News Briefs

Unlikely any superfunds will be invested locally

The Cook Islands National Superannuation Fund has 6615 registered members and now manages over $50 million.
The Cook Islands National Superannuation Fund has slowly grown since 2001 when it managed $67,169.16 for just 463 members through an investment portfolio managed by Frank Russell Investments in New Zealand.
The current investment strategy provides for 65% of the assets to be placed into fixed interest investments and 35% of the assets to be placed in equity investments. At the previous full investigation of the Fund, the fixed interest investments were allocated to Cash, New Zealand Bonds and Global Bonds in the proportions 20%, 40% and 40% respectively.
At this point in time, the Trustees feel that this will not be ideal to return 20% to local investments as the current returns on annual earnings will not match those currently being earned in the strategic asset allocation of the Fund in New Zealand.
Since its inception the Fund has paid out over $3.8 million in member benefits. 2011 member statements are due for delivery before 30 June 2012 and members are encouraged to check the status of their superannuation accounts on Ph: 25515 during business hours.

Cook Island traditions to feature on primetime Japanese television
A Japanese film crew is nearing the end of a 10-day film shoot in Rarotonga and Aitutaki for a popular Japanese primetime television show, Fushigi Hakken.
Fushigi Hakken loosely translates to ‘Discovery of Mystery’ and features a different foreign country in every one hour-long episode. New Zealand-based Koji Sugiyama, who coordinated the shoot, said that the show is “quite big” in Japan and the Cook Islands would be featured for the entire episode. “It’s about the cultures of different [people] around the world… Everything – lifestyle, culture, nature. [But] the history – the history is the main thing.”
Sugiyama told the Times a big part of the episode was dedicated to the Vaka building and voyaging traditions of the Cook Islands and the show will also feature an interview with local artist Mike Tavioni. Sugiyama commented on his personal highlights during the shoot, “We went to Aitutaki to film Te-Au-O-Tonga. It was on land, but [Vaka] is quite important in this show... Interviewing Mike was quite a big thing as well.” Unfortunate timing for the crew of Fushigi Hakken means they will miss the arrival of Vaka Marumaru Atua from Tahiti, which Sugiyama expressed his disappointment at.
The airing of the show in Japan will coincide with the 6th Pacific Island Leaders Meeting (PALM6), which will be held in Okinawa, Japan and co-chaired by the Cook Islands and Japan. The crew also filmed the National Dancer of the Year on Thursday night as part of the show and plan to depart our shores on Sunday. -Ngariki Ngatae

International film challenge planned for Rarotonga
Developing nations such as the South Pacific’s Cook Islands need to learn more about telling their own digital stories to aid social and economic development. To be able to preserve heritage, culture and identity, to have a voice in today’s overwhelming audio visual digital world.
Generally, projects in the pacific to build audio visual capacity have been classroom orientated and often disconnected from cutting edge technology and the commercial film and television industry as a whole.
A new way of capacity building needed to come about, hence the creation of Film Raro by Cook Island / Tongan media producer Stan Wolfgramm.
Film Raro is a film challenge like no other in the world that will be produced annually in the Cook Islands by award winning media company Drum Productions. Its core objectives are to aid the social and economic development of the Cook Islands through global engagement with international filmmakers and their audiences.
These filmmakers will link with the indigenous peoples of the Cook Islands to make, up to eight short films in Rarotonga. The finished films will be show cased during a gala public screening and then at film festivals around the world.
The production of a behind the scenes Film Raro documentary series will also be produced for international broadcast bringing substantial global exposure to the Cook Islands.
Film Raro will have the opportunity to demonstrate to the world that the Cook Islands has the capacity to develop an international film and television industry of film friendly cast, crew and service providers.
To support Film Raro in building this new capacity into a sustainable industry, Drum Productions will partner with New Zealand’s world leading film and television industry.
‘This is our first year, Film Raro is bold and ambitious. Everyone loves it and can see the many benefits it can provide, some claim it was an idea they already had, others are willing to sit back and wait for the rewards but now’s the time to get honest and help out because success is earned and many hands make a community... says Stan Wolfgramm Film Raro Exec Producer

Slow boat saved Sell
While ANZAC Day is a day of special remembrance for Australians and New Zealanders, for 93 yr old Englishman Robert (Bob) Sell, it brings back vivid memories of the time he spent during the World War II in the British Merchant Navy.
Now settled in Kii Kii, Rarotonga in retirement, Bob told the Times he was already aboard merchant ships when war broke out in 1939. He began his career as a seaman at the age of 16 yrs. When the war started he was 19 yrs old. He served the entire war in the Merchant Navy and was discharged on 3 July 1946 at his own request due to illness and an operation to remove poisoned tonsils.
Bob initially tried to join the Air Sea Rescue which picked up pilots who had been shot down but he was told he had to remain with the Merchant Navy which was classed as an essential service. Bob’s war service saw him serve aboard many ships including oil tankers but he has fond memories of his time aboard an old Greek built ship called the “Alex.”
Bob recalls in 1942, the Alex with its crew of 12 took part in the convoys across the Atlantic. There was a problem from the outset said Bob in that the ship was very slow. Its speed was 8 knots and the convoy traveled at 12 knots. The Alex soon lagged far behind the other vessels without any escort protection from German submarines, the U Boats. Invariably the Alex collected survivors from other vessels that had been sunk by the Germans. On one voyage, the Alex arrived in the USA crammed with 80-90 persons rescued from sunk vessels.
No-one wanted the Alex in their convoy as it was too slow and the Alex made one crossing of the Atlantic from Grenada up to the USA and across to Britain going around the north of Scotland with a cargo of sugar on its own and it was not attacked.
Why the Germans never bothered to attack the Alex was a mystery but Bob’s theory was the Germans believed it cost the British so much money to keep the ship afloat it was actually a major drain on Britain’s resources.
Bob says he was so lucky to survive the war, being in convoys across the Atlantic, the North Sea and the Mediterranean. For some unknown reason the ships he served on were never attacked.
Bob was also aboard an oil tanker which went into Cherbourg on the day after D Day. For some unknown reason said Bob the Germans did not destroy the big oil storage tanks at the port and they were able to unload straight into those tanks.
After the war, Bob married and in 1948 he and his wife Stella settled in Australia in Manly, Sydney. He and Stella later separated and in 1954 Bob settled in New Zealand. He later married again. Years later Bob was to learn that his first wife Stella was pregnant when they separated and that she had a daughter. It was another 20 years before Bob met her.
Bob is a member of a Sydney RSL and although he would be welcome at the local RSA he does not get about much these days. He will be 94 on 26 May and reckons he must be one of the oldest WWII survivors on the island at the moment.
Bob Sell is well known to Cook Islanders. He first came to Rarotonga in 1965. His job was to select a site to build a major tourist hotel. That site is where the Rarotongan Beach Resort and Spa is now. In NZ he became famous for establishing restaurants, night clubs and for his late night talk back show on Radio Pacific. His Hungry Horse Restaurant in Auckland was managed by Cook Islander Tere Nicholas (deceased) and she employed more than 200 Cook Islanders to work there over the years.
Bob was born in London, England. He changed his surname from “Shenker” to the more easier to remember “Sell.” -Charles Pitt

Fiji flood appeal raises over $15,000
The appeal for the Fiji flood victims raised $15,500 and Theresa Noovao on behalf of the organizers, the Cook Islands Fiji Association, says more is expected to be donated.
The radiothon raised just over $7,000. Collections at the banks raised just over $4,000 and last Saturday’s runathon raised just over $4,000.
These funds will to channeled to Fiji through Cook Islands Red Cross.
Clothing was also generously donated through the Cornerstone Church. Some 20 boxes in all which were sent on through the kind sponsorship of General Transport.
Noovao expressed thanks for the generous response by Cook Islanders. -Charles Pitt

Headlines : Times 290 02 March 2009
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- Century old palm trees and the French connection
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- WOM Award Dinner for Ake Hosea-Winterflood
- Island of Atiu to host Koutu Nui AGM in June 2009