Volume IV. No. 2

DECEMBER 1991

(-phile: {Greek--philos, loving} meaning one who loves, likes, or is favorably disposed to. Webster)

RIDING THE RAILS

Travelers seeking to add chckety clack to their portmanteau can gather steam and more on a 16-day rail excursion of New Zealand available March 31-April 21, 1992.

The rail-bound holiday costs $3,433 for a tour of both North and South islands, roundtrip air fare from Los Angeles, 21 nights lodging and daily breakfast, five lunches, four dinners, tour escort and ground transportation. A shorter tour of 18 days is priced at

$3,088.

The tour taps into New Zealand's efficient rail network which includes a journey on the Tranz Alpine train through the scenic Southern Alps.

Steam train buffs will enjoy viewing an 1872 engine, the Peveril, which is New Zealand's oldest operating locomotive, as well as a visit to the Glenbrook Vintage Rail Museum and chats with vintage steam operators throughout the country.

Contact: New Zealand Central Reservations Office, 6033 W. Century Blvd. #1270, Los Angeles CA 90045. Ph: 800-351-2317 (CA); 800-351-2323 (US).

VALLEY OF ICE

Most visitors to Franz Josef Glacier are intrigued by the views of the immense blue-white ice tongue spilling from the Southern Alps. They know little of the glacier's ebb and flow over the years. Presently the lowest elevation of Franz Josef is measured at 300 metres (1000 ft) above sea level. Tropical rainforest and lush ferns frame the lowest reaches of ice. Nowhere else on earth do glaciers descend directly into lowland rainforest.

One visitor, flying over Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers in one of the glacier heli- copters, was quoted as describing the mass of blue-white crevices of fluffy blue-white peaks as "just like pale blue meringue."

The glaciers are always on the move, retreating or advancing. During the 1980's Frahz Josef has been advancing, but the forward move may be over for the present. In 1984, the peak year, the glacier's movement was forward as rapidly as two metres a day.

Over the years the Franz Josef Valley has been changed dramatically many limes, and tourist ventures begun as early as 1900 have been swept away and demolished by the relentless movement of ice. The Glacier Hotel was built in 1912, but later became inaccessible. In the 1960's a tourist hotel was built only to lose its view of the glacier before the building was completed. The glacier obligingly reappeared when the hotel was ready to open.

The 1970's saw Franz Josef Glacier receding further than ever before, but the early 1980's has revealed a healthy-looking river of ice. The advance may continue for a few more years, but the overall trend is retreat. However, the glaciers are still spectacular and well worth the seeing.

The luxuriant rainforests near the glaciers are great for driving or hiking. Listen and you'll hear the glorious songs of the tui and the bellbird; watch and you'll see and hear in abundance the native pigeon, the fantail, tomtit, parakeet, and if you're lucky you'll catch a glimpse of the tiny rifleman.

Flightseeing and guided glacier walks are offered in the town of Franz Josef, just 7 km north of the glacier tongue. Horseback riding, biking, rafting, and fishing are all sedate ways of enjoying the area.

JAFFA DIES ON TENTH BIRTHDAY

Jaffa, the only male Rothschild giraffe in Australasia, died on his recent tenth birthday. It was sad news for us. We were privileged to pet this magjiificent animal's neck on our last visit to Orana Park in Christ- church. Touching such a huge, gentle and mysterious creature was a thrilling experience.

Jaffa, a great favorite with park visitors, was found dead, and it is believed that he choked and died of suffocation.

Rothschild giraffes are in great danger of extinc- tion, with only about 1000 left in the wilds of Africa and about 120 left in captivity. Jaffa was the only breeding male in the South Pacific. Orana Park management hopes

to find a suitable replacement since there are five females left there with no mate. Jaffa had sired 3 female offspring, and several cows are currently carrying his calves.

Want to pet a giraffe yourself? It's a 20 minute drive from the center of Christchurch, on McLean's Island Road, or take the Orana Park bus which leaves Cathedral Square every day at 1:30 pm.

2nd PAN PACIFIC VINTAGE CAR RALLY

Visitors on a driving holiday in New Zealand next February can snatch a slice of history as hundreds of vintage cars and motorcycles converge on the provincial center of Palmerston North for the 2nd Pan Pacific Vintage Car Rally which starts February 10 and runs through February 22.

Some 700 meticulously restored antique and veteran vehicles are expected to line up for the 12-day rally through lush farmland and orchards. Many of the vehicles are being transported from the four corners of the earth for the car party of the decade.

The rally agenda includes tailgate picnics in the countryside, celebratory dinners, badge swaps, and swap meets where valuable spare parts will change hands at seemingly outrageous prices.

Stateside antique car buffs can participate through a Travelogue Travel Agency tour package which rendezvous in late January in Auckland for a 23- day North and South Island adventure.

The package costs between $2,400 and $3,000 per person double occupancy and includes roundtrip air from Los Angeles, a choice of motorhome or car trans- portation, a total of two nights each in Auckland and Christchurch hotels, city tours, two banquets, and some of the rally festivities.

For details please contact: Don Herman, Tour Director. Travelogue Travel Agency, 1211 W. Pennsyl- vania Ave., San Diego CA 92103. Ph: 919-226-4400.

For further information about the rally and driving vacations in New Zealand, contact:

New Zealand Tourism Office

501 Santa Monica Blvd #300

Santa Monica CA 90401

Ph. 213-395-7480 / 800-388-5494

THE BEST OF NEW ZEALAND FLY FISHING

Mike McClelland, owner of THE BEST OF NEW ZEALAND FLY FISHING, a wholesale travel operator, has announced several unique one week fly fishing trips to New Zealand for the 1991/92 season. McClelland explained that non-stop flights from Los Angeles to Auckland make traveling down under more convenient.

The ease of travel, the strengthening of the U.S. dollar, and the unlimited opportunities for trophy trout fishing were the reasons cited for developing one-

week packages which are designed to appeal to serious fishermen and women who previously traveled to Alaska to fish. The 8 day/7 night NZ packages, including airfare, are priced substantially less than a shorter stay at one of Alaska's better lodges.

For reservations or more information please call

The Best of New Zealand Fly Fishing

Tel. 213-826-9105 Fax 213-207-5523

OPERATION DEEP FREEZE, CHRISTCHURCH (From Norton AFB GLOBETROTTER, by A1C Angela Freemon, editor.)

Whether it be rain, wind or snow, even artic snow whipping around in temperatures as low as 70 below, it's still hard to stop a Norton AFB crew from completing its mission.

Just ask Lt. Cot. Vane Hugo III, commander of a Norton crew that flew in support of Operation Deep Freeze, an airdrop which annually provides essential supplies to scientists working at the South Pole.

The crew dropped a total of about 78,000 pounds of repair parts, mail and fresh foods to McMurdo Station and a South Pole station last June. The airdrop marked the 10th anniversary of Norton's participation in Deep Freeze.

"In 1981, Norton used a C141B Starlifter to drop about 8 or 9 bundles at the South Pole station," the colonel said. "This year we used the same plane to drop about 21 bundles at the Pole."

The first day of the mission, the 63rd MAW crew left from Christchurch, New Zealand, on a 15-hour flight to McMurdo and the South Pole station.

"We were refueled twice by a KC-10 Extender tanker from March AFB, Calif., on our way to McMurdo," Colonel Hugo said. "Once we arrived there, we dropped 44 containers, or about 25,000 pounds of items ranging from well-packed eggs to computer parts."

From there the plane air-refueled again and headed toward the South Pole stations.

"At the South Pole, temperatures were at 70 below zero, which, when combined with the wind and the altitude, made it about 120 below inside the aircraft," he added. "The crew not only had to struggle through the extremely low temperatures, but also had to deal with blowing snow and low visibility. The only way they could see their drop zone was because of burning barrels of jet fuel on the ground, especially lit for the drop.

"In addition, since the ice is about 9,000 feet thick, we were actually flying at about 10,000 feet above sea level, even though we were only about 1,000 feet above the delivery surface. Because of this, we all had to wear oxygen masks when the cargo doors were open," the colonel said. "But, through it all, the crew still managed to drop 10,000 pounds of equipment, or 21 bundles."

The mission was extremely exciting, but at the same time a lot of hard work," said TSgt. Bill L Collins, one of the crew's flight engineers. "I loved every minute of it and wouldn't hesitate to volunteer again."

According to Colonel Hugo, every crew member was an expert.

"We didn't accept anybody that wasn't qualified as an intructor or higher," he said. "Obviously, their ex- pertise paid off. The success of the mission proves that." (Ed. Christchurch is the American supply base and communication center for Operation Deep Freeze , the US Antarctic Program, a scientific study some 2,000 mi. to the south. If you're interested in visiting, contact the Public Relations Officer, Operation Deep Freeze, Christ- church Airport at least 2 weeks ahead.)

TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN

THE KIWIphile FILE!!

VOICE OF A KIWI - by Richard Croft

Although we were reluctant to leave, the time had come to move on again and Queenstown, as I said, is one of those places that make you want to linger. I con- tinued to profess disbelief in his bungy jumping ability until Maurice proudly showed me the mid-air photo- graphic reproduction as proof of the deed along with the souvenir T-shirt. It was mission accomplished! I chided him that he'd bought the dearest T-shirt in the world. Cynthia had left on her homeward journey and life would now slowly return to normal.

Hwy 6 wends its way south along the barren, rocky, eastern shores of Lake Wakatipu at the foot of the precipitous Remarkables and on down the widening Mataura Valley to the rich Southland plains. At Frankton, just out of Queenstown, a bridge again crosses the Kawarau and it is interesting to note that it was originally designed and built at a great cost about 100 years ago to dam the lake and expose what was believed to be a bonanza--a gold-rich river bed. A company was formed but hopeful investors from far and near were doomed to disappointment when it was revealed that only minute amounts of gold were present. Well, I guess it was worth afly.

Kingston, at the lake's southern tip, was once a staging point enroute to Queenstown long before roads were built. Passengers and cargo flowed up and down the lake. It was terminus for the famous "Kingston Flyer" express which brought the early tourists from Dunedin and elsewhere. A vintage steam "Flyer" still operates in summer to Fairlight some miles down the line.

At Five Rivers we branched off on a by-way to Mossburn and then to TeAnau. This pleasant lakeside town is so completely different from Queenstown that you could believe you are in another country. It is the headquarters of the Fiordland National Park, some 3,000,000 acres of the most remote, rugged and formidable terrain imaginable and herein of course lies its enticing appeal. Lake TeAnau is some 40 miles long but never more than a few miles wide, with long arms or fords extending way back into the mountains on the western side, accessible only by boat The eastern side is

comparatively flat and carries Hwy 94 through mile after mile of lovely soft green beech forest before climbing up through the Eglinton Valley past Lakes Fergus and Gunn and on to Homer Tunnel, then the steep descent to sea level at Milford Sound. There are dozens of these sounds and fords and a hinterland still partly unexplored. The area is a magnet for trampers and there are many well- known, organised, guided walks such as the renowned Milford Track, the Routeburn, Hollyford, Kepler, etc. For the young and adventurous there are challenges galore but they must be aware of the dangers and must never underestimate the forces of nature as so many sadly do.

It was at TeAnau that Maurice and I finally parted company but not before I had given him a long, fatherly lecture on the virtues of being well-equipped and prepared for some of the back country treks he was plan- ning. As for myself, I am not exactly geriatric, but nowadays I adopt a more comfortable travel style.

I am astonished by the large number of hitch- hikers and two-wheeled travellers I encounter on the road. I met a diminutive Canadian girl at one Y.H. who was nearing the end of her second 6-mo. cycle tour of New Zealand. There she was in the porch in the half-light busily mending her 30th--or was it her 40th--puncture in preparation for another 60-mile stint, and no doubt praying for a dry day and a following wind. It takes a special kind of person to cycle around these two undulating islands. There should be a medal struck as a reward for such energy and persistence. The next morn- ing I watched her pedal off into the distance, a grey sky overhead, a light drizzle in the air, but worst of all no following wind. Comfortably ensconced in my little hatch- back, I drove off in the other direction--I must admit with slight feelings of guilt.

Tramping, walking, boating, fishing, touring or just plain lazing--TeAnau offers an abundance of oppor- tunities for all these pursuits in an unspoiled setting, but a few miles down the road at Manapouri the less energetic should not miss the day excursion which provides a kaleidoscope of colourful and contrasting scenes. After crossing the forest-fringed and island-studded lake by launch to West Arm, a bus takes visitors down a spiral, 660 feet into a vast cavern hewn from solid rock where 7 turbines drive their generators in an underground power- house. Then the bus emerges to wind up and over the 2,300 ft. Wilmot Pass and down to Deep Cove on Doubtful Sound. It is a spectacular sight to see the foaming waters spewing from the tail race tunnel after their 7-mi. dash under the mountains.

For something different, and having no particular itinerary planned. I decided to take a pleasant and little used by-road south to Tuatapere 60 miles away on the Waiau River which, incidentally, drains Lake Manapouri at the control gates. The road is rarely far from the river, and anybody wanting to experience real solitude should take one of the gravel side roads to either Lake Monowai or Lake Hauroko. The bird life makes great company, and huge brown trout are just waiting to snatch the fly. Quaint,

sprawling little Tuatapere on the edge of civilization, barely survives in modern urbanised economy. In the early days of the Province the settlers worked their way slowly westward clearing the land for arable farming, and the sawmillers went with them. There was an insatiable demand for the versatile softwoods for dozens of end uses, mainly building. I can remember when there were dozens of sawmills in the area and several trains a day steamed eastwards laden with sawn timber and logs. Now the trees have been replaced with grass, and the tumbledown old mill buildings still often contain rusting machinery. The rail tracks have long been ripped up but the embankments and some of the old wooden trestle bridges are still there. The old railway station stands forlornly silent, windows boarded up, paint peeling away.

Do I hear the long low shriek of a whistle? Is that a plume of black sooty smoke belching from an old steam loco in the distance? No, it's only my imagination again, and I feel sad. Sad, because when the railway went so did the men who operated it. The stationmaster in his finery, the clerks, porters, shunters, train crews, and trackmen have all gone. An era ends and a new one begins. It's called progress.

New Zealand had dozens of these little branch lines which poked up into back valleys, along narrow river gorges through the foothills, across the rolling plains; Jifelines to the nearest market towns and cities and ports. The trains faithfully shuttled passengers and freight for many generations, but they have been super- seded by the motor car and the big shiny rigs which roar along the sealed highways.

Suddenly, its back to the southern ocean again and the long, low, winding coastline. This is the southern boundary of that Southland Plain, green and fertile and washed frequently by cool, moisture-laden winds. It would take a hardy soul to brave these waters, but there are some lovely strands of fine creamy-grey sand as you drive along past Orepuki, Colac Bay and Riverton. The stunted, gnarled, bent trees bear testimony to the force of the gales which roar in from the Antarctic wastes, but on this still autumn afternoon when I went for a stroll along Orepuki beach the sun was beaming down and it was more than comfortably warm.

This beach can reward fossickers for semi- precious stones which are washed down the alpine rivers and then shoal on the foreshore, shaped and smoothed by the constant tidal action. In a storm they can be dumped in large quantities high up on the sand. While I was accumulating a colourful selection in a plastic bag, an elderly lady driving a dilapidated dune buggy with trailer attached came by. scoffed at what was on offer, and invited me to follow her up to her place along the road. There she promptly dragged out several large sacks from a shed and spilled them out onto the pathway: crystals, carnelian, jasper, obsidian, jade, etc., and told me to take whatever I wanted. Over several cups of tea and an hour's conversation I learned an incredible amount of information about the area, its people and its history and it was

quite fascinating.

After driving for so long through virtually unpopulated countryside, Invercargill looms as some sort of metropolis in contrast--the southernmost city in the world you will be proudly told. The Maoris described the locality as the Murihikau or "The tail end of the land", while the British surveyor who was sent by the N.Z. (Land) Company to select a site for a new town rejected it as a "mere bog" utterly unfit for human habitation. Somehow, however, the town did become established, the bogs were drained, muddy tidal foreshores reclaimed and today Invercargill is well laid out with broad streets and avenues and fine parks and public gardens. Many of these streets are named after Scottish rivers: Dee, Forth, Spey, Clyde, and so on, and the Scottish connection is again strongly noticeable in the names and the burr in the speech of the inhabitants. Presbyterian, conservative and solid are the words which best describe the Southianders. It is the service centre for the farmers of the plains, and a number of large meat packing plants process some 7,000,000 sheep and lambs plus cattle, pigs and deer annually for export through the nearby port of Bluff.

At the end of this stage of my journey of rediscovery I felt it was time to pause and reflect. Although travel has broadened my own perspective, I find it hard to be objective. Because of its geographical situation, NZ is difficult to categorise easily. A strong sense of individualism and independence pervades its people. As one of the world's first welfare states, it practices a sort of benevolent socialism, but times are changing rapidly. As a trading nation, the country relies heavily on international trade in a world which proclaims freedom of access but which in practice retains protectionist policies. New Zealand society is a microcosm of the world in general, isolated but not isolationist, introspective but surprisingly aware of its place, predominently British but no longer a colony, and last, but probably not least, still a place with enough space and clean air to let you be your own person and do your own thing.

What better way to end the day than to head downtown for a box of the Colonel's fried chicken and french fries. Yeah, we're civilised--it's all here!

LETTER BOX

We love visiting New Zealand, and are thinking ahead to our next trip.

We are hoping that KlWlphile readers can suggest places or people to contact to take art classes and workshops in NZ, and to meet artists there. We are mostly interested in watercolor and drawing.

We truly enjoy your newsletter. It keeps us dreaming of our return to NZ?

Stanley Searles and Sharon Silberstein 597 Ethel Ave.. Mill Valley CA 94941

(Ed. Readers--can you help?!)

Way back in early 1989 I got in touch with you and asked what you might be able to do to help us with plans for our Fall 1989 trip to New Zealand. You were kind enough to respond with two pages with (as it turned out) most helpful suggestions. After our return I planned to write and thank you, but surgery intervened. By the time we got organized after the trip and the surgery, our correspondence with you got buried and just re-emerged recently. So, belatedly, please accept our thanks.

Your suggestion of the New Zealand B&B book was great and became our "Bible". We used this and motels as we made the rounds (by car) on both islands. It was absolutely the most spectacular and enjoyable trip we have taken. My wife had kept us in the European area for travel. But we both agree that the country we would most care to return to would be New Zealand. When we talk to people about taking a trip to NZ, our main statement is:

"Regardless of how long you intend to stay, at the end you will find out that you did not have enough time".

Les Wolfe, Santa Barbara CA 93105

I'm afraid I won't have the article on Don Merton ready for this issue. I'm waiting for some information from Don, and he's out in the field. I'm sorry for the delay.

I have additional information about the fundraiser (to help save the kakapo--see Sept issue) and how to make out the checks. I'm sending you a copy of the letter from Dr. Ian Atkinson.

Also I will soon have some beautiful signed and numbered kakapo prints. An artist donated the painting to the fundraiser I had last year, and now we're lucky to have prints of it. I'm sending you a small copy. It really doesn't do the large version justice, but you can get an idea from it. The prints are approximately 18"x26" and sell for $75.00. All proceeds will go to benefit the kakapo, not only for this fundraiser, but hopefully for many things needed for the kakapo.

I'm looking forward to the next newsletter, and I hope to have something for you next time.

Rebecca Dennett, 4271 So. 1350 East,

Salt Lake City UT 84124

SOUTH ISLAND VISIT - Part 5 by Mike Giannone, New Jersey

(February-March 1990)

We left Queenstown on the last Monday in Feb- ruary in a driving rainstorm, but, as is often the case in New Zealand, soon found ourselves in brilliant sunshine as we headed east through the Kawarau River gorge. While this section of Route 6 is loaded with curves, the lack of heavy vegetation gives you plenty of sight distance to pass the inevitable caravans that seem to wander aim- lessly about. This area is rather stark and empty and even though its ruggedness has appeal, there are; much better vistas on which to spend your time. Of course, for entertainment you could always watch (or participate) in the "dunking" bungy jumping on the bridge over the river. (The Shotover River jumpsite is higher and more scenic, but harder to reach).

We passed through Cromwell and picked up Route 8 for Clyde. On our last trip the "original" road still existed, but now the massive construction of the Clyde Dam was complete and the new bypass road eliminated the lengthy construction delays that used to plague this route. I suppose the water and electricity generated by this project are urgently needed for Southland, yet something is always irrevocably lost with activities such as this. No more orchards in the bottom lands of the Clutha, no more driving through "Doigs" (founded by canine fanciers from Brooklyn?). I just hope the Kiwis pay attention to the mess we have created with the "wild" Colorado River in man's never-ending search for water and power.

The normal route to Dunedin would be to contin- ue down Rte 8 through Alexandra (a very pretty center of the orchard industry) to Milton, but Rte 85 through Ranfurly to Palmerston can provide a pleasant alternative with much less traffic. Although the countryside to Ranfurly is rather unimpressive, the old, mostly aban- doned mining towns like St. Bathans and. Naseby have some appeal and are reached via dirt roads off the main route. After Ranfurly (a town that could be right at home in the farming districts of Kansas), the geography changes somewhat as you enter the foothills of the Kakanui Moun- tains (which had a dusting of snow from an overnight storm--in February!!) past Kyeburn. This length of the road is called the "Pigroot', which may or may not have something to do with the fact that it climbs past "Swin(e?)burn" Peak. The country becomes more lush as you approach the coast.

Besides heading for Dunedin (where we had never been), a major reason for traveling this way was to see the Moeraki Boulders. Along with the Punakaiki blowholes and the Waitomo glowworrns, the "Boulders" are always mentioned as one of NZ's tourism must-sees. In promotional photographs they always appear to be very imposing. Note, however, that there are no people in those pictures. Probably because it would be difficult to fit them in the photo! A bunch of round, mostly small

(3-5 foot) rocks in the surf. Okay, so they are different. and the beach is very nice. If you've spent a lot of time tramping and/or driving through Westland and Fiordland, don't go out of your way for these. Unless of course you are stuck with driving between Christchurch and Dunedin, then this park provides a welcome break from monotony.

We arrived in Dunedin, the "Edinburgh of the South", in mid-afternoon. Visitors should resist the im- mediate urge to explore this attractive, tree-filled, hilly city and head straight away to the "Octagon." Besides being the literal center of town, the Octagon contains the Information Center for all of Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula. A very knowledgeable and eager staff will assist the visitor with all sorts of information. It also is the only place that books reservations for the Royal Albatross Colony. This is a popular excursion and reservations are necessary. If your schedule permits. take one of the last tours of the day--5:30 or after. It takes wind to get these birds off the ground, and there is more of it at day's end.

Being a university town, Dunedin has many accommodations throughout town as well as numerous eating establishments and "watering holes" (this is definitely a Scottish town!). I wanted to be close to the ocean, however, and dragged my tired family to the St. Kilda's district on the southeast shore. Several motels were right behind the dunes, and we settled on the Adrian motel (NZ$87). It was very comfortable and roomy.

Their "tiredness" cured, Linda and Amy set off for a walk along the beach, ignoring my comments about how the sky looked. A bit later, as I was unpacking and trying to decide which fire station to visit, I heard the unmistakable sound of raindrops and looked out to see that a hurricane had arrived! Great sheets of water were being driven sideways across the Adrian's grounds, and as I thought about how nice it was to sit inside and watch nature's fury, I remembered that there were family members unaccounted for. I fought my way out to the car, drove to the beach (about 1/4 mi.) and looked out over the dunes to a windswept, whitecap-filled sea. The crashing waves off St. Kilda's were truly magnificent. There is a road and parking lot which runs the length of the beach, and I drove back and forth searching for the lost souls. Finally, two bedraggled figures emerged from the scrub at the top of the cliff and ran towards the car. Seems they had lost track of distance and were totally surprised by the down-pour! Before I could lecture them about my warnings, the sun broke through and a brilliant rainbow stretched across the whole expanse of storm- tossed ocean and beach. New Zealand always seems to have this not-so-subtle capability of immediately ending meaningless family discussions.

There are many things to do in and around Dunedin, and the guidebooks cover it all quite nicely. As with my previous discussion of Queenstown, I'll just pass along some random thoughts.

(Ed. note: These thoughts will appear in the March KiWiphile File. If you need them sooner, please write to us and they'll be sent on to you.)

(Ed. note 2: A chapter by Mike Giannone on New Zealand's Northland will be coming up soon also, but will be too late for some of you who will be heading to the Bay of Islands during the coming summer--so sailing information will be too late to be of use. Mike says: "Two things: Rainbow Yacht Charters in Opua is a high class, well run operation with a competent and friendly staff, and if you want any more detailed opinions/information, you can try to reach me at 908-234-6266. I'm always happy to discuss Godzone NZ!"--Mike G.)

BITS AND BITES

If you should venture as far off the beaten track as Lake Rotoiti, gateway to Nelson Lakes National Park, you would do well to make a stop at Alpine Lodge in St. Arnaud (Private Bag, Nelson Lakes, NZ--tel. (03) 521 1868--FAX (03) 521 1869). Twenty beautiful rustic units, licensed restaurant (Ed.: good food!), backpackers' accommodations, great views, brown trout fishing, farm visits nearby, skiing, scenic flights.

While in NZ you might want to pick up a new novel by John Smythe (Random Century) about Opo, the friendly Northland dolphin. Opo's visits with the residents and visitors to the small township of Opononi took place in the mid-1950's. Unsealed roads of the area were clogged with the thousands who wanted to see and touch this charming creature. Title of the 254-page book is The Peace Monster.

Acccording to K.F. reader Sharon Lawler, a United Airlines flight attendant, United now has non- stop Los Angeles-Auckland-Los Angeles flights. Sharon has recently discovered a good informal restaurant/tea house near the Sheraton in Auckland. It's the Caravanserai, 430 Queen St., Mayoral Drive corner, tel. 302-0244. Interesting middle east and Mediterranean food, and you can sit on chairs or on the floor with lots of cushions. Lots of vegetarian dishes and delicious desserts made from fruits and honey. Not expensive.

Subscriber Gary Ramsey, USAF, tells us that active and retired military people can get military flights to many destinations, not just to NZ. Contact him at P.O. Box 9596, Las Vegas NV 89191.

Change in phone number for Folly Ring, Sec., Auckland Tourist Hospitality: 575-6655. If you're new to NZ, new to Auckland, don't miss the opportunity to meet warm, friendly Kiwis in their homes. It won't cost you one penny to spend a morning, afternoon or evening with an Auckland family, talking on a one-to-one basis. Wonderful opportunity. It's the way we acquired our first NZ family friends.

Do you have your copy of the Taste New Zealand Restaurant and Food Guide? The guide lists places to eat in every area of the country, their location, phone number, brief description of what awaits the visiting palate,

and the price range in NZ $. A number of appetite- whetting recipes are included. Call the NZ Tourism Office to get your copy: 213-395-7480 or 800-388-5494.

New Zealand wines have won 3 of the 13 major awards in the 1991 International Wine Challenge, which featured 4500 entries from around the world. Top NZ success was Te Mata's 1989 Elston Chardonnay-- described by the judges as "a classic, ripe chardonnay that is both elegant and extremely well integrated."

New Zealand Rail has recently announced plans to upgrade many train routes, hopefully by Christmas. The New Plymouth service is to be reopened, and the Southerner service between Christchurch and Invercargill will be refurbished and made more "upmarket."

FOVEAUX EXPRESS TO STEWART ISLAND

Stewart Island Marine Services Ltd. will be operating a new ferry service between Stewart Island and the town of Bluff beginning Monday, Dec. 2, 1991.

The Foveaux Express, a 65 ft. catamaran, seating 50 passengers, will cross the strait 4 times daily carrying passengers and small freight. If demand requires, more trips will be made. Also charters from clubs or other large groups will be handled by arrangement.

Information available from Stewart Island Marine Services, Ltd., P.O. Box 99, Stewart Island, NZ.

A JOURNEY BY CATTLE-SCOW - ( From Following the Equator. A Journey Around the World . by Mark Twain, pub. 1897.

November 16. After four pleasant days in Christchurch, we are to leave at midnight tonight. Mr. Kinsey gave me an ornithorhyncus, and I am taming it.

Sunday, 17th. Sailed last night in the "Flora", from Lyttelton.

So we did. I remember it yet. The people who sailed in the "Flora" that night may forget some other things if they live a good while, but they will not live long enough to forget that. The "Flora" is about the equivalent of a cattle-scow; but when the Union Company find it inconvenient to keep a contract and lucrative to break it, they smuggle her into passenger service, and "keep the change."

They give no notice of their projected depredation; you innocently buy tickets for the advertised passenger boat, and when you get down to Lyttelton at midnight, you find that they have substituted the scow. They have plenty of good boats, but no competition--and that is the trouble. It is too late now to make other arrangements if you have engagements ahead.

It is a powerful company, it has a monopoly, and everybody is afraid of it--including the government's representative, who stands at the end of the stage-plank to tally the passengers and see that no boat receives a

greater number than the law allows her to carry. This conveniently-blind representative saw the scow receive a number which was far in excess of its privilege, and winked a politic wink and said nothing. The passengers bore with meekness the cheat which had been put upon them, and made no complaint.

It was like being at home in America, where abused passengers act in just the same way. A few days before, the Union Company had discharged a captain for getting a boat into danger, and had advertised this act as evidence of its vigilance in looking after the safety of the passengers--for thugging a captain costs the company nothing, but when opportunity offered to send this dangerously overcrowded tub to sea and save a little trouble and a tidy penny by it, it forgot to worry about the passenger's safety.

The first officer told me that the "Flora" was privileged to carry 125 passengers. She must have had all of 200 on board. All the cabins were full, all the cattle-stalls in the main stable were full, the spaces at the heads of companionways were full, every inch of floor and table in the swill-room was packed with sleeping men and remained so until the place was required for breakfast, all the chairs and benches on the hurricane deck were occupied, and still there were people who had to walk about all night!

If the "Flora" had gone down that night, half of the people on board would have been wholly without means of escape.

The owners of that boat were not technically guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, but they were morally guilty of it.

I had a cattle-stall in the main stable--a cavern fitted up with a long double file of two-storied bunks, the files separated by a calico partition--twenty men and boys on one side of it. twenty women and girls on the other. The place was as dark as the soul of the Union Company, and smelt like a kennel. When the vessel got out into the heavy seas and began to pitch and wallow, the cavern prisoners became immediately sea-sick, and then the peculiar results that ensued laid all my previous experiences of the kind well away in the shade. And the wails, the groans, the cries, the shrieks, the strange ejaculations--it was wonderful.

The women and children and some of the men and boys spent the night in that place, for they were too ill to leave it; but the rest of us got up, by and by, and finished the night on the hurricane-deck.

That boat was the foulest I was ever in; and the smell of the breakfast saloon when we threaded our way among the layers of steaming passengers stretched upon its floor and its tables was incomparable for efficiency.

A good many of us got ashore at the first way-port to seek another ship. After a wait of three hours we got good rooms in the "Mahinapua", a wee little bridal-parlor of a boat--only 205 tons burthen; clean and comfortable; good service; good beds, good table, and no crowding.

The seas danced her about like a duck, but she was safe and capable.

Next morning early she went through the French Pass--a narrow gateway of rock, between bold head- lands—so narrow, in fact, that it seemed no wider than a street. The current tore through there like a mill-race, and the boat darted through like a telegram. The passage was made in half a minute; then we were in a wide place where noble vast eddies swept grandly round and round in shoal water, and I wondered what they would do with the little boat. They did as they pleased with her. They picked her up and flung her around like nothing and landed her gently on the solid, smooth bottom of sand--so gently, indeed, that we barely felt her touch it. barely felt her quiver when she came to a standstill. The water was as clear as glass, the sand on the bottom was vividly distinct. and the fishes seemed to be swimming about in nothing. Fishing lines were brought out, but before we could bait the hooks the boat was off and away again.

(Will be continued)

NOTE - NOTE - NOTE - NOTE - NOTE

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FRUITS OF THE VINE ENTICE VISITORS

Yesteryear explorer Captain James Cook might have lingered longer in the region of New Zealand he dubbed Poverty Bay two centuries ago had he appreciated its agriculatural and horticultural potential.

The so-called Poverty Bay is today a leading producer of fruits, vegetables and wine. Along with neighboring Hawkes Bay, Poverty Bay yields 75% of New Zealand's wine-growing grapes. A third region, on the north of the South Island, Marlborough, is also a major wine-producing area.

Modern-day visitors following in Captain Cook's footsteps do linger longer in New Zealand, frequently to appreciate the results of bountiful harvests of grapes, whose production tonnage is surpassed only by kiwifruit and apple.

The history of New Zealand wine making began as early as 1857, just a few years after the first European settlers came to the country. Today the nation's top wines compete on a world market with premium-priced Sauvignon Blancs, Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons.

Visitors to New Zealand can enjoy a variety of wines in restaurants throughout the country. Many encourage diners to BYO-- that's kiwi for Bring Your Own--and happily provide corkage and glasses at no extra charge.

Tasters seeking NZ wine "at the source" are welcome at most vineyards in each of the major wine growing regions, with tastings often served up with nutty New Zealand breads and a variety of New Zealand cheese.

Vineyards welcoming visitors also include the popular resort and conference property, Hotel du Vin at de Redcliffe Estates near Auckland, where guests can sip, learn about wine, cycle, swim, play tennis or simply relax.

To celebrate the South Island's fruits of the vine, Montana's Brancott Estate Vineyards near Blenheim annually stage the Marlborough Wine and Food Festival showcasing the region's gourmet foods alongside its fine wines. The next festival is February 8, 1992.

Blenheim, with a population of 24,000 is the main town in the Marlborough Province. It is located just 15 minutes by air or three hours by ferry across Cook Strait from New Zealand's capital city Wellington.

For further information, please contact:

New Zealand Tourism Office

501 Santa Monica Blvd #300

Santa Monica CA 90401

Ph: 213-395-7480/800-388-5494

Until next time, KIA ORA!