Articles by Utopia Support

Biggest tourism industry event of the year

Wednesday 9 November 2011 | Published in National

Fifty-nine people from airlines, tourism wholesalers, online travel agencies and trade media will travel to the Cook Islands this December as part of the biggest tourism industry pow wow on the local calendar. The group of industry representatives from the Cook Islands biggest international markets will travel to the Cook Islands to meet and conduct […]

Tsunami exercise on

Wednesday 9 November 2011 | Published in National

Todays tsunami evacuation exercise is going ahead as planned to test out the Cook Islands disaster response capabilities. Though individual homes and businesses do not need to actively take part in the exercise, Emergency Management Cook Islands (EMCI) is encouraging businesses and schools to consider their disaster response plans and discuss their emergency procedures with […]

Tribunal revokes four price orders

Wednesday 9 November 2011 | Published in National

The Price Tribunal has revoked another four price orders, in line with its finding that there is enough market competition and variety of product within the Cook Islands at present. Earlier this year the tribunal was tasked with reviewing all existing price orders in an effort to determine whether they are still relevant and necessary […]

Theyre flying our flag!

Wednesday 9 November 2011 | Published in National

If twos company and threes a crowd, as the saying goes, then 169 is a colossal mob. And it certainly looked that way at the London headquarters of the United Nations International Maritime Organisation on world maritime day this year. Each year on September 29 world maritime day the organisation flies the flags of its […]

Student achievement celebrated

Wednesday 9 November 2011 | Published in National

Spirits were high at Princess Anne Hall yesterday as Tereora Colleges senior students took the stage to receive hard-earned prizes, then disappeared into a crowd of proud families and underneath a mountain of ei. For year 13 students, it was a last blast and a bit of welcome respite from hours of studying for exams. […]

20 tickets left

Wednesday 9 November 2011 | Published in National

There are just 20 tickets left for Fridays Air New Zealand Tourism Awards ceremony. Tickets are $100 and include dinner, drinks, an awards presentation and speeches delivered by Rugby World Cup chief executive Martin Snedden and Air New Zealands commercial airline manager for the Pacific Jeff McDowall. The event promises to be worth the $100 […]

Mining, fishing and marine park can coexist

Wednesday 9 November 2011 | Published in National

One of the common questions being raised by the public in the media is how it would be possible to carry out mining in our oceans if a proposed marine park is introduced in the Cook Islands. The public seem to believe that Prime Minister Henry Puna and Deputy Prime Minister Tom Marsters are at […]

Brown the right person for the job

Wednesday 9 November 2011 | Published in National

Health minister Nandi Glassie is defending the appointment of Taoro Brown to the position of Ministry of Health patient transferral officer. Brown was the most recent mayor of Atiu and applied for the Auckland-based job which has been revived by the ministry. He was selected above seven other applicants by an independent panel, made up […]

More power for island councils

Wednesday 9 November 2011 | Published in National

Government is keen to give more authority to island councils and is hoping newly-elected island councillors and mayors can receive further leadership training. Prime Minister Henry Puna has voiced his desire to give more power to local government during parliamentary sessions this year. He says island administrations aligned with national government are not always as […]

Catchments fill up with rainfall

Wednesday 9 November 2011 | Published in National

A drizzling of rain over recent days has seen water levels across Rarotonga rise, some catchments moving away from critical levels. All of Rarotongas catchments benefitted from rain that fell on the island over the weekend and early this week. Last week, two catchments were sitting below their official critical stage 1 levels as defined […]

Why not an absentee vote for Games?

Wednesday 9 November 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

What a continuing fantasy world we live in here! a smoke signaller writes. By now the sure to have been colourful CISNOC meeting from Tuesday night will be over and you will be reading here in CI News as to what eventuated. Surely the absence of the second or maybe the most important person in […]

18 charges dismissed

Monday 7 November 2011 | Published in Local

An almost three-year-old criminal court case involving 18 charges, mostly for burglary, has been dismissed in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua. The case against Metuamoeroa Tangatapoto was called in the court before senior justice of the peace John Kenning yesterday. (last Thursday) Some of Tangatapotos charges related to 2008 and 2009 incidents and […]

Tsunami exercise on Wednesday

Monday 7 November 2011 | Published in Local

The Cook Islands tsunami response capabilities will be put to the test this Wednesday, November 9 as part of a Pacific-wide disaster exercise. Sirens will sound across Rarotonga and on each of the outer islands as part of the exercise. Emergency Management Cook Islands director Charles Carlson said he did not want people to panic […]

Rain dance at Sevens in Heaven

Monday 7 November 2011 | Published in Local

Clee Marsters and friends from the Tourism Corporation were prepared for everything at the final day of the Sevens in Heaven tournament on Saturday. The crew turned out in brightly dye-tied t-shirts and pareu topped off with umbrella hats which came in handy during bursts of much needed rain showers. To avoid the dye running […]

Honesty is the best policy

Monday 7 November 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor It wont affect tourism or Steve’s outlook of Rarotonga he still thinks he found paradise with the nicest friendliest people in the world, but someone did something wrong and others watched and have to choose to be honest or dishonest. Steve and Pat arrived on Raro on Thursday afternoon. They spent a quiet […]

Kata - November 7, 2011

Monday 7 November 2011 | Published in Kata

A moveable home for Bullivant family

Monday 7 November 2011 | Published in National

While many people will be tying down their roofs and boarding up their windows in the event of a tropical cyclone, there is one Tupapa household that can take up a bit of a novel self-defence move as a last resort. The Bullivant household on the main road at Upper Tupapa can be lifted straight […]

Calls for Sheraton to become a golf course

Monday 7 November 2011 | Published in National

With developers not moving on plans to transform the old Sheraton site into a five star tourist resort, why not bulldoze it all and put in a course to cater for the travelling golfer? Thats the opinion of one regular visitor to Rarotonga, who has several links to such an industry in New Zealand. The […]

Hikers pleased with Raro treks

Monday 7 November 2011 | Published in National

When two American visitors set out to explore Rarotongas interior last month with only a 16-year-old guidebook as their navigator, they werent sure of what they could expect. A lot can change in 16 years, especially when Mother Nature is trying to force her will, and the couple was keen to explore Rarotongas seven main […]

Muri inspections uncover some champions

Saturday 5 November 2011 | Published in Environment

Though sanitation inspections currently being carried out at Muri have shown the depth of problems that need fixing in the area, they are also uncovering a few outstanding cases of people making big efforts for the environment. The Water, Waste and Sanitation (WATSAN) unit of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning is currently in the […]