Smoke Signals
2 great shows
Saturday 10 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
Put your alarm clock on for an early rise tomorrow morning to catch two spectacular events, one astronomical and one sporting, shortly after 8 o’clock. Rarotonga residents get to see a partial solar eclipse at 8.19am (see recent editions of CI News for safe viewing guides) when the Moon’s umbral shadow will be just 25km […]
Airlines, take your rubbish home
Friday 9 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes in response to what describes as “Joe Ngamata’s weak excuse for pollution” after the Airport Authority’s Chief Executive wrote in yesterday’s CINews that he is required by law to burn all rubbish – including plastics – that comes off international flights, which has concerned a Panama resident who understandably does not […]
Rolling over in credit
Thursday 8 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “A short while ago, Telecom announced they would appreciate our comments or complaints about their service and they would respond. I’m still waiting…My gripe is this: Why do we have to top up our phone cards monthly when we are still in credit? I currently have $110 and yet still had […]
More women lawmakers
Wednesday 7 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller has what Blackadder’s Baldrick might call ‘a cunning plan’… Those frustrated CIPs in Murienua should pay their $2 to the Demo party and make sure Angie Tuara wins the Demo seat over James Beer this Friday. Yes, that’s allowed: how do you think those old fogies have stayed in power for so […]
Signaller a mischief maker
Tuesday 6 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
There were just two empty seats on the inaugural Air New Zealand Sydney-Rarotonga flight on Sunday, one of our readers says in response to the smoke signaller yesterday who provided a booking screenshot to suggest there was plenty of availability on the flight across all classes. “And yes, Air New Zealand sells whatever they can […]
Seats still available
Monday 5 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
Attached is a screenshot from the Air New Zealand website taken by a smoke signaller this past Saturday and e-mailed to us showing availability across all fare classes on the inaugural Sydney to Rarotonga flight which touched down here early yesterday morning. It is definitely not fully booked as claimed by Tourism CEO Carmel Beattie, […]
Who's calling the pot black
Saturday 3 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“How much was Sholan paid and how was he appointed as Financial Secretary?” a smoke signaller asks following former financial secretary Sholan Ivaiti’s allegations of misconduct against the Director of Audit, Paul Allsworth (see the past couple of days’ editions of CI News). “The coconut wireless says that he was not number one on the […]
First flight 'not full'
Friday 2 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
Responding to a statement yesterday that this Sunday’s inaugural direct Sydney-Rarotonga flight is fully-booked, one of our readers reckons the new Tourism CEO Carmel Beattie is exaggerating. “As at this morning I can still get two seats Sydney to Rarotonga this weekend on direct flights in all classes.” The Cook Islands is underwriting the flights […]
Accident could have been serious
Thursday 1 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Just wondering if tourists are still being allowed to hire bikes before proving they can actually ride one and obtaining a bike licence?” a smoke signaller asks in a message to TXT188. “On Tuesday afternoon at the Island Car and Bike Hire beside Raro Cars we had a close encounter with a tourist who lost […]
New rappa exec making money?
Wednesday 30 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller phoned in these questions yesterday in relation to the Ruatonga Avatiu Panama Palmerston Atupa constituency, understandably referred to as RAPPA: “Why is the new RAPPA executive charging $5 to become a member when the Matavera and Nikao Cook Islands Party constituencies were charging $2 to become a member? What’s the extra $3 […]
Being a candidate 'a joke'
Tuesday 29 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller going by the name ‘A Victim’ writes on the Cook Islands Party candidate selection issue: “I can see Peto’s (Albert Nicholas’) point as he does not want to go through what the other CIP punas went through when they had their candidate selection where the CIP executives were misleading, confusing and couldn’t […]
Bikes not safe storage
Monday 28 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
Visitors to the island must be educated to the fact that a motorcycle seat is not a door to a secure, hidden safe and valuables must not be left there while the bike renter goes snorkeling or tramping. Some thieves can pop a bike seat off in a few seconds and be off with the […]
Add VAT, deduct PAYE
Saturday 26 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
One of our readers pointed out the “silliness” in Andrew and Melinda Ponga’s letter to the editor yesterday where it was suggested it was often necessary to borrow from a bank to pay taxes. “Not so,” says our smoke signaller. “You add the VAT on to the sale price of your goods and you deduct […]
Tax time thoughts
Friday 25 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “Many a company director signing monthly tax cheques to the government this week must have muttered contemptuous things about needing a tax break, like Tav’s and others, and then got a little angry realising that our precious tax dollars are also going into Brett Porter’s coffers. The one question I can’t […]
Paradise recovering
Tuesday 22 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
“Aitutaki is recovering in good spirits from their devastation from Cyclone Pat,” a smoke signaller says. “Around the island a number of families are in tents but still happy to wave and talk to visitors who stop by. With the world in such turmoil, there are a lot of places you would rather not be […]
Special combo pack
Monday 21 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
Raro sandwich boards suddenly got more interesting as seen in the photo at right! Either someone was having a little fun with a piece of chalk and changed the last letter from K to N (or first letter from C to P), or maybe this shop is advertising that they’ve got an internet caf inside. […]
That's a short one
Saturday 19 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
Those who enjoy an early morning walk or late afternoon paddle but notice the sun rising later in the morning and setting earlier in the evening will be happy to know that tomorrow is the shortest day and longest night of the year for us in the Southern Hemisphere. The Winter Solstice is the moment […]
Aitutaki mobiles 'not fine'
Friday 18 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
You report that Telecom says mobile phones are working fine in Aitutaki,” a smoke signaller writes, “but I have yet to make a call recently that was not so bad that it had to be abandoned. It’s just a question of who gives up first, the customer in Aitutaki or the customer in Rarotonga. It’s […]
Who's getting the flight?
Thursday 17 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
Dear Editor The promotion of the direct flight from Sydney is not getting to the all the people, only the people that were going to come over here anyway. As only the travel industry were involved in the promotion and it is not getting out to the travelling public. Regular Traveller (Name and address supplied)
Land could bog down septic
Thursday 17 June 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals
A smoke signaller writes: “Saturday’s story on a revolutionary sewage treatment concept for the Cook Islands is inspiring but one wonders if the author Mr Mavromatis and his team are a bit absorbed in the technical side of things and a bit out of touch with the social and land tenure realities of the country. […]