The magic touch, is it fading away?

Fantastic, that’s how visiting couple Ryan Bradley and Lauren described their week long holiday in Rarotonga last week. “It is what we had envisaged, paradise, the beaches, the people and generally the warm atmosphere every where we went,” said Ryan.
The couple are taking time out after completing respective graduate studies at Otago and Auckland Universities. Lauren has completed her law degree and commences work with Auckland Law firm Russell McVeigh with a view to specializing in employment and financial management cases. Eventually, she hopes to travel off shore perhaps to Europe to broaden her legal experience.
Ryan on the other hand, intends to chill out for a while with family and friends before deciding what he wants to do. His interest is in media relations and promotions. Ryan is no newcomer to Cook Islands culture as he hails from Tokoroa. His father is a well known local personality Brendon Bradley who has employed Cook Islands people in his local retail operations.
They had managed to visit most touristy spots and establishments around Rarotonga although Ryan confesses that he was hoping to be asked to dance at the local show at the Rarotongan. I’m disappointed they didn’t come and get me to dance so that I could show them how good I am at dancing island style reminiscing on his earlier days in Tokoroa performing with the local Poly club.
Highlights have been the swimming, snorkelling and riding around on a motorbike, things they probably would never do in New Zealand. Sadly however, he found it quite disturbing at Muri Beach where you have a fantastic swimming area and right next to it, was a pile of rubbish with nappies, bottles and paper rubbish. He was even more disturbed at the amount of burn offs there were around the island and the lack of care people had to protecting the environment of the Cook Islands.
“We intend to visit Aitutaki on our next trip,” said Ryan, ”and perhaps one of the other outer islands but for now, we’re going back full of wonderful memories of the lovely people we’ve met and a fantastic holiday as well.”
We wish them all the best with their future endeavours.

Headlines : Times 290 02 March 2009
- OPM at loggerheads with PM’s CEO
- Tepaki Group responds to Pa’s lawyer
- Boxing contest a crowd pleaser
- The magic touch, is it fading away?
- Girl Guides celebrate World Thinking Day