March 1989

Volume I, Number 3

Published quarterly by Eva & John Trapani

THREE-DAY RAFTING TRIP ON THE WANGANUI

Rafting or canoeing on North Island's peaceful Wanganui River is available for 5 or 10 day excursions. Three days, including transport and food, will come to less than $NZ300. The river twists and turns through high country, then loses itself in bush and high cliffs before it broadens out at the city of Wanganui and the Tasman Sea.

Cameras will be busy as the raft drifts past waterfall backdrops, high cliffs, and ferns dipping into the water. There are good opportunities to photograph grazing goats, cattle and sheep, ducks taking of f from the tranquil waters, and birds such as hawks, tuis, pukekos, and bush robins. You'll hear the quiet ripple of water and the calls of beilbirds, tuis, cuckoos and king! ishers. There are stops at fascinating places such as a hidden cave with an underground water- fall, the remains of Maori sieges, and a haunted house which is now a museum.

Three boatmen and a cook are provided. Each member of the group brings his or her own tent and sleeping bag. Also needed are items such as sun- screen, insect repellent and swimsuit. Contact Rangitikei River Adventures, Manaweka NZ (tel. 747).

(From the MELBOURNE AGE, sent in by Kiwi correspondent Bill Harvey.)

COMPLETE TRAVEL EMPORIUM

Subscriber Ron Bishop, Westlake Village, Calif., calls our attention to.a fine bookstore in the San Fernando Valley. It's called the Complete Travel Emporium. Owned by Mr. and Mrs. Hal Moskowitz, it's at: 61 North Oakview, Thousand Oaks CA 91362 (tel. 805—494—0034).

Ron states that just visiting the store is a travel adventure in itself. Besides books and maps, they carry travel videos, foreign language tapes, travel gadgets for yourself or bon voyage gifts, and even luggage. They don't have a catalog but will handle mail orders.

A different kind of tour group is being organized for October 27 to November 17, 1989, to be led by Hal Moskowitz. The plan is to use bus and rail travel for 3 weeks of adventure.

The highlight of the visit will be a train trip westward from Christchurch to Greymouth over Arthur's Pass. Both North and South Islands will be in- cluded, with possible stops in Sydney and Melbourne and the island of Fiji.

Only experienced travelers will be included, ones who are able to keep on the move. At this stage of the planning, Mr. Moskowitz is open to. suggestions by prospective tour members as to what to include in the itinerary.

There was, for us, a happy post- sctipt to Ron's letter: "The newsletter is all you said it would be. Thanks."

NEW ZEALAND VIDEOTAPES

We know of two good videos on New Zealand which you might enjoy:

(1) "New Zealand ... Land of the Long White Cloud", filmed by N.Z. photo- grapher Peter Rowe. Maps are shown which let you know where you are, and you see the ease of customs, etc. Price of video refunded by Mount Cook Line with your first booking. For a VHS tape, send $13.95 plus $3.00 S&H (and for Californians 6% tax) in check or money order to: Video Travel Inter- national, 8500 Falmouth Ave., Ste 3116 Playa Del Rey CA 90293.

(2) "New Zealand On My Mind", narrated with warmth and humor by well- known outdoor filmmaker Warren Miller. To receive a VHS videotape, enclose $8.50 per video to cover cost, postage and handling. Check or money order to: New Zealand On My Mind, P.O. Box 4070, Woodland Hills CA 91365—4070. (Make check payable to H. Z. Tourist and Publicity of [ice).

KIWIPHILE PARTIES

If you live some distance from Southern California and can't come to our KlWlphile FILE parties, you might like to check around for others in your area who are New Zealand lovers, or who are eager to know more about the country. Having found a congenial group, plan an informal gathering. It could be potluck or it might be a restaurant outing. Someone might dare to make a pavlova or two (gee my fine recipe in this issue). You could find New Zealand wines, beers and cheeses.

Include talk about New Zealand, show slides from someone's trip there, and/or show videotapes, which can be rented. You might have a fun raffle with donated prizes, such as books on New Zealand, souvenirs, etc. Theres something unique about KIWIPHILES, and they have a good time together.

"WORK ABROAD" PROGRAM

Students seeking employment in New Zealand should apply to the Council on International Educational Exchange. For $82 you can get help on how and where to apply for a job and how to find accommodations. A lot of good information is included in a hand book given to participants. You will also wish to know of tax exemptions available to you.

The New Zealand program operates

each year from April 1 to October 31.

Contact C.I.E.E. 's Council Travel

Services, 1093 Broxton Ave., Ste. 220,

Los Angeles 90024 (tel. 213—208—3551).

(From L.A. Times Travel Section).

COMMON INTEREST EXCHANGES

New Zealand is a land of community organizations, sporting activities and leisure clubs. According to one of our.Kiwi friends, many members of those groups would be happy to welcome overseas visitors with similar interests. In line with that thought, we inquired of Mr. Jonathan Hunt, N.Z. Minister of Tourism, how to go about finding such interest groups in New Zealand. Mr. Hunt sent us a copy of "Clubs and organisations of New Zealand." This directory lists names and addresses of organizations alphabetically from "Agricultural" to "Youth."

If you're interested in pursuing such a possibility, you might call or write us and we'll be happy to look up your subject for you. Please send self-addressed stamped envelope.

WILLOW

If you have an opportunity to see Ron Howard's excellent fantasy film "Willow", you'll see much gorgeous New Zealand scenery, since a large proportion of the scenes were shot there. Other scenes were filmed in England and Wales.

NZTP 800 NUMBER

You can now call the New Zealand

Tourist and Publicity Department at

800—762—6800.

Please mention the KIWIphile FILE when you call.

CAMPER EXCHANGE

If you have your own campervan rig you might be able to work out an ex- change with a NZ family who owns one. The International Camper Exchange will help you. You and your family can enjoy using a camper there at no cost while a Kiwi family enjoys using yours here in the U.S.

You can have the freedom of camper travel with no rental fees, and you need not necessarily exchange at the same time. Possibilities are endless if you can be flexible. References can be exchanged and insurance plans worked out. Write to International Camper Exchange, Inc., P.O. Box 947, North Bend, WA 98045.

GLACIER COUNTRY

Some surprises for first—time visitors to the glacier areas of South

Island: Though HZ glaciers are immense fields of ice, the climate in the area is temperate. After all, the glaciers exist at amazingly low altitudes and at only 44 degrees latitude south. In the northern hemisphere no glaciers. reach such low altitudes until 67 degrees north.

This glacier country is not like anything you've seen before. Tropically lush rain forests exist right next to the glaciers in some places. There is no need to dress in heavy clothing, especially in summertime. Some people are comfortable in short- sleeved shirts on warm summer days.

MESSAGE FROM JONATHAN HUNT, New Zealand MINISTER OF TOURISM

"I appreciate your concern regarding the proposed airport in Queenstown. In my capacity as Minister of Tourism I'm in favor of extending the capabilities of Queenstown Airport. A jet capable airport will enable a larger number of visitors to be brought to Queenstown; jet aircraft will reduce the flying time from Auckland and Christchurch and improve the marketability of Queenstown and New Zealand.

"The technical aspects and safety requirements are yet to be studied and evaluated. Obviously noise pollution is of concern, however with new technology, jets are becoming quieter as time goes on. In fact from May 1989, Ansett HZ will be flying BAe 146 jets to Queenstown. A trial flight was undertaken in November and met with the approval of local residents. A jet capable airport at Queenstown will be beneficial to tourism in the immediate region and New Zealand overall."

AMERICANS IN PARADISE (# 1 of a series)

Edward (Ed) Hedberg is a red- haired, ruddy-faced, friendly man who walks just like a New York cop--light on his feet and ready for action. He lives a few miles north of Nelson on the South Island in a neat, scrupu- lously clean house on a few sunny acres. He says the New Zealand air is amazing. Sound travels in the clear atmosphere so well that "someone can be way down the road and you can hear every word he's saying." That's on his list of what he loves most about his adopted land.

Ed grew up in New York City, and after World War 2 he became a policeman there. During the war he had been wounded in battle at New Caledonia in the South Pacific and was taken aboard a U.S. hospital ship to Auckland where he quickly recuperated in a naval hospital there. Following his recovery he stayed on at Auckland as a baker at the Mechanic's Bay Base.

When he left the service and returned to the United States,New Zealand remained in his mind as a Shangri-La, a dream-like place of sweet memories. For twenty years he worked and dreamed, but when retirement from the NYPD came, he made the dream a reality.

Applying at the N.Z. Embassy in Manhattan, he was so anxious to make a good impression that he wore his police uniform. The first question was, "How old are you?" Luckily, his answer, "forty-four," was under the cutoff age of 45. That was in 1966, and within a few months he had permanent New Zealand residency status.

He learned that after the War a considerable number of Americans had come to New Zealand to "flop" and use the hospitals and other facilities gratis. But Ed was solvent and in excellent health, so he came in without difficulty. He is still an American citizen and says he will be until he dies, and he continues to travel on an American passport.

His original marriage ended before he left the States, and in 1975 he met and married a Kiwi lady with whom he lives happily. With two daughters and a mother in the U.S., he was making trips back about every 18 months, but now goes less often. He has made many friends in New Zealand. Two of the closest are Italians, who are also former New Yorkers.

Ed misses the New York restaurants and the cheaper U.S. prices. Of late, after he goes to bed, he finds himself reminiscing about New York - - how it was in his youth, and of the people

he used to know there, but he isn't lonely for the past. He's contented on his plot of ground outside Nelson, loves the New Zealand scenery, the beaches, and the friendliness of the people.

CONSERVATION, SOUTH ISLAND

According to Mr. Ray Forsyth, Canterbury Area Conservation Officer, Christchurch, the major conservation problem in that area is the rare Hector's Dolphin. There are only between 2 and 3 thousand of these animals left on earth, all confined to the waters off New Zealand's South Island. They enter the many small inlets around Banks Peninsula where commercial fishermen net 40 to 60 of them per year. The Department of Conservation is sharing concern with the local public in meetings which distribute breeding management information.

Another problem is the vanishing Black Stilt, a shore bird about the size of a pigeon. The bird population which lives in riverbeds and shallow shore waters, has diminished to about 40 to 50 in worldwide numbers.

The rare Black Robin species, once common in the Chatham Islands off-shore from the South Island, had dwindled to only five birds not long ago. The Department of Conservation took the one remaining female and one of the males and has bred 70 birds. There is a shortage of predator-free islands for these robins. Rats and wild domestic cats are prevalent on the smaller islands.

The threatened New Zealand kea, the only alpine parrot in the world, is now fully protected within national parks, and forest parks and reserves. A few keas damage sheep, by pulling wool off the animal and eating into the meat, so farmers have been given the right to shoot any bird if they have evidence that it has damaged their sheep. In an effort to keep the keas safely away from populated areas, the Conservation Department has been conducting a campaign to discourage the public from feeding them.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

Yes, New Zealand was everything and more than you said it was. I was as close to heaven as I'll ever be, I'm sure. That clean, pure air, those lush, lush fields, those snow capped mountains and that glorious sky overhead--well, we didn't want to leave. In fact we cried when we left and if we were just 20 years younger we would have probably stayed. I must add also that New Zealanders are the friend-

liest people anywhere on earth, We were entertained everywhere and by virtual strangers. We were invited for dinner, for tea, for lunch and even to spend the night at two places.

I must give you the name of a car rental in Christchurch, It was McDonald Motor Ltd., 171 Armagh St. (tel. 660—929). Dave McDonald was the most helpful and kindest man you will ever meet and this is the cheapest transportation in all of N.Z.

For motels with kitchens which was the only kind we stayed in, we can heartily recommend several. "The Lodges," Queenstown, "The Bamboo Lodge Motel," Napier, and most of all "Tame- here Town and Country Motel" in Hamilton.

There are two things I would like to recommend to those traveling by rental car. First, buy a small styro- foam box to carry lunch and fruit, and thermos for coffee. We bought breakfast food and carried our lunch, so the only meal we bought was dinner. We did find that food was expensive.

The one thing that I would advise people to take with them is a travel coffee-pot and their own brand of coffee. How we longed for a good cup of Maxwell House perked !!!

we spent two weeks in So. Island and two weeks in North. We saw every botanical garden and every nursery in both islands, I'm sure, and almost every art gallery and museum. You've probably guessed, my husband is the gardener and I am the artist. In New Plymouth there are two gardens that are worth stopping to see - Pukeiti & Tupari. Both are world renowned. Hastings—-best antiques. Hamilton and Wanganui had the finest museums, Woolworths was the only real grocery store as we know them. An avalanche kept us from going out on Milford Sound but we can recommend Doubtful Sound as a beautiful experience.

A friend we stayed with a couple of nights told us that some little towns are called "Holding Paddocks." As you know, "paddocks" are for older sheep. The towns are filled mostly with older people who have moved in while their children live on the farms outside of town. We saw a lot of small towns we thought looked like "Holding Paddocks" in which we would like to live - - lots of retired folks like us.

Keep on with your KIWIphile FILE. We love hearing everything we can about New Zealand. Just wish we were closer and could talk more about it.

Betty Wise, Charleston, W.Va.

CLEAN AIR

On the PBS MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour of Jan 11/89, the U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop discussed the possibility of U.S. tobacco growers getting out of the business and substituting alternate crops. He said growers would lose $7 billion, but the country could save $21 billion in resulting health/hospital costs. Also at the present rate of tobacco- related deaths, it could save 1,000 lives a week.

Dr. Koop said that some countries had stopped growing and processing tobacco because of its health hazards, but he specifically cited only one country, New Zealand, where the former growers of tobacco had turned to grow- ing kiwifruit and were making more money doing so.

COROMANDEL PENINSULA TREKS & TOURS

Doug Johansen is offering a variety of trekking tours, off-shore island visits, and scenic mini—coach tours of the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula, North Island. Some of these are 1/2 day trips, some are for as long as 4 days. He also offers trips to Rotorua and the Waitomo Caves. Customized tours to other places can be arranged.

Born on the Coromandel Peninsula, Doug has a vast knowledge of Maori medicines and foods, flora and fauna of the area including the giant Kauri trees and the Pohutukawa, old gold and timber towns, bird—life, rivers, rapids, waterfalls and pools.

Johansen is based in Pauanui on the glorious west coast of Coromandel.

Address: Doug Johansen's Scenic Treks and Tours, P.O. Box 76, Pauanui Beach, NZ (tel. 0843—48—731 or 48—859). You can also call NZTP for information or reservations.

AIR NEW ZEALAND TO LONDON

It doesn't seem to be generally known that Air New Zealand can take us to London (or Frankfort) from Los Angeles. This is a twice-weekly con- tinuation of the flight from Auckland. They offer the same fine service provided on the trip to New Zealand, and the price is in line with or lower than that offered by British Airways, TWA, British Caledonia.

We have taken this flight and were delighted. Most of the passengers were New Zealanders, and I felt a more gentle atmosphere around me. Unlike sophisticated American travelers, the Kiwis are much like children, curious, fun-loving and good-natured.

HISTORIC BED & BREAKFAST INNS

An Ohio subscriber has asked for addresses of bed and breakfast inns referred to in Judy Miller's letter in the December KiWiphile FILE. Here they are: Ascot parnell, 36 St. Stephens Ave., Parnell, Auckland; California House, 29 Collingwood St., Nelson; Eliza's Manor House, 82 Bealey Ave., Christchurch; Hulbert House, 68 Ballarat St., Queenstown; Magnolia House, Dunedin; Orongo Homestead, R.D. 1, Russell, Bay of Islands.

Tariffs vary from inn to inn, but generally run from $60 to $12ONZ plus GST. Book directly or with NZTP.

Two additional paragraphs from Judy's letter follow:

"Another new type of lodging that seems to be quite popular: old country hotels that are being restored and opened once again to the public. Breakfast is usually included in the tariff. One thing to remember in both inns and restored hotels is that some are not centrally heated and usually the bathroom is down the hail. It's not a problem during the summer but if you like to travel off—season it is something to consider.

"About an hour's drive around Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown is the little village of Glenorchy. They've just completed an 'Outdoor Activity Lodge' which was due to open in April ('88.) It had bunk rooms as well as private accommodations at a fraction of the price you pay in Queenstown. Keep in mind that it is remote. Both my cousin, whose idea of overnight accommodations is a youth hostel, and I, who consider it roughing it when they don't change the sheets every day at the hotel, agreed that this was a place to come back to."

Ed.: Address--The Manager, "Outdoor Activity" Lodge, c/o P. 0. Box 27, Glenorchy HZ. The Glenorchy Hotel is one of 72 establishments listed in NZTP's "Guide to Country Pubs in New Zealand," available from any NZTP office. Prices of these country hotels, which are considered to be "comfortable, standard accommodations," range from $NZ3O to over $NZ6O.

"NEW ZEALAND, DOOR TO DOOR"

A 15-day tour especially for seniors, including round-trip transportation from residence to airport, is being offered by Air New Zealand and Mount Cook Line through the month of March. The price is $2299 including fare from Los Angeles or San Francisco, quality accommodations and guided sightseeing tours at all major New

Zealand tourist attractions. Call

Mount Cook Line at (800) 468—2665.

Canadians (213) 649—6185 collect.

KIWI BITS AND BITES

*A New Zealand reader suggests limited travel time can invalidate the advantages of bus and rail passes on South Island. Travel from one end of the island to the other can seem end- less. Check timetables carefully before you decide to buy a pass. call NZTP for current N.Z. Passenger Transport Summary which gives schedules.

*Also free from NZTP, a "Where To Stay" guide, listing a full range of accommodations--luxury hotels, lodges, B&B's, tourist apartments, motels, and home and farm stays.

* The "New Zealand Bed and Breakfast Book" which lists 300 B&B's, farms and guesthouses is available for $16.95US (in a check in our currency——or $19.95 in Canadian currency). Address:

Moonshine Press, P.O. Box 41022, Eastbourne, NZ.

* We've heard good things about Guthrey's Tours—-excellent prices, comfortable coaches, etc. Call Guthrey's Pacific 800—234-2254 nationwide.

*United Airlines offers 20% off regular price on Mount Cook Airlines Kiwi Air Pass. Check with travel agent for details. Offer good to September 1989.

*One of our Kiwi friends suggests if you're on a tight budget and like to travel light, upon arrival in HZ make a quick stop at one of the many thrift shops to pick up some "woolies" which you can discard or give away when you leave for home.

* Don't forget that in NZ students are offered discounts on domestic bus and air travel. Check it out.

*Great article, "Trout Among the Kiwis," in October 1988 issue of ESQUIRE. It's not just for anglers. The story' (by Verlyn Klinkenborg) is written beautifully and will go right to your heart.

* Call Holbrook Travel, Inc., at 800—451—7111 for information on unique tours to N.Z. Local experts at all destinations conduct programs in many specialties, from butterfly collecting, birding and geology, to weaving, art and cultural explorations. They will furnish references from past participants.

WAIKATO HOME STAYS

A supplement to the New Zealand Herald describes the way many New Zealanders are meeting the wish of visitors to get off the beaten path and stay in the homes of "real" Kiwis.

Some of these hosts don't mind people arriving without a prior booking. The article quotes a Mrs. Judy Osborne, "I want them to take us the way we are. If they call in off the road, it doesn't give me time to panic."

The 2500 acre Osborne farm is on the road between Waitomo and Kawhia and the charge for bed and breakfast is $NZ32. Dinner is $10 extra. Guests can come and go as they please, walk the farm with its steep sidings, native bush, caves and streams. They can ride the hard- working quarter horses. Mrs. Osborne speaks of her visitors, mostly Americans and Canadians, as "fabulous."

A few kilometres away, Alan Juno offers "budget" accommodations ions for backpacking types at $NZ11. He is obviously a trusting Kiwi, with a printed sign on his door reading:

"If I am not at home, please come in. Please feel free to use the toilet, shower and kitchen facilities."

Mrs. Daphne Phillips of Marokopa, is another who is enthused about the home hosting service. The Phillips farm is a few miles from Marokopa Beach, a beautiful, unspoiled spot where you can be completely alone. There is excellent kahawai and shell-fishing. Three self-contained units at the beach cost $NZ3O. a night, though that price may have to be raised.The farm-stay guests pay $NZ4O. for dinner, bed and breakfast. addresses for these places, but if you can’t find them, perhaps the Waikato Information Centre in Hamilton, at 865 Victoria St., tel. 393-360, can help.

UPDATE AIR NEW ZEALAND

There are several major new developments in Air New Zealand’s operations, sales and marketing. Among them is an agent assisted data base, the first of its kind in the airline industry. "Telstar," the new communications and distribution system, will be implemented this April.

Air New Zealand's "Aspect," a highly sophisticated telephone reservation system to be used by both passengers and travel agents, is also a first in the airline business. Their reservation phone number remains the same: 800-262-1234.

I now have a copy of Jane King's "New Zealand Handbook", mentioned in the December KiWiphile FILE. I am adding this book to my list of best sources for study before and during your visit to N.Z.

It is packed with detailed information, and is well illustrated with sketches, maps, and black and white photos. I urge you to get your copy. $13.95 plus $3.00 shipping & handling (+ 6% tax for Californians) to: Moon Publications, 722 Wall St. Chico, CA 95928.

KIRI TE KANAWA

John and I had the great pleasure of hearing Kiri Te Kanawa sing in concert last weekend. Besides having a glorious voice, she is lovely in appearance, and is gracious and unassuming in manner.

After the concert she met and spoke individually with each person in a long line of admirers at the artist's entrance of the auditorium. Up close, her smile is dazzling.

As one of her encores, Kiri sang the lovely "O Mio Babbino Caro" by Puccini, familiar to many of us from the television champagne commercial.

Kin Te Kanawa has lived in England with her husband and children for 23 years, but retains her New Zealand citizenship and considers herself a New Zealander, first and foremost.

NEW LETTER FROM JUDY MILLER

Just got back from New Zealand and guess what - - it's as great as ever. It rained on me for two weeks straight on the North Island (Whangarei) but was beautiful on the South Island. However, they are having a bad drought there and could really use rain immediately. Here is something for the next issue of KiWIphile FILE:

Roz and John Smith of Eliza's Manor house in Christchurch have moved to Sydney, Australia. Eliza's is now being managed by Lyn and Grant Baynes and is as lovely as before.

On January 19 they reopened the restaurant at Eliza's. "No Red Jacket" is a non-smoking restaurant, licensed, and has an excellent wine

list, but you are also free to bring your own. Red Jacket was a brand of cigarettes in N.Z. and the restaurant's name suggests the fact that no smoking is allowed and also that dress is casual. The menu includes lamb, venison, salmon and beef. Lyn who is the chef, is a real artist. The starters and desserts are not to be missed. Mains run from $16—$19 and include vegetables, salad and GST, which is very reasonable as you know if you've traveled to N.Z. lately.

Eliza's is located at 82 Bealey Avenue in Christchurch, and even if you are not staying there (which would he a shame), the restaurant must be tried

Judy Miller, Hawthorne, Calif.

QUANTAS TO AUCKLAND

In April the Australian airline Quantas begins direct Los Angeles to Auckland flights, joining 5 other international carriers already linking California with New Zealand. A number of special offers are being made in celebration. For example - Jetabout, Quantas' vacation company, offers 4 nights accommodation for just $1 to passengers purchasing round trip tickets. Another example, for just $1 on top of airfare, Newmans offers 5 days' hire of a 2—berth campervan. Talk to your travel agent for these and other bargains.

FLETCHER MARATHON (April 29)

The Fletcher Marathon in Rotorua, New zealand's largest official athletic event, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The course circumnavigates scenic Lake Rotorua, the setting for the moving love story of a Maori maiden and her young chief.

NATIONAL WOOLCRAFTS FESTIVAL (May 23—26, Otago Univ., Dunedin)

With some 70 million sheep, New Zealand is a natural authority on wool. Each year sees a gathering in Dunedin of experts from around the world. Traditional techniques and the latest fashion trends blend to produce displays of garments and skills.

QUEENSTOWN WINTER FESTIVAL (July 29—Aug. 6)

In the middle of winter down under, visitors and locals alike kick up their heels in a variety of fun, sporting and cultural events in the resort town of Queenstown and .in the nearby snow—covered mountains. Sports include serious ski races, a road race for runners, jetboating and whitewater

rafting. Cultural events run from classical music recitals through bush bands which entertain on street corners and in local bars. Fun for some will include an icy, mid-winter dip in the waters of Lake Wakatipu.

INTERNATIONAL JAZZ/BLUES FESTIVAL

International jazz and blues personalities will join New Zealand musicians in a week-long festival in Wellington, North Island, October 16- 23, 1989.

GOOD LODGING (From L.A. Times)

* Fantastic B&B on Ohope Beach, North Island, called The Rafters, right on a sheltered beach. Each room is a suite. About $NZ6O for 2. Write to The Rafters, Ohope Beach NZ.

* Waterfront suites that sleep up to

3. $US45. Abel Tasman Motel, Marsden

Rd., P.O. Box 51, Paihia, Bay of

Islands, NZ.

* West Coast of North Island. One- & two-bedroom units--pigs, birds, rabbits on 10 acres. Awakino Point Lodge, P.O. Box 168, Dargaville NZ.

* "I loved it and have sent friends who did, too." Jenny Adams Oakcott Homestead, Hawkes Bay, NZ. B&B $US6O.

* Jovial host Mike Shakespeare. $NZ62.50 B&B. Shakespeare House, 10 Dusky St., TeAnau, NZ.

NEW ZEALAND BY MOTORHOME

KIWIphile FILE subscribers David Shore and Patty Campbell have a new book, "New Zealand by Motorhome" coming out from Pelican sometime in May. More later.

NEW ZEALAND UPSTREAM

(From "Trout Among the Kiwis"):

"Water that rises highest above the sea——the earthliest water—-is freshest. Upstream, the river bottom is brighter, stones are sharper, and brush hangs tighter on the banks. Trout head upstream naturally, and anglers, pursuing them, do so too. In New Zealand the room for moving upstream seems nearly infinite. So few steps carry you into wilderness, so many pools lie between you and a river's source. Wherever you pause, there is a bend farther upstream deepening to azure. It takes a lifetime of fatigue and some powerful night to keep you from rounding that corner and the next and the next and the next. It occurs to you - - just at the moment you turn back home - - that New Zealand is upstream of the rest of the world."

MAORI QUIP

Here, from our friend Jack Nash in Palmerston North, is the Kiwi version of a story you may have heard before: A Texan talking to a Maori farmer wanted to know how big his farm was. The Maori told him it was 850 acres. The Texan said, "Why, my ranch is so big it takes all day to go from one end to the other in my car!" The Maori nodded sympathetically, "Yeah, I had a car like that once."

THOUGHTS FROM A NEW ZEALANDER

"New Zealand has always been a do-it-yourself place and there has been much heartburning in the tourism industry because of the fact that we don't readily transform into an American or European brand of service and facilities. Our isolation keeps us introverted and, like many small nations we still have a love-hate relationship with the super-powers. Is that from fear or envy? I believe ordinary people will identify with ordinary people, anywhere, on social and human terms. The rich have a multitude of playgrounds to choose from. If you are looking for things to criticize you can always find them quite easily. We are small, proud, independent, a bit oversensitive, overresentful of criticism; we often offer and put up with mediocre service - but if you found yourself in trouble, lost in the bush, mountains or at sea, in need of an overseas expensive medical operation, money and people will pour out in amazing quantity.

NEW FORMAT

Our new format with reduced type size is an improvement, from our standpoint, mainly because it allows us to include much more material. The last issues had 8 pages of information in larger type. This issue, with smaller type, contains about 40% more information. We're looking forward to increasing even this volume without using smaller type and we'd like to know your reactions to this change. Please write to us.

THANKS FOR YOUR LETTERS and N.Z. TRAVEL HINTS.

WE WELCOME MORE FOR THE JUNE KIWIphile FILE

PAVLOVA RECIPE

Our friend Beverley Kingsbeer, Papatoetoe, has given me this recipe and it almost always comes out well.

4 egg whites

pinch cream of tartar

8 oz. sugar

Beat egg whites until stiff (do not

use plastic bowl)-—add sugar gradually

and cream of tartar. Beat together

until stiffer (when you think it's

ready, beat a little more, Beverley

advises.) Then, add in this order:

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. vinegar

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tbsp. cold water

Beat again to mix. Then spoon onto foil-covered baking sheet lightly sprinkled with water. Mold with spoon or spatula into a high cake shape. Cook for 1 hr. in oven turned OFF after being preheated to 400 degrees. Do not open door during that hour. Take out of oven gradually (let sit on open oven door for 20 min.) Serve with lots of REAL whipped cream and fruit (sliced kiwifruit, berries, peaches, or whatever).

UNTIL NEXT TIME - KIA ORA!