Features

Relief on Penrhyn

Local MP Wilkie Rasmussen describes reception and tsunami evacuation The Penrhyn people are happy following the relief supplies received on the Hercules flight a week ago, says MP Wilkie Rasmussen. He arrived back from Penrhyn on Tuesday evening and says his short visit and the relief supplies were very much appreciated and a great boost […]

Tsunami alert coincides with King Tides Festival in Tuvalu

I could not help thinking about the tsunami that struck my country of Samoa a few months ago as I landed in Tuvalu. The many survivors were spared because they managed to get to higher ground – which is exactly the reason I was obsessing about this as FJ281 taxied to a stop at Funafuti […]

It's Polyfest time in NZ

Auckland’s Pacific Island communities will come together next month for the annual Polyfest celebration. Running from Wednesday March 17 to Saturday March 20 at the Manukau Sports Bowl, Polyfest celebrates the heritage of Pacific Island communities through music, dance, speech and art. A record 90,000 people attended the 2009 festival with more people expected to […]

Kodachrome moments - 1968 performance comes to life

Cook Islands ei for sale aboard the SS Monterey, November 1968. 25 Rarotonga “/> Tens of thousands of photos would have been taken by the tourists who travelled the Pacific on Matson ships in the 50s and 60s. Most of the pictures were Kodachrome colour slides. After countless showings to “those back home” the slides […]

Mitiaro kids take Rorouira apaipai on camp

An overnight camping trip for a class of Mitiaro students was another chance to put their ‘Rorouira apaipai’ or XO laptops to use. Principal Thomas Samuela says students had to write in their journals on the laptops while they were at camp. He reports that the One Laptop Per Child durable state-of-the-art laptops, which have […]

Vaka series brings Tangaroa to life

Kimi Enua – vaka on display at the BEachcomber Contemporary Art Gallery “/> Reynolds brings Tangaroa to life in a series of canvas paintings and on two painted vakas with vivid oranges, yellows, blues and greens interlaced with black. The centrepiece of her exhibit at the Beachcomber Contemporary Art Gallery is a painted life-size vaka, […]

Women's wear always island style

Through a series of life-size prints, Kay George chronicles the change in the attire of local women over the years. The prints track the evolution of women’s adornment in the Cook Islands, marked by the impact of the London Missionary Society in the early 1800s, influences from New Zealand and Tahitian neighbours, the advent of […]

New caf in town

There’s a new cafe in town, and it’s on wheels. Tuesday through Saturday, Simon and Sharon Stott will be squeezing juice and foaming cappuccinos in their portable cart that’s currently parked on the main road at the Punanga Nui Market. Reefside Rarotonga will be open from 7.30 to about 5 for a month or so […]

Open Mic night starts up again

Open Mic night is back. The first OM Night of the year will be held at Waterline Beach Bar & Grill Restaurant in Arorangi this Monday, March 1, at 7 pm. Anyone who is interested in singing, playing an instrument, jamming with a band, telling stories or telling jokes in front of a live audience […]

Jail sounds with a message

Four prisoners bare their souls in 13 original songs After ten months of recording beats tapped out on walls and wooden benches with rudimentary equipment, four Arorangi prison inmates have released their first CD. The 13 original tracks are written and performed by the prisoners who said their record was about “change and changing our […]

Big birthday cake shared at St Jo's

Cook Islands Girl Guide centenary ambassadors Ngara Katuke and Tutu Mare visited St Joseph’s Primary School to celebrate 100 years of guides and scouts. On April 10, Girl Guides and Scouts around the world will celebrate 100 years of guiding in the world. Katuke and Mare encouraged the boys and girls of St Joseph’s to […]

Ken launches Treddlecat in NZ

Big ideas come naturally for Rarotonga inventor and boat designer Ken Kingsbury. The former Ashburton man, who is credited for the creation of the town’s man-made Lake Hood, was to return to the lake this week to launch his latest invention. Kingsbury’s pedal-driven boat, the Treddlecat, uses swinging hydrofoils angled towards the water instead of […]

Living in Liminal Space

Having resided in Nigeria, Saudia Arabia and Atiu, German-born Andrea Eimke knows what it’s like to live life as a ‘foreign national’. Originally from Dusseldorf, Eimke spent years working around the world as a professional interpreter and then as an embroiderer. The Master of Art and Design course that she’s just finished this week gave […]

Art trail opens up

Examiners spent yesterday analysing the Master’s of Art and Design final projects. Today, the artists can breathe a sigh of relief and the public can get ready to browse their exhibitions. Last night, Loretta Reynolds unveiled her project at the Beachcomber Contemporary Art Gallery. Hers was the first exhibition to open, and the rest will […]

St Joseph's prefects lead mass

Twelve St Joseph’s School students were inducted as prefects of the school yesterday at St Joseph’s Catholic Cathedral in Avarua. And just to show that they were capable leaders, the young students led the special mass for their induction ceremony reading the day’s scripture and praying for ill family members. After the mass the students […]

Turtle man helps out

Guests with positive attitudes and a willingness to help clean up Aitutaki after cyclone Pat have made it easier for accommodators on the island to bounce back into business. After the cyclone, the Popoara Ocean Breeze Villas, like many homes and businesses on Aitutaki, sustained damage to its property. But as villa owners Allen and […]

Endangered bird survival critical

Just 300 of the already endangered Aitutaki Kuramo’o (Blue Lorikeet) are estimated to have survived Cyclone Pat – which could put the survival of the bird in jeopardy if urgent precautions aren’t taken. The Kuramo’o population was assessed by British students last year at more than 3000 birds, but ornithologist Gerald McCormack of the Cook […]

The WeekEnd Crossword

Art before sport for Eruera Nia

Contemporary Maori artist Eruera Nia says the two-year Master of Art and Design course has served to ensure his art comes from a strong cultural base. Now in his 60s, he says, “It’s an opportunity to challenge yourself – at my age, higher education at a higher level is a big deal!” Nia describes his […]

Avarua gets new leaders

Now that Avarua Primary School has inducted 25 young leaders, the school looks forward to another bright year. Twelve boys and thirteen girls were made school prefects in a special induction ceremony at the National Auditorium yesterday morning where parents filled with pride adorned their children with ei and hugs. School principal Gelling Jack spoke […]