Tourism businesses in the Cook Islands may be crying out for more New Zealand holidaymakers, but the sentiment is not shared by all.
Some Rarotongans are anxious about Covid-19 creeping into the Cook Islands, while others say they do not feel supported by visiting Kiwis.
Nonetheless, things are gearing up in the Cooks for the arrival of the second quarantine-free flight from NZ on Saturday.
Temu Ngarima George is preparing for an onslaught.
"I'm making a hat for a beautiful young woman to wear tonight to a dance or a family get-together," he told Checkpoint.
Known as Papa G, he has operated Hut 24 at the Punanga Nui Market for over a decade.
But for the last year he has relied on local support.
That is about to change, with up to 300 more travellers from New Zealand ready to touch down in Rarotonga.
Punanga Nui Market is the main market on the island and Saturday is its big reopening.
It has been a long time coming. The market's manager told Checkpoint over 70 percent of the stalls that would usually be there have disappeared since borders shut under Covid-19.
One would assume stallholders would be itching for tourists to return, but many, including Papa G, have mixed feelings.
"It's good for tourists to come back, and it's also good for us, to wake us up – not just to rely on tourism but to find ways and means [to use] the product we have here in the islands.
"Because, to be honest, the last 11 years that I've been here, a lot of tourists come but most of them don't buy."
At the market Clerk Tangiura Turua, a local pastor, is hard at work laying out fresh bananas, coconut, passionfruit and avocados.
"Financially, we are relying totally on tourism. So we need them to come but at the back of our mind we are reluctant.
"There are some question marks in [Rarotongan's] minds regarding Covid-19. Because we don't really see or know where this thing is. People coming in [might be] carrying that very thing, but we don't know.
"That's why we're concerned… Some of the people are reluctant but at the same time we really need our businesspeople to continue.
Mii Upu - Mrs Q to her friends - is set up ready to sell her homemade seashell jewellery and arts and crafts.
"It's been hard, it's a struggle here. We manage to come through, but without the government subsidy we wouldn't have made it."
She too is worried the Cook Islands Government has reopened the border too soon.
"I think we should have had the jab first before tourists. But then from New Zealand, they all should have had the jab before coming here.
Just down from Mrs Q's stall, Teremoana Albert is showing off an assortment of coconuts.
Green and yellow rokua bananas are also on offer.
"Some people say this one will kill the cancer in you," she said, pointing to a fruit. "But I don't really know."
Like most, Mrs Albert acknowledges the Cook Islands needs tourists.
At the same time, she says there needs to be a shift in focus away from resorts with all the trimmings.
"When I say the drinking coconut is $4, $5, $3, [tourists say] it's too much money.
"And a bottle of whisky is $25 or $50. They can pay for it."
Despite locals' concerns, and a clear dose of Covid-19 anxiety, Punanga Nui Market manager William Taripo says there are grand plans for a big re-opening this Saturday.
"During the Covid-19 times there was only locals coming to the market. Now we're trying to revive our culture, bring in some dancing groups, bring in some entertainment, spot prizes… So the atmosphere will be the same as before Covid-19 times," he told Checkpoint.
Over the last year, Mr Taripo says just 25 to 30 percent of stall owner have bothered showing up on Saturdays.
Last year the market was mostly providing food for locals, he said. Arts and crafts stalls were gone.
When next the plane-load of New Zealand visitors does land in Rarotonga, the locals here have a message - put down that pina colada, leave your poolside perch and get to the market, meet the locals.
