Features

2 new photo books released

One of the largest and most comprehensive photographic collections of all islands in the Cook group has been built up over two decades by photographer and publisher Noel Bartley. Now the publisher of Escape, the award winning Cook Islands destination magazine, has produced two books on Rarotonga and Aitutaki using some of the stunning images […]

A life well spent

The last 50 years have gone by rather quickly for Bishop Stuart O’Connell, the Catholic Bishop of Rarotonga. On Tuesday he celebrated his golden jubilee his 50th year since ordination as a priest. Today his milestone will be celebrated with a mass followed by a feast and entertainment. Sitting and talking with the Bishop over […]

Chloe off on Hawaii adventure

Tereora College fourth form student Chloe Wragg will soon be greeted with mahalos, and choking under beautiful leis, as she has been chosen as the 2010-2011 exchange student to Kamehameha School in Hawaii. The cultural exchange is for eight months and will allow Wragg to experience a new culture, new experiences and life outside the […]

Symbols and flags, and the feel good factor

If you were at Avana on May 29 when the waka arrived on their round voyage from Aotearoa, you would have noticed that the Maori waka – Te Matau A Maui – was flying a red white and black flag. This week there has been chatter and angst that perhaps that ‘Maori’ flag might be […]

Popular Kiwi band coming to Raro

New Zealand band the Warratahs are coming to Rarotonga in early August for holiday, and will be playing two shows while they’re here. Barry Saunders on vocals and guitar, Nik Brown on fiddle and mandolin, Sid Limbert on bass and local Maurice (Mo) Newport on drums will perform at Hidie’s and at Sails while they’re […]

DisBin arrives in Raro

Disposing of sanitary and personal waste just got easier thanks to self-labelled ‘enviropreneur’ Helen Mays from New Zealand who is in Rarotonga promoting the DisBin. DisBin is a waste disposal system designed to make disposing of sanitary and personal waste discreet and inexpensive. Cook Islands distributor Matthew Grierson hopes to see DisBins at all commercial […]

Pearls on mini Raro tour

Pearls of Meganesianz will be performing at venues across Rarotonga for the next week, and kicks off its mini-tour tonight at Whatever! Bar. Pearls of Meganesianz will dance to the drums of Te Foinga Niva, champion drummers for the past three years. The group of eight dancers and seven drummers came from Auckland with their […]

Kids holiday fun with YWAM

Kids have nothing to do this school holidays? Then take them down to the Youth with a Mission (YWAM) premises for a week’s worth of fun and games next week. The YWAM Kids’ club called ‘The Truth Seekers’ will be holding camps and activities for children every school holidays and the theme for this holiday […]

Another visit, another bad report

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard someone saying how privileged Maori are I wouldn’t be writing this column – I’d have retired to Tupapa with the cash. The latest United Nations official to come to Aotearoa last week has – once again – shown just how much drivel those statements are. […]

Te Uki Ou blesses new buildings

Apii Te Uki Ou held a special blessing ceremony yesterday for their new administration block. School principal Jason Ataera says that it has been a long process to replace the old buildings at the school and they still have a long way to go to upgrade the remaining buildings. The school has for the past […]

Taporoporo ia te ao natura

E porokirokianga reo Ki toku pukaikai taringa E kaveinga kura Ki taku pito manava E kura tinitini E kura manomano Kua itirere au Kua uriuri au Eaa ra teia e tupu nei Te enua Te moana Te ao rangi Titiro ake taku mata Taku kura nui Kua peke ki Tonga Kua peke ki Tokerau Kua […]

Tereora students get creative

A handful of Tereora College students and teachers went all out on Wednesday and dressed up as their favourite fictional characters as part of Literacy Week. The students were given the choice to come as their favourite fictional character or in island wear. Sixth form students Kara-lee Hunt and Shantdel Hirovanaa both agreed that the […]

Eclipse from Te Kou Maru II

Local lawyer Tim Arnold was at sea on Taio Shipping’s inter island cargo vessel Te Kou Maru II last Sunday morning for one of the best views of the total solar eclipse. He came back with these photos of the impressive event. 10071207-09

Rehab helps rehab

A $700 cheque was handed over to Te Vaerua rehabilitation services by Scott Arlander of Rehab Nightclub and Bar. The funds were raised by Rehab at a function organised by Arlander and Michael Robinson from Australia, who was here with a group of fellow Australians for the solar eclipse earlier this month. The funds were […]

Designer label launched in Raro

Clothing outlet id.CK in the Banana Court complex launched a new designer collection for women on Thursday. The clothes are the work of well-known New Zealand designer Annah Stretton, who calls her 2010 collection ‘Sand in Her Pants’. Her business, Stretton Group, is based in Waikato. She owns a chain of 30 retail stores throughout […]

They're back!

The 2010 whale season arrived with a bang last Friday when the first pod of whales was spotted off the reef of Rarotonga. And since then, migrating humpback whales have been putting on some spectacular displays out at sea. These playful antics by the whales are mostly due to the fact that their hormones are […]

To NZ on the Mariposa in 1960

The year was 1960 and one of the great Matson cruise liners the SS Mariposa was visiting Rarotonga on its way to New Zealand. The luxury liner and her sister ship the SS Monterey made the liner service from San Francisco to Hawaii and the South Pacific renowned. Eleven-year-old Avarua School student Eric Short was […]

Ombudsman considers anti-corruption

Assistant ombudsman Jeannine Daniel is currently in Samoa attending a conference on the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. She returns this weekend to brief ombudsman Janet Maki on what she learned and voice whether she feels that the Cook Islands can and should ratify the convention. “(Daniel) is at the conference to gather the information […]

Magic Moko, gone but not forgotten

He aitua I’m not sure whether you still have the word “aitua” in Cook Island’s Maori but in my brand of the language the statement means there’s been a death, and that’s what I thought I’d talk about this week. I’m referring to Moko the friendly bottlenose dolphin that, for some reason, preferred the company […]

Cowboys of yesteryear