Winiata’s Blog

Oh I just can’t wait to till Saturday. All this work and preparing has finally paid off. At 7-15pm on Saturday a plane is departing Auckland International Airport for Rarotonga! And my brother and I are boarding. We’re spending 8 days in Rarotonga, and here are some of the activities –   

Sat 14th – arrive Rarotonga 1am, sleep. At 9am, Punanganui Markets. After lunch, full island tour with Island hopper vacation.

Sunday – Cook Is. church service – Afternoon free        

Monday – Highland Paradise tour till noon, then afternoon free.

Tuesday – going to Fruits of Rarotonga for swim/snorkel.      

Afternoon free, then Island Night dinner & show at Edgewater.

Wednesday – Capt Tama’s lagoon cruise at 11am.

Thursday – mountain trek, climb to needle and Wigmores     Waterfall

Friday – whole day free. Go to airport at midnight; fly out    to NZ at 2am.

 It’s going to be such a cool experience and I hope ill be able to do it again.

My uncle Winiata Hamlin is a policeman in Wairoa. He has been involved in a CACTUS training programme for at-risk youth in Wairoa. CACTUS stands for Combined Adolescent Challenge Training Unit & Support.

It has already been tried in Picton – a boot camp for young people has lowered youth crime in the area by 82%. Mike McRoberts comes from Wairoa, so 60 Minutes travelled there to see exactly how the initiative works, and whether it could make a difference to a town where a quarter of all crime is committed by under 17 year olds.

With relentless physical training, very early starts, and group punishments for individual slip ups, boot camp is hard work.  Twenty-five young people started the training with varying degrees of motivation. The group were aged between 13yrs and 16yrs old. Some were volunteers and some were recommended for the training.

CACTUS is a programme of physical training developed from the Armed Forces programme. It is designed to extend a young person’s mind and physical capability. The CACTUS course runs for eight weeks, with three one hour training sessions per week of progressively harder physical routines.The programme also includes career education, motivational speakers and mentoring with a view to having youth reach their full potential. CACTUS aims to grow and develop the skills and attitudes young people need to take part in society, now and in the future.Source – developmentwairoa.co.nz, 60 Minutes  (02-06-08)