More Top Stories
$541.7m tourism earnings
25 January 2025
‘Paedophile’ gets 13 years in prison
22 January 2025
Thomas Wynne: Where were our leaders while children suffered?
25 January 2025
Cook Islands passport proposal
6 January 2025
Top cop position advertised
7 December 2024
Police need numbers and bigger budget
9 December 2024
Niki Rattle: A call for stronger human rights protections
10 December 2024
Solid and Hazardous Waste Bill referred to Parliament committee
10 December 2024
DPM defends CIIC finance and travel policies
6 December 2024
Cook Islands has its first mosque
14 November 2024
CI Muslim opens up about her faith and journey
16 November 2024
RAC to address mosque legality
19 November 2024
I don’t expect much change: PM Brown on US Elections
6 November 2024
Fifth weekly Sydney flight to Rarotonga announced
23 October 2024
CIIC directors seek $350,000 in damages over defamatory claims
21 October 2024
Man found guilty of rape, burglary
24 September 2024
Tenants face water bill burden
8 October 2024
Concerns over Minister’s role in inmate work releases: PAC
5 October 2024
Tourism contribution set to surpass half-billion dollar mark
25 September 2024
Parliament Clerk sparks outrage over deep sea mining statement
23 September 2024
Deep sea dilemma: Cook Islanders weigh the cost of mineral riches
21 September 2024
Anxiety on the rise: Cook Islands faces mental health challenge
7 September 2024
Cook Islands deep sea mining poll sparks controversy
7 September 2024
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 August 2024
Rising seas, rising costs: Climate impacts on Cook Islands economy
2 September 2024
Inflation eases but concerns remain
31 August 2024
Prime Minister defends $659,000 MPs travel bill
23 August 2024
Taxpayers foot $659,000 bill for MPs travel and allowance
22 August 2024
Corruption report exposes ‘bribe and sexual favours’
17 January 2023
PM Brown eager to hand over Forum chair role to Tonga
13 August 2024
Challenging ‘rape culture’
8 July 2024
Features
Maoate ready for Miss Pacific Islands Pageant
Miss Cook Islands Pageant Association (MCIPA) is proud of Miss Cook Islands Ngatepaeru Marie Maoate’s commitment to building a strong campaign at the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
Church Talk: Overcoming fear through faith in Christ
Fear is a powerful emotion that many experience throughout their lifetime. Unfortunately, its impact can keep us from stepping forward in faith, rob us of joy, and make us doubt God’s promises, writes Pastor Eric Toleafoa of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Dame Valerie Adams: More than gold charity screening
Rarotonga will have an exclusive screening of movie “Dame Valerie Adams: More Than Gold” to fundraise for the Athletics Cook Islands youth development squad.
From the pristine environment to stray dogs: Cook Islands visitors reveal their likes and dislikes
Tourists in the Cook Islands are still spending more and staying longer than before, but many have concerns about the environment and public infrastructure. Senior journalist Matthew Littlewood digs into the latest Cook Islands Visitor Survey report, and talks to visitors along the way.
Garth’s recipe for staying Young
Veteran musician Garth Young is about to blow out the candles as he nears 90. The past couple of years have seen him make significant lifestyle changes as the work dried up during Covid-19. He’s starting to reap the benefits.
Kukis face Tonga in a do or die clash
The Cook Islands rugby league side faces a do or die situation in their final group match at the Rugby League World Cup in England.
Airline downgrades customer to accommodate staff
Air New Zealand has apologised after a customer was downgraded to make room for staff.
New Zealand to send firefighter trainers to Cook Islands
New Zealand firefighters are scheduled to train Cook Islands brigade volunteers early next year.
Remembering Cyclone Martin: ‘It still makes me cry today’
Cyclone Martin was one of the most devastating events in the Cook Islands history, but nearly 25 years on, Niki Rattle remembers the resilience of the Manihiki community. The former secretary of the Cook Islands Red Cross and current Cook Islands Ombudsman talks to Matthew Littlewood about the event.
A life on the water: Setting sail on Serenity
Kiwi skipper Scott Farrand has lost count of the countries he’s visited, although it’s his first time in the Cook Islands. He is aboard one of several leisure yachts docked at the port in Avarua.
What the story of Mātini teaches
Twenty-five years ago, Cyclone Martin hit Manihiki. Rachel Reeves, the author of ‘Mātini: The story of Cyclone Martin’ writes about why we should remember.
Paving the way for future league stars
The 20-year-old Tehinnah Tatuava is the lone Cook Islands-based player in the national women’s Rugby League World Cup team. She hopes this will be a stepping stone in paving the way for local up and coming girls and women in rugby league.
The flight of Kiwi 471
Kiwi 471 lifted off from Rarotonga airport a bit after 8am on Friday, October 14. On board the Royal New Zealand Air Force C130 Hercules transport aircraft, were 52 passengers and crew, heading for Manihiki atoll in the northern group.
BMX dream fast becoming a reality …
Grand plans are in place for the future of BMX in the Cook Islands and there is some heavyweight support in making it a reality.
Navigating unsteady waters in a crowded market
New rules for marine tourism are in the pipeline, as operators express concern about overcrowding.
The secret to being a Christian champion
In life you only get to run once, so run to win. To avoid stumbling and losing your place in the race, don’t look back. You can’t change the past, but you can learn from it, writes Pastor Eric Toleafoa from the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Human rights abuses and violations: Children, people with disabilities and LGBT+ community ‘vulnerable’
According to the Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) children continue to be subject to high levels of abuse, there is still a stigma around people with disabilities and the government is complicit in allowing religious leaders to persist with homophobic attitudes in the Cook Islands.
‘Scurrilous rags’ and ‘brimstone belchers’ – Cook Islands’ early newspapers
An ‘insatiable lust’ for reading matter among Cook Islanders led to the appearance of Rarotonga’s first newspaper Te Punavai in 1843, printed with the help of the Sydney Morning Herald. Later in the century came Te Manu Rere, Te Torea and Ioi Karanga, all generating controversy and landing one local editor in prison – the first inmate of Rarotonga’s newest jail. By Rod Dixon.
Visitor arrival numbers dip, industry braces for ‘shoulder period’
Tourism providers are bracing themselves for the ‘shoulder period’ of the year, as visitor numbers are predicted to dip again.
Fruits of cocoa labour
A Rarotonga farmer is three years into growing cocoa for his chocolate business and is just starting to see the fruits of his labour.
CHURCH TALK: Fix your eyes on Jesus
When our devotion is on our church, our culture, our career, even our family, instead of Jesus, then we’re on the slippery slope, writes Pastor Paul Kauri, lead pastor at The Arepua Gateway Assembly of God Church.
‘It was a bit of a baptism of fire coming here’: Departing Crown Prosecutor
It’s been an adventure. All of it. But as Crown Prosecutor Annabel Maxwell-Scott sits down over coffee, she wonders whether it’s time for a new one.
