Opinion

Act now Mr Wigmore

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

On a recent marketing trip to NZ I had an extremely worrying conversation with one of our largest NZ travel wholesalers. The wholesaler in question voiced concerns to me that reflected that of the concerns of Australian wholesaler Christopher de Doby outlined in Saturday’s paper. I have voiced these concerns to several of the Tourism […]

Just get on with it or please go away

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor Reading this morning’s (Saturday) news on tourism and the Aussie comments of an imminent collapse of the industry I can’t help reflecting on the long list of failed projects over the last 30-40 years, from the simplest and smallest to the intricate and largest, from copra, bananas, pineapples, coffee and vanilla beans plus […]

Allow board to do their job

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor It is incredible that someone from Australia, most likely with the help of a small group of disgruntled tourism people both in Australia and Rarotonga, is now leading the most vitriolic charge against Tata again with one focus to get him sacked and removed from the Tourism Board. We understand that Christopher de […]

Wilkie accused of bigotry and hypocrisy

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In Wilkie Rasmussen’s letter to the editor on Thursday he points out that I’m an American living in the Cook Islands with no importance to his people. What does that have to do with anything? The only type of person who would bring this up is a bigot, someone who can’t stand another […]

Why separate rubbish?

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, As I watch the rubbish collectors from my window, I am left wondering why on earth we bother to separate our cans, plastics and bottles. Once again, everything just gets thrown into the truck and quashed with all the other household rubbish – not into the ‘recycle trailer’ on the back that seems […]

Thoughts from France

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, No doubt you will be surprised to hear from a French reader of your newspaper, so let me just explain that, almost 50 years ago, I succeeded in introducing to Rarotonga a number of tropical flowering trees, some of which are still alive in spite of repeated cyclones, for instance two spectacular gold […]

Telecom honours 'special' deal and apologises

Monday 19 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I prefer to write this letter to your newspaper rather than to Telecom as I seem to get a different story every time I make inquiries. But I would welcome Telecom responding to this in the paper, to also show they have nothing to hide. More than four weeks ago I inquired of […]

Safe in young hands

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

Those lucky enough to have been at the national auditorium on Thursday for the Rarotonga schools’ culture festival were treated to a spectacular night’s entertainment and a resounding confirmation that the future of our country’s performing cultural arts is in safe hands with our young generation. All of the children, their teachers and their parents […]

Kata - April 17, 2010

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Kata

Give credit to refs

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, In reply to ‘Simply the Best’ and his criticism of an individual referee, I would like to point out that it is like a bloody warzone out there with 26 warriors up against each other and one guy with the whistle in control. Referee decisions never satisfy everyone, but how well does this […]

Cabinet needs to act now on nodules

Saturday 17 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, One reason why we may lose the nodule opportunity is that there is so much misinformation, which is not surprising for an innovative project of this magnitude. Here are frequently asked question and my responses: 1. Does Endeavour want exclusive rights to the entire CIEEZ? No, the purpose of the exploration is to […]

Top grade ref required for premier match

Friday 16 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am not a club supporter of either the Avatiu Eels or the Ngatangiia Sea Eagles. I am, however, a big fan of rugby league. I love the game and reckon that the way it is played in our country is bloody awesome. In fact, the hugely exciting match between the Panthers and […]

$1.2m an acre?

Friday 16 April 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A couple of local websites that have land leases for sale have asking prices for vacant beachfront land that may surprise some people. For example, one beachfront section in Arorangi of 2500 square metres has an asking price of $750,000. That’s a little over half an acre (0.6177 acres) and if it sells for that […]

Kata - April 16, 2010

Friday 16 April 2010 | Published in Kata

Old photos wanted

Friday 16 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I’ve been trying to hunt down old school photos for 1976 of Avatea School, Kumete Sports, and Primary School Competitions. Likewise for Tereora College from 1977 to 1981. Living overseas doesn’t make it easy to search the archives in Raro. I’ve tried asking friends and old school friends, so far no availability. Are […]

$1 fare no good for small people

Friday 16 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Congratulations to the Cook Islands Tourism Board for devising such a brilliant strategy (like last year’s) which serves your own personal agendas and not the industry as a whole. The recent and ongoing increase in Air Raro flights to Aitutaki per day is only catering for the big resorts at the expense of […]

Broadband speeds explained

Thursday 15 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Residential broadband problems are sometimes to do with the age and lack of memory of a computer. This is one comment from Telecom Cook Islands in reply to questions asked by a reader in Smoke Signals about residential broadband. TCI marketing and sales manager Mark Boyd thanks the signaller (on April 14) and says the […]

'I listen to my people'

Thursday 15 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I wish to tell Mr Boggs, an Amercian living in Arorangi, that I have always called things as I see them and will continue to do so. I wish to thank him for reminding the public of my previous views which I have never retracted or denounced. I hope he understands what I […]

Tickets sell fast for culture night

Thursday 15 April 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

Thirteen schools will take part in tonight’s highly anticipated Rarotonga schools’ culture festival at the national auditorium. If you haven’t got a ticket yet, you will be very lucky to find one today with many of the schools already sold out. Some tickets may still be available from the national auditorium at 4.30pm – so […]

Timber is better

Thursday 15 April 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, On my way home after chatting with a local about concerns of sand removal on Mauke, it struck me that this same concern needs to be considered with the block houses being planned for Aitutaki. I do not believe that Aitutaki’s environment can sustain the taking of enough sand to build so many […]