Articles by Utopia Support

Police pursue hit and run

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in Local

Police are searching for a white, creamy or yellow vehicle that was involved in a hit and run incident at Arorangi on Christmas Eve. Panel beaters, rental agencies and anybody who may have been in the area during the incident are being encouraged to contact Cook Islands Police with any information that may lead them […]

Major road works to start soon

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in Local

The first leg of the major roads and water updates on Rarotonga will begin in the New Year, following a public information campaign from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning. Work on the road surface and water mains replacement project, included in the ADB Economic Recovery Support Programme, is now set to begin after years […]

Mike Pero opens shop in Raro

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in Local

Prominent Cook Islander Mike Pero is in Rarotonga launching his New Zealand-based enterprise locally. Pero, well known for his mortgage and finance company which has expanded into real estate, has lent his brand name to the Rarotonga firm Cook Islands Real Estate (CIRE). Essentially the firm remains operating as it has done, but with the […]

Out of sight, out of mind!

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Your smoke signaller in yesterdays paper announces Fiji here we come due to the high departure tax cost out of the Cook Islands for his family group. Eight members = $440.00. It just goes to show how important it is to have this tax included in the ticket. Whats happened to the discussions […]

Chook poo sure does smell

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Chook poo smells, I agree, but… Ive just bought a new property not far from a free range chook farm in Takanini here in Auckland. When the wind blows westerly, you can smell the chook farm. Its not unbearable though. We knew what we were in for when we bought the place. So […]

TV times wrong

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I write this with frustration and annoyance. CITV advertise their programmes for the day showing TV One News at 8.30pm and so forth! What annoys me is this does not happen. I understand that prior to Christmas and all the local businesses wanting to advertise their wares and create sales, the time frame […]

Stop licensing foreign fishing companies

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I urge government to stop licensing foreign fishing vessels and issuing contracts right now. The northern group islands are crying because there are no fish why is this? Its because the Chinese fishing vessels are taking all the catch. So please ask them to bugger off somewhere else where theres a lot of […]

Kata - January 5, 2012

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in Kata

Photos of the year - 2011

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in National

A look at 2011 through the lenses of our staff photographers and some of our reader’s contributions. Here’s a selection from the 17,000 plus photos catalogued in our archives throughout what was a photogenic 2011. See also: Photos of the year – 2011 and Photos of the year – 2011 Te Ara Wheke rugby sevens […]

Tougher warrants coming

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in National

Motorists will find it harder to get warrants of fitness for their vehicles in a few months, when a new standardised checklist is implemented for the first time. At present there is no standard of criteria for any vehicles in the Cook Islands to pass warrants of fitness. Instead those authorised by the police to […]

100 vehicles arriving a month

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in National

Up to 100 motorbikes and cars are being imported into the Cook Islands each month. The statistics division of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM) has not yet finished collating data for 2011, but those in the customs department have a fair idea of what is regularly being offloaded from cargo vessels. MFEMs […]

First Pacific branch of NZ group

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in National

Today Mike Pero Real Estate (MPRE) officially opened a Cook Islands owned business partnership arrangement between MPRE and Cook Islands Real Estate Limited (CIRE). Were absolutely delighted to add Rarotonga as our first Pacific Island office to our growing base of 23 franchise operators throughout New Zealand and it is a fantastic way to start […]

Sour grapes over dux award

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in National

The Ministry of Education and Takitumu Primary School have defended the schools choice of dux at its end of year prizegivings, saying award winners for all their prizes were selected by a number of people and had to meet a number of standards and conditions before they were confirmed. The ministrys and schools comment have […]

Bernard will handle NZ referrals

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in National

The Ministry of Health has confirmed the appointment of Bernard Tairea as its new patient transferral officer. Tairea is a Cook Islander who has been based in Auckland as a radio producer and journalist. His new job was initially offered to Atiu mayor Taoro Brown, who eventually turned it down. Tairea was the other most […]

New auditor sets goals in new role

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in National

Changes are afoot in the Cook Islands Audit Office with the arrival of new auditor general Allen Parker. Parker spent 12 years working at Audit as the manager of special reviews before leaving to join the Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions (PASAI) in Auckland for two years. He is now back in Rarotonga working […]

3 patients being evacuated to NZ

Thursday 5 January 2012 | Published in National

A Rakahanga youth who fell six metres from a tree and injured his spine will be flown to New Zealand today to receive further medical treatment. The 16-year-old was evacuated by aircraft from Manihiki on Saturday with serious injuries to his back. The youth had lost feeling in his legs after falling from a tree […]

Teina Rongo earns doctorate from fishing poisoning thesis

Wednesday 4 January 2012 | Published in Environment

For four years Teina Rongo has been commuting between Rarotonga and the United States to research ciguatera for his final dissertation; hard work that came to fruition last month when he donned a cap and gown to receive a Ph.D. from the Florida Institute of Technology. Possibly the only locally-based Cook Islander with a doctorate […]

Happy new year!

Wednesday 4 January 2012 | Published in Local

Returning Cook Islander David and his friend Sarah from Australia got right into the New Years celebration at Muri beach in matching sparkly 2012 glasses. The duo were among hundreds of locals and visitors at the popular beach to ring in the new year and watch the fantastic fireworks from the lagoon.

Police renew call to felon

Wednesday 4 January 2012 | Published in Local

Police are reissuing calls for wanted man Kakino Kakino Junior to turn himself in and end the nearly two-week manhunt. Cook Islands police have been sounding their appeal through Kakinos friends and families in Rarotonga, as well as through media. Inspector John Strickland said police had been visiting a list of Kakinos known associates, asking […]

Skipper missing

Wednesday 4 January 2012 | Published in Local

Cook Islands police patrol boat Te Kukupa was deployed yesterday afternoon to answer a distress call from the skipper of the yacht Bonny. The vessels owner contacted local authorities at around 9.14am yesterday to report that he was 20 nautical miles south of Rarotonga and he was experiencing breathing problems. Cook Islands Police Commissioner Maara […]