Articles by Utopia Support

Kata - November 11, 2013

Monday 11 November 2013 | Published in Kata

First ever win for Cooks league

Monday 11 November 2013 | Published in League

The Cook Islands shocked Wales in the Rugby League World Cup by winning 28-24 their first-ever game at a Rugby League World Cup – albeit only after holding off a brave Welsh fight back in the second half. Cooks centre Keith Lulia ran the show, scoring a first-half try, while Isaac John, Daniel Fepuleai, Dominique […]

Bodybuilding reignites in the Cooks

Monday 11 November 2013 | Published in National

Standout performances by local body builders at the recent South Pacific Bodybuilding Championships in Tonga has reignited a new drive in the Cook Islands association to develop the sport at home. Seasoned bodybuilding athletes Aaron Enoka – who currently holds the ‘Mr Cook Islands’ title – and Dean Teiho were inspirational role models for first-time […]

Two schools take on French lessons

Monday 11 November 2013 | Published in National

French is now part of the curriculum at two Cook Islands schools. Voluntary French language assistant, Lauriane Botella will be spending 10 hours at Nukutere College and five hours at Apii Te Uki Ou primary school to assimilate herself with the Cook Islands curriculum. “I would like to develop French in the curriculum. Currently I […]

Maths adds credibility to primary school

Monday 11 November 2013 | Published in National

Araura Primary School is the top dog in the Aitutaki community after scoring two places in the top five in the regional mathematics competition. The competition, run by Ministry of Education at the National Auditorium on October 30, saw 16 schools taking part. Each school had groups of three to four students aiming to solve […]

Ex-pupils help college get back on its feet

Monday 11 November 2013 | Published in National

When arson destroyed buildings and resources at Nukutere College and Apii Avatea, the community and ex-students of the college decided to stand united and help. A committee of ex-students of Nukutere College took it upon themselves to give back to a school and a community that gave them so much by holding a gala fundraiser […]

Kiwi presenters tackle tough youth issues

Monday 11 November 2013 | Published in National

Five charismatic Kiwi presenters will be tackling topics ranging from sex to cyber safety when they speak to young people in Rarotonga this week. The presenters are from youth education programme Attitude, which aims to equip students with skills needed to navigate the tricky teenage years. In a visit co-ordinated by Pastor Tevai ‘Bobby’ Matapo, […]

Ministers and HOM's to hold Friday retreat

Monday 11 November 2013 | Published in National

A retreat between cabinet ministers and heads of ministries is scheduled for this Friday. All inner circle members of Henry Puna’s government are scheduled to be present in Rarotonga next week for the meeting, after a re-shuffling of cabinet member’s portfolios earlier this month, On Sunday, Prime Minister Henry Puna returned from China on Sunday, […]

Tropical cyclone risk 'low to moderate'

Monday 11 November 2013 | Published in National

Cook Islanders should expect to batten down the hatches at least once in the next six months, but the good news is tropical cyclone activity is expected to be low to moderate this season. The official tropical cyclone season began on November 1 and runs through to the end of April next year. Cook Islands […]

O3b fast internet to be demonstrated

Monday 11 November 2013 | Published in National

Following a delay in the launch of O3b satellites, the company has agreed to switch the service on temporarily to give customers a taste of the eventual high-speed internet service. Telecom Cook Islands plans to demonstrate O3b-powered internet speeds for a period of about four weeks starting from late November and concluding on December 20. […]

Whatever happened to 'Go local'?

Monday 11 November 2013 | Published in Smoke Signals

“It’s funny how a non-fisherman, Business Trade Investment Board’s Terry Rangi, says foreign by-catch is a win-win,” a smoke signaller writes in response to Thursday’s front page article about BTIB granting an extra three month licence variation to a Luen Thai Fishing Venture subsidiary to allow it to sell fish to two local retailers for […]

Eco-tourists report back on Aitutaki lagoon

Saturday 9 November 2013 | Published in Environment

A team of eco-tourists was in Aitutaki last month for the Aitutaki Lagoon Monitoring Project, a combined research and eco-tourism project run by local organisation, the Pacific Islands Conservation Initiative (PICI). Eight people took part in this four-week project and surveyed 22 sites within the lagoon, inside and outside of ra’ui. The team measured coral […]

Cook Islanders to raise national issues at climate change forum

Saturday 9 November 2013 | Published in Environment

A delegation from the Cook Islands will be among the thousands attending the global climate change conference in Warsaw, Poland this month. The Cook Islands is one of the 195 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This year the 19th Session of the UNFCCC will see the Cook Islands focus […]

Tivaivai – a family tradition

Saturday 9 November 2013 | Published in Local

Samoan woman Theresia Purea proudly displays two of her four tivaivai and the special ‘taorei’ tivaivai behind her that belonged to her late mother-in-law Itirangi Purea. It was her mother-in-law that told her the Cook Islands tradition of mothers sewing and gifting tivaivai to their children, and seven months ago, Purea herself began learning the […]

Neighbourhood watch steps up following fires

Saturday 9 November 2013 | Published in Local

Communities in Rarotonga are stepping up neighbourhood watch efforts in response to the recent spate of fires to hit the island. Last weekend’s fire at Turoa Bakery and the adjoining Saltwater Caf – along with recent blazes at Nukutere College and Avatea School, which have since been declared as acts of arson – has put […]

NCEA exams begin

Saturday 9 November 2013 | Published in Local

Students across the country will be putting pen to paper over the next two weeks, with NCEA exams beginning on Sunday. The first exam, NCEA English Level 1, is timed to take place on Monday New Zealand time, with students having only one more day to make any final preparations. Senior students at Tereora and […]

BTIB offers Turoa Bakery startup loan

Saturday 9 November 2013 | Published in Local

In an effort to restart its operations, The Business Trade and Investment Board (BTIB) is offering a concessional loan to a local business recently destroyed in a fire. The announcement to offer the loan to Titikaveka’s Turoa Bakery – which was the scene of a blaze that also claimed the adjoining Saltwater Caf – was […]

Big adventures on the rough seas

Saturday 9 November 2013 | Published in Features

Angling is often considered a relaxing pastime – but when it comes sportfishing, the old adage ‘no pain, no gain’ certainly applies. I experienced this first-hand on a recent fishing excursion with local fishing charter, Marlin Queen. With my alarm set for 4am, I was on the road early enough to catch the previous night’s […]

Texting: A technological deathly trap

Saturday 9 November 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

When I was in Tongareva (Penrhyn) last, in the month of July, the buzz thing for almost everyone on the island was texting. Men, women, teenagers and even children bought mobile phones for this newly found pastime. It was quite strange seeing people under the shade of trees, laughing merrily away at the responses from […]

Fishing wisdom from Pukapuka

Saturday 9 November 2013 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I enjoyed the letter to the editor from James Ru about fishing on Aitutaki and the recent articles on Purse Seining in CINews.