Smoke Signals
Cheese cheaper here
Saturday 18 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
Id like to know how New Zealand cheese is about half the price in Rarotonga as it is in New Zealand? asks Andy in the comments section of a stuff.co.nz article about a dairy industry report that claims Kiwis could be paying $195 million too much for milk each year from Fonterra. Andy writes: I […]
Tyre eating pothole
Thursday 16 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A disgruntled smokie driver writes: It was about the sixth time that the left front wheel of my car crunched its tyre in the growing pothole outside Kiikii Motel, that I realized action men Teariki Heather and George Maggie are like the rest of the politicians who rise to glory in this country. They were […]
Country back in begging mode
Tuesday 14 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller looks at recent news headlines from another angle: Prime Minister Puna gets funding and assistance for infrastructure etc direct from the Auckland City Council: wow, fantastic now the council rates will go up even more in Auckland, directly hitting all Cook Islanders who live there and are already struggling with a tightening […]
What price do we put on culture?
Monday 13 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes to TXT188 about the stage production based on the legend of Pipirima, the inseparable twins, which may end up being a single performance due to the venue cost: We should have another showing of Once Upon a Reef its awesome. If we need money, lets fundraise and get sponsors. Come on […]
Tahiti ag trip surprises
Saturday 11 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
There was plenty of head shaking from some readers yesterday in reaction to the news that the minister of agriculture wants to take a delegation to Tahiti to look at how they grow things that we already know how to grow here. Its great that the minister is open about the plans, says one smoke […]
Paper wasps: Not as bad as they look
Thursday 9 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
Rarotonga residents who recently have been ducking and sidestepping frisky wasps will be happy that the large number of these insects has dwindled in the past fortnight. After the tropical depression brought high winds and rain to the Southern Cooks last month, the following sunny weather in turn brought the wasps out in very large […]
Were a car dumping ground
Tuesday 7 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
While the world automotive industry re-tools for hybrids and electric drive trains, most every ship landing in the Cook Islands brings a load of petrol-guzzling monsters designed for cheap petrol and 100kph road speeds, a smoke signaller writes. We continue to be on the list of ignorant Third World countries that serve as the dumping […]
Go Golden Girls!
Saturday 4 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
Congratulations to our chosen golden girls representing us in Papua New Guinea, a smoke signaller writes to TXT188 about our national netball squad that headed overseas on Wednesday night to compete in the Pacific Netball Series. Go girls, make us proud out there. Do what you can. Win or lose, you guys already make us […]
Butts: love them or hate them?
Friday 3 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: While were on the topic of trying to stamp out smoking, maybe the Government should look at having a law to impose an instant fine against the smokers that flick their disgusting butts and ashes out of their vehicles (or bike) while driving, into the face of the poor bike rider […]
Give free patches to help quit
Thursday 2 June 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
I note with interest that Government and the Ministry of Health are trying to stamp out smoking, a smoke signaller writes. Why, with the high tax collected on cigarettes, is the ministry not providing FREE patches for any smoker who wants to stop? The revenue collected by way of tax needs to be directed to […]
Closely watching the tap kick
Monday 30 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
The CITV commentators of the premier rugby league final on Saturday night bagged the referee so much on his dangerous tackle rulings that they missed an obvious flaw in the application of the rules, a smoke signaller writes. All season the referees insisted that at the tap kick, the ball must leave the players hands […]
Disgusting plan, consultations a sham
Friday 27 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
No surprises that the government has gone ahead and approved 20 new fishing licenses going against huge public opposition, a smoke signaller writes. The so-called consultations were merely an attempt to smooth over the many public objections and make it appear that we had a say over our own marine resources. Sadly, the truth is […]
Being absolutely Frank
Tuesday 24 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
If Cook Islands News is going to continue printing the words prime minister in the same sentence with the name Bainimarama, could you please insert the words self-appointed? writes a smoke signaller. This man is an armed terrorist by any definition of that species. Stop giving him any credibility please. SmokeSignals: Its interesting to see […]
Chasing dead butterflies
Monday 23 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
What or when exactly is 12pm midnight? asks a smoke signaller after reading Public Notices in our daily classifieds from establishments seeking a restaurant liquor licence from the Liquor Licensing Authority. 12pm is midday and midnight is 12am! Cmon Cook Islands News, read and think carefully unless the notice came from the Authority and you […]
Swapping ika for tita
Saturday 21 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: The following extract was found on page 10 of a 2008 report on seabird populations in Suwarrow, regarding Motu Manu: As noted in the 2000 survey, much rubbish, including plastic rope, floats, glass and plastic bottles, pieces of wood, rubber jandals and shoes, litters the eastern shoreline as well as some […]
Tax time never ends
Thursday 19 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes in with a tax dilemma. TVNZs Close-Up programme mentioned the Rapture, according to some predictions, will happen on their May 21 which will be our Friday May 20 [tomorrow]. Do we pay our monthly VAT and PAYE taxes before that, or do we hold onto it? Surely the Tax Department cant […]
Preventing a pushers haven
Wednesday 18 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller reckons many young Cook Islanders have most likely been nave victims of the sellers of drugs who just have easy money on their brains. He says if such a person is convicted but gets off with hardly any penalty like the Manihiki aviation terrorists did our country will be become a haven […]
Keep our surf secret
Tuesday 17 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
Like our precious fisheries, us local surfers have tried real hard to keep the Cook Islands a secret surf destination, a smoke signaller writes in response to the adventure surfers here on The Awakening mission to find the perfect Cook Islands wave. Ask any local surfer, and believe me theres a few, our spots are […]
Baa baa islands
Saturday 14 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
Unless Im mistaken, those fluffy animals look very much like a ewe and her lambs looking across a windswept, treeless coastline, thousands of kilometres from our tropical beaches. A great photo, but will it entice people to visit the Cook Islands? The Travelzoo advert appeared on the home page of the Los Angeles Times website […]
$840k fine for fish trucking
Thursday 12 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals
The debate over allowing exploratory licences for purse seining in our waters isnt going to go away any time soon and one of our readers thought a news article about a recent court case in New Zealand which followed almost two years of investigations was very topical to the issue of making sure fishing companies […]