Volume XIII, No. 4

JUNE 2001

NEW ZEALAND RENEWAL

Renewal of the spirit on Planet Earth in 2001 isn't easy to come by. But I have a suggestion. See that your passport is up to date, buy a ticket and board a plane f'nr Auckland, New Zealand.

As you proceed into the southern hemisphere, high over the Pacific, something begins to happen way down deep inside yourself. After a few hours when rosy dawn streaks the eastern sky, and you look down from your window at the green tree- and grass-covered islands, inlets and mountains below, with blue, blue waters in several directions for as far as you can see, that's when you feel a stronger stirring inside.

It may be raining as you exit the plane or the sunshine may bless you. Somehow you know you're in for a good experience in this faraway land.

Perhaps you're reminded of a long-ago childhood. It's all here—the crisp clean air, the rich fertile soil, crystal waters that you thought you'd never see again.

Wandering up and down the New Zealand landscape warms the heart, enriches the soul, makes one stronger and more resistant to the clamoring pressures of daily life. It restores your faith in alt that makes life bearable. This is what I believe and what is true for me.

Now Is the Hour". Why wait:'

NEW ZEALAND OFFERS VISITORS

A POLYNESIAN FLAVOR - L.A. Times

Glaciers next to subtropical rain forests. Entrees and main courses as part of the same meal on menus.

These are just two of the surprises that travelers may encounter during a visit to New Zealand, which is quite different from Australia, also an English-speaking country in the South Pacific.

A Tourism New Zealand spokesperson says. 'New Zealand has less of a European base and more

of a Polynesian flavor, especially the North Island. But as you go further south there is less of a Maori or Po.lynesian influence and more of an English and Scottish base."

On the other hand. English idioms used in New Zealand don't surprise Americans as much as some vernacular expressions might in Australia.

But if you see signs on the road about a "housie," this refers to bingo, not real estate or an open house. "Paddocks" is used for large fields, "dairy" for a corner grocery. And if you want to enhance your sightseeing, it's worth picking up some key Maori prefixes. Wai is water, 0 means place of, and pae is a perch or hill.

Geography and topography hold other surprises for visitors, especially in the glacier areas on the South Island, where visitors don't expect to find such huge chunks of ice in a temperate zone.

"Travelers are often astonished to see glaciers next to a rain forest, and some are disappointed at how warm it is," Ralph Fegan, who runs the Glacier Store at Franz Josef Glacier, said.

"During an average summer day, locals may wear short-sleeve shirts, and there is no need for visitors to get specially warm clothing or to bring, buy or rent anything special to walk on the glaciers other man sunglasses and a pair of warm shoes. But because you are entering a mountain environment, you should be prepared for quick changes in the weather."

Terminology may mislead people as well. For example, Milford Sound is a fiord and not a sound. A sound is carved out by a river while a fiord is created by ice. Milford Sound was originally called a sound and that name stayed.

Confusion sometimes also occurs at restaur- ants. The custom here is to offer an entrée as a sort of second and larger appetizer, with the main course really the primary part of the meal.

And the sign "Fully Licensed" means the establishment can serve liquor. "BYO" signs mean

you have to bring your own liquor, with the restaurant likely to levy a corkage charge for wine.

While bars and pubs generally close at 10 pm, hotel lounges stay open for guests, with bartenders not always asking if you're a guest at the property.

Driving around New Zealand also takes some forethought; as there may be few gas stations along the road. Mercifully, no billboards spoil the sylvan beauty of the country and such vistas as endless numbers of sheep nibbling on grassy fields against the backdrop of thickly clumped trees arching toward towering mountain peaks.

Vivid hues of green, from light shades in bushes to darker pines, and bright red and violet flowers, make ordinary driving seem like going through a national botanical/agricultural garden. But on the downside you may see quite a few run-over animals, primari!y possums.

Participating in a home-stay, especially on farms, calls for extra planning. Different sorts of farms, including sheep, dairy, beef cattle, deer, goat and fruit growing/orchard places. are available. I even saw a snail farm in New Plymouth. Some properties combine more than one type of farming.

"We can match people better if they let us know what they're interested in," said Mike Turner, who coordinates farm stays in the Taranaki area of the North Island.

"Farms are different, and there are various things to see, both at the farm and nearby."

Getting up early is a trade-off, but it's worth it to see typical farm activities. "Often guests come in the evening and leave after breakfast the next morning, and they're too tired to get up early in the morning to get a good picture of how the farm operates," said Malcolm Turner, a dairy farmer on the North Island.

A 6 am call while staying at the Turner farm allowed me to see eager calves squeeze together while slurping hungrily at a trough, and then to visit a nearby piggery where an enormous sow, nearly the size of a Volkswagen, was feeding an octet of squealing piglets.

Visitors to farms/homes should realize that their stay includes more than just accommodations; their hosts are generally eager to chat. As a rule, making a profit isn't the hosts' main objective in having guests. They really do want to get acquainted with their guests and exchange stories and viewpoints on a variety of subjects.

The candor of New Zealanders is another characteristic that may take visitors by surprise.

Some passengers on a sightseeing bus threading through winding mountain passes to Milford Sound were struck by the driver-guide's frank warn- ings, including specific examples of avalanches and other disasters, plus the dangers of the road and of seeking vantage points for taking pictures during stops.

While you should exercise caution on the stunningly picturesque but potentially dangerous ter- rain, picture-taking opportunities are excellent. especially when keas (native parrots) hop tamely between visitors like avian waiters.

Another version of candor comes from reactions to comments about New Zealand being a laid-back destination. "We don't mind being considered slow-paced," one local said. "We think we're the lucky ones."

And an airport shuttle-bus driver at the Auckland airport even repeated one of the standard jokes with relish: "Leaving New Zealand, are you? You can set your watches forward 20 years now."

PREHISTORIC DREAM IN NEW ZEALAND - Jacques-Yves Cousteau

In New Zealand's Breaksea Sound. one of the longest fjords in the world, the coasts are steep. covered with forests and dripping with water. Calypso's stern dug into the bushy tree branches. It was raining, unrelentingly. Halfway to the top of the high mountains above us, patches of fog clung to the slopes. Vertiginous waterfalls cascaded down drenched mountain peaks that merged with the sky. Water was everywhere.

It fell in raindrops. It hung in layers of fog. It soaked the forest, oozing out of the moss-covered ground, swallowing sap and rot. Then over the surface of the sound, it regurgitated a layer of yellowish and murky vegetal freshwater goo that floated on top of the deep and crystalline salt water.

I took our small seaplane to land and walked through the deep, vertical forest. I maneuvered through the mud, proceeding with caution in a silence broken only by the patter of rain, the crackling of rotting branches and the melodic songs of bellbirds.

There were evergreen beeches, shrubs with clustered leaves, and ferns everywhere—the dwarf kind, the creeping kind, but also the very tall and arborescent kind. Networks of moss covered the ground, the tree trucks and the rocks. Everything was spongy.

This welcoming forest, mild and soft to the touch, was defenseless against such animals as goats and deer. But scarcely two centuries have passed since humans brought goats, sheep, deer, rats and other mammals to New Zealand, that had otherwise evolved free of all mammalian life, free of the need of defense.

I removed my gloves and found that, in contrast to the Amazon forest, here nothing prickled, nothing stung, nothing irritated the skin. There were no scorpions, no snakes, no tarantulas, no biting ants. And, except for perhaps an occasional tiny white orchid, obviously of recent date, even as I searched, all around me, I saw no flowers.

I leaned on a forked tree limb and fell under the spell, escaping from the present world and traveling bask in time, relying on daydreams as fragile as the half-rotten branch that supported me. Mystery. like the water, flowed everywhere.

I traveled back some 70 million years, when New Zealand broke away from the supercontinent of Gondwanaland that eventually divided into the continents of our time. I pictured New Zealand as a ship that broke loose from its parent, drifting, lashed by tremendous volcanic storms, constantly reshaped by the whim of shifting tectonic plates. The dinosaurs never invaded the region that would become this vessel, and so the castaway forests had not developed defenses against the formidable plant-eaters that most dinosaurs were.

Then I travel back perhaps 130 million years. just before the appearance of the first flowers. This time I set foot on Gondwanaland itself to witness the havoc the dinosaurs wreaked on plants of all kinds. The vegetation had armed itself to no avail with ridiculous prick les to ward off the teeth of the brontosaur- uses and other diplodocuses. When the flowering plants did appear, they managed to survive because of their rapid reproduction. And these plants not only produced perfumes. but alkaloids and tannins—odors and bitter chemicals capable of discouraging most herbivores.

With that, I then fantasize that flowers could have caused dinosaurs to starve and vanish. I picture. with a smile, a giant brontosaurus spitting out a tender flower.

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Our tours have a maximum group size of only 12 guests, allowing us to travel discreetly while allowing you to relax and develop lasting friendships with your fellow travelers. Tours range from 9 to 22 days and cover both North and South Islands. Current prices range from US$2,250 to $4,950 until 1 June 2001. After that date prices will increase.

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MURAL TOWN - KATIKATI

Once upon a time there was a little town called Katikati. It was happy and prosperous. and no wonder, for nature smiles on Katikati. Fertile soils and a gentle climate meant a dairy industry prospered, deer, sheep and cattle farmers flourished. kiwifruit. citrus and other subtropicals bore rich crops.

But times changed, prices for kiwifruit plummeted, dairy returns dwindled, and retailers faced hard times when a town bypass was planned.

Then some residents had a bright idea. Let's make Katikati a mural town! In what seemed a very short time six murals were adorning the walls of the town. Now there are more . . . there is no stopping Katikati. . . soon there will be 30 or 40!

Every day visitors come by bus, car and even bicycle to admire the high quality murals. All reflect the history of Katikati—its Maori heritage, its early settlement by Ulstermen. its timber milling, farming, and the growth of the town. Souvenirs and background information on the murals and artists are avai!able from the information centres and craft co-operative which sells a fascinating range of quality hand-made items.

The Maori people, through their Runanga, Kokiri and Marae, are also involved in the buoyant atmosphere, sharing their culture and heritage.

Katikati has thrice won the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Award for the Best Small Town. People are proud of their town.

Come enjoy Katikati, view the murals and savour the busy. happy. purposeful feel of a town on the move but which still retains the friendly informality of a small country town.

SITES FOR HOLIDAY HELP - Gavin Matthews (Wairarapa Times-Age)

Whether you are planning a holiday or just having a look around, here are a couple of web sites I found that you might find interesting:

http://travelindex.co.nz is a website where you

can find out about New Zealand travel, accommodation, rental cars and tourism information. You can also find links to a vast array of websites.

If you are thinking of travelling New Zealand, here is a website that can show you the huge range of experiences, activities and services our country has to offer. You can find this at http://www.purenz.com

Why not plan a train holiday and take in some of New Zealand's finest scenery. At

http://www.tranzrailtravel.co.nz

you have the choice of various train journeys including the Tranz Coastal from Picton to Christchurch and the Northerner from Wellington to Auckland.

To have a look around locally, I found a couple of sites for you. First I found a site on Copthorne Resort Solway Park. It shows you everything you need to know about what the hotel has to offer, from the staff to its location. You can find this at http://www.solway.co.nz
Another local site is Helen Southey House of Travel. This site offers you information about anything. You can ask them an questions you may have and they give you travel tips that you may find useful. Find this site at http://www.houseoftravel.co.nz

I found websites for Wellington and Palmerston North international airports. If you would like to take a look you can find them at

http://www.wellington-airport.co.nz and

http://www.pnairport.co.nz

The website for Air New Zealand is

http://www.airnz.co.nz

recent centuries have birds had to compete with man and animals for food and space.

Archeologists have discovered the early existence of stone age men who occupied New Zealand before the Maoris. They are called the Moa Hunters. Moa is the Polynesian word for domestic fowl or chicken. These stone age hunting and fishing people were early New Zealanders who left evidence of their practice of agriculture.

Moa hunters are named for findings in their graves and campsites. Everything from jewelry to water bottles were made from eggs and bones of this seven foot tall bird.

"The moa hunters outlived their prey. Indeed they helped exterminate it. By the time the Europeans came, the Maoris had forgotten or almost forgotten the existence of the moa—almost no reference to it can be found in Maori legend." (A History of New Zealand, Keith Sinclair. Penguin Books. 1991).

There is no evidence that they brought this squat, massive bird with them. Moa ranged in flocks on both islands. On our travels through New Zealand we saw a statue likeness of the big bird and its egg in a wildlife sanctuary. There was also a replica of a moa egg in stone the size of a basketball.

When the Maoris came they brought their dogs with them. The Maori dogs met the same fate as the moa. The "big bird" and "man's best friend" were both eaten into extinction.

With the coming of the Europeans many predatory animals were introduced. Captain Cook's ships brought rats who threatened the bird population. Later raccoons, opossums and weasels were brought for the sport of hunting. Eventually dogs and cats came along as house pets. The growing number of predators caused some birds to become extinct, while many are endangered. The government is trying to make sure endangered species are being restored.

We visited aviaries and parks where we saw specimens of most of the following birds:

The Tui is the size of a large blackbird with a slender beak I 1/2 inches long, curved (like pigeons) to go into flowers for honey. It is dark royal blue and has two white feathers under its neck that stand out like a starched collar. For that reason it is called the Parson bird. The Tui's call is easy to distinguish. It imitates other birds and ends with a grating sound.

The Bell Bird is New Zealand's songbird, known for its beautiful bell-like song. It is dark brownish blue and smaller than a sparrow. It makes its nests in furrows as well as in forests. It likes to eat

nectar and fruits. It builds big nests of twigs and sticks high up in the treetops.

The Kakapo is one of New Zealand's rarest birds. There are only about fifty left. The Department of Conservation has set up breeding programs to try and save it from extinction. This bird lives on the ground and is very shy. It comes out mainly at night and chews juicy tussock grasses, eats fruits, mosses, insects and lizards. It is a big clumsy bird and can hardly fly. It is hunted by stoats, weasels and other animals. It has some yellow and green banding on its feathers, matching the color of the moss and ferns.

The Kaka is a mountain parrot with a brownish gray coat. We saw one living in a cage with two large pigeons. It is bigger than the kea. Most of them have a rich, red tint to their feathers. These parrots live in dense forest, but are becoming much rarer as their forest homes disappear. They eat leaves and flower nectar and use their curved beaks to tear up rotting wood to find insects. They nest in the cavities of trees.

The Kea is green with a red underwing. This destructive nuisance is cursed by campers for its playful, comical, destructive ways. It eats tents, pieces of boots, rubber lining around car doors and other objects useful to man. It is found in the Southern Alps.

The Takahe has a deep iridescent blue coat with a bluish-red beak and thick red legs and feet. It was almost if not the first, ground bird. It is found in the Southern Alps. The takahe was thought to be extinct until a few were discovered in a remote valley in Fiordland in 1948. It lives in alpine tussock where it feeds and nests. The takahe is related to the more slender pukeko (swamp hen).

The Ruru, also known as the "Morepork" is New Zealand's only native owl. Its call sounds like "more pork." It sings only at night when it comes out to search for insects to eat. It is found in forests as well as in bush areas in towns. The morepork builds its nest in shallow tree trunks. It is large, gray and white or brown in coloring.

The Kotuku or white heron can be seen wading in estuaries, lakes and lagoons, where they feed on water creatures. It has only one breeding colony in New Zealand. in Westland, where they nest in treetops in dense forests. White herons are protected birds, but they are also found in other countries.

The Kaka is the New Zealand parrot living in dense forest. It is becoming much rarer as its forest homes disappear. It eats leaves and flower nectar and uses its curved beak to tear up rotting wood to find insects. It nests in the dry cavities of trees.

The Tieke or Saddleback is a chattering bird, now an endangered species. The Department of Conservation is trying to establish new colonies of saddlebacks on offshore islands so that it does not become extinct. It does not fly for long distances. It is very dark and plain except the male bird has larger orange wattles than the female. It looks as if it has a saddle on its back. It feeds on insects and berries, and usually makes its nest in hollow trees. It makes a sound like its name, "tieke."

The Mohua or Yellowhead has a bright yellow head and front. It is also known as a "bush canary." It feeds on insects at the tops of trees, on trunks, and ground litter. Once it was more common in South Island forests, but its numbers are dwindling.

The Keruru is also known as a New Zealand wood pigeon. This large bird was very common, but there are not so many now since many forests have been felled. It feeds on the berries and fruits of bush plants, leaves and flowers. It builds its nests of twigs and sticks in the branches of trees. It has rich green on its back with purple, grey and bronze for the head, neck and wing, and red for the beak and legs. Its breast is snowy white.

The Black Robin nearly died out a few years ago, but it was saved by a careful breeding program by the Wildlife Service and the Department of Conservation. Once found only on a tiny island in the Chatham Islands, it has now been introduced into other islands where it is breeding successfully.

Some common birds we saw were robins, goldfinch, blackbirds, and sparrows. Some of these were at the foot of Mt. Ruapehu.

(From THE AWESOME THREESOME by Reva Byrd—accounts of travels by 2 octogenarians {men} and one 65 yeur old writer/artist (woman }.

ALL BLACKS HUMBLED BY OLD BATTLE

- NZ Herald

Anton Oliver. head bowed, walked slowly away from his All Black rugby teammates to the far end of the Nine Elms British cemetery in the remote Belgian countryside.

He recalled reading how thousands of New Zealanders had sacrificed their lives there in the First World War for reasons he still does not understand.

Tears rolled down his cheeks. He wiped them away. took a few quiet minutes to regain composure and then rejoined his group.

It was the first time on a tour that the All Blacks had pushed rugby to the background—for the whole day. to remember fallen New Zealand soldiers.

For most of them, it was a lesson on how about 100,000 New Zealanders went to fight in a war that was not theirs, and for an insignificant piece of land. They paid with their lives—more than 16,000 of them, with a further 40,000 injured.

Many players were moved by the descriptions of the hardship the soldiers endured in the trenches— the cold, waist-deep mud they tried to wade through. the tangles of barbed wire they became trapped on, the blood on the ground.

"They came up that little ridge, up to here where you're standing, and 2000 of them got wiped out in a couple of hours on October 14, 1917," historian Dr. Chris Pugsley told the All Blacks as they stood at the Passchendaele monument, these days about 30 minutes drive from Poperinghe, on the Belgium border.

The fact they were standing on the actual war zone staggered some All Blacks.

The Passchendaele monument was built by the New Zealand Government.

It stands beside a countryside road intersection between two large red-brick houses where strategic points were in the war days.

The words "In honour of the men of New

Zealand Division," "The Battle of Broodseinde, 4

October, 1917," and "From the uttermost end of the

Earth" are inscribed on the monument.

A former New Zealand Army officer, now author, lecturer and an authority on New Zealand's involvement in the war, Dr. Pugsley was flown to France for the occasion.

was a time for reflection, not only for Dave Gallaher. but for all the other lives of New Zealanders who are buried there and all the other soldiers gone but not forgotten," Oliver said.

Gallaher, who was wounded at Passchendaele and taken by either motor or horse-carriage ambulance to Poperinghe, was captain of the first All Blacks team in 1 906—known as The Originals—that beat France. Present All Blacks captain Todd Blackadder planted a specially bred rose called Lest We Forget at Gallaher's grave at Nine Elms cemetery.

Then Oliver (Otago). Justin Marshall (Canterbury), Christian Cullen (Wellington) and Carlos Spencer (Auckland) laid Flanders poppy wreaths at the Nine Elms monument, which carries just three words: "Lest We Forget."

"It's the proudest thing I've ever done— laying the Otago wreath at the monument," Oliver said.

Oliver, who did some research for the trip, later said: "You come here feeling so humbled and centred and. . . wish we talked more about this kind of stuff because half the guys said they never got taught at school or anything like that. There's just so much and words can't really explain it. You have to come here and see it.

We just had a battleground explained to us and to see what they were fighting for for three to four years—it just blows the mind away just trying to pic- ture what they were doing—why?

"It's called a little ridge, but ifs a little hump. It's a little of nothing, nowhere."

LEARNING TO LIVE IN NZ - by Desi van Zijl -

The Weekender

A popular creative writing exercise in schools is to get students to write down sentences describing memories of childhood that can be smelt, heard or seen.

Typical examples of these sensations would be "The rustle of whispering leaves in tall green trees", "The rush of a crystal waterfall falling over rocks", and other such stirring examples of clean and green beauty.

No searing smell of scorched dust.

No cacophony of humanity surging in heady waves in the early morning rush.

Just potted sketches of ordered beauty that are not the scenes that evoke rushes of recognition from my childhood.

And therein lies my story.

I am new to New Zealand.

Ever since I was a small child in South Africa I have been fascinated with New Zealand.

I had pen pals from Invercargill to Auckland.

If anybody asked me what my accent was (this is not my first time around as an immigrant), I would say I was from New Zealand, and occasionally, Tas mania.

When the opportunity arose to come here, it was a spur of the moment decision made out of a sense of adventure and curiosity.

I have been luckier than many new arrivals.

Coming from an English-speaking background has meant little upheaval in that area.

I understand and am understood.

"Cool bananas" left me floored, and it took a few weeks to sort out words such as jandals and felts and to realise that a dairy was more multifunctional than just milk.

I still get criticised for my accent.

The irony is that most criticism is by Pakeha over my Maori pronunciation because I was taught that Taupo is pronounced "Toepaw" and getting Maori pronunciation right does seem to offend some Pakeha sensibilities.

Unlike so many other migrants to New Zealand. I have not had to deal with language chasms or qualifications disasters (although NZQA tried their hardest to be unhelpful).

Nor have I had to contend with the overt racism that some immigrants have experienced.

I realised how different things were when I went to tea (afternoon tea, not nighttime dinner tea) at somebody's house.

I took a plate, and yes, I did realise it was to have food on it.

I remember clearly thc odd looks I got when I commented on the ingenuity of some eats that I had never seen before—asparagus rolls.

I realise now that I must have been thought of as being very sarcastic, but of course nobody would have been so direct as to say so in front of me.

The conversation turned to Sir Peter Blake. More deafening silence when I asked who he was.

My first trip to a supermarket took three hours.

I may have been able to read the packets, but the bright and unfamiliar swarms of different boxes and packages were overwhelming.

I came away with a headache and very little food.

My foray into the immigration booklets we received did little to help.

The only information I recall is that it is seen as rude not to arrive at a birthday party with a wrapped present.

It's this lack of recognition, and in a sense, lack of personal history that creates unfamiliarity from the everyday mundane.

I am talking about homesickness.

Before you turn the page with impatience, irritated with the whingeing of yet another bloody foreigner, let me explain myself.

It has taken me over two years to begin to regard this as home, and in fact to begin to see the uni- versality of life experiences in different places.

If I have learnt anything, it is not to take anything for granted, about others or myself.

I have also learnt that everywhere is very similar while being different to everywhere else.

Oh, and to organise supermarket shopping expeditions for new arrivals.

NEW ZEALAND ON TOP

OF THE RUGBY WORLD - by Stephen Mangum

The World Cup 7's tournament was held in January in Mar Del Plata, Argentina. New Zealand took the title, defeating Australia 31-12 in the final behind three tries from Jonah Lomu.

The Kiwi men's and women's teams both won the championship at the hugely popular Hong Kong Sevens tournament held in March.

New Zealand staged a brilliant fightback to win the World Under-19 tournament held in Santiago, Chile. Down 20-3 in the championship game to France, the boys in black came storming back to win the title match 26-23.

The England women's team play the Black Ferns in matches to be held at Rotorua on June 9 and North Harbour on June 16. The Black Ferns are unbeaten since 1991.

New Zealand's five teams are in danger of not winning the Super 12 championship for the first time in six years. Only the Otago Highianders have a good chance of making the semi-finals to be held in May with the title game on May 26.

On a brighter note, the All Blacks are rated No. I in the world followed by a resurgent England, Australia, South Africa, and France. The AB's came together as a stronger team in 2000 behind captain Todd Blackadder and coach Wayne Smith. In 2001 they need to work on strengthening the pack and center positions and will have more specialized coaching. Team defense also needs improvement. Immediate goals are to reclaim the Bledisloe Cup from Australia and recapture the Tri-Nations title.

2001 Schedule / Fixtures

June 16 vs Samoa at North Harbour
June 23 vs Argentina at Christchurch
June 30 vs France at Wellington

Tri-Nations

NZ July 21 vs South Africa at Capetown, SA

July 28 South Africa vs Australia at Pretoria. SA

Aug 11 NZ vs Australia at Dunedin

Aug 18 Australia vs So. Africa at Perth, Aust.

Aug 25 NZ vs So. Africa at Auckland

Sept 1 NZ vs Australia at Sydney

Later in the year Todd and the boys head north on tour, including three test matches.

Nov l7 vs lreland Site TBA

Nov 24 vs Scotland at Edinburgh

Dec 1 vs Argentina at Buenos Aires

While in New Zealand, Argentina will also play Thames Valley on June 16 at Paeroa, Counties Manukau on June 17 at Pukekohe, and the New Zealand Maoris on June 26 at Rotorua.

Michael Jones, one of the all-time favorite All-Blacks has agreed to assist John Boe in coaching Manu Samoa.

TAILORED TRAVEL -

New Zealand Custom Tours

Chuck and Cathy Roller enjoyed a custom tour in New Zealand, December 2000/June 2001. Here are their comments:

"Dear Robert: The name of your company "Tailored Travel" is right on. Both you and your staff did a great job of not only putting together an itinerary that met our expectations, but in many cases surpassed them.

"Contratulations on a job well done, and for making New Zealand come alive to us so that when we left we felt like we were leaving an old friend.

"Without a doubt we would (and already have) highly recommend Tailored Travel to anyone who wants to see the real New Zealand and doesn't want another "cookie cutter" tour. Your way is the only way to see and get to know the real New Zealand.

Yours truly,

Chuck and Catherine Roller Waterford. Michigan"

(Tailored Travelhttp://www.customtours.co.nz

Robert@CustomTours.co.nz

phone (O3)543-3825 fax (03)543-3740 Joan & Robert Panzer. Thorpe. RD 2. Wakefield. Nelson. NZ)

TILE FACTS OF LIFE

A newborn girl in New Zealand can now expect to live. on average. tbr 79.6 years. whereas a male's life expectancy is 5.3 years shorter. A Pakeha (European) woman's life expectancy is 80.6 years, while a Maori woman's is nine years less.

Cantabrians (Christchurch area) are the longest-living among us, while the sun sets the earliest on those from Gisborne. Being relatively well off can add six years to your life.

And ladies, if you fear your next birthday— worry not. While men report feeling their physical best between the ages of 15 and 24. women feel in their prime between 25 and 44. (From A Woman's Guide to Health.)

READERS — Please send in articles and letters for the next issue. I need them by August 1st Thanks.

NASA INSPIRED KIWI FARMER'S

SHEARING SHED INVENTION (from Scoop)

Who would have thought a device, whose conception came from NASA, would start out resembling a plastic rubbish bin, herald an important breakthrough for farmers and take 15 years to refine.

It has taken dedication, as well as the input of numerous organisations and people, to get the Hanna Pasture Meter to a stage where it could soon be practical and financially viable for use by farmers.

Pasture meters are used by farmers to estimate their pasture resource when planning the grazing rotation of their stock. A major problem with current meters is that they measure total pasture matter. including the dead grass that stock don't eat. This prompted Tokoroa farmer Mac Hanna to design a meter that measured green pasture only. That was 15 years ago.

Mr. Hanna had read that NASA used satellites to estimate live vegetation cover on earth. He rang NASA, obtained technical details and modelled their approach using a black plastic rubbish bin. The proto- type was built in his shearing shed.

HortResearch first became involved when Mr. Hanna visited Peter Schaare in 1985 at the Ruakura Research Centre. Mr. Hanna complained that the pencil and notebook he used for collating information was ineffective in the rain. Dr. Schaare soon fixed that by updating the meter's electronics and by installing a small computer for data logging.

The latest meter has been tested this year. It has been refined over the last two years in a joint venture between Mr. Hanna. the University of Waikato. AgResearch and HortResearch. Mr. Hanna is still involved even though he is now retired and lives in Australia.

For more information Contact: Dr. Peter Schaarc: Tel. 07 858 4760 email: pschaare@hortresearch.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND FILMS ON VIDEO

Those who are interested in films produced by New Zealand filmmakers, now on video, might want to check out a film website being developed by KIWIphile FILE reader Chuck Eggen. The present website address is http://www.teleport.com/~cne/index.html

This is a "test" location, and when complete. the information will be relocated to another ISP and will be listed with its own domain name. This film site will not be complete for some time, but gkes lots of information even now.

In answer to my question to Chuck, "I often wonder why NZ films are so often sad, violent or morbid", he replied:

There are some humorous NZ films, but often it is an odd sort of humor. "Braindead/Dead Alive" is a perfect example of this. If you have seen "Heavenly Creatures" and found it entertaining, then you should check out "The Frighteners" from the same director, Peter Jackson. Mr. Jackson is currently involved with the production of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy (the first of three films is being released December 2001, which I predict will be New Zealand's first block- buster film—far exceeding the combined box office of both "The Piano" and "Once Were Warriors"). One must be brave and not have a weak stomach to watch Mr. Jackson's early features: "Bad Taste", "Meet the Feebles", and "Braindead."

Everyone should see "Cinema of Unease". However, seeing it in a theater is next to impossible, so the answer is video cassette. It is available, but there are some "reliability issues" regarding suppliers that I am in the process of clarifying before I start sending people to places that may be a dead end. I might add that the problem is mainly involving the NTSC format that is used in North America.

"Cinema of Unease" is an excellent introduction to New Zealand films. Sixty clips from 33 titles are interwoven with observations from Sam Neill. This is a 55 minute documentary, not a feature, but I feel strongly about its helpfulness in explaining New Zealand cinema, and therefore a necessity in understanding this unique body of work.

The best way to order "Cinema of Unease" is via the Sam Neill website. I have included a link to that site from the information within my "Cinema of Unease" listing. With shipping, it will cost NZ$50 (about US$20) and can be paid with a Visa or Master- card via email or post.

NEW ZEALAND TRAVELERS

Message from Alan Riegelman

Many years ago, after a difficult time in my life, I traveled to New Zealand (with only my backpack, sleeping bag and two fishing rods) seeking balm for my bruised psyche. I found it here, during a year of unfettered wilderness wandering.

Now I'm a New Zealand citizen, still in love with the fabulous South Island back-country and living in a magical cottage home on the banks of the Teal River in Nelson. For over a decade, I've earned my living by conducting decidedly non-touristy walk-

ing adventures for hikers who want to see the real New Zealand without suffering the tourist hype.

In my 15 years here, I have been able to search out special scenic delights, special hiking adventures, special accommodations and special cuisine, and put them all together in a tour package that represents a lot of insight and polishing. Leading our tours and operating New Zealand Travelers is all I do, and I'm proud of the unique, carefully crafted travel experiences that we offer.

If you'd like to walk through our beautiful countryside (as a dayhiker or backpacker) in true Traveler fashion, we'd be happy to have you as our guest.

United States

New Zealand Travelers

P.O. Box 605

Shelburne, VT 05482

USA

ph: 800-362-2718

fax: 802-985-8501

New Zealand

New Zealand Travelers

"Tealcot"

Teal Valley RD 1

Nelson, NZ

phone/fax: 64-3-545-1777

info@nztravelers.com

LETTER BOX

On my five visits to New Zealand, I have always visited Masterton, NZ. My good friends of twenty-five years live about half an hour outside Masterton on a sheep farm in the Wairarapa area.

Masterton is located about 11/2 hours drive from Wellington. One can take the train from Wellington to get to Masterton. This is a small community of about 30,000 people mainly supported by farming and small businesses.

Masterton's main street is Queen Street. The post office is located on this street. Parking is done by diagonally placing the car.

The yearly Golden Shears competition is held in Masterton. The Golden Shears is a contest to see who is the best shearer in New Zealand.

An annual old plane event is held in the town. as well as a newly created hot balloon festival.

There is a beautiful garden in the center of the town. Masterton has a small town flavor and the people are very friendly toward strangers. I hope to see it again in the future.
Gary Ball, California

BITS AND PIECES

We hear that rental cars in New Zealand now carry a reminder on the dashboard to stay on the left.

www.cadbury.co.nz

TREK NEW ZEALAND

We specialize by offering only one trip, and by doing it well! With 14 days of soft adventure, your fully escorted adventure visits all the major destinations throughout New Zealand in comfort, safety and style.

We use modern mini-coaches with a maximum of 17 guests on each trip, all aged between 18 and 35, enabling the flexibility and atmosphere you want on your holiday.

At this time of year, there are always groups coming and going—sometimes students engaged in formal studies of Maori language and customs, sometimes new staff being introduced to Marae protocol, and sometimes a bunch of international students who are fascinated by the Powhiri accorded them. Usually, as they await the karanga (the call of welcome) which invites them onto the marae, they peer into my window, and at times I have somewhat pointedly adjusted the Venetian blinds to prevent such rudeness. For the most part, however, it is a privilege to listen to the various korero (speeches) and waiata (songs) associated with Marae welcomes.

In the week just ended, there was a conference at the marae on the subject of haka. As most of you will know, haka is a very significant dance form for Maori, and the example which is best known to the rest of the world, is Te Rauparaha's "Ka Mate!" It is this haka which is performed so stirringly by the All Blacks at the start of their games, and usually less well by other sporting teams representing New Zealand. An academic at the conference suggested that, whatever the cultural sensitivities associated with that particular haka, it was not necessarily the most appropriate one for use with our national sport teams. In particular,

•South Island Maori dislike it for the reminder of the warlike chiefs raids on the South Island. Nevertheless this particular haka has a special place in the heart of New Zealand. The mest succinct narration I have found of the story behind this haka can be found at:

http://www/geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/4856/kamate.html

You need to scroll down to the origin of the haka. The wily old chief feared he was about to die

it is death, it is death ... "Ka Mate! Ka mate!" ... but those hiding him put his pursuers off the scent, and he could look forward with hope to a new life "Ka Ora! Ka Ora!"

KlWlphile FILE

Published quarterly by Eva Trapani

La Crescenta CA

E-mail:KiwiET1@aol.com

Copyright 2001 by Eva Trapani