Whats happening on the rock...

01 Jan, 2012 New Years Day
Turou & Welcome to the New Year
02 Jan, 2012 New Year Day (observed public holiday)
30 Jan, 2012 Te Mire Atu Composers competition held at the National Auditorium - come and listen to the islands best musiciansSchool Term 1 Begins (12 Wks)
To April 20th
Primary Schools, Private Schools, Colleges commences here on whole of the Cook Islands. Term 1 proceeds for a 12 week period and ends on the 20th April. School Holiday is for 2 weeks and is due back on the 7th of May.

26 Jan, 2012

To March
Welcome to Cook Islands Tennis M.Kajer Junior Tennis Development Program Cook Islands Tennis Association Tournaments are held in Nikao
Feb Canoeing – Sprint Season (Oe Vaka)
Oe Vaka, a popular water sport event
Feb BUSINESS HOUSE SQUASH COMPETITION
01 Feb, 2012 Te Mire Atu – (Song Composers)
Theme: OPEN THEME
National Composers Competition – National Auditorium
03 Feb, 2012 Triathlon – Business House Team Relay (200m Swim, 8km Cycle, 2km Run)
04 Feb, 2012 International Women’s Day
10 Feb, 2012 Triathlon – Women Only (600m Swim, 16km Cycle, 4km Run)
24 Mar, 2012 V 12 Oe Vaka Corporate Race
Mar BUSINESS HOUSE SQUASH SEMI/FINALS
06 Apr, 2012 Good Friday (Public Holiday)
07 Apr, 2012 Easter Saturday
08 Apr, 2012 Easter Sunday
09 Apr, 2012 Easter Monday (Public Holiday)
12 Apr, 2012 Te Mire Ura – (National Dancer of the Year) Rarotonga Sections Elimination
Cook Islanders have a passion for dance and each year there's a keenly fought competition to find the best dancers from across the Islands. Events are held for juniors, intermediates, seniors and "golden oldies". The National Auditorium in Rarotonga is the usual venue for the final and it's a
spectacularly noisy and colourful event not to be missed.
20 Apr, 2012 To Mon 7th May
End of Term 1
School Holiday Begins (2weeks)
23 Apr, 2012 Te Mire Ura – National Dancer of the Year Competition Te Akauroa (Papaa – Expats, Visitors) and Golden Oldies Masters & Golden Oldies Finals
25 Apr, 20102 ANZAC DAY – Public Holiday
26 Apr, 2012 Te Mire Ura – National Dancer of the Year Competition Juniors and Intermediate National Finals (Including Participants from the Outer Islands)
Apr Air NZ Anzac Golf Tournament
03 May, 2012 Te Mire Ura – National Dancer of the Year Competition
Open Senior National Finals
(Including Participants from the Outer Islands) National Auditorium
07 May, 2012 To July 20th End of School Holidays School
Term 2 Begins
10 May, 2012 Te Mire Ura - International Dancer of the Year Senior Finals
National Auditorium
22 May, 2012 To Sat 26th
Oceania Masters Squash Tournament
02 Jun, 2012 To Nov Rugby Union 7’s & 15’s (22 weeks)
Golf Tournament (Turama House)
04 Jun, 2012 Queens Birthday (Public Holiday)
Kumete Sports
Jun Kite Surfing
NEW IN 2011: INTERNATIONAL KITESURFING COMPETITION In June, kite surfers from all over the world will compete in the second kite surfing
competition of its kind in the Cook Islands on the stunning waters of Aitutaki
lagoon.
Jun Canoeing – National Distance Series
02 Jul, 2012 To Sat 9th OTF 14’s & 18’s
East Pacific Qualifier Tennis
06 Jul, 2012 “Ra o te Ui Ariki” (Public Holiday)
19 Jul, 2012  Cook Islands Ministry of Education Careers Expo 2012
20 Jul 2012 To Tues 7th August
End of Term 2
School Holiday Begins (2 Weeks)
Jul Squash – Club Tournament
Jul Sailing – National Class Champs – Aitutaki
Jul Golf Michigan Shout out/Palm grove – Open Tournament
Jul Canoeing – National Distance Series
26 Jul, 2012 “TE MAEVA NUI CELEBRATIONS”
Opening Ceremony Main Theme – TE REO O TOKU ENUA/MATAKEINANGA
Cultural festival of music and dance, and celebration of the constitution) The most important event in the Cook Islands calendar is the annual celebration of self rule, granted in 1965. Formerly called the Constitution Celebrations, it was renamed in 2001 because the Prime Minister of the time wanted a Cook Islands Maori name to capture the essence and joy of the annual festival. "Te Maeva Nui" translates as "the major or most important celebration".
Each year, performing artists from Rarotonga and the outer islands gather at the National Auditorium in Rarotonga to present new dances, songs, drum beats and costumes expressing the cultural theme chosen for that particular year. THE THEME for this year's celebration is TE REO O TOKU
ENUA/MATAKEINANGA Teams from the outer islands will also be selling crafts and other produce from their home during island days throughout the festival. This year's celebrations are the biggest for many years and mark the 46th anniversary of the Islands gaining independence. Other events during the festival include coconut husking, and a Maori food festival.
 27 Jul, 2012 Te Maeva Nui Celebrations
Float Parade
 28 Jul, 2012 Te Maeva Nui
Market Day (Punanga Nui Markets)
 29 Jul, 2012 Te Maeva Nui Choir Competition Imene Tuki (Traditional Singing)
 30 Jul, 2012 Te Maeva Nui
Island Trade Day
Cultural Performances
 31 Jul, 2012 Te Maeva Nui Island Trade Day
Cultural Performances
 03 Aug, 2012 Te Maeva Nui
Cultural Performances
 04 Aug, 2012 Te Maeva Nui 2012 Celebrations
Market Day
Tangi Kaara Competition
 Aug Prize Giving / Awards
Official Closing Ceremony
Reception for TE MAEVA NUI TEAMS
 04 Aug, 2012 To Sat 6th
Te Maeva Nui Rugby 7’s Tournament
 06 Aug, 2012 COOK ISLANDS NATIONAL SELF GOVERINIG
COMMEMORATIVE DAY – PUBLIC HOLIDAY
 07 Aug, 2012 To 5th October
End of School Holidays
School Term 3 Begins
 20 Aug, 2012 To 18th Dec
Rarotonga Main Football Season (11-A-Side)
 Aug Canoeing – National Distance Series
 Aug Squash – National Champs
 01 Sep, 2012 Fathers Day Sept Canoeing – National Distance Series
 22 Sep, 2012 Rarotonga Club 15’s Grand Finals
 22 Sep, 2012 ROUND RARO ROAD RACE (main race)
 05 Oct, 2012 To Mon15th School Holidays Begins (1 Week) End of Term 3
 11 Oct, 2012 Te Mire Tama 2012 - Maine Tiare & Tama Aito Competition
National Auditorium Miss Tiare Pageant & the Young Warrior Competition
Crowning of Miss Tiare 2012/2013 & the 2012/2013Young Warrior The crowning of the new Miss Tiare is the finale of the annual Tiare festival,
Which this year begins in October. And as if to prove there is equality in the islands, a new feature of the event was introduced last year for the young men.
They'll compete in the Young Warrior (Tama Aito) event. The young women also
have to choose a flower that best represents them, while the young men pick a
plant or tree. And all have to recite a speech and showcase their own personal talent.
 Oct Edgewater Women’s & Men’s Cricket Competition
 15 Oct, 2012 To Fri 14th December
School Holiday Ends Term 4 Begins
 26 Oct, 2012 National Gospel Day – Public Holiday
Cook Islanders are very religious...but who says religion can't be fun?!Gospel days are public holidays for celebrating the arrival of Christianity. Events are
organised by the Cook Islands Christian Church (CICC) and the churches themselves compete against each other to put on the best show. Islanders dress up,
stage elaborate dramas or "nuku", sing, dance, play music and generally have a great time
 30 Oct, 2012  Rarotonga Primary Schools Mixed Rippa Rugby Championships.
 31 Oct, 2012  U15 College Rugby 7’s Championships
 Oct  Canoeing – National Distance Series
 Oct  Squash – Cook Islands Open
Club Raro Cook Islands Squash Open, so get ready for some of the hottest squash action in the south pacific.
 Oct To Dec ANZ Mini Tennis Program
 01 Nov, 2012 Turama – All Souls Day Graves may not be everyone's idea of a tourist attraction, but on Rarotonga they're
a spectacular sight on 1st November each year when islanders decorate them with flowers, and candles (real and solar powered!) which burn throughout the night.
Turama is a an ancient Roman Catholic celebration of All Souls Day (2nd
November) when people gather at gravesides, laugh about happy times and tell
stories of their departed loved ones.
On the evening of the 1st, the church holds a requiem mass at the cathedral in Avarua. The priest blesses holy water and takes it to the nearby cemetery at
Panama, close to the airport. He sprinkles it on the graves as a symbol of the water used at baptism as a sign of the promise of eternal life. After a short prayer
service, and as the sun sets, people light the candles.
 01 Nov, 2012 To Sat 3rd Cook Islands International Rugby 7’s Tournament Also known as ‘Sevens In Heaven', rugby 7s is fast becoming one of the most
sought after 7s competitions in the Pacific.
 16 Nov, 2012 To Friday 23rd VAKA EIVA – Paddling/Canoeing Festival
Vaka Eiva has been referred to “the most fun event on the paddling planet!” and
that would just about sum up the weeklong festival which has the largest number of International Paddlers.
 16 Nov, 2012 Te Mire Tiare 2012
 01 Dec, 2012 National Senior/Vets Tennis Championships
 04 Dec, 2012 To Sat 9th
National Junior Tennis Championships 2012
 05 Dec, 2012 Flora Decorated Government & Business Properties
 07 Dec, 2012 Flora Decorated School Properties
 14 Dec, 2012 End of Term 4 School Holidays Begins
 Dec Rotaract Christmas in the Park Tues25th Christmas Day – Public Holiday
 26 Dec, 2012 Boxing Day – Public Holiday
 27 Dec, 2012 Christmas Day – Public Holiday
 Dec Squash – Christmas Tournament