We want you to enjoy your festive season in style. All you have to do is….

• Book direct with us before 30 November 2007.
• Travel anytime between 01 December 2007 to 31 March 2008.
• Book a minimum 3 night stay at either Pacific Resort Rarotonga and/or Pacific Resort Aitutaki for 2 persons.

You will receive breakfasts daily, return airport transfers, full use of kayaks and snorkelling gear…..and……..

• For Pacific Resort Rarotonga NZ$50 Food and Beverage Credit per room per day.
• For Pacific Resort Aitutaki NZ$75 Food and Beverage Credit per room per day.

Contact Kathrine for further details: marketing@pacificresort.co.ck

Alternate Fuel…..Bio Diesel…..

The Cook Islands is committed to do its bit for the world environment. Pacific Resort is similarly committed at the leading edge of the Cook Island’s environmental conscience, and so we are thrilled with the progress made by our Chief Gardener Olly Tangaroa, with our own Bio Diesel project. Olly is recycling our used cooking oils from the kitchen into ‘Bio Diesel’ and is experimenting with its use as an alternate fuel source for our mowers, vehicles, weed wackers and outboard motors.

We also use this fuel in our Flame Torches… Result - less smoke and far more pleasant on the nose.

Our Gardening Manager, Blair Thomson, predicts that with Pacific Resort Aitutaki waste oil as well, production will soon top 100 litres a month.

And while on the subject of our environmental commitment, our team makes every effort to re-cycle all that we can… Cans, bottles, metals, plastic’s and paper to the Recycling Depot... Bio-degradable waste to farmers and growers.

Our gardens also enjoy the benefit of our waste management programmes….grey water from our treatment plant is recycled into our luxuriant tropical gardens…..no wonder they are always receiving huge compliments from our guests who enjoy our twice weekly complimentary ‘Tropical Garden Tour’…...

A big ‘meitaki maata’ to Blair, Olly, Teariki, Simi, Aelipa, Ngatokorua and James.

Contact Blair and Olly for more details: gardening@pacificresort.co.ck

Cook Islands Dance is the romance of the South Seas

With its unique and pulsating drum beats, both slow and fast rhythms are memorable to watch and to participate in as well. The best time of year for that is during the ‘Maire Nui’ Festival held annually in early August. Cultural groups from every island and several from Rarotonga all compete to be the best. So it was no surprise to find Maria Harreguy our reservations manager dancing in one of those groups after winning 2nd place in the highly contested “Ex-Pat Section” of the 2007 Dancer of the Year. Originally from Argentina, Maria combined her natural latino rhythm with the beat of Polynesia and adorned in a traditional dance costume wowed the audience and judges with her fast and slow beat numbers. Note August 2008 in your calendars now for the Mairie Nui celebrations and contact Maria today: resmanager@pacificresort.co.ck

Pacific Resort Aitutaki sponsors new Vaka…

Another big event on the Cook Islands calendar is the Vaka Eiva – international outrigger canoe (Vaka Ama) competition in November has seen the sport enjoy phenomenal growth. We are about to see the stunning expansive lagoon of Aitutaki take on the ‘paddling phenomena’ sweeping the Pacific Ocean… and to support the growth of this hugely popular water activity, Pacific Resort Aitutaki has sponsored a brand new six person ‘paddling vaka’ for the newly formed Aitutaki Canoe Club. Due to arrive shortly, Susan Noonan says she looks forward to ‘Christening’ the new vaka island style, with the customary breaking of the ‘nu’ (sweet drinking coconut) followed by a feast and island entertainment as only the Aitutakians know how… By the time your guests get here they will be able to enjoy paddling on the most special lagoon in the South Seas. Contact Susan for details: susann@pacificresort.co.ck

Pacific Resort Rarotonga too…!!!

Riding the wave of support to the sport of paddling, Pacific Resort Rarotonga joins her sister property and is a major Corporate Sponsor for the ‘2007 Vaka Eiva’ festival scheduled for 2 weeks in November on Rarotonga. Teams from 18 Countries are confirmed to participate for this year’s high profile event. Preliminary fund raising events took place on Muri Lagoon over the Queens Birthday weekend, with a ‘Business House’ Teams Paddling Regatta. Pacific Resort Rarotonga supported this event with prizes and also fielded two six person teams for the racing... our teams performed ‘handsomely’ and managed to finish 6th overall in the paddling event and 1st in the ‘support crew’ section…(we made delicious hot dogs all day and had the coldest beer!)
Contact Uta for details: rarotonga@pacificresort.co.ck

Our ‘Coconut Queen’

Formally a lifeboat on a Pacific Island Trader, some 40 years ago, this 6.5 metre vessel has been caringly salvaged and fitted out in the finest tradition of the Hepburn/Bogart 1951 movie classic ‘African Queen’.
Affectionately dubbed ‘Coconut Queen’ our version is already gracing the lagoons of Muri and Titikaveka, offering our guests the pleasure of a private lagoon adventure with a deluxe picnic hamper and ‘bubbles’ or perhaps a private romantic evening dinner cruise under the canopy of the southern constellation.
Contact Katherine for more details: marketing@pacificresort.co.ck

Cook Islands Careers Expo….

Our future is the next generation and so we were proud to take a lead role at the recent careers Expo, held here on Rarotonga, heading up the Hospitality Trade exhibitions. This year’s event surpassed all others in presentation, participation and people numbers, with many parents and students from some of the ‘outer’ islands. Driven by the Chamber of Commerce and supported by the Private and Public Sector there were a total of 38 exhibitors with options ranging from Airline careers to Fish Farming.
We also led an ‘Orientation Seminar’ of Pacific Resort Rarotonga for 32 senior students from Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Mangaia and Atiu. The catch phrase, ‘a great place to work’, resonated throughout the presentation to the students on the many benefits of a career in Hospitality – the people business!
Contact Eileen for more details: jeturepu@oyster.net.ck

Who Said Girls Can’t Fish

The inaugural Pacific Resort Aitutaki Ladies Fishing Competition was held June 23rd, 2007. Our General Manager – Susan Noonan, Chef de Cuisine – Rosa Provaste and Housekeeping Manager – Rose Williams participated in a team aboard the Aitutaki Game Fishing vessel Foxy Lady. The strikes were a plenty in the rich waters off Aitutaki and it was Kathy Strickland from Amuri Village with a 22kg yellow fin tuna who was awarded the perpetual trophy by Susan. As with anything Aitutakian, a night of fun and frivolity was held at the Aitutaki Game Fishing Club following the harrowing day at sea. Sponsorship and proceeds from the event went to the ongoing construction of the Aitutaki Game Fishing Club.
Contact Susan for more details: susann@pacificresort.co.ck

It is our all important Pacific Resort staff team members who makes the experience come to life… we are pleased to introduce our latest recruits…

Jessica Ogg: Wedding and Events Manager
	Jessica comes to us from the Hilton Auckland where she reigned supreme as Events Sales Co-ordinator. With people person strengths and a positive smile she is sure to install a sense of calm for nervous brides and grooms.
Haylie Chalkley: Reservations Consultant
	After completing a Leisure & Tourism course in the United Kingdom, Haylie decided to go travelling.  Las Vegas, Mexico, LA, Fiji and New Zealand were some of the stops she made before arriving on Rarotonga.  Haylie arrived in Rarotonga over three years ago and is happy to say she has made it her home.  After Managing Mairenui Gardens & Café for a few years, Haylie decided to have a change of occupation and is doing a great job as a member of our Reservations Team.
Viktoria Kryvorotenko: Yoga Instructor
	She teaches a healthy, positive, calm lifestyle through yoga. Originally from the Ukraine Viktoria studied yoga for over 5 years and had been teaching in Sydney, prior to moving to Rarotonga.  Viktoria conducts yoga classes Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 8.30am in the tranquillity of our gardens. When she is not doing her classes she helps out in Sandals Restaurant where she loves meeting and chatting with the guests about her travels and love of Rarotonga.
Rebecca Millhouse: Senior F&B Supervisor
	Originally from Tasmania (main island of Australia), Rebecca joins Pacific Resort Rarotonga with confidence and energy and experience gained when she worked at the Grand Chancellor in Hobart.

Donald Halin and Benjamin Charlie: the Beach Hut
	Both with physical sports backgrounds (Physical Training, Rugby and Boogie Boarding), we have welcomed Donald and Benjamin (Cook Islands lads) who have joined Aiao, Tai, Poko and Evaraima in running ‘Beach and Lagoon’ activities from the Beach Hut. They have both been undergoing training in water safety and first aid as well as boat handling skills on Moana Roa, our lagoon cruiser. As youngest of the team, they are a hit with the ‘Kids Club’ activities

Contact Greg for more: gregs@pacificresort.co.ck

Garden Suites

Currently called ‘Junior Garden Suites’ and following our refurbishment programme,  we are proud to announce that as from 01 April 2008 they will officially be called simply ‘Garden Suites’.

These ‘new’ rooms have received plaudits from the trade and guests fortunate to have enjoyed them. An all new spacious and modern bathroom style, flat screen TV and DVD player, new furniture, new fittings and room décor have all added to the popularity of these rooms at Pacific Resort Rarotonga. Sixteen Garden Suites have now been completed with a further twelve to be completed by March 2008.

Contact Katherine for more: marketing@pacificresort.co.ck

Other Snippets…

* Wireless Internet broadband services are now available in all rooms and public areas at both Rarotonga and Aitutaki Pacific Resorts.

* Make sure you are up to date with the latest specials and information…visit our website now…. www.pacificresort.com