Volume Ill, Number 3
MARCH 1991
(-phile: {Greek--philos, loving} meaning one who loves, likes, or is favorably disposed to. Webster)
TAKING A WALK IN PARADISE

New Zealand, land of 12.5 million acres of parks and reserves, is paradise for wilderness walkers.
Much of NZ has been conserved in its natural state with the result that there are endless opportunities for walkers - be they of the fanatical fitness variety, or Sunday strollers.
To lure visitors into the great New Zealand outdoors, the New Zealand Tourism Office is giving away copies of a glossy 8-page guide called, simply, Walk New Zealand.
The guide details six of the nearly 100 walks crisscrossing New Zealand's two main islands, including the Milford Track - frequently said to be "the finest walk in the world".
For your free copy of Walk New Zealand and other NZ vacation information, please contact:
New Zealand Tourism Office
501 Santa Monica Blvd # 300,
Santa Monica CA 90401.
Ph: 213-395-7480 800-388-5494

DOUG JOHANSEN AWARDED

Doug Johansen, tourism entrepreneur from New Zealand's Coromandel Peninsula, recently received a 1990 service award from his government. The award came from Fran Wilde, former Minister of Tourism.
Johansen, who several years ago was selected by an Auckland newspaper as NZ's equivalent of Crocodile Dundee, was thrilled with the honor. He said it made all his work worthwhile. "It's not just for me, but
for my wife Sharon as well. There's no way I can run the company without her," Doug was quoted as saying. He remarked, "It is good for Coromandel to be getting this sort of recognition, and it's a great honor for me."
Earlier in the year Doug won the 1990 Coromandel Peninsula Tourism Excellence Award for services to that area. This award was presented to Sharon while Doug was in North America promoting New Zealand in general as well as his own tours.
An outspoken proponent of "green" tourism, Johansen believes that New Zealand offers what Americans want. This means visits to farms, bush and forest, with plenty of clean air, clean water, and green countryside. It does not mean big cities and expensive accommodations.
The Minister of Tourism has received letters from all over the globe commending Johansen and what he has achieved for New Zealand. He has been termed "a national treasure" who should be cloned and sent out to the rest of the world.
Some of our readers met Doug at the July 1990 KiWiphile party, where he presented an exciting program of slides and discussion before he headed for Canada and many parts of the US to tell his story. (Doug Johansen's Scenic Treks & Tours, P0 Box 76, Pauanui Beach NZ.)

NEW ZEALAND'S LAKE TAUPO -
END OF THE RAINBOW?

The American fisherman visiting New Zealand's beautiful Lake Taupo is likely to hear some grumbling around the harbor area and on the charter boats about how the lake and the rivers spilling into it are getting fished out.
On the other hand he may have read in Western Outdoor News about fishermen experiencing spectacular fly fishing in the lake recently, never catching a single rainbow that weighed less than five pounds. John McDermott, author of How to Get Lost and Found in Upgraded New Zealand , tells about going out on one of Simon Dickie's launches and hooking five fish around three pounds each in less than two hours.
During World War 2 the lake was netted to get rid of the excess trout, resulting in the nets getting so heavy with fish they couldn't be pulled in. Even earlier, in 1917, gangs of men were employed to catch fish to get them out of the lake. In 1911 an Englishman visiting the lake set a one-day record by catching 78 rainbows weighing an average of 10 pounds each.
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Now they complain one can fish for two to three hours just to catch one trout. In my talk with the Taupo Conservation Department officer I was assured that the situation is well in hand. Never will Lake Taupo suffer over-exploitation. Taupo is treasured by New Zealand, and its worldwide reputation will be protected. Its real value is that it's a "wild" fishery, far better than any domesticated fishery could ever be.
I was told the average trout caught now is slightly less than four pounds, and that has been true for many years. It is felt that two of these four to five pounders are enough for anybody in one day. In spite of the fears of old-timers, experts believe the total production of trout is in the same order of magnitude as it ever was, and is more than adequate to keep the lake restocked.
John Gibbs, Acting District Conservator at the time, maintains that fishing success is closely related to angling experience. Eighty percent of fish caught are brought in by only twenty percent of the anglers, and the true fly fisherman knows that the best time to fish in Lake Taupo and the famous Tongariro River is during the NZ winter, July and August. But there is good deep trolling in the summer months, as well as excellent fly fishing at stream mouths.
Lake Taupo, almost exactly in the center of the lush North Island, is the largest body of water in New Zealand. At times the lake seems to be the most tranquil place in the country, yet the area is subject to sudden whims of weather passing over the island. One of the Maori names for the lake was Taupo-hau-rau or "Taupo of the Hundred Winds," indicating its unpredictable nature.
The whole area is a volcanic plateau which has had recent volcanic activity. In fact the lake was formed in its present state within historical times, literally only 1800 years ago. The prehistoric Lake Taupo has been around for a long time, but it has been reshaped and its size has varied tremendously through different periods of volcanic activity.
Because it's such a huge mass of water, the temperature of the lake is controlled by the benign North island climate, and it's right in the preferred range for the proliferation of rainbow trout. By contrast, most North American trout lakes get very cold and frequently freeze over in winter so there's a sharp reduction in growth rate because trout respond very directly to the environment. They can go into an almost dormant state. In Lake Taupo, because it never gets too cold or too warm, they feed and continue to grow throughout the year. which results in relatively large- sized fish.
Another factor which makes the lake ideal for trout is that there is virtually no competition from other species as there is in most North American lakes. Also the trout in NZ have an extended spawning period compared with America where they spawn for six weeks
or so in the spring. The main peak of spawning in the streams emptying into Taupo is from June to about September.
On the lovely autumn day I was at Taupo I talked
with an old fishing guide at the dining-table of a
beautifully appointed "floating fishing lodge." My
spirits sank a bit at the picture he painted, which was not a pretty one. He recounted for me stories of the "old days", when one considered it a bad day if a boat went out and less than 25 trout were caught. Nowadays, he said, experts often come in from a day's fishing with five fish.
In addition he feels there's no etiquette any more. The old man squinted into the sunshine reflecting off the clear blue Taupo waters. With disgust, he muttered, "In the old days there was a bit of etiquette around these rivers and lakes. They used to talk about a fisherman's manners. Well, there's no manners now. Nobody gives way to another fisherman. And the Kiwi's a pretty hungry sort of fellow. He won't put the fish back. Now Americans and Australians, they throw 'em back in, let 'em grow bigger."
Catch and release is generally the policy at Lake Taupo now, unlike at smaller, suiphurous Lake Rotorua where fishermen are requested to keep their catch because the lake is over-populated with trout.
Still the fisherman travels from around the world to Lake Taupo, and though the trout population has stabilized, the fishing is still spectacular by international standards, and there are more four-pound trout caught in the lake, proportionate to the number of anglers, than anywhere else in the world.
Professional fishing guides are available at all times at Lake Taupo and they will make sure you are not disappointed. The NZ Tourism Office will personalLy design an itinerary for your trip. They keep a constant check on the fishing scene throughout the country, and can advise you where to go for the best angling.
Overseas visitors can purchase almost anywhere in the country a "tourist fishing license" which is good for one month. If you are staying less than a month, day or weekly licenses are available in each fishing district.
As I left Taupo, heading east over forest-clad hills toward Hawkes Bay. I felt reassured. The rainbow is still there in Lake Taupo and in the stream and river mouths emptying into the lake. The Taupo trout are now so lusty and so pure that they have been re-introduced into California streams from which their ancestors came last century.
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A fishing trip to Lake Taupo can be the crowning experience in your fishing life. If there is truth in the ancient Babylonian belief that the gods do not deduct hours spent fishing from one's allotted span, then come to New Zealand and lengthen your life! - Eva Trapani
stay vacations. For full details contact Russell and Heather Bond, P.O. Box 17-110, Greenlane, Auckland NZ. Tel. (09)274-6912.

GOOD BED GUIDE
LES LISLE's PUB

For some raw West Coast flavor and color, look up the Mahinapua Hotel south of Hokitika on the South Island. It isn't on the main coast highway (#6). You have to cross over the Hokitika River and follow it west along its south side for about ten minutes. Then there's a long stretch of road between the Tasman Sea and Lake Mahinapua, and suddenly you see the Mahinapua Hotel standing alone.
A bearded, 65-year-old man with a pleasant face is behind the bar. His name is Les Lisle. He takes in regular local boarders as well as tourists. Tourists pay around NZ$45 for dinner, bed and breakfast. Dinner is always something like vegetable soup, roast beef and three veges. In the morning Les serves up a giant whitefish fritter surrounded with bacon, sausage and fried potatoes.
It often rains on the Mahinapua Hotel--in some years for many weeks at a time. The sea rushes in loudly sending froth over the black-sanded beach. Tuis sing in the forest. It can be a lonely place. This was all on the main road until about ten years ago. Now the road-rail bridge at Hokitika is being rebuilt, and Lisle's pub will be on the highway again.
Until that happens the bar is occupied mainly by locals. They watch the occasional tourist with stoical expressions, but it isn't hard to see they're interested. The talk is of the whitebait harvest, of deer and the bush ruination by possums, of mining, and native timber milling.
If any of you readers should visit the Mahinapua
Hotel, please let us all have your impressions.
(Information from the NZ Listener)

WAIKIWI HOME/FARM STAYS

Several exceptional North Island home/farm stays are now available with "Waikiwi Vacations" in Auckland. There are 3-day, 5-day, 7-day, and 10-day plans. All are full of exciting features including a personal greeting at the Auckland International Airport by Russell and Heather Bond.
You will be transferred by luxury minibus to exclusive private accommodations on 15 lush acres of farmland only 20 minutes from the city. You can explore native bush, verdant pasture, tranquil streams, and white sandy beaches. There are visits to Rotorua, Taupo, Coromandel, Waitomo, and much more.
The Bonds operate a 9-seat mini-van and a 40' yacht. Groups of 4 to 6 people can have a truly unusual experience in NZ by participating in one of these home-
New Zealand's Good Bed Guide is a must-have for travelers seeking budget accommodations down under, and it is available free from the New Zealand Tourism Office.
Published by the New Zealand Youth Hostel Association, the guide lists 51 hostels throughout the North and South Islands. Prices (listed in the guide in NZ dollars) range from just US$5 per night through US$12.
With the exception of one, Okarito - nestled on the wild West Coast of the South Island, all hostels offer visitors fully-equipped kitchens, hot showers, bathrooms, dining rooms, laundry facilities, and comfortable bedrooms. Many also have twin and family rooms insuring privacy for couples.
Okarito, one of the $5-a-night establishments, is described as a "shelter hostel" and a real "get away from it all" place. Cooking is done over the open fire while lighting is by candle. Activities in the area include nature walks, bird watching, fishing, peace and quiet.
Travelers wanting to take advantage of these budget-priced accommodations in NZ must be Youth Hostel Association members. Membership should be purchased prior to departure from the United States Youth Hostel Assn. For fuither information, including your free copy of The Good Bed Guide , please contact the NZ Tourism Office. Ph: 800-388-5494.

MY VOYAGE TO STEWART ISLAND
Part 2 - By Judy Miller

Since our time was short on the island we wanted to see as much as possible despite the dreadful weather. We walked across the Street to the Stewart Island Travel Center, a small but busy place that included a tea room, cargo depot, garage, and petrol station. This center seemed to be the hub of most of the activity taking place in town.
During the winter the island tours are conducted on an as-requested basis, so after waiting a few minutes for our guide to finish some repairs on one of the buses, we were off. The first stop was at the general store to pick up a local resident just returned from the mainland. He asked if we'd stop at the post office to pick up his mail, which we did, and then he and his just repaired outboard motor were delivered to his front gate.
For the next hour we bounced over the island picking up as much of the running commentary on local lore and historical fact as was possible above the roar of the van. Our guide seemed to be the local mechanic, weatherman, air traffic controller, taxi driver, and colorful character. It is hard to say how much of what he told us
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was apocryphal and how much was fact, but it was all interesting.
He dropped us off at our door, and we recuperated from the strenuous morning by napping and relaxing in the lounge. It gets dark early in this part of the world in late May and it is easy to turn in early and miss the local night life. Not that there is a lot of night life to miss, but we had heard that the place to spend a few evening hours was the pub at the South Seas. The wind was still howling, but the rain had stopped long enough for us to make the short walk without getting drenched. I'll just say here that we did not have to elbow our way to the bar. A young man was shooting pool at one end of the room, and besides the bartender we were the only other people in the place. We ordered and picked out a spot near the electric fireplace. A young man from Israel joined us for a pleasant hour of conversation and commiseration about the weather and our trip across the strait.
Due to the inclement weather, we decided to catch the early morning instead of early afternoon flight back to Invercargill. After breakfast in the dining room at the Shearwater, we collected our small bags and began the short walk to town. We had gone only a few steps when the rain started, and we arrived soaking wet and cold. The news was not good. Although the weather on the island side had improved, conditions in Invercargill had deteriorated. Each time they rolled the airplane out of the hanger the wind threatened to overturn it, so they rolled it back inside. We sat and waited. Two mechanics from Invercargill who were weathered in from the day before joined us, and we all milled around, circling between the forced air heater, the souvenir counter, the tea shop, and the bathroom. Occasionally we would wander outside and gaze at the sky as if we expected some sort of miracle to occur and an airplane to appear miraculously from behind Mt. Anglen. Each time the telephone rang or the CB radio crackled we congregated around the counter for the latest status.
Four hunters arrived carrying boxes of venison which dripped blood onto the floor behind the counter where they were stored until flight time. My friend firmly stated that she was not getting on any plane with dead deer. It became more and more apparent that not only were we not going to be able to get on the morning flight, but that it was doubtful that there was even going to BE a morning flight. By this time we had carefully examined each souvenir, read and re-read every greeting card, and drunk innumerable cups of coffee, and it was lunch time. We left our names and whereabouts with the agent on duty and crossed the street to the South Seas for something to eat.
At 2:00 p.m. the mechanics, deer hunters, and dead deer were loaded on the van for the short trip to the airstrip, and a few minutes later we heard the pilot make his approach. Counting loading time, flight time, and turn around time, we estimated that the plane might be back for us by the end of the day sometime. As the sun got
lower and lower in the sky, we glanced anxiously at our watches and listened intently for each communication from the mainland. At 4:00 the radio crackled. The news wis good, and at 4:30 we lifted off.
Below us the island was beautiful. Secluded coves sheltered small boats and homes nearly hidden in the thick vegetation. Clouds swirled around the mountain and spilled down into the valleys, then cleared enough to reveal unspoiled beauty and serenity. We were glad to be on our way once again, but despite the circumstances, we would never forget our visit to this southernmost part of a remarkable country.

SOUTH ISLAND VISIT - Part 2
by Mike Giannone, New Jersey

In the last installment of this epic, we (myself, wife Linda, daughter Amy) had just landed at Picton. It was around the end of February 1990, after an uneventful, cloudy Cook Strait crossing. Back once again on South Island! Right up front, I will admit that we are completely biased towards this portion of New Zealand (with strong consideration to the Bay of Islands). Actually, NZ is a land of better and bests from Cape Reinga to Stewart Island, but Linda and I are totally taken with this island. Mountains, lakes, rivers, glaciers, fords, sheep, more mountains, more lakes, and even more sheep! etc., etc. So much has been said and written about South Island I won't bore you with even more descriptions. Just believe all of them!
We loaded up our Falcon station wagon in Picton, and set off on Queen Charlotte Drive to the south. Many guidebooks warn about the difficulties of this road. However, my driving philosophies aside (see Installment 1), this road is not bad at all...and what views of the Sounds! Trust me, if you are headed towards Nelson, don't waste time going down through Blenheim and Renwick. Right before Havelock, Cullens Point Overlook is worth a short stop (5 minute walk) for the view.
At Havelock, Queen Charlotte Drive meets with, in my humble opinion, one of the world's most satisfying highways...Route 6! This road, which continues down the West Coast and eventually ends in Invercargill, deserves the recognition usually reserved for roads like California Route 1, US 66, the Alaskan Highway, and various roads in the Swiss Alps, the South African veldt, and the South American rain forests. If you really were only allowed to pick one road to travel to experience New Zealand, I wouldn't hesitate to suggest Route 6, even knowing what would be given up. This trip represented the third time we have traveled this highway, and we weren't remotely bored. Travelers who have just arrived from North Island get a good introduction to what South Island has to offer as they wind their way through the Whangamoa Valley west of Rai Valley and then suddenly come upon Tasman Bay above Nelson.
Nelson was described very nicely in the last
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newletter, but one reminder: if your itinerary calls for continuing through Nelson towards the south, this is your last chance for any significant supplies for quite a while. NEXT time we have to explore the Abel Tasman National Park region, but this time our plans pulled us due south. I wasn't sure what accommodations would be available beyond Nelson, and on a guess had called the Nelson Lakes National Park HQ. They confirmed that besides St. Arnaud, there really wasn't anything available until you reached the West Coast. Of course if you are camping, not to worry. While we enjoy camping very much, we were not equipped for that sort of travel, so St. Arnaud was the goal before nightfall!
On Route 6 just beyond Wakefield, there is a turnoff for "Eighty-eight Valley." Looking at the map, it appeared to be an intriguing "short cut" to St. Arnaud. The well-maintained gravel road provided wonderful late- afternoon views of the Richmond Range as we headed towards Golden Downs. A shepherd and his seemingly endless flock ended the "short cut" idea, and gave Amy her first real taste of NZ backroads realities. I found out that twenty-three-year olds (and mothers) still use words like "hunk" as the sheepdog's master went by. After passing through extensive pine forests (this is an active logging area), we pulled into the Alpine Lodge in At. Arnaud right before sunset. Before it got dark, we took a look at Lake Rotoiti and understood why this is such a popular vacation area. The glacial lake is completely ringed by mountains (1500m+) and devoid of human traces. The sandflies got THEIR first taste of Amy. The Alpine Lodge was a comfortable place to stay (NZ$89), although surprisingly (for NZ) had no cooking facilities. Not to worry though, the Lodge restaurant serves dinner which was very tasty (great orange roughy!), and was reasonably priced even though there isn't any competition for many, many kms.
We got up early the next morning since our plans were to get to Fox Glacier by nightfall. Too bad, because the Buller River gorge deserves a more leisurely exploration. On this bright and sunny (though chilly) morning we soaked ourselves in South Island scenery. Actually the whole stretch of road from St. Arnaud and Lake Rotoiti (source of the Buller) to Kawatiri, through Murchison (renowned for the 1929 earthquake), past Lyell and the "Iron Bridge", and into the lower Buller Gorge beyond Inangahua. is loaded with interesting and beautiful places to stop. Hawk's Crag below Berlins is a one-lane cut into the cliff, and there is a nice white-rock delta to explore right past the tea-colored Tiroroa River and Bridge. We had lunch in a Westport tearoom (another well-equipped town), and set off down the coast.
At Charleston Route 6 reaches the Tasman Sea whose beaches and surf will be calling to you as you drive on. There is a coastal lookout 5 kms above Punakaiki that you will find difficult to leave. The Punakaiki rocks are now part of Paparoa National Park and are definitely worth a visit. We have always felt that the setting and
unique terrain are the real attraction here, so don't worry if the sea is not running high enough to activate the famed "blowholes". Here also you can appreciate NZ's air clarity since the Southern Alps and Mt. Cook are clearly visible 225 kms away. We gave a ride to a Swiss and German couple heading for the Greymouth hostel and traded NZ "tips". On all of our trips we have offered rides to hikers in various places and by and large enjoyed the experience. I realize that many people have different standards, but using common sense (not censorship) will avoid any problems. South of here Route 6 climbs higher along the coast towards Greymouth. On another trip we traveled north on this stretch and it is particularly beautifut in the early morning. We dropped our riders at the hostel and then I went searching for a proper "chilly bin" ("cooler" to us Americans) for our fresh foods. I had stopped in many stores since our arrival with no luck. Right at closing time at the local hardware I finally found what I wanted, and this greatly improved our culinary capabilities. By the way, Greymouth is the largest town on the West Coast and you will find practically anything you need here (including Westland Area Fire HQ and their antique Dennis pumper!).
We still had quite a distance to travel, and since we had been here twice before, I was able to drive directly through to the glaciers without being tempted to stop. For first timers, Shantytown (1880's goldrush town), Hokitika, Lake Mahinipua, Ross, Lake lanthe, Wanganui State Forest, and the Okarito Lagoon are all worthwhile. In addition, just south of Greymouth you get two examples of NZ highway department thriftiness--the one-lane combination highway-RAILROAD bridge! As you head south, the Southern Alps grow larger and closer on your left. By the way, another great path to Westland is via Arthur's Pass (Route 73) from Christchurch. On my first exposure to NZ we went that route, and the experience was nothing short of spectacular. It was on this road that I came down with that common NZ tourist malady, "shutteritis", as in "What a shot! Let me stop and take a picture!" One km or less further on and the view was even better. After going through two 36 exposure rolls in less than 100 kms and wondering why on earth I took fifty of them, I was somewhat cured. Of course, just like malaria, one has recurrences from time to time. Needless to say, you will not be disappointed by this route.
We zipped through Franz Josef and got to Fox Glacier as the sun was going down. As we pulled into the A-1 Motel (imaginative name, right?) on the Lake Matheson road, we were all looking forward to setting up house (we would be here for three nights) and relaxing. Disaster! For some unknown reason, they were not expecting us till tomorrow and there was no room at the inn! The glaciers area in the summer is not the place to be without a reservation unless you are camping. As I was rapidly going through the limited list of alternatives in my mind, owner Jean Mather made a quick call to her friend Mrs. L. Z. Williams down the road who rented out her
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four-bedroom farmhouse. Luckily, two bedrooms were still available for NZ$75. Whatever concerns we might have had disappeared as we passed through the farm gate, dodged the livestock, and pulled up to an Edwardian-style rambling ranch with flowers, porches, and stained-glass everywhere.
The Williams family lived in a more recent addition to one side and the guests shared the kitchen, dining room, living room, three bathrooms, and four bedrooms of the original structure. There were two other couples, but they kept pretty much to themselves. After we made dinner, there was still enough light at 10 PM to take a short walk outside and gaze up at the massive ridges we would be re-exploring tomorrow. The thought crossed my mind (from the beer commercial), "It just doesn't get any better than this", and we settled down for a well-deserved sleep.
(The next installment: Glacier flying and hiking, NZ sunburn, Lake Matheson, Queenstown area, Fiordland (maybe), Dunedin, Stewart Island).

NEW ZEALAND ON TRACK

Two New Zealand rail-coach tours are now offered to travelers by the firm of Baird Reynolds.
The Great New Zealand Rail & Coach Tour is an 18-day trip through both main islands, with participants riding on the Silver Fern, Coastal Pacific, Tranz-Alpine Express, Southerner, and the Kingston Flyer.
Starting out in Christchurch, the trip goes to Greymouth, Fox Glacier, Queenstown, Te Anau, Milford Sound, Dunedin, Wellington, Hamilton, Waitomo, Rotorua, and Auckland. In those sections of the tour not covered by rail, transportation will be by motorcoach. Prices, which include round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, are around US$2,500, depending on departure date.
A 7-day tour of the South Island, highlighted by a ride on the Tranz-Alpine Express, is offered for US$525 per person, double occupancy. Air fare is extra, but accommodations and sightseeing are included.
The 7-day tour begins at Christchurch, crosses over the plains and mountains to Greymouth, thence to Franz Josef Glacier by motorcoach. After two days the tour goes on to Queenstown, Milford Sound, Te Anau, and Dunedin, where accommodations are on a local farm. Tour members are then returned to Christchurch along the Pacific coast by way of Blueskin Bay, Oamaru and Timaru.
Call Baird Reynolds at 800-228-8727 or
818-990-4447.
Speaking of NZ railroads, another brief but intriguing rail adventure awaits you when you visit Dunedin. A 4-hour train ride from Dunedin to Central Otago is packed with contrast. The sights seen from the train windows include the Taieri plains, the sheer rock walls of the Taieri gorge, vast tracts of new pine trees, old
gold-mining areas, magnificent 100-year-old stone bridges, tunnels and viaducts.
The Taieri Gorge Limited was almost lost when the Central Otago line was closed down last year due to disuse, but Dunedin citizens rallied to save the line, and the city council put up the remainder of the money needed. The 60 km stretch of track was purchased, several old-style wooden carriages were restored, new locomotives were bought, and the future of the Taieri Gorge Ltd. now looks secure.
Until the end of March the train leaves the
Dunedin Railway Station at 3:30 PM, returning at
7:20 PM. Check this out by phoning the Otago
Excursion Train Trust or the
Dunedin Public Relations Office.
Many phone numbers in NZ have been changed, so
please look up the numbers.

"STRANGE BUT TALENTED"

It has long been a question whether New Zealand's Richard Pearse was airborne earlier than America's Wright Brothers. There are no accurate records on Pearse's activities, but it's generally believed that he tried unsuccessfully to fly his monoplane as early as 1902. (The Wright Brothers' first successful flight was in December 1903). Pearse began airplane construction in 1899 with a two-cylinder air-cooled engine. According to eye witnesses he made successful take-offs between early 1903 and early 1904.
The remains of two Pearse flying machines are on display at Auckland's Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT). In his book The Riddle of Richard Pearse , author Gordon Ogilvie claims a powered take-off for Pearse, possibly in March 1903. But the plane pitched violently, veered left, and landed in a hedge. Investigation does not reveal a controlled and sustained flight such as the first flight made by the Wright Brothers.
Richard Pearse (1877-1953) was an unsuccessful farmer living near the South Island city of Timaru. He was considered to be a "visionary and recluse, with an obsessive and secretive mind". He spent most of his time alone, working on inventions such as farm machinery, motor bicycles, airplane landing-gear, new engine design, and wing control mechanisms. The man had a poor head for business and no sense of promotion for his ideas and inventions.
There is no doubt that Richard Pearse was a genius. He deserves a lot of credit for his remarkable
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achievements--entirely on his own, and remote from the centers of aviation activity in the northern hemisphere. Pearse himself made no claim to being a pioneer, and in letters published in New Zealand newspapers, he referred to the Wright Brothers as being "the first to make successful flights with a motor-driven aeroplane."
Timaru and South Canterbury are proud of Pearse, with an airport in Timaru named in his honor, a Richard Pearse restaurant in Timaru, and in Temuka there is a Richard Pearse Drive. An annual event is held at Waitohe where Pearse got airborne almost 90 years ago. This is a competition for the Richard Pearse Memorial Microlight Trophy, with 40 or 50 of the light aircraft entered each year.

KIWI LETTER BOX

I know you want to know what I thought of both Australia and New Zealand, most especially the latter. Well, to be perfectly honest, I absolutely adored them both. During the entire trip there was not thing that I saw that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. Actually, in my mind, I can't pick a favorite because they are so beautiful, though totally different to my way of thinking.
As far as New Zealand is concerned, it is really beautiful. It reminds me a good deal of Ireland, but, as far as I can see, it is much more beautiful than Ireland ever could be. The grass in Ireland is positively insipid compared to New Zealand's green.
I enjoyed Auckland, loved Waikato and especially the glowworm caves. Also loved the drive to Rotorua. Fell in love with Rotorua, sulphur stench and all. Loved the trips to Rainbow Springs and the Agrodome, also the trip up to the Skyline Restaurant. The flight down to Mt. Cook National Park was absolutely beautiful--I felt as though I was in Switzerland. Then I fell in love with Queenstown, even to watching the bungie jumping!
I think the most outstanding experience of the entire trip was the flight to Milford Sound, an "extra" on our trip. We flew, twelve people, in an "iddy-biddy" plane, and we flew in between and so close to those magnificent mountains that we felt we could reach out and touch them. Then we got on a boat and sailed Milford Sound out to the Tasman Sea. Wonderful! When we returned to Queenstown, we got on still another boat for another nice trip heading for Mt. Nicholas sheep station for about our fifth shearing of sheep--which I enjoyed every time.
Then we flew on to Christchurch which I thoroughly enjoyed. Such a pretty liffle city. I surely could have spent more time there' We couldn't have picked a better time to go to both countries. It was springtime and there were flowers everywhere. Such lovely flowers as I've never seen before. I'll tell you--the camera was going like mad! (I only took 23 rolls of film, all but three being 36 exposures).
We flew back to Auckland for more sightseeing before we took a late flight to Nadi, Fiji, another beautiful place. I'm quite sure to experienced "New Zealanders" like yourselves, what we saw was mostly tourist stuff and there must be hundreds of out-of-the-way places that we missed which are probably better, but for a first time (and possibly last) I was satisfied with the trip. I know we could have spent many more days in each place that we visited, and also could have seen additional sights, but I was very happy with what we had.
You asked about the company whose tour we took, and can I recommend any others. The tour that we decided upon was Globus. When I started planning this trip, it was probably in February or Mai'ch, and at that time I could find very few brochures on an AustralianfNew Zealand trip. Most, if not all, had the trip planned for December-January (summer down there). However, we were told by a friend that October is a nice month to go, and we were more than pleased that we selected that month.
I had seen many Globus tours around Europe, etc., and I got the impression that they were kind of "cheapies." But I certainly was wrong, as it was first- class all the way. I would definitely recommend them, and I met people on the trip who had used Globus before and were very happy with them.
Another tour I would highly recommend is:
Intrav, 7711 Bonhomme Ave., St. Louis MO 63105-1961 (800-456-8100 or 314-727-0500). I used them several years ago for a trip to Russia and they were great. Also, Olson Tours are very good, but I don't know if they go to Australia. Olson Tours can be taken through A.ARP at a slightly reduced rate.
Doris West, Louisiana

VOICE OF A KIWI - by Richard Croft

Place names fascinate me. They can be descriptive and are often evocative of an area and also geographically appropriate. I can spend (or waste) hours checking out the origins of names, especially those of the native Maori, often buried deep in ancient mythology.
Takaka lies near Golden Bay, but the original name was Murderer's Bay, bestowed by Dutch explorer Abet Tasman when he made his first and only contact with the Maoris in 1642. They attacked a party of seven of his crew who had set out for shore, killing four. In 1942 a joint project between the two countries saw an obelisk erected to commemorate the event, atop a fine coastal lookout at Tarakohe.
At Takaka, I breakfasted early as a warm sun gently bathed the valley, dissipating a thin hazy fog. I said goodbye to Hank, cheery owner of the Shady Rest Hostel, and in an hour there was Motueka in sight again. What better time than now to take the short cut down Highway 61 heading southwest through the Motueka River Valley, with the high forested mountains of the Arthur Range on
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one side and the low hill sheep runs on the other. Here you can find within easy reach dozens of lovely picnic spots and excellent trout pools for the angler. Soon the valley opens out onto a long dry plain. After climbing over the Hope and Owen saddles the road suddenly plunges into the rich rain forests above the Buller Gorge which contains the Buller River. This waterway drains an enormous volume of water from several main tributaries and countless streams on its 100 mile course from 1,000 feet up at Lake Rotoiti to the Tasman Sea at Westport. When it goes on an occasional rampage it is a sight to behold.
In fact, the small gold rush town of Westport had hardly been established when, in one big flood, the Buller changed course and virtually swept most of the town away. Four hotels went out on the tide that night, and an eye-witness account has it that one of them still had its lights blazing as it sailed out over the bar. Them wuz the days!
I drove out of an almost deserted Westport early on a sunny Sunday morning south on State Highway 6, better known as the West Coast Road. Rugged seascapes abound on this 70 mile stretch to Greymouth, and so do hitchhikers! I stopped for Maurice, a tall, raw-boned young man from Belfast, Ireland, who spoke with a rich Ulster brogue. His huge pack taxed the capacity of my small luggage bay, never mind lifting it off the ground. He was to be my companion, and I must say a most engaging one, at intervals over the next few weeks. His destination was a river in Central Otago, and his aim was to fulfill a burning ambition to jump off a bridge. He is also looking for Cynthia. I am intrigued. Who is Cynthia? But more of that later... Along this route you soon become aware of the salty tang in the air borne by the almost constant prevailing westerly winds off the Tasman Sea which separates NZ from Australia, 1,200 miles away. After about 35 miles, at Punakaiki Pancake rocks and blowholes, especially if a strong sea is running, you will be even more aware of the salt as you watch the water blasting up through a series of stratified or laminated limestone rocks. Quite a sight!
And so, on to Greymouth, the main population centre, on the flood-prone Grey River. The town is also the western terminus for "The Tranz Alpine Express". Passenger trains in New Zealand, as in many parts of the world, are rapidly becoming extinct. If you are an enthusiast, take a 150 mile scenic jaunt through the Alps or do the round trip to Christchurch and back. You won't be disappointed.
Westland in the 1860's started as a bustling, sprawling centre for miners from around the world. "Forty-niners" from California came, as did "Redjacks" from China, Italians, Germans, and of course the Irish "Swaggers" from Australia. It was not a hospitable place, but the names the goidminers gave to their claims expressed their confidence in the future: El Dorado, Hopeful, Welcome, Pandora, Nil Desperandum, and so
on. There was no despair, only cheerfulness and optimism.
The "Coast" as it is now simply known, has a special niche in the folklore of the nation. It is accepted as a place where nothing is too outrageous to have occurred, where the improbable is commonplace: the mare that foaled during the race and still managed to place second to the foal; the police who raided illegal hotel Sunday drinkers only to find them kneeling in prayer. For sure it would be the influence of the Irish story tellers who came for gold and then settled here.
The boom waned as suddenly as it had begun, but in the three years, 1865-67, 1.3 million ounces of gold were exported--worth in today's terms over $5 billion. Gold brought an initial prosperity, but it was the black gold, coal, which maintained it for nearly another century, along with the saw-milling industry. Millions of tonnes of high grade bituminous coal have been won from open- cast and underground mines around Westport and Greymouth, but it is another dying industry. I recall with affection the time I spent in the coal mines here after WW2, but it was rather sad now, in 1990, to drive through tumbledown semi-deserted old towns which had once hummed with activity.
The "Coast" has none of the sophistication of the international jet-set scene, no big high-rise hotels or casinos. Most of the social life revolves around the pubs, taverns or clubs. But that independent pioneering spirit still pervades here. You are either a "Coaster" or from over the hill. The early explorers suffered privation and great hardship in discovering the two high mountain passes which eventually gave physical access to Westtand. The massive, snow-capped bulk of the Southern Alps still seems to form a barrier. The Coasters look out over the rich green forested lowlands and up the rivers and valleys to that magnificent backdrop. It will always remain, but the halcyon days of mineral-based prosperity are gone. Sadly, many families have of economic necessity crossed the barrier back to the other world.
On a rise behind Greymouth, beneath a still, misty blue sky, I look out onto the sullen Tasman. Then my eyes are drawn again to those mountain peaks. I am entranced. Why do people feel emotional about such things? I have a theory that nature and our environment provide us with a humility and a sense of proportion in the total scheme of things. Or am I just becoming a sentimental fool in my old age?
"Come on, Maurice," I said. "Let's get on the road or I may never want to leave this place."
(Coming--The glaciers and - Cynthia?)

(Ed. note: You may have noticed that the West Coast area is written about twice in this issue. We decided to do it this way since one is written from the point of view of the American visitor and the other by a New Zealander.)
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BITS AND BITES

• The free 1990-91 Restaurant and Food Guide is now ready for you, with listings of the best restaurants throughout NZ. The book also includes a few choice recipes, as well as a calendar. of food-related festivals and events, and listing of farms and vineyards which welcome visitors. Call the NZ Tourism Office, 800-388-5494.
• A NZ firm is now exporting South Island bottled water to countries around the world. Look in your local markets for NZ Natural produced by AquaSource. The water is the result of glacial ice and Southern Alps snow melt, bottled at source. NZ Natural is believed to have the lowest mineral count of any natural mineral bottled water in the world, and therefore makes the claim of being the purest the world has to offer.
• Stay with families in New Zealand/Australia. Write Seniors Abroad, 12533 Pacato Cir. N., San Diego CA 92128, Attn Evelyn Zivetz. 619-485-1696.
• Warm KiWi farm-life experience on North Island. Rates US$35180 double, incl. meals. Tamatakoi Farms, Puahue, R.D. 1, Te Awamutu, NZ.
• Air New Zealand now offers daily non-stop Los Angeles/Auckland service. They are increasing their participation in the major US reservations systems to offer travel agents better access to seats.

THE KiWiphile FILE IS NOW PRINTED ON ALL
RECYCLED PAPER.

"Very often, the confines of our daily lives cause us to suppress that thing which is the essence of our being
- our spirit. We muddle through an existence which all too often remains colorless and as interminable as a sentence with no punctuation. New Zealand has become an exclamation point in my life; a tapestry with the promise that each new encounter will uncover a new texture, a new palette of color from which I can dip my brush. For me, that is the beauty of New Zealand...it is not packaged and presented as a commodity to take home in a pack of picture postcards.. it must be experienced.
"I have been to New Zealand many times, but nothing remains as powerful as my initial visit to this faraway place. I felt welcomed and strangely at peace. To be enveloped in the circle of warmth by the Kiwi people is to feel a rush of positive energy which never really leaves you. I carry that part of New Zealand in my heart and I take it out during those times when I need to remember what it feels like to give in to the seduction of nature and feel the emancipation of the spirit."

Leeza Gibbons, Entertainment Tonight
ONE IMPRESSED AMERICAN (From the New Zealand Herald)

Sir--I arrived in New Zealand on Monday, April 3, 1989, and was surprised to read that tourism from America and Europe was down. I was more surprised that the writer suggested the reasons were: New Zealand is boring and the food is not good.
I found these allegations ironic because only a few days before, I had been hunkered down in the darkest recesses of the bowels of the American bureaucracy feeling morose about punching the time clock to pay my property taxes. ..morose but hopeful because I have friends in New Zealand.
I had been plannLng a trip for months, saving money, making travel arrangements, researching my maps and New Zealand material and would have been disappointed to learn upon my day of arrival that I was in for four weeks of boredom with my destination and the food, but I have visited New Zealand before and I knew these allegations to be ridiculous from my own experience.
Indeed, I had come back to New Zealand because the country holds great interest, the people are friendly and honest, prices are fair and the food is beautiful.
With the help of friends, old and new, the trip was planned to include much of the South Island and Stewart Island. Even the weatherman was cooperative. Down the West Coast the Tasman raged like a tiger to the west and the alps loomed up from the east, through the Haast Pass to Queenstown and down into Milford Sound-
-shazam! Scenery to shake the heart!
On Stewart Island, a waitress for whom I had intended to leave a tip at the South Sea Hotel followed me out for an attempt to return my change - never in America!
In Invercargill, I read in the paper (generally provided by motels in New Zealand) that authorities had granted approval to bungi jumpers around Queenstown to bring their clients back down the river in jet boats after jumping from the Skippers Bridge.
Now there's a day of sport! Drive up the Skippers Rd in the morning, jump off the Skippers Bridge at noon and ride back down the river in a jet boat in the afternoon; even the heartiest of thrill-seeking tourists should find that a day of adventure.
And the food: from the traditional Kiwi roast at Doone Cottage and Lake Gunn Motor Lodge to great Bluff oysters served at family-oriented establishments like Haast Beach Motor Hotel (Dunedin) to the trendy at Thyme Out (Dunedin) and The French Cafe in Auckland I found the food to be predictably delicious. Of course Cobb and Co can always be depended on to provide good food at a fair price in all parts of New Zealand.
During this tour on seven occasions someone unknown to me stopped at my table in a pub to shout for a beer and sit and talk; offers were made of a place to stay or stop for tea. This hospitality along with the museums, the mountains, the beaches, the rain forest, the Wizard,
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Holmes,a lively Saturday night at the South Sea Hotel are all New Zealand, not an imitation of someplace else.
It occured to me as I walked through Hagley Park in Christchurch on a fine Saturday morning with the sun shining, leaves falling from the trees, ducks on the river, and kids playing rugby and netball, that New Zealand represents the absolute end of the rainbow, that place that lies beyond the glitter, that place where peace of mind is to be found.
So, if you want to go to Disneyland, catch Madonna's latest act or watch live sex on stage, go to California, but if it's peace of mind you are looking for I recommend New Zealand...never boring, and the food is great.
-James D. Seibel, Iowa City, Iowa

NEW ZEALAND OFFERS FREE GOLF BOOK

New Zealand, with 400 courses, is said to be golf paradise, and the New Zealand Tourism Office is giving away a guide book detailing the country's best.
The book features courses throughout NZ's two main islands, starting in the Bay of Islands area in the north - a region best known for its game fishing opportunities.
Throughout, the book details not only the "must play" courses, but also mentions the "must see" scenery, historical sites, and other attractions like the many vineyards in the Auckland and Marlborough regions which welcome visitors for free tastings.
For free copies of " Golf New Zealand " please contact: New Zealand Tourism Office. Ph. 800-388- 5494.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWN OF CHRIST
CHURCH - (From Following The Equator. A Journey
Around the World , by Mark Twain, publ. 1897)

It was Junior England all the way to Christchurch
- in fact, just a garden. And Christchurch is an English town, with an English-park annex, and a winding English brook just like the Avon - and named the Avon; but from a man, not from Shakespeare's river. Its grassy banks are bordered by the stateliest and most impressive weeping willows to be found in the world, I suppose. They continue the line of a great ancestor; they were grown from sprouts of the willow that sheltered Napoleon's grave in St. Helena. It is a settled old community, with all the serenities, the graces, the conveniences, and the comforts of the ideal home-life. If it had an established Church and social inequality it would be England over again with hardly a lack.
In the museum we saw many curious and inter- esting things; among others a fine native house of the olden time, with all the details true to the facts, and the showy colors right and in their proper places. All the details: the fine mats and rugs and things; the elaborate
and wonderful wood carvings - wonderful, surely, considering who did them - wonderful in design and particularly in execution, for they were done with admirable sharpness and exactness, and yet with no better tools than flint and jade and shell could furnish; and the totem-posts were there, ancestor above ancestor, with tongues protruded and hands clasped comfortably over bellies containing other people's ancestors - grotesque and ugly devils, every one, but lovingly carved, and ably; and the stuffed natives were present, in their proper places, and looking as natural as life; and the housekeeping utensils were there, too, and close at hand the carved and finely ornamented war canoe.
And we saw little jade gods, to hang around the neck - not everybody's, but sacred to the necks of natives of rank. Also jade weapons, and many kinds of jade trinkets - all made out of that excessively hard stone without the help of any tool of iron. And some of these things had small round holes bored through them - nobody knows how it was done; a mystery, a lost art. I think it was said that if you want such a hole bored in a piece of jade now, you must send it to London or Amersterdam where the lapidaries are.
(Will be continued).


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Until next time, KIA ORA!
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