18 May 2015

Cook Islands patrol boat returns refurbished

6:41 am on 18 May 2015

The Cook Islands patrol boat, Te Kukupa, has arrived back in Rarotonga after an extensive five million US dollar refit in Australia.

A lagoon in the Cook Islands (Aitutaki?)

A lagoon in the Cook Islands. Photo: RNZI / Megan Whelan

The Cook Islands News reports that the refit is expected to prolong the life of the Pacific class vessel until it's replaced with a new patrol boat from Australia in 2019.

Te Kukupa first arrived in the Cook Islands in 1989 and is one of 22 Pacific Class patrol vessels built by Australia and donated to 12 South Pacific Countries.