Monday, May 17, 2021 Home-Delivered $1.90, Retail $2.20 ‘Support Page 13 the Cooks’ Popularity Gaza Plummet Attacks Rage on Page 6 Page 2 Blisters for a Cause
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TE NUPEPA O TE TAIRAWHITI MONDAY, MAY 17, 2021 HOME-DELIVERED $1.90, RETAIL $2.20 ‘SUPPORT PAGE 13 THE COOKS’ POPULARITY GAZA PLUMMET ATTACKS RAGE ON PAGE 6 PAGE 2 BLISTERS FOR A CAUSE They started in pouring rain on Saturday but the skies cleared and firefighters (from left) Gary Graham, Rob Graham, Doris Hill and Robin Sneddon pulled off their 17.5km walk in good heart. They donned full kit for the walk, which was to raise money for Leukaemia Blood Cancer NZ. STORY PAGE 3 Picture by Paul Rickard Club fears loss THISTLE PROTEST of identity if hub proceeds by Alice Angeloni on Childers Rd Reserve being the concerns. expanded from six teams last season preferred location for an indoor sport and Thistle committee member Mark Baple to nine teams this season with men’s, A GISBORNE football club has kicked recreation hub. raised the club’s concerns with councillors women’s and a youth and under-11 team, back at a proposal to revamp sports in But one of the partners at Long-Term Plan hearings on Thursday, the club’s written submission said. Tairawhiti that would see them booted off leading the project, Sports saying they “strongly oppose” a hub at Their first team had been promoted to their pitch and put into shared facilities Gisborne Tairawhiti, Childer’s Rd Reserve. Central Football Federation League and with other clubs. said its proposal was “We believe Thistle is the region’s travelled to Taranaki, Manawatu and Gisborne Thistle Association Football put to Thistle committee premier football club with much larger Hawkes Bay. Club fear they will lose their identity members in August last requirements than other football clubs in The club also had aspirations to be through a proposed $150 million revamp year. the region who may well suit an outdoor promoted to the National Conference of sports facilities across the region Sports Gisborne hub. League within five years. that would create four “hubs” shared by Tairawhiti chief “We deserve to not lose the facilities For Thistle to receive its club licence, multiple clubs and codes. executive Stefan that we’ve helped create at Childers Rd which is needed to play in the Federation Thistle also said the first time the club Pishief acknowledged Reserve and believe the club being moved League, it needed to meet criteria such committee sat down with project leaders communication with Thistle could have to an outdoor sports hub is a downgrade as fully fenced pitches, scoreboards, and was after the business case was made been improved and they were listening on what we have at present.” a stand. public, despite its pitch and clubrooms and doing their best to mitigate the club’s Thistle was founded in 1924 and had CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 GISBORNE RUATORIA WAIROA Local News ...... 1-5 Business ............11 Racing ................16 Sport ..................20 Births & Deaths ...4 Opinion ..............12 Television ...........17 Weather .............24 9 771170 043005 TOMORROW National .......... 6-10 World............ 13-15 Classifieds .. 18-19 > 2 NEWS The Gisborne Herald • Monday, May 17, 2021 ‘Do the Cooks a favour’ by Murray Robertson Cook Islands were strong. “The seven Maori migration THREE Gisborne journalists with canoes gathered there a thousand close ties to the Cook Islands have years ago before heading to issued a plea to people in Tairawhiti Aotearoa. to help the Cooks recover by taking “The links between Mauke Island a trip to paradise. in the Cooks and Ngati Porou and One of them points to the Kahungunu are particularly strong,” thousand-year cultural links that he said. exist between here and there. “I’ve been there and I could just The call has come from Cook about feel my ancestors, just about Islands News publisher and owner hear them fishing and tending their John Woods, the paper’s World and gardens. Pacific editor multi-media journalist “Paikea and the Horouta canoe Gray Clapham, and broadcaster, came from there. journalist and former Wairoa Mayor “The Takitimu canoe that was Derek Fox. built in Samoa and departed for Mr Woods lives at Wainui and Aotearoa from Rarotonga, had commutes regularly to Rarotonga, Ruawharo on board, the priest and Mr Clapham also lives at Wainui navigator who led all the canoes to and works for the paper from here, this country. and Mr Fox has lived in the Cooks “He jumped off when they got to for nine years now. Mahia because he reckoned that was He has been back in this district the place for him, and the Ruawharo for a couple of months. marae at Opoutama bears his name. The bubble arrangement between “Nuhaka is named after his wife, the islands and New Zealand begins Nga Nuhaka.” today with the first flight into Mr Fox said Cook Islands Rarotonga tomorrow. language was very similar to the “Raro’s open again from tomorrow Maori language, particularly in the and we need visitors to help rebuild northern islands of the Cooks group. the economy, which has suffered “Now the bubble is opening it’s a considerably since Covid shut the great opportunity for local Maori to borders last year,” Mr Woods said. retrace their roots.” “We urge people in this district Mr Clapham has visited the to treat themselves to a tropical islands several times, particularly escape, and do the country of the the Raro golf course, since he took Cooks a favour.” up a role with the newspaper in Mr Woods said most businesses 2009, when Mr Woods took over in the islands have struggled, and ownership. some have closed their doors. “Raro’s like Gisborne with coconut “Staff at the newspaper for palms.” example have taken a voluntary Or as Mr Fox put it — “Wairoa reduction in work hours since Covid with restaurants.” came along, doing five days work in “It’s so very near to New Zealand. four days. Three-and-a-half hours and you’re “Lots of businesses have been in there,” Mr Clapham said. the same boat, reducing operating “You can leave Gisborne on a day hours to survive and to keep their with a miserable cold southerly staff,” he said. blowing and just a few hours later “Some hospitality businesses have you’re in the warmth of a tropical been getting Government assistance island with a laidback ‘beachcomber’ but other businesses have not.” lifestyle.” GO TO THE COOKS: Three Gisborne men have called on Gisborne people Derek Fox said the cultural links All three hope Tairawhiti people to give serious thought to a holiday soon in the Cook Islands to help that between the whole of Aotearoa, but will plan a holiday there. country’s economy recover. The bubble arrangement with the islands opens particularly Te Tairawhiti, and the See also page 9 tomorrow. (From left) Gray Clapham, Derek Fox, Mr Fox’s son Tinirau (10) and John Woods. Main picture, Tinirau pictured swimming with a turtle at home in the Cooks. Group picture by Murray Robertson, turtle picture supplied Gisborne couple on first flight out tomorrow HERALD journalist Murray Robertson and easy-going,” Kim said. and his wife Kim will be on the first “They seem so settled in themselves — FOLLOW US: plane into Rarotonga tomorrow afternoon so aware of who they are, so comfortable Gisborne couple, in support of the “bubble” arrangement being Cook Islanders,” she said. husband and wife between New Zealand and the Cook “The azure-coloured sea and the multi- Murray Robertson Islands. coloured fish that live in it, and the great and Kim Gregory, The couple said they just had to get food certainly add to the charm, but the will be on the there as soon as possible to play their people are stunning.” first Air New small part in the island’s economic The couple love the natural tropical Zealand flight recovery. environment of the islands. into the Cook Quarantine-free travel between the two “We saw a whale up pretty close just Islands tomorrow countries begins today but because the off the reef at Muri Beach one day during when the travel Cooks are 22 hours behind New Zealand our first visit several years ago. bubble opens, the first flight goes on Tuesday NZ time. “Its tail fluke sprang up out of the and they urge “Kim and I have been to Rarotonga ocean a few times, flying as if to wave others to follow four times now and twice to Aitutaki hello, or should I say kia orana.” them to support because we’re in love with the place and “It was a special moment as we sat on the economy of a its people. our kayaks 50 metres away at the inner place they love. “It’s just the perfect location in our edge of the reef,” Kim said. view if you want a relaxed, easy-going As the Covid year rolled along last year Picture supplied holiday, and it’s just so beautiful.” the couple knew they had to get over to Murray said there was something very “Raro” as soon as the opportunity arose. special about Rarotonga. “We’ve stayed in regular contact over “It’s paradise really in so many ways, the past year with the people who run the and where we stay at Muri Beach is like resort we have always stayed at, and they Murray said he was sure the traditional “We encourage others to follow suit.” a second home to us. have done it tough. island population has enjoyed the extra Where the couple will stay has just “From the moment you step off the “The tourism industry is such a huge space and comparative peace and quiet three units out of a 20 or so occupied for plane the island warmth envelops you, part of the Cooks’ economy.