Articles by Utopia Support

Student teachers enjoying island experience

Saturday 30 June 2012 | Published in Features

Continuing an 18 year tradition, student teachers from Monash University are visiting the Cook Islands for the next three weeks. Monash University has 23 students currently placed across the primary and secondary schools in Rarotonga, with some students due to visit Aitutaki and Mangaia also. Deanne Pattieson and Ryan Lucas will be spending the next […]

Gold Coast office pushes Cooks

Saturday 30 June 2012 | Published in Features

The Tourism Cook Islands office on the Gold Coast hopes to enlist the help of Cook Islands communities across the country to spread the word of their beautiful homeland to the greater Australian population. Tourism Cook Islands director of sales and marketing Karla Eggelton visited the new Cook Islands Tourism representative office on the Gold […]

Second licence up for grabs

Saturday 30 June 2012 | Published in Features

Government has a two-licence policy in terms of international shipping – not one, which would engender a shipping monopoly, and not three, for fear that a third line would be neither financially viable nor necessary. The logic is that the Cook Islands just do not import or export enough cargo volumes to warrant a third […]

Amazed by police comments on accidents

Saturday 30 June 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Referring to your article on page 7 of the CINews of June 28, I was amazed to read Inspector Tere Patia’s generalisation when he states: ”They (the tourists) think they can please themselves.“ Such comments are sure to alienate and frighten away our visitors, many of whom go to Aitutaki and provide extra […]

Chainsaw massacre carried away

Saturday 30 June 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I couldn’t help but notice the number of trees that has been chopped down along the back Avatiu/Ruatonga road and I’m sure many have experience this in their own village as well. We all agree that these trees are a hazard and must be trimmed back or be chopped right down for the […]

Make crash helmets compulsory

Saturday 30 June 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, OK, confession time. I once wrote on the pros and cons of riding motorbikes. The case against wearing crash helmets was being cool and free, etc. The reality is, there are too many of our own, young and old, locals and even tourists, checking out and leaving our shores permanently, in coffins! No […]

Kata - June 30, 2012

Saturday 30 June 2012 | Published in Kata

Netballers finish third in Pacific

Saturday 30 June 2012 | Published in Netball

Fiji netball has firmly established that they are the Queens of Pacific netball after taking out the 2012 Pacific Netball Series in front of their home crowd. Fiji cleaned up at the series convincingly disposing of all their opponents and thumping the Cook Islands 62-33 in the final match of the series. It was a […]

Our fish: what's going on?

Saturday 30 June 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

In response to yesterday’s page 12 media release from the Ministry of Marine resources ‘Fisheries net $3.7m in revenues’ a smoke signaller writes: ”Why is it that two people with very little knowledge of the tuna fishery in the Cook Islands, i.e. the Secretary and the Minister for Marine Resources, are able to sell off […]

Building a strong family

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in Church Talk

With this Churchtalk opportunity, I want to address the topic of ”Building a Strong Family“. I’ve received researched materials on the topic and thought it would be nice to share the findings with the public in the endeavour to help our families which I believe is the network God blessed us with to journey through […]

Edna's logo design gets the nod

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in Environment

A reminder of the four pillars of society under the watchful eye of a Cook Islands wave has won the 43rd Pacific Islands Forum Logo Competition. Thirteen entries were received by the organising committee, who asked people to design their logo around the forum’s theme: Large Ocean Island States – the Pacific Challenge. The winning […]

Fines not enough for pig polluters

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in Environment

Titikaveka Growers Association (TGA) chairman Teava Iro is adamant there is a better way to handle the issue of pig pollution than to simply slap fines on offenders. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning’s WATSAN group have implemented fines as a means of ensuring animals such as pigs are kept at least five metres away […]

Avarua dredging denied

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in Local

Ports Authority general manager Bim Tou denies claims that the Avarua harbour will be dredged in the next few days. An anonymous source is concerned about possible dredging after learning a boat is surveying the area. The source is concerned at the potentially serious loss of coral and sand near Trader Jacks as a result […]

Three road deaths in two weeks

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in Local

The man who was in critical condition after crashing his motorcycle while drunk early Saturday morning has sadly passed away. Abraham Amaru Pau, aged 30, of Takuvaine, was pronounced dead at Rarotonga Hospital at 12.20pm yesterday. He had serious head injuries from crashing his motorcycle into a tree at around 5.30am on Saturday in Panama, […]

Punanga Nui changes hands

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in Local

The Ministry of Agriculture re-assumes control of the Punanga Nui market from July 1. Two years ago government yanked the market from the ministry’s control and handed the reigns to the Cook Islands Investment Incorporation and then, recently, to the Business Trade and Investment Board. Now the market’s management is coming full-circle. Business Trade and […]

Big black Boeing 777-300 draws spectators to the airport

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in Local

The Nikao seawall and back road was packed with spectators to catch a glimpse of the arrival of Air New Zealand’s newest Boeing 777-300ER, the world’s largest commercially operated aircraft, painted all black. The aircraft’s all black paint job is overlaid with a design featuring New Zealand’s distinctive silver fern that extends across the rear […]

Versatile Tina Cross ready to rock

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in Features

Prominent pop star Tina Cross is on The Rock and ready to rock. The diminutive Kiwi diva has been this week flitting between acoustic rehearsals, media briefings, photo shoots and friends’ homes on her maiden visit to Rarotonga. Tina says her long-time friend and mentor Penny Akapi-Maich – who started making Tina’s show costumes when […]

Emergent artist exhibition on show

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in Features

Emerging Cook Islands artists have recently had the opportunity to create and exhibit new pieces of work. The National Museum is currently showing the Cook Islands Emerging Artists Exhibition, which is the outcome of a series of workshops that were run by well-known artist Ian George, arts advisor for the Ministry of Education. The workshops […]

Questions must be asked

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Dealings with Asian or Chinese businesses are always clouded in some secrecy. Our officials at MMR and the minister’s office should at all times be fully transparent about their official and unofficial dealings with these business people. This includes paid private overseas trips, if any, and any payments, direct or indirect that may […]

Mauke water is pure, fresh

Friday 29 June 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Referring to the article ‘Barge back for Mauke, Mitiaro projects’ on June 14, I just want to correct the false information given by Noel McManaway about our Pure 101% Fresh Water. In the article it states that ‘He says that because the water on Mauke has salt in it, they have to use […]