News in Brief

CIPs Budget Consultation – a rock show in a pink Cadillac
This week the ‘Touring Ministers’ take the country by storm, and it’s all down to what the media has dubbed a bureaucratic tsunami.
Congratulations to the CIP for attempting to consult the community on the budget. The ‘Touring Ministers’ have discovered the country extends beyond the drive from the Cabinet room to the Air New Zealand lounge.
It has taken the CIP’s almost a year to set their GPS’s and work out the way to Graceland. The recently unveiled 2012-2013 Budget Consultation Document has been called a bureaucratic tsunami by the media, but to me it is just a PR exercise.
Having sent their shiny outfits off to Snowbird, the ‘Touring Ministers’ have a short break from their gruelling travel schedule to reveal their latest rock ‘n roll rhyme, which you can download from the internet.
As Leader of the Opposition, it’s my job to read and understand the document. I am sure to be one of a very few who will pay the download cost, and frankly my time would have been better spent in my plantation, which puts affordable healthy local food on our peoples tables.
In short the document takes a look at three under baked Government processes, the Public Service Functional Review, the updated National Sustainable Development Plan and the Economic Taskforce Report.
As I will explain further in the coming weeks, the first two began as political animals during our term, and over time have become institutionalised in general governance. The fact the Government lumped them in to this budget consultation document shows the carnival attitude of their administration – “here for a good time not a long time.”
The economic taskforce was a pathetic political lolly from a CIP brain bank completely out of tune with the reality of life in the private sector and while it shares some similarities with the Democratic Government Preventative Infrastructure Master Plan developed with the assistance of the ADB, the price ticket resembles a pink Cadillac not a Toyota Hilux, and we all know how bad those pot holes can get.
The downloadable budget consultation document puts the price tag on the economic taskforce wish list at a whopping $618,050,000. The purpose of the “consultation” is to prepare us all for the new taxes the CIP are going to have to bring in to pay for it. The Brown tax, is now at a bank near you, stripping the savings of pensioners, the disabled and the rest of the hard working public.
In the 2011-12 year we will fund Government operations to the tune of $172 million. The $618 million CIP wish list will cost each one of our 15,000 residents another $41,000 each. Please make your cheques payable to the CIP’s new ‘Graceland’ theme park.
Minister Brown, if you are serious about embracing the media age: hold a media conference. Then you can explain your budget in a language that your boss and colleagues can understand, perhaps with an accompanying tune.
Don’t treat us like fans. Those of us that have read the document can see it for what it really is, a wish list of an administration that doesn’t understand the pain of hard work and toil, of how to save money, how to re-invest it wisely, how to provide us with confidence in our country, a country that can stand on its own two feet, instead of touring the world with a begging bowl.
If you are not up to a big performance Minister Brown, just email the bank manager the download link for your consultation document. If he will fund it based on the information you provide, I’ll gladly write out a cheque for my share. - Leader of the Opposition, Robert Wigmore

The challenge of cyber technology
National cyber security, knowledge sharing and global partnerships – will top the list of discussions at the second Asia Pacific Regional Forum that starts in Korea next week and at which 60 member countries will be represented.
Hosted by the Asian and Pacific Training Centre for ICT for Development, the Director Dr. Suk Rhee has invited the Cook Islands Government to give the congratulatory address – an acknowledgement on the Forum’s part of our support for the Academy, which helps with capacity building and was hosted here in 2008.
Digital technologies have transformed our lives in recent years. Digital literacy has grown exponentially and digital devices are everywhere – personal computers, mobile phones, laptops and mobile wireless devices. The new digital environment is changing the way we live, work and play.
It is gradually transforming the way we learn and do business, stimulating creativity and innovation across our economy and society. It presents immense economic, environmental and social opportunities for us all - but there are new challenges ahead.
Used wisely, the networked economy can also help entire nations grow and develop – delivering broad social, economic, political and cultural benefits. Products and services are no longer constrained by distance or time. Innovative nations that effectively embrace ICT can develop entirely new industry sectors, creating additional jobs and increasing national prosperity.
However, as we have seen in recent times a connected society also poses new challenges and threats. It is essential that laws and regulations are put in place to protect individuals, the community and businesses against cyber-crimes and inappropriate online content and behaviour.
With the Government currently in the process of amending the Crimes Act to include cyber crimes and other legislation like the Commerce Bill and Telecommunications Bill also providing for the protection of on-line information, we have a considerable amount to learn from the experiences of other countries.
With youth leadership also an underpinning Forum theme, it is beneficial to understand more about human resource training in the use of ICT as a development tool and how that could be replicated in the Cook Islands.
Capacity building in schools is underway with schools running their own programs and plans for the Ministry of Education in partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister to provide programs to young people in the outer islands. School leavers as well, started ICT training this year with plans afoot to ensure that those in the workforce have minimal standards of ICT literacy and that in the fuure we can repeat programs for our senior citizens in basic and advanced computer training.
All these initiatives are consistent with the priorities articulated in our National Sustainable Development Plan to be released in Deccember and the five year ICT Strategic Plan that reflects the requirements of the NSDP.
The Forum will help us focus our ICT efforts by reviewing the current status, needs and challenges of ICTD capacity building and performing a collective ‘reality check’ on the progress achieved.
The other objectives of the Forum are to create awareness about the importance of cyber security, ICTD capacity building for youth (and finally to formulate a plan of action based on the recommendations from the Forum to pave the way for fruitful networking and mutual collaboration. -Prime Minister Henry Puna

Society for citizen ownership of power generation formed
The distributed energy concept using renewable energy is growing in awareness in Murienua.
Murienua tapere made up of Kavera, Aroa and Rutaki has recently formed an incorporated society for citizen ownership of energy generation and safe clean storage for off peak supply.
At a further meeting in Kavera on Thursday last week, office bearers were formally elected. A total of 18 office bearers and project officers were elected to start collecting data and signing up members.
A website will soon be available for members to log in and get updates on progress. Monthly meetings will be held to update the community.
“A spirit of collaboration and enthusiasm is evident in the makeup of the committee,” said Chairman James Beer.
“With the support that we have from various universities and tech people across the globe I feel confident that our time line of installations starting in mid 2012 is a real possibility.”

Computers gifted to Internal Affairs
On Tuesday the 19th of October, the High Commissioner for New Zealand, his Excellency John Carter handed over computers, laptops and other information technology gifted by the Ministry of Social Development in New Zealand to the Cook Islands Government.
The handover occurred at a special ceremony and it is the second occasion IT equipment has been gifted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in a cooperation agreement established between the two agencies in 2008.
On behalf of government, Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon Mark Brown together with Secretary of Internal Affairs Bredina Drollet, accepted the 30 desktop computers, two laptops and two data show projectors. The Minister said the agreement was symbolic of the strong cooperative relationship that continues to flourish between the two countries.
“ The gifting represents the sharing of information and resources between the Cook Islands and New Zealand with regard to social services policy and delivery, social sector strategies and strategic planning,” said the High Commissioner.
Minister Brown said both Ministries will continue to collaborate on initiatives to assist workforce development including the exchange of personnel, secondments, and the sponsorship and development of specific training programmes for the Cook Islands.
The computers and related equipment are surplus to requirement from the Ministry of Social Development and will be used to replace the Ministry of Internal Affairs computers now past their use by date to support its organisation and service delivery needs.
Several will be provided to the outer islands and 10 of the desktop computers and monitors will be allocated to non-government organisations who work closely with the Ministry of Internal Affairs via an application process to begin over the next few days. -Tiare Ponini

UNFPA supports establishment of youth hub
On 10 October 2011, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) through the Ministry of Health handed over computing equipment and other resources valued at approximately $2,400 to the Youth and Sports Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to support the establishment of a youth hub to improve coordination and the sharing of information to promote youth health. The youth hub will enable a coordination point for a calendar of events and can be used by young people needing access to information.
The Secretary of Internal Affairs, Bredina Drollet, expressed appreciation to UNFPA and the Ministry of Health for the assistance provided stating that this was a great example of positive collaboration between the two ministries specifically targeting youth. A representative from the Cook Islands National Youth Council attended the handover ceremony and welcomed this initiative.
At the handover ceremony, Rangi Aitu from the Ministry of Health noted that the common challenges regarding older men’s health were drinking, smoking, lack of physical activity and diet and that combating these areas by targeting youth through preventative strategies would improve health outcomes later in life.
The establishment of a Youth Hub was raised at the Adolescent Reproductive Health Symposium which was held earlier this year in May to improve the coordination of activities and the sharing of information between agencies regarding Youth Health. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, through its Youth & Sports Division, offered to facilitate the Youth Hub.

Patients referred to NZ will soon get assistance

Patients being referred to New Zealand will soon have someone at the Auckland end to meet them and transfer them to hospital.
The Herald understands the person in line for the job is current Mayor of Atiu Taoro Strickland.
The job which was previously held by Danny Turia, has been vacant for some time but following recent complaints to the Minister for Health, was recently advertised as a matter of urgency.
Tupou Faireka, Secretary for Health, told the Herald on Tuesday that there were nine applicants for the job and that after some pulled out, 5 were interviewed by phone and eventually, three were shortlisted. These three included former incumbent Danny Turia. However, topping the shortlist was the current Atiu Mayor Taoro Strickland also known as George Brown.
Faireka said Strickland, who is in Atiu, was recently offered the post by e-mail and Faireka was hoping to meet and speak to Strickland in Rarotonga at 3pm on Tuesday however he did not show up.
While the duties and responsibilities remain the same as previously, still to be discussed with Strickland, is the matter of remuneration. -Charles Pitt

Police disclose traffic offences data

Cook Islands Police have recently released data on motor vehicle cases investigated by the traffic division.
It should be noted that the Police year is the financial year which runs from 1 July to 30 June.
The figures, which were kindly provided by Inspector John Strickland, show that in 2008 (July 2008-June 2009) 256 cases were dealt with. In 2009 (July 2009-June 2010) there were 247 cases, in 2010 (July 2010-April 2011) there were 180 cases.
Not all cases of course resulted in prosecution. In 2008 73 cases were prosecuted, in 2009 54 were prosecuted, in 2010 45 were prosecuted up to April 2011.
Where did most of the offences occur? The data reveals that since 2008, most traffic offences occurred in Nikao/Panama followed by Arorangi.
In 2008, there were 52 traffic offences in Nikao/Panama and 51 in Arorangi.
In 2009, there were 53 traffic offences in Nikao/Panama and 43 in Arorangi.
In the 2010 year up to April 2011, there were 38 traffic offences in Nikao/Panama and the same number in Tupapa and 29 in Arorangi.
Policing is not all about prosecuting drivers. In 2008, 20 warnings were given to drivers, in 2009, 37 warnings were given and in the 2010 year up to April 2011, 19 warnings had been given. -Charles Pitt

Cook Islanders behind the scenes

Tavake Manuel-Karika, Cook Islands
My personal opinion attending this COP10 is really an eye opener for personal and professional gain for me.
This is my second Committee of Science and Technology meeting and my confidence has began to build and the dialogue from various distinguished delegates has been helpful in terms of sharing ideas, issues and matters about land degradation that will benefit us in the Cook Islands as a whole.
Land degradation is a big issue globally and addressing this issue is a global challenge not only bigger countries are experiencing this issues but us Pacific islands countries do experience these problems.
The hospitality of the host country has been awesome and well organized.
The food is hot and spicy everywhere you eat out! The transport is on schedule and there is no island time allowed, that’s I missed out on my tour trip.
Everywhere in Changwon City you see the UNCCD COP10 being advertised, they have really welcomed us with open arms. Changwon, South Korea is an excellent host for this meeting!
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification is to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification.
Through achieving this objective it will involve “long-term integrated strategies that focus simultaneously, in affected areas, on improved productivity of land, and the rehabilitation, conservation and sustainable management of land and water resources, leading to improved living conditions, in particular at the community level.”

Nanette Woonton Media and Public Relations Officer, SPREP
I’m having a meltdown moment in Korea. Having travelled for 18+ hours across the world (I flew from Samoa to Auckland to Sydney to Incheon to Busan), I land to be told that my luggage will arrive two days after me. I thought I was prepared, had already packed a change which I have worn already and can’t wash and dry as I was never in one place long enough to let dry! So I am stuck without clothes in a country where everyone seems to be at least 100 sizes smaller than me. I arrive into Busan in my two day old All Blacks T-shirt (thank goodness they won their game against Argentina!), two day old jeans and make my way straight to the Changwon Exhibition Conference venue from the airport. With all “Conferences of the Parties” you must register and have a photo-id prepared before you can enter any part of the conference– unfortunately mine is taken with my hair uncombed and pulled back, no make up, tired eyes and a grubby (ish) face. That is how people are going to identify me for the rest of this conference. It is also going to be the only record the UNCCD have of me after the conference! Oh and a trip to the department store to buy some alternate change to wear was not so successful, my Pacific healthy curves could just not squeeze into these Korean clothes! So I admit defeat and hide in the shelter of my hotel room using the hairdryer to dry my hand washed clothes and work from the room! So enough with the whining, I have learnt my lesson about travelling with only one packed change on me! Despite it all, Korea is lovely and safe with the nicest people and the negotiators and people at this meeting seem quite friendly. I look forward to learning more about land degradation. On another note – while seeing the sights through haze of smog that has settled I thought Korea may be advanced in terms of technology, while we struggle to dial up to the internet to read our email in the Pacific, at least we can clearly see the blue sky!

Customers and complaints

David Henton, a Specialist in Human Communication is no stranger to the business people here in Rarotonga, he travels down every so often to hold series of seminars which the Cook Islands Herald had the privilege of taking part in earlier this week.
Topics that are currently focused on here in Rarotonga are Customer Service and Leadership Skills. Considering the healthy tourism industry of Rarotonga, it was a perfect seminar that the Herald attended to, involving role-playing and brainstorming on ‘how to treat customers and deal with complaints’. David provides Top-Quality staff training to businesses throughout New Zealand, the Middle East, and The Pacific Islands; namely Tonga, Fiji and the Cook Islands, as well as USA and Australia. Clients in New Zealand include Inland Revenue, Banks, Law firms, Regional and City Councils; those in the Pacific include Telecom, Tourism Organizations, Government Departments, and Development Banks in Fiji Tonga and the Cook Islands. In Abu Dhabi, clients range from the ZADCO Oil Company, the Islamic and National Banks and regular clients Emirates Institute of Technology in the United Arabic Emirates.
Henton is currently following up leadership skills with the staff of BCI as well as one on one seminar with the management and staff of CITC and Sails Restaurant. A few other businesses to name that take part in his seminars are MFEM as well as the bus drivers of Raro Tours. On top of that, David’s seminars were also open to the public; where he saw different staff from various organizations come and join in on the presentation.“People here are very friendly, very keen and good participants, it’s been so good”, he says.
To those of you interested in David’s Programme, log on to his website; www.confident.co.nz. All he wishes now is to make sure his workshops are completed in time for the RWC All Blacks match this weekend! -Teriu Woonton

Cowboys Corner Club 7’s final round tournament 1
Welcome to “Cowboys Corner”, last Saturday’s final round of tournament 1 Club 7’s was a great day out for local Clubs and the two teams as there were improvements across the field in all teams. In this article we will go through each game played last Saturday.
In the first match, Atiu who placed 4th in pool B were kept at bay by the fancy Panthers who had finished first in pool A. The Panthers were simply fast and skilled while Atiu on the other hand are learning fast and obviously based on their previous performance out at Titikaveka are moulding well for the big tournament in November under the guidance of Nooroa Maui and Tekena Teamoke.
The next match, the slick Eels appeared but their opponents (Police) did not. So the next game was called forward...the Cowboys to play an experienced Dragons outfit. The Cowboys were able to take an early lead and hold their defence line until the Dragons crossed in the final minutes...final score Cowboys 26 and Dragons 7. The Dragons were obviously missing big Sailosi Nagi.
Next on the paddock, the rampaging Bulls take on the Valley Reds from Takuvaine. This was a very fast paced match with players on both sides using the whole field to display their running and fast passing skills. This was an open game of rugby and the Reds were strong enough to claim a win over the unlucky Bulls pack.
The next two games were the semi plate play-offs...the “missing n action” Police turn up ready to play the Dragons. The Police started strong and excited making breaks but on many occasions could never complete their attack. The Dragons under the guidance of Willie Kauvai kept calm and when opportunities arose they would counter – attack. The Dragons eventually claimed the win and sealed their place in the plate finals.
The next match was to determine who would play the Dragons. This was between the very experienced Bulls and the Atiu Warriors. Surprisingly the Atiu Warriors showed skills that were missing in their earlier game and were able to claim a narrow win and seal their place in the plate finals against the Dragons.
The following games were the semi- finals for the Cup. First up...the unbeaten Panthers against the Takuvaine Reds. Like their last game, the Reds opened this right up and played at a pace that unfortunately the Panthers are very familiar with. With the speed of Conrad Piri, the Panthers cruised to the Cup finals. The Reds did very well with a young squad and will only improve for the start of tournament 2 Club 7’s this weekend.
The second Cup qualifiers match was between the Eels and Cowboys. The Eels wasted no time in attacking out wide and posting points on the board. Their second try came via the same pathway out on the right wing. Sailosi Nagi was the threatening player at all times drawing in many defenders and creating space for the Eels pack to run out wide. The game remained at 12-0 for some time before the Cowboys hit back with a try of their own. At 12-7 this was the best things got for the Cowboys as the Eels were able to cross over two more times through simple Cowboys errors and seal their place in the Cup finals against the Panthers. The final score Eels 22 – Cowboys 7.
The first finals match was for the plate between the Dragons and new comers the Atiu Warriors. The Dragons game plan was simple and very visible...score early (get the lead) and defend the line. That is exactly what happened they got the lead and held back a continuous Atiu Warriors attack. In the end the Warriors ran out of time. A great effort by both teams especially Atiu who are relatively new comers to the game as a team. A few more games and they will be known amongst the Clubs.
The final game of the day was between the Eels and the Panthers and this was the Cup finals. The Eels in the end claim the 7’s tournament title.
This weekend Clubs will again meet at Ngatangiia field aka Nukupure Park to start tournament 2 of Club 7’s. CIRU has not yet released the 7’s draw for this weekend so we are unable to bring this to you but one thing is for sure...7’s rugby is intensifying as the international competition in November gets closer.
The Arorangi Cowboys are sponsored/ supported by Island Car & Bike Hire, coached by Rob Heather Snr and managed by William Tuivaga. The team is feeling good about their overall performance in tournament 1 and are looking forward to the start of tournament 2 this weekend. Expect to see a few more young faces make an appearance for the Cowboys as we finalise the team for International 7’s.
Again those in Arorangi wanting to trial out for the local sides or just help out are most welcome to attend training sessions on Monday, Wednesday and (this week) Friday evenings at 5:00pm. Businesses or individuals wanting to give a little support to the teams are welcome to contact the team coach (55404) or manager if you have queries.
Next week, we will bring more rugby news from the Cowboys Rugby Club 2011 campaign which will end in November after the International 7’s tournament and acknowledge another supporting sponsor of Cowboys Rugby. Good luck our team this weekend.

Friendly first impressions at Tourism
Antoinette Harris and her family are here on holiday from Auckland, New Zealand. Harris commented that so far they found the island “Lovely and relaxed with beautiful weather, and lots to do!” She said of her first impression of the Tourism office in Avarua, “It’s great, the ladies are very helpful. There are lots of brochures easily displayed so we can find out everything we can do.” The family were visiting the office to plan the rest of their stay on Rarotonga. “This is day two so we’ve come to find out what we can do [on the island].” -Ngariki Ngatae

5 Minutes with Heiarii Ioaba

It was nerve racking!” laughs Heiarii Ioaba describing this year’s Mire Tama 2011 contest, “and I think it showed on the night.”
Sitting across from the striking young Tereora College student we dip and dive out of conversation “speaking in public,” she winces, “that was the worst bit.” Ioaba, this year’s Mire Tama 2011 winner, describes herself as not feeling confident about speaking in public, but after spending a decent 15 minutes talking with her she’s as open as a book. “Plus the question,” she adds, “you never know what they are going to ask you.”
Heiarii is your picture perfect average teenage girl, like most youth she enjoys spending what time she does have on “Facebook definitely” she lists, “shopping and probably reading magazines.” However the ambitious young student for the past weeks has been spending most her time busy with preparation for Mire Tama, and admits that although she hasn’t started studying yet she’s determined to pursue tertiary studies with plans of enrolling to Auckland University, “actually,” she says lowering her voice, “I’m trying to enroll for next year, but I have to get my results first.” But its taking over the family business at the Little Polynesian that she is really passionate about, “the little poly for as long as I can remember has always been a part of my life, and it’s what my mum and aunt have always wanted me to do.”
Relaxing into my questions Ioaba understands that being Mire Tama winner she holds a position in the public eye as being a good role model, “what does this title mean?” she asks laughing at me, “it means I can’t do much,” she says exhibiting her wittier side. In her responsible tone she explains the serious side that she looks forward to fulfilling as Mire Tama winner, “if the community needs me I should be there and I understand that there are a lot of sacrifices that need to be made, but I don’t mind.”
Having plenty of support during the contest is what Heiarii credits most and says her friends and family were her main form of encouragement during the contest, “and probably if I had fans!” she jokes. But it’s clear to see that the competition has had a lasting impression on the young starlets confidence levels and says what she enjoyed most was spending time with all the other girls in the contest.
By the end of our conversation Heiarii is offering tips and advice like a pro, “it was a great experience and I would absolutely do it again.” But like any young gun, give her some time to warm up and she’ll soon be displaying all her natural charm that will win you over, “to anyone interested just join, don’t hesitate,” she says firmly, “because you do come out with something whether you win or not.” And it not hard to see why she’s the ideal candidate as Mire Tama 2011. -Maria Tanner

The best sleepover ever!
So it’s a Friday. A great day to cause mischief around town. My mates and I had made the decision to have a sleepover to celebrate the end of the school holidays. (Well, not really to celebrate. I mean, who wants the holiday to end?)Finding a ride to my destination was taken care of by my Aunty Ema. (I love her!) Nadia George was a most gracious hostess, allowing us to use her house (her Internet, Sky and most importantly, her food) But the very first thing we did was get a bite to eat, as we couldn’t do anything on an empty stomach.
So we were off to Maejo’s and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. I highly recommend it to everybody who likes Asian food. We were such a chatty bunch, talking about random things in these ridiculous accents. I think we were a bit too rowdy, because the other people in the Food Court were giving us these dirty looks. Pfft, as if we cared. We were just a couple of teens enjoying ourselves. They were just bystanders. My mates (Anau Manarangi, Michael Tangimetua, Ngatokorima Paia, Reny Roi, Nadia George and Mami Williams) started chucking their food all over the place. It was like a scene out of Rugrats.
After that filling meal (which was worth every dollar I spent) we walked back to the movies. Let me tell you from experience, it is difficult walking far distances with a full stomach. When we arrived to our destination, the place looked dead. I checked the time and I was amazed. We had a half an hour wait until the movie started. Gah, stink. So we had to kill time by talking about our lives (well, mine especially. Lolz) It was actually a time for us to bond.
Then the moment finally came. We made our entrance with flourish and walked up those stairs with elegance. We totally owned that place. The movie was Real Steel, featuring Hugh Jackman and this other little cute boy with a really smart mouth. Yeah, I would rate that movie a 3 out of 5. Loads of action, a bit of humor. Most of my attention went to the little boy because of his “smartness”.
After the movie, it was back to Nadia’s “penthouse”. Man, we had the time of our lives over there. Ngatokorima Paia was kind enough to give her audience a fashion show a.k.a “Raro Shore”. Now that was a full on crack up. Nga (with the assistance of me and Michael) had to beautify herself for the upcoming event. We threw a leopard dress on her, put these flashy Stilettos’ on her feet and we even went as far as blow drying her hair, so that she could have that “America’s Next Top Model” look. I filmed the whole thing. Now that was the event of the night. Some of us went to sleep at 2 in the morning (while some wanted to be daredevils and sleep at 6) and we all woke up at 7. One heck of a sleepover!- Norma Ngatamriki

Week 28: Nutritional Program
Welcome back to our weekly updates on a new and healthier us! We’ve now reached week 28 and as we move further into the program it has now become part of our daily routine now.
Last week we came to the end of the Mind & Body Challenge and Team Determinators rewarded ourselves with a well deserved bbq on Sunday to thank our fitness coach for putting up with our moans and groans on a daily basis over the many weeks, and to reward ourselves because Sunday’s are our ‘day’s off!’
With the challenge now over, we as Team Determinators will continue with the daily trainings till xmas and will this week step up the workouts to 6-days a week meaning, our Saturday’s which is the day we usually try and rest up will now be part of every other week-day and we’ll be hitting the gym for another intense workout session.
Last week was our big measure up day and will determine how close we are to the cash prize, some of our team members didn’t do as well as we thought. I for instance managed to lose the weight I gained from my weekend in NZ (2.5kg) along with a further 1.5kg but came to my waist measurements, that went up by a further 4cm , I did manage to burn fat but not as much as I thought I would BUT (yes there’s a BUT) I also managed to lose muscle tone meaning, I didn’t meet or go over my daily protein intake, which of course, protein burns body fat, and it’s the body fat that counts and the team with the most body fat loss will take out the challenge! Alex, he and I were the same, he lost muscle tone as well, Harriet did okay but we could have done a bit better if we ate more along with our other members of Team Determinators.
Luci however, she did extremely well burning 5% of body fat, her younger sister Kara did extremely well too and so did Puru and Aunty Kura.
For me, I need to be a bit more focused and need to try and eat every 2-hours instead of skipping meals, by the time I do have a munch I’m craving for all the wrong foods, don’t get me wrong, I’m not eating it but that’s a sign that I’m not eating enough protein and vegies as protein sends a signal to your body telling your body your full…. So as of this week its back to being focused and because come Xmas I want to head back to Wellington looking even slimmer and look at clothes from the smaller size racks rather than heading for the rack that caters for bigger woman! AND one thing I have learnt from my weekend away is to not eat all the wrong food because its way harder trying to work it off – a lesson I’ve learnt and learnt the hard way!
Next week we’ll give you an update on how our weigh in goes, our weigh in’s will continue even after the challenge… so hopefully with all this radical, punishing and excruciating workouts we do – I’m sure it’ll take my kilo’s lost figures up even further!

Herald Issue 554 09 March
- Norm exposes Trio of Doom
- Briefs from PM’s media conference Tuesday
- Tourism Industry ponders $5 million draft strategy
- Norman George resigns from Cook Islands Party
- Letter of Resignation from CIP
- Norman selfish says Prime Minister