There was a time when Cook Islanders lived and worked in closer harmony with the seasons and enjoyed significantly more leisure time. Summer holidays lasted several months during which young people dedicated themselves to pleasure. By Rod Dixon.
A 65-year-old Hawaii-based woman who has returned to Rarotonga to compete in the Vaka Eiva for the first time in 13 years says she will be paddling “until I’m dead”.
‘Eclipse-chasers’ from all over the world are gearing up to watch one of nature’s greatest shows from Mangaia next weekend. On Sunday July 11, tourists and locals will crowd the Mangaia airstrip to watch the moon block out the sun for three minutes and 18 seconds. The moon’s shadow makes its first contact with Mangaia […]
Soon to be sweet 16 Mati Toru had another fantastic game for Avatiu on Saturday as she smiled her way through her team’s 58-32 win against Takuvaine to head to next weekend’s grand finals against the Titikaveka Pearls. The 15-year-old shooter, who has played outstandingly through the whole season, is set to face Titikaveka’s defenders […]
TVNZ journalist Adrian Stevanon talks to CI News journalist Nerys Case who has spent this week in New Zealand on a journalism exchange arranged by the New Zealand Government. Stevanon has recently returned home after sailing from Rarotonga to Samoa on mixed vaka Hine Moana. Stevanon had never sailed before when he hooked up with […]
The visiting senior Air New Zealand team, executives and board members said they were ‘very impressed’ with their experience at Highland Paradise last Sunday night. Air NZ CEO Rob Fyfe and senior Air NZ staff from here and New Zealand enjoyed the Highland Paradise dinner and cultural show that was the winner of a Cook […]
The new $8.5 million airport terminal is the talk of the town, but often conversations don’t acknowledge all the local companies involved in its construction. The customs counters, for example, were crafted by Prestige Furnishings. Kurt Scheel of Prestige Furnishings said the designs were inspired by photos of counters at the Wellington and Christchurch airports, […]
Tereora College drama and dance students put on a fantastic show on Thursday night for the opening of the college’s first performing arts studio. The studio is the building at the bottom of the Telecom Sports Arena and after some minor upgrades – it was put to the test by years 10 and 11 students. […]
This weekend’s netball games will be a ‘do or die’ match for all teams taking to the courts with the winners to meet those that were victorious during Saturday’s knockout round. In the premier grade, Titikaveka defeated Avatiu to go straight to the finals on Saturday July 3. It was a tough battle for both […]
HANDS UP: Araura Primary School were found by CI News waiting patiently by the double hulled vaka Marumaru Atua on Thursday afternoon. The students from Aitutaki, along with students from the southern group islands and Rarotonga schools were taking part in a student conference that ended yesterday. The conference centres on Education for Sustainable Development […]
Avatea Primary School has taken up the challenge this year of hosting the Rarotonga primary schools Maori speech competition. With 42 students and eight participating schools, the competition is to be completely in Cook Islands Maori including a traditional turou to kick off the event. The competition is an initiative started last year by then […]
The official opening of the new Rarotonga international airport terminal will be held on Monday at 2.30pm. The $8.5 million dollar upgrade work to the airport terminal began in early 2009 by New Zealand company Hawkins Constructions. Plans and proposals for the renovation of the airport terminal began in 1996 and with tighter security requirements […]
Caf Jireh baker Katie Wilkins knows all too well the health issues that go hand in hand with being overweight. Today, the 49-year-old is fitter, stronger and healthier than she has ever been. But a year ago she received a serious warning from the doctors that her blood pressure was extremely high and that she […]
Te Vara Nui is getting into the swing of things after staging its first ever show last week. Last Saturday, its doors opened for the first time to the tourism industry and honoured guests, and CI News was able to squeeze its way in as well. After a line of waiters and waitresses holding pupu […]
Head west this weekend for the CITC pre-season sevens semis and grand finals action. The semis and grand finals will feature local talents young and old plus the grand finals of the women’s match is sure to be a thriller. Leading up to Saturday’s semis and grand finals – CIRU and bring your match predictions […]
Club netball action was back on again at the Telecom Sports Arena at the weekend after a week’s break for the Pacific Series last week. In the premier grade, the Takuvaine Red Divas were slaughtered 71-35 by the Titikaveka club on Friday night. Not that Takuvaine were too upset by the results, however, they know […]
Local artist Tangee Kokaua is back in Rarotonga after spending eight months in New Zealand recording his seventh album, E Metua Vaine. He launches the new recording at the Punanga Nui Market today and will be performing some of the songs. The first song on the album is the Nikao Cultural Group’s kapa rima (action […]
The Ministry of Education is treating mothers and their children to a nice afternoon outing and supporting literacy at the same time with its Tuesday story time programme. Weather permitting, a group of mothers and children gather outside the Cook Islands Museum and Library every Tuesday afternoon from 4pm until 4.30 to listen to volunteer […]
Keen football fans would have woken up in the wee hours of yesterday morning to watch the spectacular opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. But it doesn’t stop there, football fanatics will be able to watch all 64 world cup matches on local television thanks to Fiji television station Mai […]
Cafe Salsa, home to the only wood-fired pizza on Rarotonga, is in new hands. When former owners Tony and Kelly Bullivant decided to sell the business, New Zealand couple Gerard and Erika Kaczmarek jumped at the chance. “We did our homework and (Salsa) really stacks up,” Gerard said. “It’s a good location and it’s got […]
The Don Beer Senior Memorial Trophy for the heaviest tuna is run annually over Queen’s Birthday weekend by the Cook Islands Game Fishing Club. Fifteen boats registered and expectations among anglers were high as a number of good sized tuna had been caught the previous week. The calm waters over both days meant that paara […]
New Zealand woman Kaye Winter is researching aspects of the life of her father Ken Graham during his time living and working in the Cook Islands in the late 1920s and through the 1930s. Winter said although this was a long time ago, there could be descendants of people he knew during those times who […]