"Trader Jack" Cooper - a Cook Islands legend

Trader Jacks near the harbour on Rarotonga is iconic. In this episode, Jack's daughter, Vanessa talks its colourful history and its legendary owner.  Sadly, Jack Cooper died in June, 2022 but his legacy lives on in a new book. Vanessa chats about that and shares some of the 40 years of trials and tribulations, hilarious stunts and downright unbelievable events in the life of a man who was dubbed “the Gordon Ramsey of the Rarotonga ecosphere”

Jacks' book, "40 years behind bars. A publican in paradise" can be ordered on line at https://40ybb.com.  Shipping is worldwide or if you're in Rarotonga you can buy a copy at Traders (Unfortunately currently sold out)

ABOUT ME
I'm a retired BBC radio and TV journalist and presenter who's been having a long distance love affair with the Cook Islands for nearly 40 years and I've featured in media worldwide as an expert on this remote islands nation. CONTACT ME if you'd like to sponsor this podcast or just want to ask questions about the Cook Islands. Email kiaoranawebsiteauthor(at)cookislands.org.uk (Replace “at” with @)

MY BOOK ABOUT THE ISLANDS
Whether you're planning a visit or just armchair travelling, you'll discover stories of buried treasure, ghostly fire, real-life Robinson Crusoes and the mafia, and a wealth of useful information. 'Around the Corner from Nowhere: The Cook Islands Rediscovered' is available as an ebook (https://getbook.at/Cook_Islands-ebook) or paperback (https://getbook.at/cookislandsbook) through Amazon. All profits are donated to dementia charities

EXPLORE ALL 15 OF THE COOK ISLANDS
My website is the most detailed guide on the net at Cook Islands complete guide. It's also THE ONLY TOTALLY INDEPENDENT GUIDE ON THE INTERNET with information about each and every one of the 15 islands