News Briefs
Police Remembrance Parade
A poignant day for Constable Alan Rua as he and fellow peers of the Cook Islands Policing unit gathered in front of Police Headquarters on Friday morning for a Remembrance Parade.
Constable Alan Rua expressed his gratitude of the annual event in being able to celebrate the remembrance of his father the late Senior Sergeant Piho Rua with the remaining Sir Thomas Davis recruits of 1981 Senior Sergeant Maara Brown, Senior Sergeant Taaere Tereapii and Senior Sergeant Ruta Hosking-Tane.
Those attending the Remembrance Parade included media liaison from Australia Policing Mitch Spinks who is currently in Rarotonga conducting a workshop with Cook Islands Police in methods of approaching and dealing with the media, Cook Island Police Commissioner Maara Tetava, and Minister of Police Teariki Heather who gave a touching speech followed by a minute’s silence to reflect and most importantly remember. -Maria Tanner
Rarotonga MPs updated on road works
At a meeting on Thursday morning at the Offices of the Ministry for Infrastructure and Planning, Rarotonga based MPs were advised of progress with the 2011/2012 road works programme.
There was also advice of the 2012/2013 budget for road works which is $680,000 which includes $74,190 for fixing pot holes in Tupapa, Matavera and Ngatangiia and $30,000 to repair plant and machinery.
Project Officer Fred Hosking presented a report which outlined the 2011/2012 programnme, what had been completed so far and what work remained to be done.
The report highlights the locations where work took place, the District, the action taken and the completion date.
The road programme has 27 jobs, 2 jobs relate to soak pits, 9 jobs involve improving drains, 2 jobs relate to water intake roads, 7 jobs involve bridges and handrails, 1 job relates to the re-alignment of Avatiu Valley road where input from a landowner has been sought, tree trimming has been carried out in villages during May and June and lastly, the re-location of the Bitumen heating facility is awaiting scoping, site plan and landowner approval.
The proposed road tar sealing programme for 2012/2013 was released. It is proposed to tar seal 25 roads as follows;
Titikaveka-3, Ngatangiia-3, Matavera-5, Tupapa-6 and the roads around the Mauke, Mitiaro and Manihiki hostels, Nikao-6, Arorangi-1.
During this year, 4 roads in Arorangi will be sealed. -Charles Pitt
Visitor Departure Survey
An online International Visitors Survey is currently in place. This is being coordinated by the Auckland University of Technology and the New Zealand Tourism Research and Institute. This is the first quarter extract from the preliminary results. To view the full survey visit www.mycookislandsvisit.com
And to receive a copy of the full report, please contact the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation.
Executive Summary extract
This report focuses on the characteristics, expectations and expenditure patterns of tourists who visit the Cook Islands. The data presented in the report is drawn from an on-going online departure survey. The survey period covered in this report is 1 April 2012 to 30 June 2012. There were 1551 individual respondents to the survey and they represented a total of 3143 adults and an additional 437 children (13 % of all visitors during the period – based on 2011 visitor arrival data).
Over half (63.6%) of the surveyed visitors come from New Zealand, 17.7% come from Australia. This mix is very similar to Cook Islands visitor arrivals data for 2011 (New Zealand 66.4%, Australia 16.4%). The age profile of the sample is fairly evenly spread across the 30-59 range (66%) with the 50-59 grouping dominant (25%). A slightly lower number of visitors are from the 18-29 age groups (17%). Visitors under 18 were not surveyed. Visitors are generally well educated (71.6% of visitors have some form of tertiary education) and have a higher than average annual household income (50% earn over NZ$100,000 per year). Nearly half of the visitors travel with just one companion (47%), most of the time as a couple. Solo travelers are rare (5.8%). Groups of over ten people are not uncommon (17.6%).
Just under half of visitors surveyed (48%) are on their first visit to the Cook Islands, a further 42% have visited once or twice before. 60 % of New Zealanders are on a repeat visit. The main purpose of visit is holiday making (68.8 %). The average length of stay in the Cook Islands is 8.2 days. The vast majority of the visitors (94.4 %) stay either one or two weeks.
Virtually all visitors surveyed visit Rarotonga, approximately 22.4% visit Aitutaki, only 2.2% visit another island.
On average, visitors to the Cook Islands spend NZ$1916 per person prior to arrival. Of this, 40% ($766 or $93 per day) is estimated to flow to the Cook Islands. While in the Cook Islands, the total local spend per visitor per day is $140, and the average local spend per visitor during the whole trip is $1148. If the prepaid spend amount and the local spend amount are combined, it is estimated that each visitor brings $1914 to the Cook Islands economy (or $233 per day). – Tourism Corp release
Akauruuruanga `ia Te Tika Mataiapo
I teia pōpōngi i roto i te oire o Teimurimotia, kua rave `ia tēta`i `akauruuru`anga no te tao`anga o Te Tika Mataiapo, ki runga rai i tō rātou marae.
Kua tuku `ia teia tao`anga ngāteitei ki runga i tētai mata tā te kōpu-tangata i iki i roto i tā rātou uipā`anga anga no runga i te mono o te tao`anga Te Tika Mataiapo.
Kua tuku ia atu i reira te tika`anga a te kōpu-tangata no te mou i teia tao`anga ki runga ia Māmā Katuke Kopa, no roto mai i te rua o te kōpu, ko Koringo i te `uānga a Iro.
Te ngākauparau nei a Māmā Katuke Kopa i te mou i tēia apainga `ē te `āriki nei aia i te rave i te au `anga`anga te ka anoano `ia `ē pērā katoa i te `anga`anga vaitata ki te pae i te au māpū ō te oire.
Kua `akakite mai te kauono -ta`unga Puati Mataiapo, te mataora nei aia i te `anga`anga tei rave `ia, no te mea, kāre e manamanatā, kua tika rai ki tā te kōpū-tangata i inangaro. `ē kua riro te reira i te vai`o mai i te mana o te `akauruuru`anga ia Te Tika Mataiapo.
Ka akapou ia atu te tua a teia epetoma ki mua. -Rutera Taripo
Headlines : Times 290 02 March 2009
- Lucky $1,000 winner
- Century old palm trees and the French connection
- Koutu Nui takes part in Raui meeting in Moorea
- WOM Award Dinner for Ake Hosea-Winterflood
- Island of Atiu to host Koutu Nui AGM in June 2009
