessels.

Dick Cheney died aged 94. He was Vice President to George W Bush; advocated invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Democrats did well in elections in USA: NYC Mayor (Zohran Mamdani), New Jersey Gov (Mikie Sherrill), Virginia Gov (Abigail Spanberger). Zohran Mamdani a 34 years old Democratic Socialist, a Moslem born in Uganda, moved to NYC age 7 his father was a professor and mother a film maker. His wife is Rama Duwajim, a 27 yo artist from Syria. Trump called him a communist and urged New Yorkers to reject him, but he still won the election. Subsequently they had a surprisingly cordial meeting at the White House.

California approved “redistricting” plan (to counter Texas Republicans).

Nancy Pelosi announced her retirement at the next election. She was Speaker of the HoR 2007-11 and 2019 – 23.

Abilgail Zwerner, an American teacher was shot by a 6 yo student in 2023, awarded $10M by a jury.

Tesla shareholders approved a $1T remuneration package for Elon Musk, if he achieves a series of targets by 2035.

The USA has destroyed more than 20 so-called narco-boats in South America (80+ dead). Trump keeps ramping up the pressure on Venezuela by declaring its airspace "closed"! (Can he even do that???)

A Federal Judge dismissed the DoJ cases against ex-FBI Director James Comey and NY Attorney General Letita James.

 

Australia

Emissions: The Nationals abandoned “net zero by 2050”; the Liberals followed suit.

Rugby League: The Kangaroos won all 3 tests against England.

Rugby Union: the Wallabies lost all 5 games in Europe (they only won 5 of 15 Tests this year).

Triathlon: Matthew Hauser (world champion) won the Noosa tri in 1h42m (1,500m swim, 40km bike, 10km run). Britain’s Jess Fullagar won the Women’s in 1h56m.

Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY) announced $170m upgrade.

Melbourne Cup: won by Half Yours ridden by Jamie Melham; second Goodie Twoshoes, third Middle Earth.

New AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett, first female head.

ALP heavy Graham Richardson (Richo) died aged 76.

King of Talk-back radio, John Laws, died aged 90.

Ceremonies to mark the 50th anniversary of Whitlam’s dismissal.

State Parliament of Victoria passed the first Treaty with Aboriginals. The Conservative Opposition said it would annul the Treaty if elected.

Australia and Indonesia signed an updated Security Treaty.

The CSIRO will cut another 350 jobs, in addition to the 800 cut in the last 18 months.

The ban on access to social media for kids under 16 will commence on 10 December; world’s first such policy.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese married Jodie Haydon at The Lodge in Canberra. He is the first Aussie PM to marry in office. Their dog Toto was the ringbearer.

 

 President Trump continues to dominate the news, both in Australia and internationally.

President Trump’s key actions in week ending 5 November 2025.

MSNBC Project 47

 Overhauled the leadership of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a move critics say removes accountability.

Said that he “didn’t know” who Changpeng Zhao is, despite having granted clemency to the founder of the crypto exchange Binance.

Said that criticism of his trip to Asia by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer was “almost treasonous.”

Hosted a Great Gatsby-themed party at Mar-A-Lago as federal judges ruled the administration could not stop funding food aid during the shutdown.

Threatened military action against Nigeria, pointing to attacks against the African nation’s Christian population.


Trump’s key actions in week ending 11 November 2025.

Pardoned Rudy Giuliani and 76 other people involved in his attempts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election.

Told states they must “immediately undo” any actions to provide full food stamp benefits during the government shutdown.

Lobbied Senate Republicans to end the filibuster, arguing it would help pass laws to change voting rules.

Ended IRS Direct File, a pilot program that allowed residents of some states to file tax returns online for free.

Renominated billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to head NASA five months after pulling it.

 

Trump’s key actions in week ending 19 November 2025.

Exempted coffee, beef and bananas from tariffs amid continuing concerns about high grocery prices

Issued pardons to two people convicted of crimes stemming from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol but not related to it

Reversed his position on the Epstein Files Transparency Act after it became clear that it had enough votes to pass the House

Claimed that he will be releasing a Republican health-care proposal soon but did not provide any details on it

Said, through the White House spokeswoman, that key inflation and jobs data for October likely will never be released.


Trump’s key actions in week ending 26 November 2025.

Disbanded the so-called Department of Government Efficiency initiative after eight months in operation

Accused Democratic lawmakers of “seditious behavior, punishable by death” for encouraging members of the military to disobey illegal orders

Released a peace plan that would require Ukraine to surrender territory, reduce its army and relinquish some weaponry

Moved billions of dollars of grant programs from the Department of Education as part of a plan to eventually shut it down

Threatened to have the Federal Communications Commission investigate ABC over a journalist’s question.


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That's it for this post.

It's the last day of Spring, but it has already been hot and humid with several storms (including hail).

Thank you Andy, Alex and Engara for making our visit to Raro so special.

Fulham (London Premier League Soccer Club) have asked Eddie to return for a second month of trials in their youth development program.


We missed Leilani's 21st birthday celebration in Canberra - our very best wishes for a bright future!


A couple of days ago Vera & I had some time to spare to we went to Kings Beach. My first swim of the season!


Best wishes, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Vera & Alex Olah

Caloundra, Australia

Sunday 30 November 2025











 

 






























































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