What started your Cook islands "obsession"?

For me it stems back to hearing the Finn Brothers song "Kiss the Road of Rarontonga".

Being an absoloute Neil Finn Finatic, I had to look this place up and what a paradise there was to find! Endless pictures of beautiful lagoons, tropical forests - heaven!
So... my Finn obsession introduced me to the Cooks, but the beauty of the islands (particually Aitutaki) ensure by their own merits that I now have a new obsession! 8 )
This song came out around 1996 (I think) and in 2006 I finally made it to the Cooks - after seriously lusting over them since about 2002!

And yes, I did kiss the road (of Aitutaki)!!

How about the rest of you?

Tame Music, Tame Islands

You might get Nick Cave singing about Niue but certainly not the Finn Brothers

I dont know Crossie for someone who spent a lot of time in Raro you must be becoming tame. Never been to Niue but I will. probably next year all going well.

I was first drawn to Fiji many many years ago while doing a course in the Army with a group of Fijians who used to sing isa lei. Used to haunt me.

For me it was an article in "Islands" magazine that just blew me away. We made it there in 2000 and again in 2006 - maybe in another 5 years I'll make it back again. Found lots of changes on the second trip but the physical beauty of the place is constant!

I am sorry to say that my Cook Islands "obsession" came at a later time after discovering Samoa and having my "obsession" (and still have) with these islands. Rarotonga is as beautiful as Samoa... only more developed.

An obsession is as an obsession does, by the way, and I find myself thinking about the fantastic time I had in my month on Rarotonga and Aitutaki.

Make it a sure thing Rager but everything will be 12.5% more expensive than now due to the introduction of GST and the retention of customs duty. The Finn Brothers should write a song about THAT although I think Renata will because her lyrics are appropriately depressing. Hmmm I wonder where she got that from!!

Auck next week for one week only. Not a lot of time to socialised but maybe in Feb

Hopefully the impostion of GST wont make things 12.5% dearer as there will (I hope) be offsets as other taxes come down?

Mandja---they said the same thing in the Cooks, when 12.5% GST replaced 10% turnover tax. No offsets ever came. They cut gov't employees by 50% in 1997/98, and now it's 2/3 of what it was in 1998----but the same budget as before the cuts! More taxes for less services!

I dont think there are any other taxes in Niue as a NZ tax Payer I think we support crossie and all the others

Off the subject a bit but 10% duty on most things will remain for a year after which they say it will slowly be phased out. It has to be phased out by 2011 under PICTA rules. I am told that duty has been totally phased out in the Cooks except for excise levi items.

Most distructive to the tourism industry is an excise of 120% on wine where the Cooks only have $4 per litre thus keeping the price of good wine down. I'm battling with them on the steering committee to use the Cooks model. Saying we can't compete with the Cook's natural environment so why put extra artificial barriers up like punitive wine excise.

The only offset at the start is the reduction of income tax which should put more money in the pockets of public servants. And a secondary job tax from 35% to only 10% which means idle public servants can get a part-time job in the labour strapped private sector and only get taxed 10% on ther second job.

The whole thing Rager is it is supposed to eleviate the burden on the poor old NZ tax payer but I suspect, the more revenue our leaders get their hands on the more they will waste. And you need the same infrastructure for an Island of 1200 to one of 5000. I doubt whether Niue's population is big enough now to generate enough revenue at all from consumption tax to run the islands infrastruture. eg Nation wide Power cuts right through last week.

Big private sector meeting tonight with the tax guys from Wellington. Great days on The Rock

By the way there is an immigration Bill in the House that will make it easier for NZ citizens to live in Niue - the same arrangement that Niueans have with entry into NZ ie free and easy

That immigration Bill could be a bonus, Crossie. Judging by the windy and rainy weather I had in northern NZ last August, I would opt for a few weeks of warmth and sunshine in Niue once I am retired. I am not sure about permanent residence due to the lack of sophisticated medical facilities. - Oh, man, I forgot. I have no Kiwi passport. :-(

Hi All !!!
Now I'm not going to talk about taxes etc cos' well I wouldn't know what I was talking about so I'll start with ..I too have got the Cooks Island"Obession" bug!!!
For me it started way back in 1989 when I spent a year mainly on Aitutaki ,but also on Rarotonga, Mauke, Atiu, Mitiaro...Western Samoa ,Savaii for two months ( the gov. went on Hoildays so we had to wait to get our passports back and as soon as they gave them back our Visa ran out!!!) Tahiti, Moorea and Huahine. That is when I fell in love with the South Seas. I'm Irish and I can tell you for a 19 year old Irish girl going to the South Seas for a year in1989 was a BIG Change of scenery . We lived with the locals..I even joined a dancing group (I was 19!!!) anyway in 2000 I went back again to Raro and Aitutaki..And loved it ,then in 2006 we went with all my family for a month on Moorea and had the most wonderful time!! so now I am hoping to go back to Aitutaki again next year!!!
So I think one could safely say that I have the "BUG"!!!!!

Cool Hollybell,

I'm told an artist can avoid income tax in Ireland? Sweeping feilds of Green grass is a damned sight easier to paint than coconut trees. Arguably better music to.

19 wow, thats an impressionable age. I was 22 when I went to Niue and never really left. Didn't do the haka but got severely crushed in rugby games. That sort of thing doesn't deterre you. Once you get the bug you are buggered.

Hi Crossie,
Yea you are right artists are tax free in Ireland (up to a certain income!!!).
If you want to check out some of my work google my name Holly Melia !! ( also Pauline Bewick )
I 've been living in Italy for the last 16 years...much better weather then Ireland !!!!
I didn't get crushed in rugby games ...being a girl and all ..!!! Not that I wouldn't of been up for it (then not now!!) but I saw them play !! wow!!!!
I think the only medicine for the bug is to go back ...pitty it costs so much from Italy (or maybe it is a good thing???)