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League targeting Pacific Islands growth

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Rugby League International Federation boss Nigel Wood wants the sport to continue to make strides in the Pacific Islands.

The islands contribute hugely to player numbers in the NRL and Super League and last year's World Cup proved there's a big appetite there for more international games.

At present that hunger isn't being met as Tonga and Fiji play just one game this year, though Samoa have a busier schedule because they qualified for the Four Nations.

With the right resources, league could overtake rugby in the islands. The NRL have looked to up the profile of the game there this year with promotional visits by some of their star players.

"It's no secret that rugby league is very strong in the Pacific Islands," Wood said.

"They have got a ready supply of natural athletes and they light up every tournament in which they participate.

"It's also no surprise the NRL are developing strategies to continue to develop the sport in those islands.

"The same applies in other parts of the world where the sport is not quite as advanced as in the Pacific Islands, but there is still a strong rugby league presence in North America, East Europe and South Africa."

The profits from last year's successful World Cup are being used to grow the sport in places likes the islands, plus money was kept aside for the sport's international governance.

"That (World Cup) money was remitted to the international federation at the start of the year," Wood said.

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League targeting Pacific Islands growth

Hurricane Ana center will miss Hawaiian islands

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October 18 at 9:22 PM

HAWAII

Hurricane Ana center will miss islands

Hurricane Ana was on course Saturday to miss Hawaii by more than a hundred miles but was generating high waves, strong winds and heavy rains that prompted flash-flood warnings throughout the islands.

The center of the powerful Pacific storm was about 190 miles west of the Big Island and about 150 miles southwest of Honolulu, the National Weather Service said. A tropical storm watch remained in effect on Oahu and Kauai but was lifted for Maui, Lanai and the Big Island.

A downpour on the Big Island prompted officials to close Mamalahoa Highway in a region known for its coffee farms. Its the only road connecting some communities to the eastern side of the island. On Oahu, rain was falling on the islands North Shore and Koolau Mountains, said Bob Burke, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Waves were expected to crest to 10 to 15 feet on the south shores of the islands and remain high through Sunday.

The heaviest rains were falling along the southeast slopes of Mauna Loa, in the Puna district and the Kau district on the southeast side of the island. However, no one on the Big Island reported storm damage, said Darryl Oliveira, director of Hawaii County civil defense.

Ana became a Category 1 hurricane Friday when it was about 230 miles south of Hilo. The hurricane was expected to gradually weaken and again become a tropical storm by Sunday afternoon, Burke said.

The American Red Cross closed its evacuation shelters on the Big Island and opened shelters on Oahu. Island Air suspended its Maui and Lanai flights Saturday afternoon and all flights Sunday, but airports remained open.

Associated Press

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Hurricane Ana center will miss Hawaiian islands

Hurricane Ana won't be a direct hit on Hawaii

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Kailua-Kona, Hawaii HurricaneAna was carving a path south of Hawaii early Saturday, producing high waves, strong winds and heavy rains that prompted a flood advisory.

The center of the powerful Pacific storm was about 170 miles southwest of the Big Island as it passed early Saturday morning and about 225 miles from Honolulu, the National Weather Service said.

There was little chance forhurricaneconditions on the islands, but a tropical storm watch remained in effect throughout the archipelago and the strongest winds were about 80 mph, forecasters said.

"Any of the islands could experience tropical storm impacts ... so it's important to still prepare and make plans," said Chris Brenchley, a weather service meteorologist.

Waves were expected to crest to 10 to 15 feet on both the North and South shores of Hawaii's islands late Saturday and to remain tall through Sunday.5The National Weather Service had a flood advisory in place for Big Island until 1:30 a.m. Saturday (4:30 a.m. PDT), saying rain had been falling in some areas at a rate of 2 to 3 inches an hour. However, the weather service told The Associated Press later that it had no reports of flooding.

Ana (AH-nah) became a Category 1hurricaneearlier in the day when it was about 230 miles south of Hilo.

Shortly before midnight, it had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and was churning along its course at 13 mph.

Thehurricanewas expected to gradually weaken to become a tropical storm again by early Sunday morning, Brenchley said.

Swells were picking up on the Big Island's south shores Friday afternoon, with 15-foot waves seen in Pohoiki Bay.

The approaching storm didn't stop some tourists in Honolulu from spending time around the beach.

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Hurricane Ana won't be a direct hit on Hawaii

Cook Islands: Lazing by the world's most beautiful lagoon

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A deserted Raratonga beach

Some vessels are large and loud, so I opt for a snorkelling safari aboard the small and simple Teking, which takes up to 12 passengers. We make three stops to plunge into the warm water to admire dazzlingly dressed fish and purple table corals as big as bandstands. Lunch is served on a desert island, a feast of yellowfin tuna, okra salad and fried plantain laid out in giant clam shells. All goes well until we near One Foot Island, where you can get a souvenir stamp in your passport, and the boat breaks down. There dont appear to be any life-jackets and weve run out of water. There is beer, though, and someone wryly observes that Aitutaki is where they filmed the reality shows Shipwrecked and Survivor.

By comparison, life on Rarotonga feels almost hectic. The hub of the Cook Islands is dominated by a rainforest-cloaked volcanic core rising to 2,014ft, with a sleepy coastal road uniting its low-key beaches and reefs. You can drive the full circle in 45 minutes, or there are public buses with signs that simply say Clockwise or Anti-Clockwise.

For a taste of Raros rugged interior, I join Pa, a bare-chested and dreadlocked local showman for a three-hour hike across the island. Its a hot and muddy workout as we climb up to the toothlike Te Rua Manga peak, and a perfect antidote to atoll-atrophy. Contrary to clich, the South Pacific lifestyle is not all lazing around in Gauguinesque poses something that becomes clear when I watch a rugby match at Raemau Park. The islanders play both league and union in this case its the first, a lively spat between the Arorangi Bears and the Avatiu Eels thrashed out in 33C heat, with post-protectors kindly sponsored by DJ Stockfeed.

The crowds are relaxed and friendly, and this is one of many ways you can meet the locals. Time your visit to coincide with the Punanga Nui Saturday market in the capital, Avarua, when islanders and expats set up stalls piled high with tropical fruits, coconut-oil beauty products, shell jewellery, intricately woven straw hats and leis, floral crowns worn as headdresses. Up on stage, schoolchildren perform traditional dances to preserve our culture, as the MC says. You can experience this in greater depth at folkloric shows known as Island Nights, staged in hotels and dedicated venues, but the one I attend is unbearable. Even when sung in Cook Islands Maori, Una Paloma Blanca is a dreadful song.

If you want fine singing and flamboyant outfits, go to church. Attending the Sunday morning service at the whitewashed, tin-roofed Cook Islands Christian Church in Arorangi, I find the congregation are in fine voice and sporting Ascot-worthy hats. Visitors are most welcome at the 90-minute act of worship, with some parts in English and a projection screen translating the rest. While the psalms and hymns are familiar, the exotic flowers and terrific multi-part harmony singing add an unexpected richness.

Afterwards, a Lynda Snell-type extends an invitation to the Calvary Hall for refreshments. There is no hard sell, and the room is packed with families in their Sunday best interspersed with underdressed backpackers grabbing a free feast.

Outside the sun is shining on the mountains, birds are singing in the breadfruit trees, and the once-mighty of Arorangi are at peace in their well-kept graves. I may be 10,000 miles from Blighty, yet here I am standing in good company with a glass of tropical squash and a plate of homemade ginger cake. Paradise has been found.

A Cook Islands woman wears a traditional flower leis

Cook Islands: Booking, hotels and flights recommendations

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Cook Islands: Lazing by the world's most beautiful lagoon

Cook Islands: Booking, hotels and flights recommendations

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When to go

May-September is high season, coinciding with the New Zealand winter, when the weather is dry with nights relatively cool. December to March is hot with tropical showers. August and September are good months for whalewatching, key cultural events are the Te Maeva Nui Festival (July 28- August 4) and Vaka Eiva canoe races (November 21-28).

Getting around

Car hire costs about 24 a day through Polynesian Rental Cars (polynesianhire.co.ck). Scooters cost about 12 a day and drivers must first take a short practical test (12). You will also need a local driving licence (10), available from the police station in Avarua. A bus journey costs 2.

Where to stay

On Rarotonga, the Crown Beach Resort & Spa (00 682 23953; crownbeach.com) catches the sunset and has 36 villas and suites set in five acres of gardens with a pool, from 270 a night. On Aitutaki, the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa (31203; aitutakilagoonresort.com) is a 36-room, adults-only sanctuary set on a private island reached by a one-minute ferry ride. Go for the premium beachfront bungalows, from 300.

On Aitutaki, adults-only Tamanu Beach (31810; tamanubeach.com) has 22 thatched bungalows set in neat gardens with two pools, from 200, including transfers.

Rates drop if you are prepared to stay a short walk from the beach. On the south-west coast of Rarotonga, Lagoon Breeze Villas (22020; lagoonbreezevillas.com) has 18 self-catering units set in a family-friendly garden with a pool, playground, barbecue and laundry, from 125.

Rates are for travel in early December 2014 and include breakfast; minimum stays may apply.

Where to eat on Rarotonga

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Cook Islands: Booking, hotels and flights recommendations


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