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Aitutaki volleyball back to stay
Murray McCully visit to focus on Aitutaki recovery
‘Secret’ first home under way
Cricket for Easter
Easter volleyball relief on Aitutaki
Nelson $10,000 for Aitutaki
Aitutaki volleyball back to stay
Tue
6 Apr
The comeback of Aitutaki’s annual Easter volleyball tournament drew out the whole island and lifted spirits of hundreds of men, women and children yesterday.
It was just the tonic the island’s citizens needed after the thrashing and setback caused by Cyclone Pat.
It was the first time the Easter Monday event has been staged in three years, after running annually since 1992 as a beach volleyball tournament hosted in its early years by the Rapae Hotel under manager JJ Browne.
Among those thrilled with the turnout and the carnival atmosphere yesterday, JJ Browne said he hoped the tournament would now be reinstated as an annual sports day.
It had always been a draw card for the whole community, he said, and it was clearly popular with all generations.
Cook Islands News, which put $5000 toward the event as a cyclone recovery project, confirmed yesterday that it will sponsor the day for the next three years.
This is in association with TNM Trading, the CI News news agents on Aitutaki.
Principal Teina Bishop donated extra cash prizes of $300 yesterday for the first three women’s teams in the under 13, under 16 and open divisions.
In future years it is intended restoring the mamas and papas and golden ladies’ divisions, alongside the under 13, under 16 and open divisions.
High spirits and laughter rang out from the Araura College grounds from 8 o’clock in the morning when the 49 teams of six paraded around the grounds, to the exciting finals at 5 o’clock.
Vendors and shops set up stalls selling hot and cold foods and drinks.
Up to early afternoon when the quarter-finals began, it was common to see hand-slapping and hear outbursts of laughter and giggling after nearly every volley.
Adding to the atmosphere were colourful uniforms sported by teams calling themselves names like Slam Girls, Pink Panthers, Rinos Swaggers, Offspring, Still Learning, Green Machine, Kake Kae Kae Kake, Mighty Vaiko Boys, Criminals, Rip Off Mustangs, Polynesian Chix, Nanny Girls, OUCH and even Cyclone Pat.
49 volleyball teams took part in yesterday’s Easter volleyball tournament on Aitutaki drawing out the whole island and lifting spirits.
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The volleyball action on Aitutaki was of the highest level.
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A women’s volleyball player punches the ball over the net.
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Island humour was everywhere on Aitutaki as the island gathered at Araura College for the return of the Easter volleyball tournament.
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Aquila Mini Store brought all their goodies to the Araura College grounds for the Easter volleyball tournament on Monday.
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Aitutaki youth set up the volleyball courts at Araura College on Sunday afternoon ready for the tournament on Monday.
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Cook Islands News managing editor John Woods was in Aitutaki for the Easter volleyball tournament sponsored by CI News. CI News will also continue to sponsor the one day event for the next three years.
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The parade of the 49 volleyball teams before the start of the Easter tournament.
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These young Aitutakians get a thrill from the Easter volleyball tournament held on the island.
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A family makes their own shade and enjoys some lunch and a sleep.
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Food stalls added to the festive atmosphere of the volleyball tournament on Aitutaki yesterday.
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Men’s volleyball action on Aitutaki.
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Young Aitutakians take shelter from the heat under event sponsors CI News banners.
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Women’s volleyball action on Aitutaki.
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The comeback of Aitutaki’s annual Easter volleyball tournament drew out the whole island and lifted spirits of hundreds of men, women and children yesterday.
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Murray McCully visit to focus on Aitutaki recovery
Tue
6 Apr
NZ foreign affairs minister Murray McCully is still set to visit the Cooks this week, despite the last-minute postponement of the joint ministerial forum.
McCully is due to arrive early today and return to New Zealand on Thursday evening.
Preparations are being made for McCully, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign
affairs Robert Wigmore as well as Aitutaki recovery coordinator and finance minister Wilkie Rasmussen to fly to Aitutaki
to inspect the recovery work
undertaken following the devastation of Cyclone Pat in February.
Last month NZ pledged $5.5 million in cyclone recovery assistance towards government’s $9.4 million recovery plan.
Wigmore has said that arrangements for McCully’s visit are falling into place and he is confident that it will constitute a further positive step in the deepening of relations between the Cook Islands and NZ.
Discussions with government and people of Aitutaki on the way forward for the island’s recovery are being planned.
“This will represent an ideal opportunity for Mr McCully to see at first hand the recovery effort and to hear from both government and the people of Aitutaki our plans for the future,” said Wigmore.
Returning to Rarotonga on Tuesday evening, there will be an intense round of meetings and events organised for McCully with government, the private sector and other Cook Islands individuals and groups over the next two days.
Wigmore explained that during McCully’s visit, “Government will raise with the minister a number of issues it considers of importance and we look forward to discussing issues that the minister might also like to raise.”
It is through such dialogue, he said, that the two countries can understand each other’s position and the relationship is set to be strengthened by follow-up actions over the coming months.
No official explanation for the postponement of the first joint ministerial forum has been given – government will only say that McCully’s visit will help with preparations for the meeting that will now be held later in the year.
McCully is due to arrive on Aitutaki just before 9am today and will be met by Mayor Tai Herman.
‘Secret’ first home under way
Tue
6 Apr
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Inspection team Vaepae mamas on Sunday evening were inspecting the new low-cost home for category four victims of Cyclone Pat. From left, Kimi Tare, Iua Pongi, Tereapii (Tom Boy) Temanu and Naomi Brothers. They said the home looked promising, and despite its small floor area was capable of being added to in future.
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A badly kept secret spread around Aitutaki over Easter that builders and government workers have been working on a prototype of the low-cost house for families who lost their homes in Cyclone Pat.
A Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning team has had three days and nights to start and finish the $35,000 package home.
Not even local MP Teina Bishop was aware yesterday that scores of men have been working round the clock since last Thursday to completely build the two-bedoom example from the ground up.
It has a concrete floor and block pillars, which were completed at 2am yesterday, and by this morning the team expected to have the roof on and most walls finished.
The rush was to show NZ Foreign Minister Murray McCully the first new government built home when he arrives with Cook Islands cabinet ministers at 8am this morning.
The building team is being led by Mayor Tai Herman and MOIP construction chief Ata Herman.
The new prototype home is actually for Pani and More Pita who lost their house in the cyclone.
Cricket for Easter
Sat
3 Apr
A charity cricket match will be played today in Nikao between the Mongoose Golden Oldies club and the Glamour Boys.
The charity match is to raise funds for the island of Aitutaki as it recovers from the devastation of Cyclone Pat.
It is also a match in honour of Colin Munokoa who died last week and was an avid cricketer growing up.
The game will be played at the Nikao field starting at 12.30pm.
The Glamour Boys team will be made up of former Grammar school students and not so long ago – the Glamour Boys vs Mongoose competitions in various sports was a regular fixture.
The Mongoose side hopes that the charity match will revive the regular sports competitions between the two teams.
So if you are looking for something to do today – head to Nikao for the charity match.
Meanwhile the women’s cricket teams from Takitumu will be staging a cricket tournament today at the Ngatangiia Sports grounds starting at 12pm.
Be at Muri to show your support for the Takitumu women’s cricketers.
Easter volleyball relief on Aitutaki
Sat
3 Apr
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Trophies for Aitutaki – Cook Islands News managing editor John Woods and staff member Tangi Tauira with some of the prizes for Monday’s big sports day.
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About 50 volleyball teams will take part in Aitutaki’s Cook Islands News Easter Volleyball Tournament on Easter Monday.
The big community sports day at Araura College is a Cyclone Pat Recovery Project sponsored by Cook Islands News.
It includes cash prizes of more than $2000, a set of trophies for the six age groups, plus promotional products worth about $2000.
‘The whole idea was to spread our company contribution around as many Aitutaki residents as possible,” says managing editor John Woods. ‘It was suggested a few weeks ago that after the setback of the cyclone, the island could not afford to run the popular annual event. We thought this was a worthy project and good cause.”
Games will run at 20-minute intervals non-stop from 9 in the morning to the open finals at 4 o’clock. With 13 open men’s teams and 14 in the open women, there are also good numbers in the under 13 and under 16 both boys and girls.
Tournament coordinator Rere Mataiti says a team of 10 has been working on planning for the day, which will include a free evening concert with guest artists from Rarotonga who have Aitutaki connections.
Local businessman Mike Henry, who suggested the sponsorship, says the objective is to “provide the people of Aitutaki some distraction from the challenges we all have been dealing with every day since cyclone Pat”.
Nelson $10,000 for Aitutaki
Thu
1 Apr
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Housie for Houses organisers Renee McCall (left) and Jenelle Strickland who helped raise thousands of dollars in Nelson for Aitutaki. PHOTO: NELSON MAIL
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A Nelson family whose relatives were affected by Cyclone Pat last month felt the pull to contribute in whatever way they could, and ended up raising over $10,000 for Aitutaki.
Rowan Strickland said he managed to raise $3500 at his workplace – donations from concerned colleagues.
His daughters, Renee McCall and Jenelle Strickland, organised a “Housie for Houses” function which generated $8760 in reconstruction funds.
The fundraiser featured 20 rounds of housie, Cook Islands entertainment and an auction of prizes such as a fishing trip, a helicopter ride and a signed Crusaders rugby jersey.
“Businesses have been quick to donate goods and services and some even donated money, which is fantastic,” McCall said. “(We hope) we can make a real difference on Aitutaki.”
The Strickland family donated proceeds to Red Cross to be used for rebuilding homes that were damaged or destroyed during Cyclone Pat.
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