Volume 23, No. 2

JANUARY 2010

LAND (Whenua)

If you want to interact with New Zealand’s landscapes in a more sustainable way, be assured that you won’t be sacrificing one iota of excitement. There are many tourism operators throughout the country who have found the perfect balance between eco-friendliness and fun.

In Rotorua, you can sledge white water rivers armed with a purpose-built sledge, padded wetsuit and helmet — in one sledger’s words, “Wow, wow and wow!” Further north, the spiritual environment of the Waipoua Forest provides a natural stage for an unforgettable guided encounter with some of the largest trees in the world.

And off the Kapiti Coast is a bird sanctuary island where you can wake to the most melodious dawn chorus you’ve ever heard.

The South Island’s most memorable land adventures are about using your outdoor skills to interact with the geography, ice climbing on the Franz Josef Glacier and horse riding in the foothills of the Kaikoura Ranges are two examples of how you can experience the landscape without compromising its amazing beauty.

HIKER OPTS FOR COMFORT ON NEW

ZEALAND WILDERNESS TREK - latimes.com

By Amanda Jones

REPORTING FROM NEW ZEALAND

What happens when the idea of adventure is still compelling, when the desire to commune with nature is strong, when you still fancy yourself an outdoorswoman but the appeal of pitching a tent has lost its luster?

Here’s what you do: You find places that provide opportunity for strenuous exertion, but with the reward of a bed and a glass of chilled wine at the end of the day.

In March, I was talked into going to New Zealand to hike the Queen Charlotte Track with a friend on a fitness bender. What sold me was that, sure, we’d be hiking 51 mostly uphill miles over four days—45 miles on the actual track and an extra six for diversions. But by night we’d stay in lodges, eat fine food and drink good wine.

Located in the pastoral Marlborough region on the coast of the South Island, the Queen Charlotte Track is one of New Zealand’s most scenic multiday hikes. It was opened in its entirety in 1992, but it is not well known to American tourists who tend to throng to the South Island’s Milford Track.

The Queen Charlotte cuts across a pristine coastal ridgeline, through ancient forest and virgin bush. A “sound’ is a former valley flooded by the sea, leaving haphazard slivers of land, surrounded by water but still adjoining the mainland on one side. The Marlborough region has three sounds — the Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru and Pelorus. We were to hike across two.

Although the Queen Charlotte can easily be hiked on your own, my fitness-freak friend, Debbie Harkness, and I decided to book through the Marlborough Sounds Adventure Co., which offered a reasonably priced package more in keeping with the sybaritic adventure we had in mind.

The company booked the lodges and transfers; provided a hiking guide and a kayaking guide; and arranged for our baggage to be whisked ahead by boat. We chose the five-day excursion, taking a day’s break to kayak.

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In late March, the end of the New Zealand summer, we flew from Auckland to Blenheim and then drove 30 minutes to Picton, the only town in the sounds. Early the first morning we had a trip briefing and met the rest of the group. We were eight in total, the others from England and Australia.

Ray Waters would be our guide. Seventy-one years old, he and his leather-tan and sinewy legs smacked of the Ober-athlete. Indeed, he told us, 10 years before he had run the entire 51-mile track in less than 10 hours.

Boarding a small ferry, we headed west toward the trail head. Dolphins, the only wild mammal appearing genuinely delighted to see humans, surrounded the boat, leaping and spinning.

We stopped along the way to investigate a salmon farm. Lining its periphery were hundreds of seals peering through the netting that held the salmon in and them out.

"Look at them perving at the fish. What a fantasy!" Debbie said. Apart from being very fit, Debbie is also very amusing. She is one of those I call my "elevator friends." If you had to be stuck in an elevator for a long time, whom would you choose to be with? Debbie is on my short list.

The boat also stopped to allow us to climb Motuara Island for a sweeping view of the sounds. Motuara is one of the only "predator free" places in New Zealand because the Department of Conservation has systematically relocated or eradicated all non- native birds, rats, possums and other predators in an effort to bring back native species.

New Zealand is a robust example of what science calls "the law of unforeseen consequences." When the white man (pakeha) arrived, he brought with him creatures that went ashore and flourished, several by gobbling up the native species that sat about stupefied, having never before encountered a predator.

Pre-pakaha New Zealand had no predators. Then came the pakeha, and New Zealand is now fighting for the survival of many native species.

"Listen to the bush," Ray said as we walked up Motuara. "Then compare it to the mainland." The bird song was clear and thick. It sounded healthy, possibly as it had been 65 million years before.

At lunch we dropped off at Ship Cove, a significant place in New Zealand's colonial past. Capt. James Cook first anchored in this lovely white-sand bay in 1770 when he claimed New Zealand for Britain.

After a brief reverie, our guide pointed to the track, and upward we tramped. Debbie's hiking poles

flashed, her feet traipsed sprightly on the dirt trail, legs pumping mechanically. I clamped a grin on my face and dragged my undertrained limbs ever onward.

The group thinned, with Ray far out ahead; Debbie and I were a respectable distance behind. Ray had once been an Outward Bound trainer, and it was clear there would be no mollycoddling. He would jog back down the track to say, "You ladies all right. Righty-o. Carry on," then run off again.

Finally on top of the ridge, we looked down through fern trees to a peacock blue sea scattered with diamonds. Behind us was virgin bush, untouched since Cook's time, with 2,000-year-old trees towering above the others.

By 6 at night we tumbled off the track onto the trimmed lawn of Furneaux Lodge, originally an early-1900s holiday home for well-heeled pioneers. The main building speaks of an older, slower time.

Nowadays, hikers sprawl on the vast porch paying homage to their first Steinlager of the evening.

The free-standing suites at Furneaux were modern and chic, with a view of native bush and sea. It was more luxury than could be dreamed up, given the location, and considering the only access to the lodge is either on foot or by boat.

Day 2 was a piece of cake, with all day to hike seven miles. We climbed past waterfalls and through forest glens, parts tracing the waterline and others deep in the forest.

We spent that night at Punga Cove Resort, a lodge where kids roam in a posse and parents go fishing. The rooms were simple A-frame cottages, nothing luxe about them, but it was a step up from a tent and the only thing around.

We woke early to face our longest day. We would hike 15 undulating miles to the 1,300-foot ridge above Kenepuru Sound. Panting mountain bikers passed us on the trail. It is possible to ride the track, but a lot of folks were pushing their bikes up the steeper inclines.

We also passed pig hunters, rifles shouldered and dogs in tow. Pigs, another pakeha introduction, have run amok here since Cook released them. In Kafka-esque style, they mutated to three times their English farmyard size, grew savage tusks and now eviscerate the earth, overturning trees and destroying habitat.

By late afternoon we dragged ourselves gleefully into the Portage Resort Hotel, formerly a run-down lodge renovated into a swanky seaside hotel. With minimalist lines, Mondrian colors, Modern art, gourmet food and wines, the Portage has to be one of

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the country's most sublime locations. We catapulted straight into the pool for a swim.

And so, hallelujah, came our day of rest. We bid farewell to the group and to Ray. Jeremy Martin would be our new guide, and he was to escort us around the bays in a kayak, returning to the Portage for another night of elegant repast.

Jeremy was a young, athletic Kiwi bloke, capable and stoic, as such blokes often are. He fitted us with a double kayak, with Debbie, naturally taking the steering position. He took a single and ran circles around us.

I am proud to say that we made it across Kenepuru Sound, where we stopped to have a cuppa, as is the wont of New Zealanders, a throwback to their ancestry. We were alone on the beach, and the water lapped so soothingly, we lay side by side on the warm sand and had a "kip" of tea.

The three of us set off cheerfully and fully restored the next day, prepared to walk the 12 miles to Anakiwa, the end of the track, where a ferry would return us to Picton.

But at 3:30, as the end was nigh, I discovered that I had dropped my sunglasses. In a flash, Jeremy was off back up the trail at a sprint. The minutes ticked by. No Jeremy. The ferry approached. No Jeremy. The feny docked. No Jeremy.

And then, as the clock struck 4:01, he came thundering out of the forest and down the dock brandishing my glasses. And that, right there, is reason enough to forsake the do-it-yourself approach.

VAN SUCCESSFULLY CROSSES COOK STRAIT NZPA

Two men have successfully crossed Cook Strait in an amphibious van.

Aeronautic machinists Adam Turnbull and Dan Melling made the nearly 10-hour trip in a 1990 four-wheel-drive Toyota Tarago van they converted recently.

The van left Waikawa marina at 6am, entered Cook Strait at 10:20am and arrived at Mana marina about 3:45pm where supporters awaited.

The men had expected to arrive an hour earlier, but said they had decided to pass on the northern side of Mana Island to avoid choppy conditions to the south.

Overall conditions had been good and dolphins had joined them on the journey, they said.

There had been doubts about the viability of their attempt and in response Mr Melling told website,

"Not many people would have taken a van across the Strait, so until you do, you don't know, do you?

Mr. Melling said they had come up with the idea after seeing something similar on television.

"We, sorta mucked around, put a prop on the back of it - front wheel drive on the land and rear wheel drive on the water," he told Radio New Zealand.

PETER JACKSON HONOURED BY KNIGHTHOOD - 3 News

Kiwi movie-maker Peter Jackson has been knighted for his services to film.

With the filmmaker off on a well-deserved holiday, he was only able to supply a written statement about his forthcoming knighthood.

"This is an incredible moment in my life," Sir Peter's statement reads. "1 didn't think anything would surpass the 2004 Academy Awards, but I was wrong. The feeling of gratitude and pride I have in accepting this honour from my home country is profound."

In his statement, Sir Peter recalls his humble beginnings as a filmmaker on the Kapiti Coast.

"When I was growing up in Pukerua Bay, I spent weekends shooting war movies in my parents' vegetable garden with their Super 8 camera," he says. "I was eight-years-old and had no real expectation of being a film director."

Throughout high school, Sir Peter toyed with stop-motion film And while his teachers say he was not an outstanding student, Sir Peter is rumoured to have achieved 100 percent in school certificate mathematics.

And some believe that Sir Peter deserves one more honour. Residents of the street he grew up in, Haunui Way, say it should be renamed to "Jackson Way".

NEW AUCKLAND iPHONE APPLICATION -

Tourism Auckland

Visitors to Auckland can hold travel information in the palm of their hand, thanks to a new iPhone application. The innovative electronic guidebook allows people with an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch to plan their Auckland experience while on the move.

The user-friendly iPhone application has more than 100 listings for Auckland events, attractions, activities, culture and heritage experiences, tours and iSITE Visitor Centres.

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A key feature of the application is the 'near me' function which uses the phone's GPS system to locate what is closest to the person along with the nearest iSITE Visitor Centre.

If you would like to know more about the application, visit: http://www.aucklandnz.com/phone

EXPLORING THE KAIKOURA COAST

Michelle Berridge blog

On a Sunday morning late in August, I'm diving along the Kaikoura Coast, transfixed by the sight of a soft mist hanging over an ocean that's as flat and shiny as a fifty cent coin. It's an otherworldly atmosphere that makes it easy to imagine behemoth whales surfacing offshore and seals and dolphins cavorting in the kelp forests.

Here in Kaikoura, the remarkable landscape of snow-capped mountains soaring above a rugged coastline is mirrored by an equally remarkable seascape of stupendously deep underwater trenches. The trenches, together with a mix of warm ocean currents from the north and cool currents from the south, result in a remarkable abundance of sea life, from microscopic phytoplankton all the way up the food chain to crayfish, seals, dolphins, sharks and Sperm Whales.

Once, while exploring the Kaikoura countryside by quad bike with Glenstrae Farm 4 Wheeler Adventures, a group of us stood on the cliff tops above the ocean and watched dozens of Dusky Dolphins leaping from the water, and on any day of the year you can pull your car over at a waterfront rest area and see Fur Seals lounging on the rocks just metres away.

Join a whale-watching cruise to get close to the region's largest inhabitants or go sea kayaking to explore the coast from the water side. Kaikoura is a wildlife paradise and an absolute must-see for visitors seeking a real New Zealand eco-experience.

ON WITH THE SHOW - From "Welcome to Our World"

If farming is the backbone of the country, then the A&P shows are a multi-coloured cloak worn proudly over the broad shoulders of the farming community when, once a year, they take the country to town.

John Gordon has been going to Agricultural and Pastoral shows since he could walk under a cow.

His long association with the shows has been as much as an observer as a participant and commentator.

"The essence of the A&P Shows is people from rural areas getting together and having a good time and people from the city coming out and having a fantastic time."

Most of the shows are held towards the end of spring, early summer. It's the end of a busy season and the farmer can relax for the first time with friends.

"The Southland Show was always the first Tuesday and Wednesday in December and that, in the traditional pattern of farming, was when you had to have your Swedes in. You couldn't hold your head up at the show unless you had your Swedes in!" Gordon says.

"For city people the handiest ones are the big shows but the ones that belong most of all to the rural community are the small, local ones - lnangahua or Warkworth. Nothing is done on a grand scale. it's a picnic atmosphere where there's still enough room in the carpark for people to cluster around boots at lunch time and have assorted goodies."

Parents go with their children to look at the pigs, the sheep, the cattle, the horses and the goats. It's a chance to join the mobs of people flocking to the sheep judging. Proud owners stand silently as stern-faced judges capable of making and breaking reputations move the woolly brutes into a pecking order.

John Gordon would, however, urge a little levity be mixed with the intense competition associated with the shows.

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"We need a bit more human description, a joke or two lightening the whole atmosphere. We should be celebrating - in a lighthearted way - the survival of many rural things despite all that has happened in the last 20 years."

A generation ago nearly every New Zealander had an uncle, a cousin or an aunt who was on a farm. That's no longer the case. Greater mobility and new technology, particularly telecommunications, have conspired to take some of the gloss off the A&P shows. As a result, all shows in New Zealand are very conscious of their economic survival.

Townies and countryfolk, however, still flock to many shows. Historically, the shows were set up by somewhat conservative founding families. In many respects, says Gordon, the A&P show committees haven't moved with the times and the quality entertainment that people expect today.

Gordon argues that the country folk should do what they do do well. Sheep dog trialling and top equestrian riders all draw and hold people. So do little kids on ponies.

"One of the best things I've seen is a relay team of axemen and sawyers - all the different events in one with a marvelous commentator screaming his head off. People should be able to sit down and enjoy a range of rural food, not just crass convenience food like hot dogs and candy floss. Let people come and actually taste what we produce."

The shows offer riveting spectacles of earlier technology. Here is a chance to see coal shovellers, blade shearers, fleecers, carders, chainsaw sculptors and master butchers.

The finest sight is still, however, the Grand Parade where a never-ending line of winning beasts circle the arena.

At the end of the day, some people go home with a new wool press, others with the latest tractor. But most of the thousands who pour through go away with a bit of sunburn, a belly full of hot dogs and, hopefully, a little taste of country.

US FORCES IN NEW ZEALAND - World War 2

(from New Zealand History online) Part 3

The end - or a beginning?

The end of the American invasion was a gradual process which started in the last months of 1943. For some New Zealanders it was a relief to see the men go; for others it was an occasion of sadness and, before long, grief as

many Americans died, especially in the invasion of Tarawa Island. For both visitors and hosts the 'brief encounter' left powerful memories, some of which live on today.

The ending of the invasion was a more gradual process than its beginning. Many individual units would leave for battle only to return a month or two later, battered and bruised. The thinning of the American presence as a whole really began toward the end of 1943.

As Japanese advances in the Pacific were turned back, secure bases closer to the action became available and the possibility of an attack on this part of the world diminished. In late October 1943 marines began embarking on transport ships in Wellington harbour. Night-time 'liberty boats' took the men back to shore for fond farewells; and then at dawn on 1 November, as white sheets waved a last farewell from Seatoun beach, the armada sailed. The empty camps around Wellington were soon broken up and the huts sold. Silverstream hospital was handed back to the locals in April 1944.

Three months later the last major force, the 43rd Division, left Auckland. Stores and offices were vacated; the Red Cross clubs ceased operation; milk bars and pubs found business slack. In October the naval base at Auckland was closed, and although some 200 Americans were still at large in New Zealand as deserters and a few naval men were to be found in the ports until VJ Day, the invasion as such was by then long over.

Some New Zealanders must have felt a sense of relief. The occasional bout of fisticuffs between Kiwi and Yank which broke out during 1943 showed that for a few the welcome had turned sour. But for many New Zealanders the departure of the Americans was an occasion of great sadness. In many cases the men were off to war, and there would be a time of anxious waiting as friends, lovers and acquaintances wondered whether those cheerful Americans who had wandered into their lives would survive. Perhaps they would come back sick or wounded; perhaps they would even die in New Zealand to be buried temporarily at Karori or Waikumete cemetery (after the war the bodies were exhumed and returned to American soil). More commonly, the news would come back that they had fallen on a Pacific beach. This was especially the case with the last marines to leave Wellington, for their assignment was to capture Tarawa Island in the Gilbert Islands. This landing turned into an American Gallipoli, with men mowed down by the Japanese as they waded ashore. More than 900 were killed, more than 2000 wounded. The

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columns of casualty lists printed in the Wellington newspapers made sad reading for many New Zealanders. Some were now widows; and the papers began to print appeals from grieving American relatives for photos or information about their lost sons' last days of happiness in New Zealand. On US Memorial Day (30 May) in both 1944 and 1945 New Zealanders laid wreaths for the American dead.

The invasion brought a happy ending for some. Almost 1500 New Zealand women travelled to the United States as war brides, although for them too the ride was often rocky. In anticipation of living in the United States a number had set up the Eagle Club to swap information on the three C's - cookery, customs and the Constitution. They were then forced to wait. Space on the ships was tight, and many did not sail until 1946, often three years after their marriage. Some waited in vain for the necessary application on their behalf by their husbands, receiving instead notices of intention to divorce. Others travelled to the States only to discover that they had to produce a bond of US$500 on arrival. Fiancees had to wait even longer for the necessary permissions, if these came at all. Even those who made the journey successfully might find the culture more foreign and the relatives more suspicious than they had hoped. The Eagle Club extended its membership to the mothers who worried at home.

In the long term the memories never quite faded. New Zealand's first full encounter with Americans and their culture gave birth to new habits - swing bands, coffee and hot dogs - which would provide fertile soil for the increasing spread of American popular culture in the next generation. There remain many elderly women whose eyes light up and whose feet begin to tap when the subject of the invasion is raised, just as their elderly men mutter cryptically about 'those damned Yankees and our women'.

As for the American soldier, he is likely to have kept a warm memory of that green and welcoming home away from home. He may be one of the few who have come back to live permanently. He may be one of the larger number who make a regular pilgrimage to 'the land we adored'. He will visit the old haunts, pay tribute at the memorials which have been put up to his comrades, and once in a while think wistfully about that lovely lady 'called Teddy, from Mount Victoria, I think' who allowed him to forget the war on Saturday nights at the Majestic Cabaret.

KIWI WOMAN REACHES SOUTH POLE IN ALL-FEMALE TEAM - 3news.com

A Twizel woman who was part of an all-female expedition to ski to the South Pole has returned home - mission accomplished.

Kylie Wakelin only got the call to go on the expedition in October but says it was a real adventure that also brought with it some unexpected payoffs.

While Wakelin may be New Zealand's first woman to ski to the South Pole she says she never set out to collect lofty titles.

"Really for me the journey was what it was all about and the relationship I've formed with the girls has been far more moving and significant for me than I thought it would be" she said.

36-year-old Wakelin was part of the 8 member commonwealth Antarctic expedition team.

The all woman group skied for 38 days to reach the South Pole, finally making it on New Year's Eve.

Wakelin said the feeling when the group reached their destination was fantastic.

"It was an unbelievable feeling. I felt 10 feet tall and all of us skiing in a line and there was the South Pole ball and it was quite emotional actually," she said.

The group was made up of women from Cyprus, Ghana, India, Singapore, Brunei, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

After training in Norway, and they were once underway, the group of 8 quickly became 7 - one member was forced to pull out due to frost bite.

Wakelin said, "That was a huge wakeup call for us and it was like this is serious stuff, you can't relent for 10 minutes because it's so cold".

The dangers were also very real for Wakelin's anxious mum Maye Dunn.

Wakelin says while she was on the ice she dreamed of relaxing beach holidays and marmite on toast but she's already planning her next Arctic adventure.

SCENIC LYTTELTON HARBOUR

Lyttelton Harbour is a beautiful scenic harbour located right beside the city of Christchurch. It offers the visitor spectacular scenery, a fascinating Maori and European history and an abundance of recreational opportunities. You can experience the harbour for yourself by driving the short distance

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through the Lyttelton Road Tunnel or over the Port Hills.

Lyttelton Harbour is the northern major sea inlet on Banks Peninsula, the one prominent feature on the coast of Canterbury, New Zealand. Banks Peninsula was once a volcanic island and Lyttelton Harbour the sea-filled crater of a volcano that erupted 1 million years ago.

Lyttelton Harbour, Te Whaka or Te Whaka raupo (the harbour of the bulrush reeds) has been home for the Maori for hundreds of years. Banks Peninsula was first sighted by Europeans on 16 February 1770 from the "Endeavour" during James Cook's first voyage to New Zealand. Originally the harbour was called Cooks Mistake by one of the earliest white visitors.

The harbour runs westward for eight miles from between two imposing headlands, Godley on the northern side of the harbour and Adderley Head on the southern side. It is almost a uniform mile and a quarter in width, until beyond the township of Lyttelton where it opens into three wide and shallow bays.

In the midst of the harbour lie three fascinating islands - Quail, Ripapa and King Billy. Quail and Ripapa Islands have an interesting history.

PAVLOVA - nzmag.com

Margaret Brooker

Ask a New Zealander what their national dish is, and, without hesitation, they will reply, "Pavlova." Ask an Australian that same question, and the answer will invariably be the same, "Pavlova."

Certainly, in both countries, pavlova has an iconic status; at one time, no festive occasion was complete without a "pay," as it is affectionately known. However the Australian claim to New Zealand's own dessert came as somewhat of a surprise to most New Zealanders. They surmised that the "Aussies" had plagiarized yet another kiwi success.

So, while the Australians may have adopted the pavlova as their own, New Zealanders were absolutely certain they had invented it. But then, so it seems, did the Australians. The pavlova debate assumed a heated rivalry more typical of trans-Tasman sporting encounters, Each country dismissed the other's claim to pavlova as wishful thinking. The question of who made it then became the subject of serious academic research.

Pavlova is a large round meringue cake with a crisp shell and a soft marshmallow-like center. It is typically topped with fresh whipped cream and fresh

fruit of the season, passionfruit pulp being the most traditional. Light, white, and airy. it is named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, who visited both Australia and New Zealand in 1926.

The research pursued two lines of inquiry: the evolution of crusty meringue cakes into the soft-centered contemporary version and the application of the name "pavlova" to sweet dishes. The all important coincidence of recipe and name was traced by Australian food historian Michael Symons in his 1982 book, One Continuous Picnic, to an Australian cook, Bert Sachse. The chef at a Perth hotel, Mr. Sachse devised a special cake "with a crunchy top which cut like a marshmallow," and in 1935 was named "pavlova."

Unconvinced, New Zealanders refused to give up their claim. New Zealand cooks recalled making Pavlovas before 1935. New Zealand anthropologist, Professor Helen Leach, countered with a detailed examination of old New Zealand recipe books. In the Rangiora Mothers' Union Cookery Book (1933), she discovered the earliest known Pavlova recipe yet found - proof positive that Pavlova really is New Zealand's national dessert! You could practically hear the nation's egg beaters whipping up a pay to celebrate this sweet victory!

NEW ZEALAND IN YOUR LIVING-ROOM

If you're a movie fan (as I am) - present-day, long ago, or both, you may be surprised to know that the well known movie rental agency Netflix, can send you many films made in New Zealand. Charles Eggen, K.F. member, has compiled a list for me and has come up with more than 74 DVDs listed by Netflix. Chuck's website is http://www.nzvideos.org. You will find descriptions of each film as well as trailers.

DEEP UNDERWATER OBSERVATORY

Welcome to Milford Deep Underwater Observatory, Milford Sound, Fiordland, New Zealand. Enter this unique structure to view a rich marine ecosystem unparalleled anywhere else in the world.

The beauty of Fiordland in the south west of the South Island of New Zealand is well known. A vast area of sheer mountain ranges, glaciated valleys, crystal clear lakes, turbulent rivers, pristine primitive rain forest and towering waterfalls - it is nature at its best. The natural values of the region have long been recognised with the formation of the Fiordland

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National Park and more recently World Heritage Area status.

What is not so widely known is that the stunning beauty above the water is also duplicated below the water. The fiord contains a unique and beautiful underwater environment - there is nowhere else like it in the world. Situated in the middle of the Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, the Milford Deep Underwater Observatory opens up to everyone, with comfort and ease, this special world previously the exclusive realm of the diver.

You can see precious black coral and other brilliantly coloured corals. There are 11 legged sea stars, delicately shaped anemones, and intriguing snakestars wrapped around the black corals. Spotted and banded perch and triplefins swim among the tube worms. while sponges and underwater fauna grow outside the Obervatory windows. This remarkable environment has generated much interest. It is the home of the Brachiopod, a shellfish which exists in much the same form as they did 600 million years ago and such oddities as the amazing fish like the scarlet wrasse that change sex when needed! And this domain is the glacial formed and ice water fed Milford Sound - Avalanche country.

This type of underwater world is usually only found below 40 metres - in the open sea, but the black coral is present only eight metres below the surface - how? It is due to the dark oily looking water which hides the coral just below the barren looking surface. The extremely high rainfall and watershed contributes to an abundance of fresh water which gradually makes its way out to the Tasman Sea with each tidal change.

Black coral at this depth could have been harvested for jewellery. However, after an expedition by the New Zealand government scientists, commercial cropping was banned and Harrison Cove, the site of the Observatory, has now been made into the Piopiotahi Marine Reserve, protecting all underwater marine life.

Question of the Day

Who discovered New Zealand?

The Maori were Aotearoa/New Zealand's first settlers. They made an epic journey from the homeland of Hawaiki, in Polynesia about 1,000 years ago. The great explorer Kupe, first discovered the land. His wife Hine Te Aparangi, named it Aotearoa - land of the long white cloud. New Zealand was the last to be settled by humans.

NEW ZEALAND, THE PERFECT PLACE FOR

SURGERY & RECOVERY -- Springboard Vacations

If you or someone you know is living in pain or putting off surgery because they can't afford treatment here in the States, then this may be a perfect option for you. New Zealand offers world class medical treatment in an English-speaking first world country that delivers exceptional healthcare value.

New Zealand is a haven for those seeking peace, rejuvenation and relaxation as well as being a natural playground for those seeking adventure and excitement. With many luxury spa resorts, magnificent golf courses, long stretches of deserted beaches and general laid back lifestyle, it really is the perfect place for both surgery and recovery. Boasting a small population, clean air and fabulous fresh food it is a perfect choice.

To learn more about this option, join us for an online seminar. Join Dr Edward Watson, CEO of Medtral and Ruth Grau, President of Springboard

Vacations: Tuesday, April 28th, 7pm PST. You'll learn the following information, and more. What surgeries are on offer; Why it is cheaper in New Zealand; Who are the surgeons and what are their qualifications; Before and after care; What will it cost.

If you would like more information and have the chance to speak to experts in this field, click on this link: www2.gotomeeting.com/fec/.

**********************

Springboard Vacations

6033 W. Century Blvd., Suite 1250

Los Angeles, CA, 90045

1.866.447.7746

info@springboardvacations.com

Or: www.medtral.com

KIWIphile FILE

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