Author Jack

Short bio: My name is Jacques Franc de Ferrière. I was born in Papeete, Windward Islands, in 1985. I have been a web journalist for the last 10 years, after trying and hating jobs in finance and advertisement. I have worked in newsrooms in Paris, Canada and Tahiti and have now more than a thousand articles published online, mostly in French. I love biking, reading, slack lines and slacking off.

Website: http://articlesjeff.blogspot.com/

    Environment

    Kea Trader: an ecological catastrophe avoided in New Caledonia

    You certainly remember how the container ship Kea Trader  ran aground the Durand reef, South-East of New Caledonia, almost a month ago. The spectacular photos of the huge ship full quill on the coral were seen all across the Pacific. At the time, the local government and French armed forces mobilized a full anti-pollution task force. They feared a massive spill in this unique coral ecosystem. But … Continue reading Kea Trader: an ecological catastrophe avoided in New Caledonia

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    Culture, Environment

    This street artist from New Zealand makes giant murals of endemic birds

    His name is Phat1, aka Charles Williams. He is a street-artist from New Zealand, where he started as a graffiti rebel spraying the walls of Auckland. But he got married (with another street artist, Lady Diva), got four children and now uses his talents for the promotion of indigenous culture and young artists. He is also a huge indigenous birds geek and lover. We met … Continue reading This street artist from New Zealand makes giant murals of endemic birds

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    Culture

    This Tahitian art lover created a website for Oceanian art collectors

    Artoceanien.com launched three years ago, and is now becoming recognized by art and artcraft lovers across the region. Paintings, drawings, sculptures and rare books from Pacifican artists can be bought in a few clicks, to the delight of its creator, Michel Cunéo. He created this whole scheme just to be able to see the hidden private collections in Tahiti. When Michel Cunéo lost his job in Tahiti, … Continue reading This Tahitian art lover created a website for Oceanian art collectors

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    Environment

    This real-life “ninja turtle” superhero has saved 11 sea turtles from being eaten

    When Aaron and Mark found these two live turtles ready to be sold for meat on a Papua New Guinea market, they couldn’t let them to their sad fate. Instead, they bought them with their own money and drove them to the nearest beach to the Pacific Ocean. Aaron Culling shared this small adventure to his Facebook account with the caption: “Found these at a … Continue reading This real-life “ninja turtle” superhero has saved 11 sea turtles from being eaten

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    Social, Sports

    Billabong Pro: the surf stars offer 90 backpacks to Tahitian kids

    Last week, the island of Tahiti hosted one of the 11 events of the WSL Men’s Championship Tour, surf’s main title, on the Teahupo’o reef spot. But just before the competition, the organisation received an irresistible request from the local town: local kids needed backpacks for the beginning of the school year and the municipality didn’t have the money… The WSL Hawaii, with its president Jody Wilmott, … Continue reading Billabong Pro: the surf stars offer 90 backpacks to Tahitian kids

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    Environment, Geek

    The huge space graveyard underneath the South Pacific

    263 spatial objects have ended their lives in a vast zone of open sea located between Polynesia and Antarctica over the last four decades. This cemetery received spacecrafts from Russia, the USA, the European Union, and will continue to host many of the machines Man sends to space. In a few years, even the International Space Station and her 420 tons of metal will end … Continue reading The huge space graveyard underneath the South Pacific

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    Culture, Lifestyle

    Drinking kava and driving: what the science says

    What does Science have to say about drinking kava and driving? According to Dr Apo Aporoso, a kava researchers at the University of Waikato in New Zealand interviewed by Australian media ABC, “a study testing driver reactions after a six-hour session of high-volume kava drinking found no statistically significant effect on driving ability.” So it doesn’t seem to be as bad as alcohol, but the researcher still … Continue reading Drinking kava and driving: what the science says

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    Culture, Sports

    Does this 20,000 years old footprint belong to the fastest man in History?

    This footprint (picture from National Geographic) could belong to the fastest man in our known history. It was left by an Aboriginal hunter who crossed a muddy wetland in New South Wales some 20,000 years ago, with four friends. This wetland is now dried out and belongs to the Mungo National Park. It is studied since 2003, when it was spotted between sand dunes by Mary … Continue reading Does this 20,000 years old footprint belong to the fastest man in History?

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    Culture

    What a Tahitian thinks of Moana [Video]

    Is Moana a faithful representation of the Polynesian people and their culture? On the one hand, the coconut people came from nowhere and the giant crab passing as Tamatoa is very foreign to our culture. But for Pacificans.com editor Taema, this is all redeemed by the effort from Disney to make a Tahitian and a Maori version, combined with the fact that Moana characters seem … Continue reading What a Tahitian thinks of Moana [Video]

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    Social

    Cook Islands considers legalizing homosexuality

    A new bill has been proposed by the Cook Islands government to remove provisions banning “indecent acts” between two men and “consensual sodomy”, with prison terms of between five and seven years, from the Cook Islands’ 1969 Crimes Act. Although convictions are rare, according to Radio NZ, “The Solicitor General, David James, says the new bill makes laws suitable for the modern era, and means people will no longer be locked … Continue reading Cook Islands considers legalizing homosexuality

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