Someone once said: "The past is a foreign
country.
They do things differently there." New Zealand, with its ancient flora and fauna, its volcanic landscape
and
its ethos of a gentler way of life, is living proof of that thought.
CULTURE CACHE IN BAY OF ISLANDS
(L.A.
Times)
The remote Bay of Islands in New Zealand's northern
tip
has some of the best scenery in the country. An added plus: It's an area rich with the history of the nation's native Maori people and
the
first European settlers. You'll get a chance to eyeball Tane Mahuta, or "Lord of the Forest," one of the largest rain-forest trees in the world, sail through pre historic rock formations in the bays where author Zane Grey loved to deep-sea fish, and quaff some
tasty
Sauvignon Blanc at local wineries. The sheer natural beauty of the Bay of Islands, just three hours north of Auckland on the northeast coast of the North Island, remains almost unspoiled. You'll see more sheep than people.
A
drive
to the Bay of Islands
means curving
roads through rolling green hills of sheep-dotted
farmland and forests with occasional stunning views of coastline, similar to those from California's
Highway 1 After flying into
Auckland, the largest city
in
New
Zealand,
we went
straight to Kerikeri, one of the country's fastest-growing urban centers. It has a warm climate
and
is home to a collection of arts-and-
crafts centers, with beautiful green stone necklaces
and
amazing wood products, including furniture and chess sets from well-preserved 50,000-year-old kauri
trees dug up from swampland. Stop in at Ancient Kauai Kingdom and Origin Art & Craft. The town is bustling with families and new European residents.
Take a short drive
to
the seaside town
of
Paihia,
where
you'll
find loads of souvenir shops. From the
Paihia wharf,
take
a ferry
ride to the quaint
town
of Russell,
a former whaling village and New
Zealand's original capital. For lunch,
try the Duke
of Marlborough, one of the original whaling pubs with colonial decor. We also liked child-friendly Sally's
Restaurant,
right on the waterfront, where we enjoyed some fantastic scallops. You can't go wrong with seafood, veal or beef in this part of the world.
There are many scenic dive locations, including the Poor Knights Islands, which Jacques Cousteau declared one of the world's top 10 dives. Another diving landmark, the Rainbow Warrior, sunk in Auckland harbor in 1985
and
moved north, is now one of the world's top wreck dives. Check with your hotel to arrange trips.
The Far North, including the Bay of Islands, is home to some of the most important historical sites in New Zealand. Europeans began arriving here in the late 18th century, not long after Captain Cook's first visit in 1769. Just down the road from Kerikeri, make sure you
take a
trip to nearby Waitangi and see the stunning Maori Meeting House at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where in 1840 the British signed a treaty with the Maori, linking the destinies of the
two
people. The Maori Meeting House
is an intricately carved
work of art, filled with red, white and black Maori masks with abalone shell eyes
and fierce
wooden faces. Don't miss the museum
and the world's largest
war canoe.
There is a huge range of
accommodations in
the Bay of
Islands, from exclusive golf resorts such as Kaun
Cliffs to backpacking dormitories.
What follows
is just a selection. Copthorne Hotel and Resort Bay of Islands sits on the sea, near excellent big-game
1
fishing and right next to the historic treaty grounds at Waitangi. It's a good central location and offers a large selection of rooms priced from around $100; 011-649-402-7411
www.millenniumhotels.co.nz
Nearby, at the Beachcomber Resort,
guests
enjoy
sea
views from every room. Doubles from $100; 0 11-649- 402-7434,
www.beachcomber-resort.co.nz.
From LAX, Air New Zealand and Qantas fly nonstop to Auckland. Air New Zealand and Air Tahiti Nui offer direct flights (stop, no change of plane). Air Pacific and Qantas offer connecting flights (change of planes). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $1,673.
RIVERTON CAMP'S LAST SUMMER
-
tvnz.co.n.z
A seaside holiday spot inthe far south of New Zealand has become the latest casualty of rising real estate prices and is to be subdivided for houses.
The Riverton camping ground opened in the 1940s thanks to the Women's Division of Federated Farmers, and it has been a favourite with generations of Southlanders.
Campers say the Riverton beach offers nature's bounty with paua, mussels
and
pipis.
"You're just doing something different from what you do every
day
of the week at home. So you come out here, and you smell the salt air and walk in the water and it's not as cold as people up north might
think,"
says camper Darryl Wallis.
Nowadays, for veteran camper Bob Nicholson, it is the view that keeps bringing him back to the camping ground.
"I was only about 25 when I started coming here," he says, adding he is now over 80.
Campers say they love the spot for the relaxed atmosphere and the family-friendly environment, where children are safe.
But this is a special year for those at the Riverton camping ground because it will be their last.
"We just got to the
stage
where we've just got to have a bit of life ourselves after 21 years, and I'm not getting any younger," explains the camp's owner, Alan Stenton.
He says they tried to sell to somebody who would keep it going as a camp, but nobody was interested.
The camp is to be subdivided for housing next month to the disappointment of the regular campers.
DOMESTIC FARES SLASHED -
Media Releases
Air New Zealand will slash the cost of domestic air travel.
Fares will fall by up to 26% from January 24 for travel effective from February 24. For example, the cheapest one-way fares between Auckland and Wellington will drop from $115 to $89 and between Christchurch and Wellington from $93 to $79
Chief Executive Officer Rob Fyfe says today's announcement is expected to generate even more demand for travel on the Air New Zealand domestic network.
"We are committed to growing our business and we can only achieve
that
by stimulating demand. For more
than
three months we have had teams across Air New Zealand working hard on a range of initiatives that we believe will see more New Zealanders, businesses and tourists using our services than before. These initiatives range from pricing to branding, in-flight product
and
online sales," Mr. Fvfe says.
'We are determined not to play at the margins and today's announcement is a clear signal that Air New Zealand is taking a more fundamental and deeper approach to its business. We believe this will benefit both customers
and
shareholders."
Mr. Fyfe says
many
of the lead-in fares are almost on a par with three decades ago. For example, an Auckland-Christchurch fare in 1980 was $92 and today's new lead-in fare is $99, an increase ofjust $7.
The announcement is not confined to just lead-in fares.
'We recognize that our most expensive fares, which are typically bought at short notice close to the time of travel when all the cheaper seats have gone, would be more sought after by reducing the price. So, tbcse fares are coming down by an average of $20."
Mr. Fyfe says that work is currently underway on pricing initiatives for the Tasman and Pacific Island
markets
as well as long haul routes.
"While the Tasman remains one of the most brutal aviation markets in the world, it is a critical part of our network and we are determined to see the performance improve. We currently have a review of the Tasman operations underway, but it would be fair to say that due to the competitive pressures created by excess capacity in the market it will be difficult to achieve the same percentage scale of fare reductions as we've announced for the domestic travel."
2
"The long haul routes also present their own set of unique challenges as airlines globally struggle to turn a profit on them, which is not surprising given that fares have hardly changed over the past 30 years. For example, a return fare from Auckland to London in 1980 was
around $1700 and today the lead-in fares are often around $2200. Nevertheless, we are confident that we can offer enough points of differ ence to capture more than our fair share of traffic on the long haul routes we chose to
fly."
MAORI MYTHS AND LEGENDS ECO-TOURS
www.eco-tours.co.nz
A broad smile, a "welcome aboard" followed by a helping hand, and I am quickly on my way to discovering the sights and history of the Marlborough Sounds with Maori Myths and Legends Eco-Tours.
Today's tour,
Walk in the Footprints of Captain Cook,
is a 20-minute voyage to the outer reaches of the Queen Charlotte Sounds, with a visit to the bird sanctuary on Motuara Island and its panoram ic lookout.
The beautifi.il ship 'Tutanekai' is our trans port for the day, which we hope will include glimpses of dolphins, seals and blue penguins as well as gannets,
kereru
(native wood pigeons) and saddlebacks.
We set off at 10am from the wharf at Picton on this old postal ship, built in 1930 and still going strong, captained by Pete Beech and ably assisted by his wife, Takutai.
As we leave the shore, Pete explains the features of the boat and where we'll be stopping today, as well as providing us with some family history. As a sixth generation local, his knowledge of the area is un canny, and as Takutai ensures all on board are comfortable and warm, we begin what will become a day of discover and brand new experiences.
There are few better things in life than sitting on the cosy deck of a large cruiser watching the world go by. One of those few things is the chance to have what you are looking at interpreted for you.
As Pete begins his commentary, Takutai tells us, "You don't have to listen to if you don't want to," but it's hard to tune out the fascinating facts, provided in a leisurely manner and never overwhelming. It helps to provide a context and chronological perspective to the scenery.
At their highest numbers, around 2000 Maori lived in the Marlborough Sounds for around 1000 years prior to the arrival of Pakeha, who quickly saw its potential. It was only 30 years after the journals of
Captain Cook and Joseph Banks detailed the abundance of the huge mammals in the area that whalers arrived, and quickly eradicated them.
Old photographs of their practices, and those of sheep farmers who razed the native bush to create pastures, make a stunning impression.
As we sail along, Takutai checks on everyone and makes sure we've got blankets if outside as a crisp westerly begins to chill our hands.
It's her attention to the comfort of everyone and her desire to make their journey memorable and relaxed, that inspires strangers to sit together under duvets and share their own history whilst listening to Pete. Takutai is constantly in motion, talking and pointing out landmarks and sea life.
The Maori names of the bays and islands are all explained, as well as the stories behind them, both historical and mythical, and this is the case as we approach our first stop of the day, Ship's Cove.
The site is known as Captain James Cook's favourite anchorage in the Pacific and was used by him on three separate occasions as a secure place to find provisions and give his crew some shore time.
His importance in the history of the Sounds is well presented on his namesake tour, and it's an
eye
opener for those not familiar with his visits to New Zealand.
"Pete's commentary is so easy to listen to; he makes history come alive. You can just see the Endeavour moored here right now," says one of my tour companions, and I have to agree.
After we climb back on board, we are treated to some of Takutai's home-made bread, as well as an onboard lunch and hearty conversation before setting off again.
Our next destination, the bird sanctuary Motuara Island, provides a symphony of bird calls before even stepping off the boat. As we alight and make our way along the path to the lookout, this concert becomes even louder and, as Takutai points out, it's the middle of day, not sunrise when they are at their noisiest.
Takutai ensures everyone knows that the uphill climb to the lookout is optional, and only a
few
don't take the opportunity to venture into this bird paradise with such a knowledgeable guide.
The bird song is incredible, but the most extraordinary thing is how comfortable and safe the birds feel, coming up to eye level to perch on branches and
observe
us, the bird watchers.
After a short but intense climb, we reach the summit of the island, and the 360-degree views the
3
lookout affords. We stop for a brief moment to absorb this unique vista, and then return to the 'Tutanekai'.
The rest of our cruise passes in easy company, with much conversation and more knowledge of our surroundings freely given by our guides, who also provide us with another cup of tea.
As we dock, it's interesting to note the reluctance of those on board to leave Pete and Takutai behind and return to dry land.
STEWART ISLAND COULD BE ECO-TOURISM JEWEL
-
xtramsn
The tourism industry wants a world-class
sanctuary
to be introduced on Stewart Island, which it says has the potential to become New Zealand's eco tourism jewel.
The Tourism Industry Association wanted "a green sanctuary to rival
any
other eco-tourism destina tion in the world" to be established in Stewart Island's Rakiura National Park, it said in a submission on a management plan being developed by the Department of Conservation.
New Zealand was less well
known
internationally as an eco-tourism destination than for magnificent scenery and adventure activities, said association chief executive Fiona Luhrs.
"This
is a chance for New Zealand to develop a world-class eco-tourism destination,
attract
high yield visitors and build on our reputation in offering outstanding conservation experiences," Ms Luhrs said.
"We cannot offer the spectacular wildlife of Africa or the Galapagos Islands but we do have extra ordinary bird and sealife, and unique native flora. Stewart Island's remoteness means it has retained much of its
natural
integrity."
The Rakiura National Park was established in 2002 and covers
85
percent of the island.
The association said tourism numbers needed to increase by 67 percent to 100,000 a year, to provide an economic base for Stewart Island's community.
"Protecting the
natural
values and visitor experiences of specific places with potentially increased visitor numbers will be a challenge for both DOC and tourism operators. But with careful management, we believe the environmental footprint can be minimized.," Ms Luhrs said.
Tourism operators in the Rakiura National Park had a strong environmental focus, as their businesses and livelihoods relied on the way they used and cared for the natural surroundings, she said.
BEFORE THE WEB
-
Judy Miller
Twenty years and six months ago, almost to the day, I made my first trip to New Zealand. At about the same time I met John and Eva Trapani who were organizing a group of fellow kiwiphiles and
starting
to publish a newsletter for those of us who wanted to know more about this beautiful country. There were no websites or blogs or instant messaging. We met at John and Eva's home to discuss our trips, pass along tips and pick up any information we could about places to stay, things to do, and to share experiences. The guest I remember most clearly was "Kiwi Dundee" who operated (and still does) an adventure tour company on the Coromandel Peninsula.
John and Eva solicited articles and information for the Kiwiphile File and after each trip I would try to contribute a story. They were both extremely supportive and that gave me confidence to put together a small collection of my own stories.
In a lot of ways twenty years doesn't seem so long, but technology wise it is a lifetime. Before each trip I spent hours going through information I had picked up on the previous trip and the current New Zealand Tourism Board brochure. Frommer's New Zealand on
$25
a Day was my best friend. At first I used a travel agent, but after a few trips started making my own arrangements. I would find a place I wanted to stay, write to see if they had availability and wait for weeks for a reply. I would then send credit card details and wait more weeks for confirmation. The anticipation lasted months.
Today I log on, Google the property I want and book instantly. It is certainly faster but I kind of miss the old way. Not enough to go back, mind you, but miss it nevertheless.
John has been gone many years now, but Eva has carried on with the Kiwiphile. I just found out that she is going to be making a
return
trip to New Zealand with one of her granddaughters who we all met as a small child at one of those early gatherings.
Have a good trip, Eva. We look forward to hearing about your travels in the next edition.
THE BLUE POOLS OF HAAST PASS
-
Discover forest secrets
The scenic road over Haast Pass, the southern gateway to the West Coast, is one of the most stunning in the country.
4
The journey offers a variable landscape of rainforest, wetlands, lakes, glacier-fed rivers and white water rapids.
Make sure you stop at any of the short walks that are sign-posted along this route. One of the best of them is just north of Makarora, located within the World Heritage listed Mount Aspiring National Park.
This is the Blue Pools Walk, which has become world-renowned as a must-see highlight in this wilderness region.
It features a carefully maintained gravel path and boardwalks that wind through a native silver beech forest and lead to a swing bridge strung high above the Makarora River. The views back to the mountains of the Main Divide are absolutely breath taking.
The track continues deep into the forest, with bellbird and tui calls echoing through the trees, to a series of crystal clear pools that have been carved out of the rocks by centuries of erosion.
The glacier-fed water in these deep pools is the colour of deep azure blue, and so clear that you can see right to the bottom, making the resident brown trout look like they are suspended in the air.
(Editor:
We discovered the Blue Pools on
our
last visit 3
years
ago. I thought this was
a secret, having
never heard of it before. There
are beautiful tiny
fantails there
who
will greet and welcome you delightfully, even posing for photos! Please treat this area
with
great
respect.)
ADOPT A SHEEP
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You will also become involved in New Zealand farming life by receiving: regular adopt a sheep newsletters about our sheep adoptions, what's happening on the farm, in New Zealand farming and in our family.
You will receive photos of your adopt a sheep throughout the New Zealand farming year. Also photos of what's happening on the farm, such as tractor work, fencing and lambing. You will get answers to your questions. You can ask us any questions about your adopt a sheep, our farm or family life in New Zealand farming. We will endeavour to answer sheep adoption questions within 48 hours.
New Zealand could be one of global warming's winners, spared much of the pain and expense predicted for its neighbours, the Government and experts believe.
Climate Change Minister David Parker said New Zealand stood to gain a "comparative advantage" than for, say, Australia.
Because its contribution to climate change came more from agriculture than the burning of fossil fuels, it would be cheaper for New Zealand to "make the transition to a future that doesn't produce emissions" than for most of the world, he said.
Home to just 0.06 per cent of the world's population, New Zealand nevertheless pumps out 0.2 per cent of its greenhouse gas.
Close to half its emissions come from methane-producing animals and agricultural nitrous oxide.
Niwa climate scientist Jim Renwick, one of the many researchers who contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, said New Zealand started from a "benign base" climate and would experience smaller rises in temperature than Australia.
"Because they have started off being a pretty dry country, at least in the south, it hasn't taken much to push things almost to the limit, whereas New Zealand is basically temperate."
Even so, predictions are for more frequent and severe droughts, heavier rain, retreating snow levels, and rising sea levels threatening coastal infrastructure.
PLEASE SEND IN YOUR STORIES AND OBSERVATIONS! THANKS.
5
FOX, FRANZ JOSEF GLACIERS DEFY TREND -
stuff
The rest of the world's glaciers may be melting, but New Zealand's two best-known glaciers are still on the march.
Guides say the Franz Josef and the Fox glaciers continued advancing down their valleys in the past year and may soon be close to positions reached 40 years ago.
That contrasts sharply with the plight of
many
glaciers elsewhere on the planet, which are shrinking three times faster than they were in the 1980s, accord ing to the World Glacier Monitoring Service
(WGMS).
The Swiss organization maintains a
constant
watch of 30 mountain glaciers and said recently its latest survey, of 2005 conditions, showed the glaciers had become on average 60cm to 70cm thinner, which it blamed on climate change.
WGMS director Wilfried Haeberli said with many mountain glaciers only tens of metres thick, they would disappear in decades if the trend continued.
"We can say there were times during the warmer periods of the last 10,000 years when glaciers have been comparable to what they are now," he told theBBC.
"But it is not the past that worries us, it is the future. With the scenarios predicted, we will enter conditions which we have not seen in the past 10,000 years, and perhaps conditions which mankind has never experienced."
In New Zealand, some mountain glaciers have been shrinking but not the two big tourist drawcards on the West Coast.
Franz Josef Glacier Guides base manager Tom Arnold estimated the Franz Josef and the Fox had advanced hundreds of metres in the past year. The daily rate of movement was between 30cm and 80cm.
"About two to three years ago we had some really big snowfalls at the top. It could also be due to the summer we've had on the Coast. We've had a lot of overcast days and that stops the ice from melting."
"The last major advance was 1999 and we're not far off that now, maybe within 50cm.
Alpine processes consultant Trevor Chinn said some of the country's other glaciers, including the Tasman. Mueller, Hooker, Ramsay, Balfour and La Perouse, were retreating as growing glacial lakes "chewed" at the face of the ice-mass.
KIWIS HONOURED FOR RACE RELATIONS -
Source One News
Prestigious international awards have been handed out to New Zealanders for the first time. The Woodrow Wilson awards recognise efforts to bring countries closer, in this case, New Zealand and America.
Recently broadcaster Paul Holmes was commended for promoting understanding via the media.
The second award went to international law expert Peter Watson, the only New Zealander to hold a senior government post in the US. He seemed unfazed by recent speculation from Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters that anti-Americanism is growing here.
Previous winners of Woodrow Wilson awards include former US secretary of state James Baker and astronaut John Glen.
WYSIWYG NEWS
-
By Brian Harmer
(Copyright by Brian Harmer, reprinted by permission)
Last week's intro with its unfavourable comparison with Gisborne risked outraged comment from the good citizens of Wanganui. Well, there was no lynch mob when I had to dash up there with Mary to attend to my mother in the course of this week. Nor have I had any mutinous emails. Perhaps no-one from Wanganui reads these musings. Perhaps nobody at all reads them.
Wherever the truth lies, I find therapeutic value in articulating my observations, so I'll carry on. We needed to be there for a 9am medical appointment, so figured that a 5:45am start would ensure a suitable safety cushion.
The Haywards Hill road was quiet as we drove through the grey light of yet another drab "summer" day in Wellington. Around the roundabout at Pauatahanui, and onto Grey's Road around the northern shore of the Pauatahanui inlet. Despite the slight chop on the water, there were a number of handsome birds strolling through the shallows seeking their breakfast. Pied stilts, grey herons and royal spoonbills all seemed blasé about the traffic passing so close.
The road leaves the harbour and loops up around what used to be the northern edge of Camborne and snakes down to join SH1 at Plimmerton. I say "used to" because once rugged farmland is becoming a domesticated extension to suburbia.
6
Happily, the intersection with SH1
now
has
traffic
lights, so it is possible to get safely onto the highway without too much delay. We drove north through Pukerua Bay and then down onto "Centennial Highway", as the coastal road between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki is known.
On this occasion the sea was choppy with a sullen swell heaving itself onto the rocks and throwing a fair amount of salt spray into the air. Kapiti was clear and stark against the grey sky, but of the hills and islands around the Marlborough Sounds, no trace. Along this stretch of road, a wire safety barrier is being extended to diminish the incidence of fatal head-on collisions in the area. The price to install this cheap and
nasty
looking safety barrier is in the millions, for reasons
that
elude me entirely.
At Paekakariki a block of what look like motel units is nearing completion where the historic Railway Hotel once stood. Beside some ragged looking wetland, the narrow two lane road is beginning to look like part of a National highway system, and clearly it will soon be finished. The road swoops up and over the railway line near McKay's Crossing, and yet another landmark passes into history.
Readers in the US
may
be intrigued to know that area that is now "Queen Elizabeth Park" at McKay's Crossing was the site of a major US Marine Corps camp during WW2. According to official documents, there were "camps and barracks for 26,542 personnel in
2,505,925
square feet of tents, buildings and huts; hospital beds for 2,340 patients in
59
buildings and 115 huts covering an area of 151,341 square feet; and 752,480 square feet of new storage space". Back then it must have been a small island of American culture in the back of beyond, perhaps an hour by road or rail from Wellington.
Thanks
for being here, guys.
Paraparaumu presents a commercial face to the world, at least where it meets the highway. All of the major fast food outlets seem to be there, and the Coastlands Shopping Mall, the Warehouse, and other major chains add to the expanse of concrete. Up and over the railway line at the end of the town and we are now in rural surroundings again, passing Lindale, and soon entering Waikanae.
Insurrection, stopping a little short of actual riots seems to be occurring in Waikanae as its predominantly elderly population vigorously opposes a plan by a local funeral director to erect a crematorium in the town centre. TeHoro, Manakau, and other minor centres line the road on the way to Otaki, but at this hour of morning, very few signs of life are visible in these communities.
Plenty of big rigs on the road though, and even at the legal limit of 100 km/h they are treading closely on your tail.
Levin is soon passed and then the long haul to Foxton, the straights and up to Sanson. Coffee called, but nothing was open and we had to wait until we got to Bulls. I recall that an American friend lamented the lack of good coffee in NZ (hi George and Pat). I have to say that things have changed since then. There are few places where you can't get a really good coffee in almost infinite
varety
of options. I don't regard flavour syrups as being an improvement, however.
Leaving SH1 at Bulls (a town like no udder, its sign proclaims), we continue up SH3 through the gentle pastoral landscape on the road to Wanganui. The steady wind has the grasses in motion, but alas the clouds obscure both mountains. We arrived in Wanganui as the town was stirring to life at 8:30am. Medical matters were duly attended to, after which we had a light lunch, and then set out on the return journey. Many aspects of the road seem different when traveling in the other direction
MAORI AND PAKEHA INCOMES GAP CLOSING
-
from xtramsn
The gap between Maori and Pakeha incomes has closed significantly in the past five years, the census shows.
A close analysis of
last
year's census by the New Zealand Herald show that the median income of Maori has jumped 41 percent since the 2001 census, from $14,800 to $20,000 a year, the newspaper reported. In the same period, the median income of the total population rose 31 percent, to $24,400.
Maori had also made stronger gains than Pakeha in employment and post-school qualifications. However, non-census data shows that "closing the gaps" was proving harder in other areas such as health, welfare and crime.
Maori health researcher Dr Rhys Jones said Maori were benefiting from improved economic conditions in employment, income and education, but there was a "long lag time" before those benefits flowed into improved health and lower crime.
Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia said the Maori gains were a result of government targeting, such as its latest programme, Maori Potential.
KIWIphile FILE needs your stories. If you've visited New Zealand recently (or long ago), other readers will enjoy whatever you have to say. Thanks.
7
COWPAT PATRIOTS
-
From New Zealand! New Zealand! In Praise of Kiwiana
In Flanders' fields the poppies grow / Beneath the crosses row on row (Colonel McRae).
The red poppy of Flanders Fields was adopted in 1921 by the New Zealand Returned Soldiers Association as the memorial flower of First World War dead. Emblematic of the fields on which were fought some of the cruelest campaigns in history, the image of the poppy was first used by the French Committee of the Children established at the end of the war to aid child victims of the fighting and of want. Along with other returned services' associations in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada, the New Zealand RSA agreed to the wearing of the poppy in memory of the fallen. At first commemorative flowers were made by French orphans and widows and shipped to the various countries.
The original poppies had fabric petals and a fabric-covered wire stem, but in recent years these have been replaced by moulded plastic poppies.
Once worn on Armistice Day, 11 November, in New Zealand the poppy is today sold in the week prior to Anzac Day (April 25). a date with special meaning for us.
Of course the Gallipoli campaign, once seen as an uncomplicated set-piece of wartime sacrifice, has
in
recent years been reappraised as a monumental tragedy for which British command was knowingly culpable. Like lambs to the slaughter the soldiers of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) were thrown on to a small curve of beach under steep cliffs. Against any reasonable odds the were expected to not only knock out Turkish positions at the top of the cliffs and the high ground beyond, but also to cross the Gallipoli Peninsula and immobilize Turkish forts on the Dardanelle Straits.
In the first three days oc the April 1915 land ings 900 Kiwis were killed. Eight months later when the remnants of the Anzac force were evacuated the total was more than 2700 killed and many thousands more wounded. It was a scandalous military error of such proportions that only by elevating it to some kind of glorious death' could the military and political establishment expect a tolerable response from a grieving nation at home.
HOTEL COSTS LIKELY TO GO UP
-Newstalk
ZB
The cost of staying in a New Zealand hotel is likely to jump from April this year.
The accommodation industry is predicting changes to the Holidays Act which come into effect that month are likely to be passed on to the consumer.
Under the legislation, employees must have a minimum of four weeks annual leave.
The Hotel Council says labour-intensive businesses like theirs are in for major cost increases.
CEO Mark Oldershaw says staff rosters are already somewhat of an art form, and the changes will make them even more difficult. He says ultimately it is a commercial decision for each individual hotel.
WOMEN SAY TOPLESS HAKA SUPPORTED
-Newstalk ZB
The British women's rugby team criticized for performing a topless haka says it has received plenty of support from New Zealand.
The side from Canterbury in Kent stripped off for a fundraising calendar. While some in Maoridom say it is a misuse of something sacred, team member Rebecca Willis says she has had plenty of positive emails from New Zealand. She says the publicity has led to orders from here, Australia and South Africa for the calendars.
Willis says the team apologises if anyone is upset.