Articles by Utopia Support

Burglary devastates Aunty June

Tuesday 2 August 2011 | Published in National

Local business woman June Baudinet, known to everyone as Aunty June, is reeling from a break-in at her Raina Trading store in Avarua on Sunday night. Among the items stolen from her office was her laptop containing all her business contacts, family documents and records. Im just devastated, said an emotional Aunty June. Ive been […]

Sirens, lights: show time!

Tuesday 2 August 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

It also was a nice, peaceful Sunday afternoon until an entourage sped by, a smoke signaller complains. On Sunday afternoon around 12.45pm, two police motorbikes with lights flashing and sirens wailing, and officers waving vehicles off the road, followed by the Queens Representatives flash black car all smoking its way to the National Auditorium, I […]

Rhythm and dance

Monday 1 August 2011 | Published in Local

Young dancers from Kiribati display a dance that is meant to teach them rhythm. They were performing at Fridays international night as part of Te Maeva Nui 2011. Reports and photos, pages 8-11. 11073002

Woman seriously hurt in bike crash

Monday 1 August 2011 | Published in Local

A woman is recovering at Rarotonga hospital from serious injuries she sustained in a motorbike accident early on Saturday morning. The accident involving the single motorbike was reported to police at 1.45am on Saturday by a witness who apparently saw the bike speeding from Arorangi through Turoa heading into the Titikaveka village. According to police, […]

Plans to can and export CI tuna

Monday 1 August 2011 | Published in Local

Cook Islands tuna could be processed in Papua New Guinea or Pago Pago as a result of continued discussion between governments. Marine resources minister Teina Bishop says he is actively trying to diversify the Cook Islands economy by developing new initiatives in the fishing industry. In a recent trip to Samoa for a fisheries conference, […]

We all hear of corruption

Monday 1 August 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Please allow me to express my views about Whos robbing who?. This is my little 2 cents worth in what I think of whats happening today in our society. Firstly, the Government. The reason why they want to get in government is not for the people, its for themselves. That, I guess, we […]

Rough justice not recommended

Monday 1 August 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am now back in Australia and I would like to thank the people of the Cook Islands for assisting me with the research project aimed at understanding not only the offending behaviour of the young people, but also the cultural resilience in this community. My first impressions of the offending behaviour of […]

Kata - August 1, 2011

Monday 1 August 2011 | Published in Kata

Choirs open the competition

Monday 1 August 2011 | Published in National

Beautiful and uplifting choirs performed yesterday afternoon for the first of the Te Maeva Nui competition sections. According to secretary of culture Sonny Williams, choral singing is not traditional in the Cook Islands. But Im impressed with the way our people have taken up this style of singing, commented Williams during the Imene Pupu Choir […]

World song and dance on stage

Monday 1 August 2011 | Published in National

Seven groups of men, women and children from across the Pacific and South East Asia put their culture on show in Te Maeva Nuis international night on Friday. The Te Aroa Nui Hall at Arorangi echoed with the singing and dancing of groups from the Philippines, Tonga, Samoa, Bali, New Zealand and Fiji, the noise […]

Marumaru Atua first to San Francisco

Monday 1 August 2011 | Published in National

Voyaging vaka Marumaru Atua and her Cook Islands crew anchored 20 miles north of San Francisco Bay at the weekend where they waited for other vaka in the fleet to catch up with them. Marumaru Atua crew and scribe Nick Henry reports on their arrival to San Francisco Well we are here..sort of. We are […]

More MPs off overseas

Monday 1 August 2011 | Published in National

Deputy Prime Minister Tom Marsters and marine resources minister Teina Bishop will be the next members of parliament to travel abroad on official business. They will attend a trade and fisheries conference in Papua New Guinea, leaving the Cook Islands on August 6. Bishop has just last week returned from Samoa where he attended a […]

Red Cross thanks land owners

Monday 1 August 2011 | Published in National

Excitement is growing among Red Cross officers in the Cook Islands with the organisations new $1.3m headquarters in Tupapa taking shape. Cook Islands Red Cross president Nga Jessie would like to thank and show the organisations gratitude to landowner of the section Tua Nicholas. Red Cross would also like to show its appreciation to surrounding […]

CI dictionary in demand in New Zealand

Monday 1 August 2011 | Published in National

A Cook Islands Maori language advocate in New Zealand says there is strong demand by teachers for a new dictionary. Plans are underway in the Cook Islands to create an electronic version of the Cook Islands Maori dictionary for access via the internet. That comes as physical copies dwindle due to the book being out […]

Aitutaki taro exported

Monday 1 August 2011 | Published in National

The first shipment of Aitutaki produce is on its way to New Zealand through a new agriculture development initiative. Reef Shipping has provided for free a standard 20ft container on its Southern Express vessel for use by Aitutaki growers as a one-off in support of the islands agricultural expansion. The cargo ship left Aitutaki this […]

Getting creative with words about God

Saturday 30 July 2011 | Published in Church Talk

God is a hero because he made the earth and because he made us and he also saved Noah and he helped Moses Imogen (6) Jesus is my superhero Everlasting love for his children Sent his son to die for our sins Understands our problems Saves our souls Is the King of Kings Says he […]

Local squad back from Te Aito Tahiti

Saturday 30 July 2011 | Published in Environment

Team Te Aito Cook Islands has returned from competing in the annual paddling race in Tahiti, which this year attracted 643 paddlers. Fletcher and Vaea Melvin, Tupuna Amos, Paul Pearson, Emilene Taulu and Andre Tutaka represented the Cook Islands at Te Aito along with three supporters two of whom travelled to Tahiti from Aitutaki. From […]

New envoy arrives

Saturday 30 July 2011 | Published in Local

Former New Zealand politician John Carter arrived on Thursday night to take up his new diplomatic post as the New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands. Carter and wife Leoni have had the perfect introduction to island life on Rarotonga when they were among the official guests at the Te Maeva Nui opening ceremony […]

Student dies after accident

Saturday 30 July 2011 | Published in Local

A young Cook Islander has died in an Auckland hospital following a motor vehicle accident in Matavera at the weekend. Teokotai Tatira was pronounced brain dead at hospital in New Zealand and kept on life support. Friends and family members at his bedside decided to turn the life support off yesterday afternoon. Tatira was in […]

Its festival time!

Saturday 30 July 2011 | Published in Local

Rarotonga came to a standstill yesterday as thousands poured into the centre of Avarua to watch and be part of the Te Maeva Nui float parade and party marking the start of the week-long festival of culture. The Avarua harbour and roundabout was the beating heart of the parade where dignitaries and onlookers settled in […]