Volume IX, No. 4

JUNE 1997

WHAT'S NEW

Stardorne - The Auckland Observatory introduces its new StarDome Planetarium, a fantastic multimedia cosmic adventure. Stars, comets, the moon, galaxies, our solar system and more spring to life in a dazzling presentation of integrated multimedia images, sound and digital video.

A Web of B & Bs - A new internet site named "A Collection of Superior B&B Accommodations in New Zealand," representing about 60 B&Bs, is attracting over 1000 requests a night. The site address is http://nz.com/webnz/bbnz/

New Antarctic Experience - Visitors to Christchurch's International Antarctic Center are stepping into a 2100 sq ft authentic "Snow and Ice Experience" complete with 40 tons of real snow. The display adds to already extensive high-tech audio visuals, live displays and interactive exhibits.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH

Train travel is seeing a renaissance in New Zealand. Visitors can meet the real New Zealand on any of Tranz Scenic's eight unique train journeys. From Auckland to Invercargill, Tranz Scenic travels through the heart of the North and South Island, through some of the country's most sensational and diverse scenery. Passengers simply sit back and savor the views that can't be seen from the road along spectacular viaducts, through seaside tunnels or up over fences and into typical Kiwi backyards. Travelling by train is a real New Zealand experience. Bookings can be made through ATS Tours - Sprint Department, on (800) 423-2880.

GOLDEN EGGS

Only 50 kakapo are known to exist, and fewer than 10 females are believed capable of breeding. Kakapo eggs were last laid in 1995 on Little Barrier Island, but were all infertile.

The kakapo recovery manager Paul Jansen says the nesting female, known as Cindy, began sitting recently on three eggs. She is now being monitored round- the-cLock to protect her nest from rats and to collect data on incubation and rearing.

If the eggs do hatch, conservation staff may intervene if she is unable to find enough food for the chicks.

There has been little indication of breeding among kakapo on Maud or Little Barrier IsLands, the only other places where the birds are known to exist.

PRINCIPAL MARVELS AT

FAMILY'S LIFE CHANGE

(From Hauraki Herald)

Last year the Guffey family sold all their belongings, packed up 15 bags and shifted thousands of miles from Nebraska to Colville (NZ).

James, his wife Carol and children Nic (5) and Andy (7 mo.) have not looked back since.

Now James is settled in his job as Colville School principal and marvels at his family's life change.

He first came to New Zealand in June last year with a delegation of 40 high school students.

He said after being in Australia for two weeks they didn't think it could get any better, but then they flew to New Zealand and visited the Coromandel Peninsula..

"We just had not anticipated how beautiful New Zealand would be and how friendly the people were."

A few months after that trip he was living here.

For the past five years, James said he and his wife had been doing battle on the interstate--dropping the children off, going to work and then struggling home again.

"It was wearing us down. Nic could not even play in his own backyard because of the criminal and gang problems."

Now Nic has the whole of Colville as a backyard

and school is just a few metres away.

James says he has trouble getting his son to keep his shoes on.

He marvels at how quickly their lives here simplified.

"It is unusual for us not to have a full home- grown meal nowadays."

As soon as you put a seed in the ground it pops up in a few days because the land is so fertile and the sea so full--we fish, dive for scallops, and last week wild pig was on the menu.

"Back home I don't know many people who are content with the daily grind. Everyone wants to simplify their lives but no one knows how."

New Zealand was not part of the life plan. James says he hardly knew anything about the country except for its reputation for teaching with child-orientated methods.

He has charge of 31 students from the surrounding area of the northern Coromandel peninsula, with just 16 students in his class.

Being a principal was never part of the career plan either, but at Colville he still gets into the classroom four days a week, which suits him.

"I love the classroom. I mean I get paid for watching kids grow and being part of their lives."

James says other than adjusting to the New Zealand twang--at first he wondered whether New Zealanders spoke a different language--making the move to the Coromandel Peninsula was an easy adjustment.

"The Colville community were right here for us--it is a wonderful community, really diverse and open.

NEW ZEALAND MAORI ARTS

AND CRAFTS INSTITUTE David Young

For more than a century the boiling mud pools, geothermal steam and Maori song and poi dance of Rotorua have been part of the attraction for visitors to New Zealand.

But a visit to Whakarewarewa, where today vigorous spouts of steam and water create a signature plume over the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, provides further insight into the rich culture behind the traditional imagery of Maoridom.

Just as the geyserland "show" has markedly improved since a government ban on most private bores in 1987, so the 30 year old institute symbolises the new energy of the Rotorua area.

"Next year there will be one million tourists coming to Rotorua," says Emily Schuster, whose family have worked at Whaka for generations. A great grandmother and gifted traditional flax weaver, Emily has been teaching and guiding here since 1969: "It's tourism growth and it's up to the country to provide a market for visitors to New Zealand."

The dynamism at Whakarewarewa seems widespread. As a visitor you may be aware you are among 400,000 to the place every year.

Yet when you quit your bus for a welcome inside the pallisaded fence, or when the crafts of flax weaving, bone or wood carving are explained, or you take a tour of the Maori village, what impresses is the staff vitality, pride and professionalism.

After a day or so as a guest, you gather that the drive behind the physical and professional standards is institute director for several years, John Marsh, a charismatic South Island Ngai Tahu and ex-army major. Marsh challenges his 70 all Maori staff to excel in their customer relations, just as he challenges their managers as part of their extensive training, to take on team outdoor pursuits, white water rafting and bungy-jumping.

He says of the carving centre: "We really want people who come to us to understand the significance of what I see as the philosophy of the institute, that we are guardians of the past for the future."

Clive Fugill the institute's master carver, explains that they teach only styles from recognised schools. "The carver was not only a carver. He had to have knowledge of tribal history, whakapapa. Carving wasn't just a matter of getting a piece of wood--you had to know the culture, language and history. I collect tribal history from different areas and I like connecting those histories up."

Fugill, whose appearance as a Pakeha (European) belies his part Maori ancestry and his deep knowledge, delights in the spiritual power of his traditions.

He explains how he was working on a replacement meeting house northeast of Rotorua for a tribe who would not supply the details of the maihi (barge boards) of the old house: "I can remember lying in bed one night - I could see in front of me the pattern on the roof - the old pattern. I drew the whole thing out and showed it to the kaumatua (elder)." It was precisely correct and Fugill even had an explanatory proverb: "Nga poito o te kupenga o Taramainuku," ("The Net Floats of Taramainuku") which refers to the Islands of Auckland's Hauraki Gulf.

But much of the old ritual has had to be abandoned. Once, women were not permitted to even view carving in progress. Today, though they do not carve here, women are now permitted as visitors to wander through the workshop and watch pou-pou (supporting posts of a meeting house) and traditional weapons and instruments take form under the modern metal chisels the students wield.

The shavings are no longer ritually burned after each day's work and even the mighty but now precious totara tree, still the preferred source of wood for carving and canoe, must sometimes today be substituted with chipboard and lesser timbers.

Nevertheless, the three students who each year enter a new three-year course do learn about the three major schools of carving- from the northern, eastern and western parts of the country - as well as specific tribal traditions. "Today," says John, "We do not embody the carvings with a personality till they are placed in their permanent site.

So that means that there is a flexibility in how we observe the rituals that may have governed carving in pre-European times. By "personality" he refers to the ritual by which the carved ancestor was imbued with a life of its own and treated as a living being. "When we place the carving in location that is when the rituals will come and the karakia (prayers) take place."

The director notes, too, that as the Maori Renaissance develops, other tribes are gradually taking responsibility for carving.

"The first carving school that occurred here in Rotorua was at Ohinemutu." Back in the 1930s it was prominent Maori leader and Cabinet Minister Sir Apirana Ngata who encouraged a school under John Taiapa. All that remained of the once noble craft was a thin thread of knowledge that connected Maori to their traditions. "That line is quite broad and it has some depth to it as well," says John. "If we hunted them out, we would have more than 60 competent carvers in the community today."

The institute carvers, whose training and living expenses are paid for from tourist revenue and sales of the artefacts created, are a major attraction. Asians, particularly, find the work has parallels in their own cultures and there have been exchange visits with Japanese carvers. "Two Japanese carvers came recently - master carvers," says Clive. "In one week we learnt a lot from them - beautiful work. But they said that they couldn't do our work because it was too spiritually involved."

Amero Indians and Inuit also find common ground here: "We;ve got some of their work over in the wharenui (big house), bone work and ivory work and we certainly have those from the Pacific who are interested," says John. Asians appreciate, too, the paua shell (abalone) which has long been a feature of the eyes, set in a way that catches the light, of carved wooden figures.

He finds that while the Chinese share an interest in jade with the Maori, to whom it is deeply sacred, "They appear to like the lighter coloured jade rather than our darker shades."

Gifted jade-worker Hepi Maxwell enjoys plying his craft before his customers: "Customers get to see the artist but the artist gets feedback from the customer."

"The German and American visitors are the ones that seem most interested," he says.

Having grown up on a marae Maxwell has a feel for traditional design. He also works up beautiful contemporary forms out of the lustrous jade, bought from miners who recover it from a time-honoured source, the Ahuriri River, on the South Island West Coast.

Much closer to home is the resource for the Institute's other major craft, traditional weaving, which is also demonstrated to visitors. The harakeke, or flax, which bears no botanical relationship to the European flax, is cultivated and revered by Maori for its strength, beauty and versatility. Expert guides show how, when

scraped with a mussel shell and rolled across the thigh, a fine thread can be produced for weaving taniko, a traditional twist weave for decorative purposes.

Piupiu (traditional flax skirts), different kete (kit bags) for seafood, vegetables and for taonga (precious objects) are all still produced by Maori at the institute and for everyday life.

Flax also supplied the fibre for flax mats for houses, for traps for fishing and is a source of traditional medicine for Maori. Today the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute is there to ensure that the old wisdom and the old crafts are kept alive - for visitors and for Maori in the modern world.

Further information can be obtained from the New Zealand Maori Cultural Heritage Guide, available free from the New Zealand Tourism Board, 501 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite #300, Santa N'lonica CA 90401. Ph. (310) 395-7480 or (800) 388-5494.

NEW ZEALAND FEATURES AT BOISE FESTIVAL

New Zealand is to be the featured guest country at this year's Boise River Festival to be held from 26-29 June.

Over 1 million visitors attend the festival and with the focus on New Zealand in this year's event there is an excellent opportunity for NZ companies to take a prominent profile in the Idaho area.

The festival organisers will welcome any expressions of interest in participation in the festival from New Zealanders in virtually any area of activity including sport and recreational pursuits, hobby and craft activities and the arts. Demonstration and other public spectacle events are particularly sought after.

Idaho, along with many of its western state neighbours, is a fast growing and thriving economy and there are many economic and lifestyle elements which closely match those of New Zealand. Agriculture plays a very large part in the local economy and there is a strong emphasis on outdoor leisure activities based around the state's scenic mountains and rivers.

Any individuals or companies wishing to learn more about the Boise River Festival or potentially taking part in the event should contact the organisers at: Boise River Festival, 7032 S. Eisenman Rd., Boise ID 83705. Ph. (208) 338-8887 or fax (208) 338-3833.

FIFTIETH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY IN NZ - by Judy Miller

On March 16 my sister Donna and I walked out of Auckland International Airport customs and pulled off the biggest surprise we have ever been able to put over on our parents.

For eleven years the folks have listened patiently, watched cartridges full of slides, critiqued my KIWIphile articles and hardly ever asked,

"Why are you going to New Zealand again?' And for years we talked about a family trip to New Zealand to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Sometime last summer we started planning more seriously, talking about specifics, planning tentative itineraries, finally settling on a February departure date to coincide with the date of the anniversary itself.

Then in November my father suffered a stroke and all plans came to a screeching halt, Just getting from one day to the next was a vistory, so we didn't push our luck trying to plan an international vacation. We were just happy to still have him, and after all, New Zealand would be there next year.

But day after day, week after week, he made steady progress, and in January we started talking, very softly, mind you, about maybe--just maybe trying to take this trip after all, and so the planning began again.

To make things more interesting, they would be traveling from Anchorage, Alaska, and I would be flying from Eugene, Oregon. As their Personal Tour Guide, I would meet their flight from Anchorage in Los Angeles, see that they got checked onto their Quantas flight, board my United flight and meet them twelve hours later in Auckland.

Six weeks before we were to leave, my sister phoned from Seattle asking if it was all right if she decided to come, too. What a great surprise for the folks if we could pull it off! So now there were four of us, coming from three different cities trying to meet all in one place at one time in a different hemisphere. And it worked!

My parents were waiting right where I had instructed them to wait, expecting only one daughter. Instead they looked up to see both their girls, and it was worth every lie we had had to tell to see the look on their faces.

From Bay of Islands to Fiordland, up the west coast and into the Marlborough Sounds, I tried in 24 short days to show them at least a sample of what I had discovered over eleven previous visits.

Three and a half weeks and almost 6000 kilometers later we concluded our trip unscathed, still friends, and sad because our great adventure was ending.

Following are just a few observations from this trip:

Auckland International Airport is still under construction. The finished portions are modern and very user friendly, and include the airline check-in facilities, customs, baggage area and departure gates. The upper level of the terminal (where the restaurants and gift shops are) is still a "war zone". My suggestion is to check in, pay your departure tax on the lower level and then go immediately through security to your gate. Also, the car rental booths have been moved within the past few months. As you exit the customs hall they are now in a newly contructed area through a short hallway to your left. Don't look for them where they used to be or you will find yourself ordering a Big Mac.

Driving seems to be more of a concern for me these days. I am comfortable enough driving on the left side of the road and have even come to terms with roundabouts. However, there are a couple of things that really make me nervous: being tailgated until the driver behind me can pass and coming around a blind corner only to find that the car coming from the other direction has chosen to drive mostly in my lane as well. I know why the tailgating happens. On some stretches of road opportunities to pass are few and far between and extremely short. You have a better chance of getting around if you are close to the car in front of you, but it is still unnerving. If you are the one doing the passing, it is extremely important to be sure that no one is coming up on your right before you pull out to pass. I'm not sure why other drivers choose to drive in my lane--just be careful and err on the side of caution.

Those pesky switches. If you are in a motel room and cannot seem to make one of the appliances, whether it be an electric blanket, TV or kitchen range--work, check the switch on the wall. Most will need to be switched on "at the wall" as well as on the appliance itself. Sometimes it is obvious where to do this--just follow the cord from the electric blanket to the wall. Sometimes it is a little more obscure as in one motel we stayed in on this trip. The electric range was on one side of the kitchen while the switch to activate it was on the other side. It makes life interesting. I have spent many nights in New Zealand freezing because I had turned on the blanket at the controls but not on the wall. I am a slow learner.

Good news for ladies. We stayed in two motels this trip that actually had newly installed electric outlets in the bathrooms next to a mirror. For years they have had shaver points but no place to plug in a blow dryer anywhere in a bathroom. I think it had something to do with safety regulations. This is progress.

I wholeheartedly agree with another KlWiphile reader's opinion that the hot water is too hot. I have come dangerously close to scalding myself several times.

If you can make yourself get up that early, try taking the 5:30 AM ferry from Picton to Wellington instead of going later in the day. Yes, you do have to be in line at the ferry at 4:30 and yes, it is way too early to be up, but once you are aboard there are very few other people to deal with and you can just relax and enjoy the trip. Also, it gives you the whole rest of the day to enjoy.

Try to leave the US on a Thursday or Friday evening if possible. This puts you into Auckland on a weekend and you will not have to contend with weekday traffic while getting used to driving and finding your way through and out of the city. Same goes for your departure.

And--finally--a pet peeve. For years I have heard people talk about going to New Zealand, flushing the toilet and watching the water swirl down counterclock wise (instead of clock wise as it does in the northern hemisphere), thereby proving the coriolis effect. As anyone who has ever flushed a toilet in New Zealand knows,

this is a bald-face lie. New Zealand toilets are notoriously efficient, flushing with the exuberance of a Mt. Vesuvius, and I defy anyone to look into one and prove anything except that the next person to use the.facility will get a wet bum.

A GEM OF A PLACE

While holidäying in the Coromandel region many of the passing tourists take time out to explore one of the more unusual attractions. Located just 100 metres off the main Route 2 Highway in Ngatea, the old butter factory has been transformed by the Robins family into Wilderness Gems Ltd. a warehouse of tempting treasure for every purse.

Over 1000 square metres of space has permitted beckoning displays of gemstones in the rough, cut and polished from all around the world. The Robins business has been thriving since 1976 and now provides emplyment for 10 people.

A wide range of equipment, accessories and books is stocked for the rockhound and lapidary, as well as polished stones ready for setting into available mountings or incorporating into your own crafted silver jewellery.
Ready to wear gemstone jewellery includes bone, jade and paua carvings.

Amethyst, rose quartz and quartz crystals are in great demand from people looking for healing crystals.

The huge range of unique items available ensures that a suitable gift can be found for almost every occasion and for the person who has everything already.

One of the ever popular gift lines is the onyx marbleware range of products. Mined and crafted in Pakistan, it comprises chess sets, vases, ashtrays, bowls, paperweights, pencil jars, animals and eggs to name a few.

Gemstone jewellery (earrings, necklaces, pendants, brooches, rings) is always popular for every age group with prices to suit every pocket. Other unique gift ideas include gemstone clocks, eggs, spheres, tumble polished stones and gem trees.

Many customers enjoy the opportunity of selecting a geode or 'coconut' to be cut open while they wait. Their reward is often a sparkling crystal-centered souvenir over 500 million years old.

A special room has been developed to reveal the fascinating beauty of the world of fluorescent minerals, those that glow under ultraviolet light. It has been automated and includes a commentary.

The completion last year of a modern toilet block with zip facilities has meant an increase of visits by bus and tour group operators. Plenty of free parking and a picnic area as well as being open 9am-5pm seven days has ensured that Wilderness Gems is well and truly on the tourist map.

NEW ZEALAND 2000

DISCOVER THE DIFFERENCE

Auckland, New Zealand's proud City of Sails, is riding a confident wave towards the year 2000, propelled by the defence of the America's Cup, and several exciting developments in the city.

National pride soared when New Zealand won the prestigious America's Cup in May 1995, and this year attention has turned to developing the infrastructure needed to conduct the defence of the Cup in 2000. Auckland's central Viaduct Basin is likely to be redeveloped into base facilities, allowing easy access to downtown Auckland, for visitors and crew alike.

Auckland's International Airport underwent a transformation in 1996. Travelers will notice improvements in the check-in and arrivals areas, the Customs Hall and immigration processing area, shopping facilities and food and beverage services.

Harrah's Sky City Casino has been complemented by the new Harrah's Sky City Hotel, the second largest in the country. Two new hotels are scheduled for completion in 1997, the 113-room Park Central, and the City Life Hotel and Apartment Complex. Several others will complete refurbishment.

FLY FISHING IN NEW ZEALAND

Trout thrive in clean, clear, cool waters. The rugged mountainous nature of the New Zealand landscape, combined with the relatively unspoilt environment, means that this quality habitat is available in abundance. As a consequence, the fresh waters of New Zealand contain some of the best trout fisheries in the world.

New Zealands trout fisheries are internationally renowned and attract many overseas anglers each year. The relatively small size of the country, together with the proliferation of suitable waters, means that excellent fishing is available virtually throughout New Zealand.

Brown and rainbow trout are the most sought after species, and brook and sea-run brown trout provide extra variety for the keen fly fisher. Both brown and rainbow trout abound throughout the lakes and rivers of the North and South Islands. The southern regions, Southland and Otago, are famous for their riverine brown trout fisheries. Rivers such as the Mataura produce wonderful dry fly fishing for brown trout. The fishing can be challenging even to the best of fly fishers, but then that's what makes the sport so rewarding!

Lake Taupo and the Rotorua lakes are a "mecca" for fishers of rainbow trout. This relatively small area is the most intensively fished part of New Zealand, with thousands of anglers attracted by the lure of the rainbow trout.

More flashy by nature than the brown trout, the rainbow trout is also more readily caught. This feature is obviously attractive with many new anglers enjoying the thrill of trout fishing for the first time in the lakes of this region.

The colourful brook trout has a limited range in New Zealand. Lake Emily in the South Island and the Hinemaiaia Dam, near Taupo, contain populations of brook trout that attract anglers searching for something a little different.

Sea-run brown trout are the same species that inhabit the rivers and streams. Some brown trout choose to enter the sea as juveniles and live in salt water before returning to the rivers to spawn. The reasons behind the seaward journey are not well understood, but the time spent in the sea brings benefits for both fish and angler. The most striking difference from river-resident speci- mens is their silver coloration.

BED & BREAKFAST IN PRIVATE HOMES,

A GRACIOUS WAY TO TRAVEL

Kitty Baier, Anaheim, California

Whenever we travel, we stay in private homes whenever we can. Unlike the impersonal atmosphere of a motel stay, we find friendly conversation and advice on what to see and do in the local area. Another plus.. it's inexpensive!

We found out about Travel Clubs during our first trip to New Zealand, and have had wonderful experiences ever since! We have hosted travelers here in our home and have been entertained by friendly folk around the world. What fun!

Last fall we traveled almost 6000 miles on a trip from California to Great Smoky Mountain National Park and back, but spent only two nights in motel rooms. We met wonderful people and had a marvelous time.

This was our second long automobile trip, using the Affordable Travel Club catalog almost exclusively. Soon, we will depart for British Columbia, and in August we plan another cross country vacation. Then, in February of 1998, we hope to return to our favorite destination, New Zealand.

There are now 18 Travel Club Members in New Zealand (13 AFT members, 5 in Evergreen). All accept reservations and for the equivalent of $30 American, per couple, per night, will provide a comfortable room in their own home, along with breakfast the following morning. We are hoping that before our next trip, home hosts will be added in Bay of Islands, Picton, Akaroa, Dunedin, Invercargill, etc.

As an incentive to recruit overseas participants, AFFORDABLE TRAVEL presently offers FREE memberships to hosts living outside North America.

What is required to become a hosting family? An extra bedroom, a willingness to welcome visitors, a clean bathroom (private or shared), an hour or so of your time to brief visitors on your local area, and a morning meal that can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish.

FOR INFORMATION:

Affordable Travel Club

6556 Snug Harbor Lane

Dept KT

Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Phone or fax: (206) 858-2172

Evergreen Travel - Division B

1561 Naylor Road

Franklin Grove, IL, 61031

Tel: 1-800-Evergreen

THE BANKS PENINSULA TRACK

This award winning track begins and ends in Akaroa, 80 km from Christchurch. An historic and tranquil seaside village, Akaroa offers a variety of accommodation from backpackers' hostels to Bed & Breakfast motels. Take time before or after you walk the track to enjoy the many Continental styled cafes and wine bars that line the waterfront streets of Akaroa.

This unique four day tramp across private farmland and Hinewai Reserve, covers 35 km of spectacular volcanic coastline, fringing a marine mammal sanctuary around the South East Bays of Banks Peninsula not previously accessible to the public.

* Guaranteed beds in cosy huts

* Safe swimming beaches

* Waterfalls

* Uncrowded track

* Wide open spaces

* Fresh farm food available en route

* A variety of terrain includes sandy beaches, open pastures, rocky cliff faces, beech forest and regenerated bush

* Penguins, seals and Hectors dolphins

* Fully equipped kitchens (includes dishes, cutlery, etc.)

* No insect problem

* Winner: Canterbury Regional Council Award for the Protection/Enhancement of the Region's Natural Resources

BOOKINGS: Ph. Akaroa (03) 304-7612.

Banks Peninsula Track, P.O. Box 50, Akaroa, NZ Season length: 1st October - 30th April

(Ed. If you'd like a brochure, let me know. I have a few.)

LIVING WELL WITH SENIORS ABROAD

If you're over 50 with a bad case of wanderlust, a program called Seniors Abroad may be just the ticket for a fascinating travel experience.

Seniors Abroad arranges overseas homestays for travelers age 50 and over. The non-profit international homestay program was founded by Evelyn Zivetz.

For more than 10 years, she has been arranging homestays for retirees who are interested in meeting active seniors from other countries by traveling and staying in host's homes, or serving as hosts themselves. She has arranged homestays for some 4,000 people since 1984 when she first launched the program.

While there are many international hornestay programs for younger people, Seniors Abroad is the first such program designed specifically for people over age 50. The 1997 Seniors Abroad schedule includes trips to Japan, NEW ZEALAND and Australia for groups of 25- 30 participants. Each trip includes at least three 6-day homestays.

To learn more about participating in Seniors Abroad, write to Evelyn Zivetz at Seniors Abroad, 12533 Pacato Circle North, San Diego, CA 92128.

SILVER FERN TAPE CLUB NOW RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS

Silver Fern Tape Recording Club (a group of interesting people who enjoy keeping in touch via audio- tapes) is celebrating its 25th year. Phyll Moore of Rotrorua, NZ, is the driving force behind this organization. Phyll puts out a "Listener's Magazine", which usually contains 4 or 5 items contributed by members. It might be news of what is currently happening in New Zealand, but it is more likely to be a bit of nostalgia, a narrative, a poem, and some music.

Listener's Magazine is recorded on one side of the tape, with the other side left blank for comments by members as it is heard on its "round robin" way around the globe. And around the globe it goes! There are about 75 active members at the present time, with the following countries represented: Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Israel, New Zealand, Republic of South Africa, Sweden, and the United States. In the US there are participants in 11 of the 50 states.

In addition to the Listener's Magazines, tapes may be recorded and submitted by individual members. These range from old time country music to classical music to bird calls, with narratives about hobbies, travel, or other experiences. One gets a chance to become familiar with fellow members by iistt fling to their comments, but no one talks politics or religion.

The cost of membership is reasonable: $2ONZ or approximately $I6US per year.

For more information you may contact: Silver Fern, % Phyll Moore, 129 C Ranolf Street, Rotorua NZ..

Please include a self-addressed envelope and $1 for postage.

LETTER BOX

Thanks for the latest KlWIphile FILE received last week. I had a smile at some of the comments in one letter about the "dangerously hot" hot water. The food in restaurants "too much of a mixture". "Expensive cost of living" with which I concur, but then every country is different for various reasons. Lovely pithy comment about people here not using turning signals!

This calls for the use of some mindreading and imagination which New Zealanders acquire over the years. Ha, ha. NZ departure tax about the middle range of world charges. It cost us $34NZ each to leave the US last year.

Richard Croft, TePuru, NZ

We found your address in "Transitions Abroad" where your quarterly newsletter was mentioned.

I would like to introduce our company and our tour programmes in New Zealand to your readers. We would be very pleased to provide you with some information of a wide range of adventure and nature orientated products in the North and South Islands of New Zealand.

NZ NATURE TOURS LTD is specialising in comprehensive tour planning and as ground operator for independent travellers, other wholesalers series, general tours, and special and common interest programmes within New Zealand.

We are featuring mainly small groups with personal service, knowledgeable driver/guide who also becomes a "Kiwi" friend. Our safaris are varied and interesting and provide every conceivable contrast in this fascinating country. We are dedicated to the conservation of endangered species of animals and plants as well as our indigenous people, the Maoris.

We also do customised sailing and wildlife expeditions for special interest groups. We are probably the only one doing this in remote areas like Fiordland National Park. Because of the speciality of Fiordland National Park we often have researchers from the Museum of NZ as well as biologists from all over the world on board.

Besides nature orientated tours we cater for groups interested in private gardens in NZ, agricultural study tours, and Maori heritage tours.

If you have access to the INTERNET, please have a look at our web site: http://nz.com/na/commerce/ clanztours/nznaturetours.html

N.Z. Nature Tours, Ltd., P.O. Box 27 508, Wellington NZ. Tel. 0064-4-292 3839. FAX 0064 4-385 3683.

HELP YOUR FELLOW KIWIPHILES!

Some of you must have been in New Zealand during the last year. Have you written down some of your experiences and/or observations? Even if you feel that your notes aren't in what you consider to be suitable condition for publication, please let us be the judge of that. We'll print what seems to be interesting reading for others. So send it along to us. Thanks.

AUCKLAND NO. 1--From the LISTENER

It's official: Auckland is boss in the South Seas! Best city to live in in the Asia-Pacific region and fifth in the entire world! A company called Corporate Resources

Group ranks the world's cities so that governments and companies can work out living allowances for expatriates. Vancouver is at the top. Sarajevo at the bottom. Auckland is behind Toronto, Zurich and Geneva, but ahead of--oh joy!--Sydney and Melbourne.

From the depths of London, which ranks a lowly 17th on the Western European scale and vanishes into the mists on the worldwide one, CRG rates 161 cities on 10 quality-of-living criteria. They actually have a quality-of- living manager to do this, but he is on vacation right now. Where? "Vancouver," ventures CRG director Jashir Singh.

The rest of us should not be too chagrined. The other New Zealand cities, grouped together, are only marginally behind Auckland and Sydney.

MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS TREK

OFFERS COMFORTABLE LODGING - NZ Herald

Tramping during the day is all very well, but not everybody likes sleeping in tents. Auckland company Ready Mark otters the best of both worlds with its Inn to Inn trek in the Marlborough Sounds.

Trampers on the 67km Queen Charlotte Walkway can trek during the day and stay in the comfort of different inns at night. Three inns are ideally situated a day's walk from each other and the type of accommodation varies each night.

Forneaux Lodge is an old homestead set amid 810ha of native bush; Punga Cove Resort occupies a cliff and offers splendid views across Endeavour Inlet. The longest trek, on day three, ends at historic Portage Hotel.

Best of all, the trampers' baggage is shifted each day so there are no complaints about bags slowing you down.

Details: Ready Mark, Box 32 205, Auckland 9, or phone (09) 445-4121.

PENFRIENDS OVERSEAS!

New friends new horizons! International penfri- endship, the greatest hobby of all! Tour the world by letter. For exciting free details, write now with your full postal address to: Dr. M. Stinchcombe, Five Continents International Penpal Club, Waitakere, Auckland. Or email us at educator@iconz.co.nz

NEWZGRAM the News Aerogramme of New Zealand

(Newzgram is a four page news aerogramme produced once a month for Kiwis living abroad (and those of us who live elsewhere but love NZ). For more information or a free sample, write to Newzgram, P0 Box 3882, Christchurch, NZ. Ph. (64) 33525 911. E-mail: peak.com@netaccess.co.nz

From Newzgram: Welfare dependency has exploded in New Zealand since the mid-1980s.

Social Welfare director-general Margaret Bazley has confirmed that about 20% of the working age population now depends on welfare, compared with just 8% in 1985. The situation is even worse for New Zealand's children--with 28% thought to be in benefit-dependent families. Forty-eight percent of Maori children have no parents in paid work.