Volume III, Number 5

SEPTEMBER 1991

( -phile: {Greek--philos, loving} meaning one who loves, likes, or is favorably disposed to. Webster)

NEW ZEALAND HOLIDAYS AFLOAT

Learning to sail comes not long after learning to walk for a great number of New Zealanders. The island nation boasts some of the world's leading yachtsmen and women, and some of the best yachting conditions--clear waters, deep coves, dramatic headlands, sandy shores, and a climate permitting year-round sailing.

Among the better known nautical playgrounds for visitors to New Zealand are Auckland's Hauraki Gulf and the Bay of Islands region further north.

Literally hundreds of islands dot the semi- sheltered waters of the Hauraki Gulf. While each has a character--and frequently a colorful history--of its own, the theme of pristine beaches, sparkling water, good fishing, and abundant shellfish beds is universal.

It is said that in every second home in Auckland (dubbed "City of Sails"--population just under one million) there is someone who owns a boat or crews for someone who does.

A quick survey of yacht basins peppering the city's two harbors reveals sleek racing machines, elegant and lovingly restored traditional vessels, family "trailer sailers", and a plethora of craft bearing witness to the New Zealand mania for home-built.

Visitors are offered various ways of sampling the Hauraki Gulf--aboard privately owned yachts, charter boats and on scheduled ferry services.

For example, a fleet of yachts is sailed every day but Christmas Day by Auckland Harbor Cruise Company. Its "Pride of Auckland" catamaran is an ideal introduction to sailing, while more experienced "yachties" can match race 50 footers.

Some three hours by road north of Auckland is the Bay of Islands. Here the climate is sub- tropical; the waters brilliantly blue. Island beaches are flanked by lush green hillsides where the sheep graze.

Several companies offer skippered or bareboat charters permitting visitors personal discoveries of some 86 islands.

GARDENING RENAISSANCE MEANS NEW INDUSTRY FOR NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand, along with Europe, America, and Australia, has experienced a 15% growth rate in garden related sales in each of the last three years. Such a trend has not been experienced since Edwardian times.

Gardening publications and books are now top sellers in New Zealand. Garden visiting is also booming. Word gets around about the best private gardens, even in very remote locations, and soon visitors are trekking in from long distances--even from overseas.

Climatic conditions in NZ make spectacular gardening relatively easy, allowing Kiwi plant breeders to become world champions. Subtropical Northland produces many exciting new varieties, while the climate at the far south end of the South Island produces rhododendrons unsurpassed around the world.

Trees are being planted by many gardeners to attract native birds back into city gardens. In city and country gardens dovecotes and bird baths are being installed in order to add the movement and the colors of birds to the plantings.

Check with Visitor Information Offices throughout the country for guidance to the finest local gardens.

SUNFLOWER SEED OIL/DIESEL

There is recent interest in New Zealand in a mix of raw sunflower seed oil with diesel to be used for automobile and truck fuel. The mix is clean-burning and produces very little in the way of fumes. The fuel allows better and longer engine performance, and is easy on the environment.

Harmony Natural Foods based in Tauranga, NZ. is behind the movement and has contracted several South Island farmers to grow sunflower crops alongside their regular produce. The high protein seeds are eaten by

humans and by farm animals, while the oil is extracted by presses running on the oil.

ROYAL ALBATROSS COLONY. DUNEDIN

Pick a windy day to visit the albatross colony at the tip of Otago Peninsula near Dunedin. That's because the big bird, one of the largest of flying birds (75-125 cm. or 30-50", with wing span of 30 meters), needs a 15 to 20 knot wind in order to get airborne. These amazingly graceful birds soar and wheel in the air with hardly a movement of wing. The albatross mates for life and the pair normally produces one chick each two years.

Not far from the albatross colony you can see the rare "yellow eyed" penguin and many fur seals by visiting Penguin Place. Viewing is best late in the day.

Dunedin is well supplied with motels and B&B's as well as the Stafford Gables Youth Hostel. Minivan transportation to Otago Peninsula can be arranged.

RENTAL CAR COMPANY

CATERS FOR HANDICAPPED DRIVERS

New Zealand, said to be one of the best destinations in the world for disabled travelers, now has rental cars specially adapted to meet the needs of handicapped drivers.

Budget Rent A Car hires out the adapted vehicles which are 4-door saloon models with air- conditioning. The company has offices throughout NZ and bookings can be made in the United States through a travel agent.

Bert Queenrn, Director of the New Zealand Tourism Office in the US, welcomes Budget's move.

'We are pleased the rental car industiy has joined other New Zealand vacation companies in continuing to build our good name for providing less mobile travelers with specially designed facilities and services."

He said while various companies offered coach tours of New Zealand for handicapped travelers, Budget was the first to provide adapted cars which would now allow the less mobile greater freedom to explore his country's great outdoors.

For further information about Budget cars and a free copy of the New Zealand Tourism Office's

Access Guide for the Less Mobil Traveler,

mining engineer who was born on a farm in 1874, became obsessed with finding oil on the Arabian coast Heedless of scoffings from the world's leading geologists of the time, Holmes stuck to his guns. When asked in later years how he knew oil existed in the Kuwaiti desert, he tapped his nose with a finger and said, "This was my geologist"

Frank Holmes was a larger-than-life character, described by a competitor as a man of considerable personal charm, with a "bluff, breezy, bIustering, buccaneering way about him."

Before joining the British army during WWI, which led him to the Mideast, Holmes had worked in gold and tin mines in Australia, South Africa, Malaya, Mexico, Uruguay, Nigeria, and Russia.

Holmes spent many decades in his struggle to convince the experts to believe him. In the 1930's Gulf Oil and Anglo Persian Oil fought over the Kuwaiti fields, and the outcome was a 50-50 venture, the Kuwait Oil Company. In February 1938 oil was discovered in plenty, and after WWU the phenomenal development of the country's oil resources began in earnest.

Frank Holmes did not live to see the full extent of the wealth that the oil he so staunchly believed in was to create in the Arab world. Nor did he dream of the international conflicts that would result He died in 1947.

SOUTH ISLAND VISIT - Part 4

by Mike Giannone, New Jersey

(Just in case you haven't read the past 3 newsletters, this is the continuing saga of our fourth trek through New Zealand in February-March 1990 [myself, wife Linda, daughter Amy]. While price information may be a bit dated, I truly doubt that much else has changed drastically.

- Mike Giannone)

It was finally time to leave the glaciers and press on for the tourist mecca of the South, Queenstown! It is certainly within reason to make this drive in one day but be forewarned, diversions abound along Route 6 to the south.

Leaving Fox, we had given a lift to a young German from Hannover on his way to the Wanaka hostel, and he was absolutely thrilled to know that we would be there by early afternoon. Amy was thrilled to have someone to talk to besides her parents (yuk!).

It is about 120 kms to Haast with a nice coastal overlook at Knight's point (Just past the Moeraki River). If you haven't gotten enough of one-lane bridges you should know that the one at the Haast River is the longest in the country. There is a DB Hotel at Haast, which provides the last amenities until you reach Makarora store (another 90 kms across the divide), so stock up now. Those 90 kms will be one section of road in a long series you won't soon forget.

As you wind down the Haast River valley, the ridges and mountains crowd closer and closer, and various waterfalls appear. The road begins to wind and climb and the driver's excitement level grows. (I have seen a few

guidebooks refer to this stretch as "harrowing", but don't believe it. Yes, it's narrow. Yes, there are no guardrails. No, it is not dangerous for a prudent driver. Heck, even Primrose Lane back home is "harrowing" if you're Inattentive. Enjoy yourself!).

At the "Gates of Haast", you must stop near the bridge and take in the sight of the river rushing over the granite blocks below you. There is a definite primeval feel to the whole area. The road from here to Makarora (about 18 kms) winds through the forests of Mt. Aspiring National Park. It has been mostly paved over the past few years (by now it is probably 100%), and makes for a very pleasant drive. At one of the parking turnoffs, there is a trail that leads to the west, about 15 minutes through the deep woods. It comes out to a swinging bridge over some ciystal clear turquoise pools at the Makarora River with some monster trout! Those of you with fishing tackle, stop by.

At Makarora there is a store, ranger station, and some possibilities for side excursions. A few kilometers down the road you are suddenly confronted with the first spectacular view of one of South Island's greatest treasures, its lakes! This lake, of course, is Wanaka. Deep blue, windswept, with a backdrop of mountains, and no dwellings or watercraft to spoil the image. All of them (e.g. Hawea, Ohau, Pukaki, Tekapo, Wakatipu, Te Anau, Manapouri, etc.) are similar: no sign of man except right around the few towns on their shores. (The deep blue is exchanged for robin's egg blue in Pukaki and Tekapo). As beautiful as some corners of the Great Lakes can be, these Kiwi gems can match them.

For me, these magnificent bodies of water evoke mixed emotions: being an experienced and totally committed lake sailor, I selfishly look at them as a vast new playground to explore. At the same time it would be upsetting to see sailing yachts covering their surface. New Zealand's isolation allows for both viewpoints: there simply aren't enough people around, including tourists, to clutter up more than a tiny percentage of their surface area.

After your first glimpse of Wanaka, the next 45 kms or so will be along its shores, across "The Neck", and then along Lake Hawea's west shore. By 12:30 we eventually got to the town of Wanaka, tucked into the southeastern corner of the lake. On a previous trip Linda and I had stopped here for a couple of days (Bayview Motel, NZ$70, very nice setting, large accommodations), and although Wanaka is not as flashy as Queenstown, it still has a lot of activities to offer. Our favorite is the Hovercraft trip over lake and pasture (probably the only time you'll ever have to stop your boat, get out, shoo the cows away from the gate, and pass through).

Many opportunities for side trips and camping exist, including a nice drive past picturesque Glendhu Bay, along the Matukituki River valley, through Mt Aspiring Station, until you run out of road deep into the mountains.

Wanaka is also a very well equipped town for re- supply of any kind. After we dropped our rider at the hostel, we found out that it was too windy for the Hovercraft that day. After a simple but satisfying lunch was consumed at the Wanaka Tearooms, Linda felt she wanted to atone for a past sin, "cheating" at the Wanaka maze. This maze, proclaimed as "the world's greatest..." is just outside of town on Route 6. ONE family member had solved its 1.5 kms, but the other had had to use the emergency exit. Now, with novice Amy, we gave it another shot As before, ONE family member managed to negotiate its wooden corridors, as the other two slinked through and UNDER the walls to the center courtyard.

Leaving Wanaka for Queenstown the guidebooks give you two choices: Route 6 or Route 89 (the Crown Range Route). If you are serious about experiencing and enjoying New Zealand, Route 89 is the ONLY choice. A well-maintained gravel road, for 45 kms or so you wind up the Cardrona River Valley, between the "bald" slopes of the Pisa and Crown Ranges. About halfway is the Cardrona ghosthotel and entrance to the ski area. As the road narrows noticeably and the river gets smaller and smaller, your sense of adventure grows. Right after the river ends in a damp spot, you suddenly come to the "top"--700 m+ above the Kawarau River Valley, the Remarkables Range in front of you, with Queenstown and the Frankton Arm of Lake Wakatipu in the distance to your right Given the local geography, this is a very windy spot, so hold onto your hat (and any small automobiles!). The road winds down to the valley over the next 7 kms or so, and in less than half an hour you'll enter Queenstown.

After nine days with her parents, Amy was looking forward to this "hot" spot of activity in the middle of South Island. Most travelers probably need this kind of change to ward off scenery burnout. Actually, the guidebooks do a pretty good job of describing this highly active tourist mecca. A one-word description of Q-town: FUN!

This story of our trip is overlong as it is, so I'm just going to try to pass along some isolated impressions and/or information. Without a doubt there is plenty to do here, and a lot of money can be spent (most attractions are a good value for their prices):

ACCOMMODATIONS : Wide choice. We have always stayed at the A-Line Quality Court on Stanley Street (NZ$95). Nice rooms with balcony, no cooking facilities, easy walking distance to town center. Hint: Ask for Room 808. Best view of lake in the place, end unit, easy access to street and parking.

FOOD : Anything you want, including Pizza Hut Definitely visit the Cow Restaurant on Cow Lane for pasta and/or very unique pizzas! Great atmosphere also, but can get crowded. Good value at the Mountaineer Establishment (Cobb & Co) on Beach Street The HMS. Britannia (upstairs on the Mall) has a good menu and is a bit more formal.

ENTERTAINMENT:

A rarity in NZ, organized night life! Many pubs, but the "real" scoop, according to Amy (and the locals she befriended)--Eichardt's is "the" place to meet, Wicked Willie's for the "older" (not sure what age range that really is) local crowd, and Digger's is definitely for losers. Of course this was in February 1990, so no guarantees. Queenstown reminds me of a ski town like an Aspen or a Stowe, except year round. It caters at the same time to very conservative tourists and the ski bums. Anyone should be able to find something to occupy themselves!

THINGS TO DO :

Many, many things. Read the guidebooks. Some examples:

AUTO MUSEUM :

Great old cars, worldwide license plates, motorcycles, and a plane! The NJ Firefighter's Plate is mine.

TSS EARNSLAW :

Q-town's symbol. An enjoyable cruise to Mt. Nicholas sheep station and, for those of you that like that sort of thing, a sheep shearing demo. But the cruise up the lake is the attraction.

GOVERNMENT TOURIST GARDENS:

This park is located on the point of land which separates the Frankton Arm from the harbor itself and is an easy walk from the waterfront. A pleasant place to spend some time away from the hubbub of town. Fountains, ponds, trees, flowers, and an impressive rose garden make for a relaxing stroll, or just sit by the lake and take in the views.

ARROWTOWN:

OK, so it's a picturesque

goldrush town. We found it to be a glorified shopping center and, atypically for NZ, a real tourist trap. I don't think the prices/selection here are anything special.

JETBOATING The Shotover Jet gets all the publicity, and its locale in the gorge is pretty good, but the Kawarau jet is a better value by far: NZ$35 vs. NZ$45, and 1 hour on the Lake and Kawarau River vs. 20 minutes on the Shotover. (Plus their drivers are date-able). Be warned, you WILL get wet, especially in the back seat. Of course, if you have the time and money (5 hours and NZ$95), DO NOT pass up the Dart River Jetboat Ride. In Jane King's New Zealand Handbook , she describes this trip very accurately (were we on the same boat?), and I can only echo her account. Jet boat thrills and the adventure of exploring an alpine river for a few hours are definitely a must A couple of observations: the afternoon trip is probably more desirable (i.e. warmer). Bring your DIMP (or OFF!) to repel the sandflies as they do get thick in some spots. There was some extra excitement at the end of the trip when one of the boats' engines quit in mid- river. Not to worry though, given the nature of these glacier fed watercourses. Roger fired up the tractor, DROVE out to the middle and rescued the bunch. (By the way, Neil, if you are reading this, I have great shots of the tractor pulling the "Dart River Jet" and you to shore, and all of the negatives, so you can contact me to discuss terms via the KiWIphile FILE!). Amy and Linda passed this one up for a soccer match and it's too bad they missed this.

SKIPPER'S CANYON : A lot of things go on in here, including white water rafting and bungy jumping. I wasn't able to talk anybody into the river and Amy didni quite know if she wanted to jump, but it is also fun to just explore this gold rush region. One of the better ways is to book DANE's (Shotover St.) "Skippers and Beyond" tour. This is a half-day excursion at a great price, NZ$29. For this trip, the morning version is the better choice: less dust from the road and less people get up to take it (8:30 am). Most of you know my feelings about roads in NZ, but this is the one I'll take a pass on. Not so much because it's narrow and crumbly and a long, long way down in spots, but because you never know when another tour bus is going to come around the corner, especially in the PM.

The driver does this every day and usually has a sense of when traffic will appear. Dane's drivers are also well versed in the gold rush history of the place, which adds to the experience. A few years ago, we got to go further up the canyon, and then stopped for a tea break (over a campfire) before returning. These days the upper canyon has been chopped up by mining activities (there's still gold in them thar hills), so the midpoint stop is now at a little place called Winky's.

The family that runs Winky's has spent a long time collecting memorabilia from the hills in the area. A lot of people might think this is just rusting junk, but anyone into old tools and machines will find this rest stop entertaining. Besides some tea and biscuits, you get to "pan" for gold, and see a sluice gun operate from gravity fed water channels. On the way back, we stopped at the bridge below the old cemetery and schoolhouse (being restored) to watch a bungy jump 90m above the Shotover River attached to a big rubber band.. I'd rather drive Skipper's Road blindfolded. Actually it was fun to watch somebody ELSE do it. When our driver admitted he had never jumped, Amy's enthusiasm for this noticeably dropped. Skipper's Canyon is a must see in some way, whether by raft, 4WD, or rubber band.

We spent three days in Q-town (like the last few trips) and it never seems to be enough. But it was time to get along. On Monday, February 26, 1990, in a driving rain (first in a week), we were off to Dunedin. (Fiordland is a much better destination, but that was a different trip and maybe the subject for a separate article).

NEXT? Dunedin, Otago Peninsula, the Catlins, Stewart Island. THEN? Paihia and Bay of Islands.

LETTER BOX

I am enclosing a check and my subscription for the FILE. Although I have never been to New Zealand (maybe some day), I am an armchair traveler and found the sample copy to be quite fascinating. I teach in Manistique here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and have shared the copy of the FILE with my fellow teachers and students. They thought it was "neat." So here I sit with my travel map of New Zealand and follow the travels

of those contributing to your publication.

Thanks again for sending the copy and I know I will enjoy future issues.

Marge Holland, Gould City, Michigan

I was impressed with my first issue of KlWlphile FILE, recently received. I enclose a money order to extend my subscription for a further two years.

- H. Dennis Griffin, Thunder Bay, Ont.,

Canada

A "super" publication' Keep up the good work. We haven't made New Zealand yet, but hopefully will prior to the expiration of this subscription!!

(3 years)

F. L. Fountaine, Tacoma, Washington

After a very wet and gloomy morning, would you believe at 1 p.m. the sun is shining beautifully and warmly. A change from the chill of the morning. So it is off with the heaters and up with the windows to let in this lovely sun. We haven't seen much of it lately, having had many days of rain and cold. This always seems to be the pattern of weather for July in this part of the country. Just when the farmers are busy with their cows calving, and settling in to a new milking season. I don't envy them the mud and slush about at the moment. But it makes one feel good to know that spring is just around the corner, with better and warmer weather, our gardens will be a picture. A good thought to keep to the fore at the moment, as the general tendency is for doom and gloom following the Government's budget on the 31st of July. Much tightening of the economic belt is forecast, with undoubtedly the cost of living rising.

I'll tell you a little about Matamata. A small town with a population of some 5,000--is the service town for a large farming community, both sheep and dairy, as well as deer farming, and horse racing and breeding. The many racing stables round here are quite an attraction for those overseas tourists interested. It is a very attractive town sporting a number of parks and gardens. A good part of the population is made up of retired folk, who are usually keen gardeners and therefore take great pride in their properties. Matamata is situated 160km south of Auckland in the Waikato district. Hamilton is our nearest city, only about 60km distant Also about the same distance to Tauranga on the coast, where there are some lovely beaches, and a popular pLace to go from here during the summer months.

Plenty of all manner of sporting facilities. I enjoy golf--our course is a mere 5km out of town--and swimming, do a bit of gardening in my small plot. I live in a Home Unit, one in a block of two with garages between and a small section each. Very cosy, and adjacent to a very nice park, so consider myself very fortunate.

Mary J. Dixon-Storr, Matamata, NZ

VIDEO REVIEW

New Zealand. A Video Visit . The film gives an unusually fine overview of this country which is truly a world in miniature. Photography is excellent, the pace of the tour through the country is not rushed, and far more of the natural beauty is shown than in the typical video presentation for prospective tourists.

The script is excellent and includes a good early history of the country. You'll see much of the lovely and remote areas of the South Island. New Zealand is still isolated from the rest of the world, and that feeling is captured in the film.

This is a good videotape to have in the house.

SHOW your friends why you're a kiwiphile--don't just tell them!

International Video Network,

2242 Camino Ramon,

San Ramon, CA 94583 (800-443-0100, ext. 561).

60 minutes. 1990. $24.95.

WHERE TO STAY

1. Looking for lodging in Wanaka? Judy and Jonathan Elworthy invite you to visit Riverbank Farm. Spacious self-contained guestroom, great tramping, skiing, and trout fishing nearby. B&B: NZ$70 double, NZ $45 single. Dinner, bed and breakfast NZ$160 double, NZ $80 single.Riverbank Farm, PO Box 203, Wanaka, NZ. Phone (03) 443 7968. FAX (03) 443 7940.

2. Need a place to stay in or near Wellington? Patricia Lock has sent us the following: "Patricia and Kelvin Lock would like you to know they have taken over HARBOUR CITY HOMESTAYS from Elizabeth and Peter Fry, who are moving to Indonesia (Peter as NZ Defense Attache).

Patricia and Kelvin plan to continue the provision of high quality homes with friendly Kiwi hosts. HARBOUR CITY HOMESTAYS offers accommodation and delicious homecooking with New Zealanders in Wellington city as well as farmstays in the Wairarapa, a farming district close to Wellington.

B&B prices range from NZ$50 to NZ$84, including GST. Contact Patricia Lock, HARBOUR CITY HOMESTAYS, PO Box 14-345, Kilbirnie, Wellington, NZ.

WAIKATO AND KING

COUNTRY ADVENTURING

Dreaming about an off-the-beaten-track outdoor experience away from other tourists? The NZ Department of Conservation offers summer (end of Dec. to end of Jan.) adventures for all age groups, all levels of fitness. The forests, rivers, and reserves of the King Country and Waikato are open to overseas visitors as well as to locals.

There are helihikes, overnight camping, guided tramps, caving, night exploring, and more. Guest houses,

cabins, camp areas, and tramping huts provide accommodation.

Get information from Department of

Conservation, Te Kuiti Office, 78 Taupiri St., Te

Kuiti, NZ (0813) 87297.

THE STAGING POST

In previous issues we've told you about J. D. Macfarlane's Staging Post at Parnassus, 86 miles north of Christchurch. If you haven't made an overnight stop there yet, don't forget it on your next drive between Picton/Blenheim/Nelson and Christchurch.

Caravans and tents are accommodated, and cabins and rooms in the main house are available at NZ$9 to NZ$15 per head.

Hawkswood is an historic sheep station, and you may find yourself sleeping in an orchard or a paddock.

You can roam over 8,800 acres of bush, fish for trout in the Conway River, and cast or swim or sail at various spots along the Pacific Ocean. You can help draft, dip or muster with the farmhands.

There's a swimming pool, grass tennis court, trampoline, a flying fox. Horses are the specialty of the Staging Post. Choose from a variety of mounts, from a Clydesdale on down. If you're lucky you'll get to ride in the stage coach!

Want to know more? Write J. D. Macfarlane, Hawkswood, RD. Parnassus, NZ. Tel. (05132) 898.

TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN

THE KIWIphile FILE!!

VOICE OF A KIWI - by Richard Croft

Lake Wanaka is the source of the Clutha River which carries a greater volume of water than any other river in New Zealand in its 210 mile course across Otago to the Pacific. Neighbouring Lake Hawea was raised 65 feet by damming its outlet to augment the supply of water into the Clutha for hydro-electric and irrigation purposes.

The Clutha has a rich and romantic history dating back to the gold rush days, from the Dunstan fields in the north to the Tuapeka tributary further south. The road to Cromwell runs pleasantly down the floor of the valley on S.Hwy 6 to the junction with S.Hwy 8 at Cromwell. This town has been largely resited and rebuilt in preparation for the flooding of the river in the gorge behind the Clyde Dam, 13 miles downstream, to form Lake Dunstan. The picturesque little town has now lost much of its original charm and the rugged gorge road has been reshaped beyond belief, and stands as a monument to engineering stupidity.

It's still worth the 1/2 hour run to Alexandra, the chief town of Central Otago. The area is noted for its fruit growing from January through April: apples, cherries,

apricots, and juicy stone and pip fruits. In this rather arid environment the little orchards stand out like oases in the desert. Incidentally Hwy 8 would take you back 145 miles east to Dunedin from Alexandra, or an interesting alternative route, P.S.H.85 is available. It is nicknamed the 'Pigroot", and takes you via Ranfurly with side trips along the way to quaint old goldmining towns such as St. Bathans and Naseby.

As I drove west out of Cromwell a familiar figure with a familiar pack was standing at the roadside with a thumb raised hopefully in the air. My friend Maurice had just come down from the Haast. Isn't it a small world? It could have been my imagination, but that pack seemed bigger and heavier. At Ripponvale a few miles on, we couldn't resist those huge roadside containers of peaches at 60 cents kg. (2.2 lb)--and the nashis and apricots. Maurice gratefully accepted the lady's insistent invitation to sample the produce, and my eyes popped as he stocked up with about 10 kg of assorted fruit In a magnanimous and hospitable gesture I decided that as a visitor to our fair land he couldn't be charged for the carriage of freight!

This section of Hwy 8 through the Kawarau Gorge is much like the Cromwell Gorge used to be before the developers (wreckers) moved in. It hugs the fast flowing Kawarau River for many miles, crossing it several times and offering frequent, delightful vistas of blue! green water, turbulent rapids, rocky cliffs, and the ever- present mountains. The Kawarau actually drains Lake Wakatipu on its short 35 mile course to merge with the Clutha at Cromwell. Soon the road eases away from the river to run alongside Lake Hayes. This tiny tarn, with its glassy blue surface and tranquil surroundings has long been a favourite mecca for landscape artists and latterly for photographers. It also has no less a reputation for some fine trout fishing. Nearby, several roads detour to Arrowtown via an alternative route to Queenstown.

But before this, at the old Kawarau suspension bridge, we had come upon a large gathering of several hundred people with the carpark crowded and two large tour buses nearby. This was the bridge that Maurice wanted to jump off. Surely the guy was a nut, but no, just at that moment a girl jumped into the river from 140 feet up.

Most people probably don't even know where New Zealand is except, perhaps, that it's in the South Pacific near Australia. But New Zealand has given the world some notable firsts, such as the pavlova cake (recipe available), K.Z.7—the plastic-hulled America's Cup challenger, the Hamilton jet propulsion boat, hokey- pokey ice cream, and maybe some others. Last but not least, the safest anti-gravity mechanism known to modern man, the Bungy system.

A. J. Hackett perfected the system of a woven rubber rope attached to the ankles allowing a calculated free fall from virtually any height He tested it at such varied locations as the French Alps, the Nevada desert, and the Eiffel Tower. He achieved fame (or was it

notoriety?) by jumping from one of the upper levels of the Elifel in front of a throng of horrified onlookers. Bemused French gendarmes, in a state of great consternation, thought of putting him in an institution, but after having been given assurances of a non-repeat, finally let him go.

Spend a few hours here or at the 230 ft. Skipper's Canyon bridge for free entertainment, sharing in the frenzy and excitement as the participants, some rigid with fear, are prepared for the ultimate thrill. Although I thought I detected a faint air of trepidation, Maurice seemed determined to do the deed, and who was I to discourage him?

Any approach to Lake Wakatipu does not prepare you for the little resort town of Queenstown tucked into its magnificent setting on Queenstown Bay. It was said to have gained its name from a group of Irish gold prospectors who, having pronounced the scene "fit for any queen" then formaHy christened it on a blacksmith's anvil. Call it what you like and disregarding the touristy commercial little downtown, you will never fail to be charmed by the majestic surroundings. The same feelings of humility and awe overcame me once again after all these years. It is a place to linger, to stroll, and to savour the clean mountain air. Stand on the little jetty at the foot of the Mall and watch tame trout and ducks waiting idly by, nonchalantly expecting--no, almost demanding, to be fed. The icy-cold umplumbed waters of Wakatipu extend in a narrow dogleg over 50 miles, its mood constantly changing during the day.

There is every conceivable attraction for the visitor here, and it would take too much of the FILE's space to detail, but to mention a few to whet the appetite:

river rafting. jetboating, fishing safaris, farm tours, horseriding, parapenting, scenic flights, etc., etc. There is even a fully rigged schooner City of Dunedin available for deep water sailing on the lake. In winter with the snow deep down on the Remarkables and Hams Mountains, the area is transformed into a premier ski base. No visit is complete without a cruise on the venerable old steamship--the lady of the lake--the Earnslaw. Prefabricated in sections in Dunedin and railed to Kingston at the southern end of the lake, she was launched in 1912. She is the last remaining ship of a long line which plied the lake serving runholders, gold prospectors and tourists in the old days long before the coming of modem roads and the motor car.

Another experience not to be missed is the ride on the gondola up onto Bob's Peak to the Skyline Restaurant and the lookout. The view is quite breathtaking either by day or night, and on a moonlit winter's night the sight of those sawtooth Remarkables is one you won't ever forget Queenstown, although it has achieved some international prominence as an all-year resort, still retains that natural charm that so captivated me when! worked as a drink waiter-porter in 1946 at the old White Star Hotel, since destroyed by fire. It says something for the persistence of the local people that of some 20 years ago they were able to defeat plans by

developers to build multi-story hotels which could have destroyed the character of the lakefront forever.

Arrowtown, 12 miles away, is another gem, and its Buckingham Street, flanked with century old sycamores could be enough to make any American homesick. One of the most colourful characters to grace the area's goldfields was the notorious American blackbirder, free-booter, and pirate Captain William Henry (Bully) Hayes, and stories abounded about the "scourage of the Pacific."

The restored facades of old shops and the quaint little weatherboard miners' cottages reek of the days when rich gold strikes along the nearby Arrow River brought the town into existence. In the early 1860's it was described as the "richest river in the world0. Extravagant perhaps, but when the big rush got underway, gold was found everywhere, and it is recorded that at the renowned Arthur's Point claim, within two months the partners there picked up $8,000 worth. With gold at around $1 an oz., imagine its value today when you multiply that by say 350. Mention of gold stirs up romantic ideas of wealth and riches in many of us. I certainly wouldn't want to start a modern-day rush, but while I was in the Queenstown area last fall I came across an authenticated story of latterday success in the local "Mountain Scene" paper. (Ed. see June 1991 issue of K.F. for details). It featured two young US guys visiting here who decided to try their luck at fossicking. Cuffing a long story short, they ended up with a strike worth US$9,000--believe it or not.

I taunted Maurice endlessly about his proposed bungy-jumping exploit until I am sure he felt there was no retreat--that in fact it would amount almost to an act of cowardice if he didn't do it. Irish honour was at stake! However, it was late on a really hot summer's afternoon and we were driving along Camp Street to our lodge after sampling the local beer in the cool shade of a lakeside bistro, when Maurice turned suddenly and shouted, "Can you turn here, please, Richard?"

I did a daring, illegal U-turn, and there at the intersection

--I knew before he could tell me--was Cynthia-- in the flesh. What a looker! A tall, slim French-Canadian from Montreal with longish, crimped, light auburn hair. Intelligent looking, too, with a smile that would melt bricks. We exchanged pleasantries, but I knew I was intruding. You know—I didn't see Maurice again for two days, but who could blame him. C'est Ia vie! C'est bon. NEXT TIME: Did Maurice jump? South again on Hwy 6. (You may get brochures and full information on any of the attractions mentioned in Richard Croft's article from the NZ TOURISM OFFICE, 501 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste 300, Santa Monica CA 90401 —tel. 800-388-5494).

BITS AND BITES

Highly recommended as a B&B on Stewart Island is: Stewart Island Lodge, P0 Box 5, Halfmoon Bay. Stewart Island. Daily rates US$75/85 per person. Includes excellent food and local wines.

World class winery near Nelson:

Neudorf Vineyards,

Neudorf Rd. R.D. 2, Upper Moutere, NZ.

Tel. (054 21) 643

Open from December to end of Feb.—otherwise by appointment. Also mail order. Enjoy the peace and personal approach offered only by a small winery.

Contact Frangipani Tours (800-458-1130) for your travel pass at US$207 which gives unlimited train travel in NZ during a 14-day period. The Complete Travel Pass costs US$305, and includes air travel as well as travel on buses, ferries, and trains.

The Silver Fern, reputed to be one of the best trains in the world, runs daily from Auckland to Wellington, a 10-hr. scenic trip. The seats are covered with fleecy white sheepskin, and meals and tea are served on trays, airplane style. The train no longer makes the lunchtime stop at Taihape. NZ$87 for a one-way trip.

Ian M. Walker does videotape conversions at very reasonable rates. He uses 4 field broadcast quality converters rather than the 2 field conversions generally available. Transfer to/from any NTSC/PAL/SECAM system. Wholesale/mail order. One day turnaround. Contact VSC Ltd. 2443 Fair Oaks Blvd. Ste 89, Sacramento CA 95825 (916-454-1763).

High standards of health-wise and environmentally conscious Americans have resulted in a new import from NZ: premium quality, fresh, free range eggs (in brown shells) now airfreighted from NZ's North Island. Produced in a pollution-free environment, w/o antibiotics, pesticides, battery cages, or any other artificial conditions. You'll see them in your market or health food store. We sampled them--expensive but choice!

You can get your 1991 annual NZ Hostel Handbook from any youth hostel in NZ, or at the YHA Travel Center, 36 Customs St. in Auckland.

- Whale watching expeditions out of Kaikura, among the best in the world, have been cut back because the well-being of the visiting whales is becoming endangered by the boatloads of observers.

Good old Dutch hospitality in Waipu, a tiny Northland (NZ) town? Try Grasshoppers, owned and operated by Sjoerd and Hermine Smit from Holland. They sell vegies and fruits, and will make a sandwich to order for you, offer you strong, hot coffee and good conversation.

- We have heard that ferry service from Invercargill to Stewart Island has been discontinued. Plane trip only is available.

- An item in the LA. Times tells us that New Zealand's central bank will make a final decision in September about whether or not to remove Queen Elizabeth II's image from dollar bills. Citizens, invited to submit names they thought suitable for the honor, gave an early lead to supermodel Rachel Hunter, rocker Rod Stewart's wife (can this be serious?). But Nobel Prize winner Lord Ernest Rutherford, a physicist who split the atom, has pulled ahead. Many Kiwis, sensitive to the nuclear-free NZ image, object to the latter choice. So time will tell.

- If any subscribers, retired from or currently serving in the US military, want information on a trip to NZ, get in touch with Gary Ramsey, P.O. Box 9596, Las Vegas NV 89191.

FILE IS NOW PRINTED ON ALL

RECYCLED PAPER

WOMEN AND THE VOTE - (From Following the

Equator. A Journey Around the World , by Mark

Twain, pub. 1897.

In New Zealand women have the right to vote for members of the legislature, but they cannot be members themselves. The law extending the suffrage to them went into effect in 1893. The population of Christchurch (census of 1891) was 31,454. The first election under the law was held in November of that year. Number of men who voted, 6,313; number of women who voted, 5,989. These figures ought to convince us that women are not as indifferent about politics as some people would have us believe. In New Zealand as a whole, the estimated adult female population was 139,915; of these 109,461 qualified and registered their names on the rolls--78.23 per cent. of the whole. Of these, 90,290 went to the polls and voted-- 85.18 per cent Do men ever turn out better than that--In America or elsewhere? Here is a mark to the other sex's credit, too--I take it from the official report:

'A feature of the election was the orderliness and sobriety of the people. Women were in no way molested."

At home, a standing argument against woman suffiage has always been that women could not go to the polls without being insulted. The arguments against woman suffrage have always taken the easy form of prophecy. The prophets have been prophesying ever since

the woman's right movement began in 1848—and in forty-seven years they have never scored a hit.

Men ought to begin to feel a sort of respect for their mothers and wives and sisters by this time. The women deserve a change in attitude like that, for they have wrought well. In forty-seven years they have swept an imposingly large number of unfair laws from the statute books of America. In that brief time these serfs have set themselves free--essentially.. Men could not have done so much for themselves in that time without bloodshed--at least they never have; and that is argument that they didn't know how. The women have accomplished a peaceful revolution, and a very beneficent one; and yet that has not convinced the average man that they are intelligent, and have courage and energy and perseverance and fortitude. It takes much to convince the average man of anything; and perhaps nothing can ever make him realize that he is the average woman's inferior- -yet in several important details the evidences seem to show that that is what he is. Man has ruled the human race from the beginning—but he should remember that up to the middle of the present century it was a dull world, and ignorant and stupid; but it is not such a dull world now, and is growing less and less dull all the time. This is woman's opportunity--she has had none before. I wonder where man will be in another forty-seven years?

In the New Zealand law occurs this: "The word person wherever it occurs throughout the Act includes woman."

That is promotion, you see. By that enlargement of the word, the matron with the garnered wisdom and experience of fifty years becomes at one jump the political equal of her callow kid of twenty-one. The white population of the colony is 626,000, the Maori population is 42,000. The whites elect seventy members of the House of Representatives, the Maoris four. The Maori women vote for their four members.

(Will be continued)

NZ INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

According to an article in International Living . August

1991 issue, this is the ideal time to buy real estate property in New Zealand. Prices are unbelievably low--some are 30 to 50% lower than in 1987, the peak year. The value of the US dollar as compared to the NZ dollar gives added incentive to buy.

Specific Kiwi bargains are detailed in the piece, as well as individuals to contact in Auckland. Wellington, and Christchurch.

Write to International Living . Agora Inc., 824 E. Baltimore St., Baltimore MD 21202.

(Ed. note: According to our broker Ian M. Faulks of LOCATIONS in Queenstown, there is added good news: interest rates falling to near 10%.)

MOST TOURISTS HAPPY WITH NZ

A survey of visitors during the past nine months reveals that 98 per cent were satisfied with all aspects of their stay in New Zealand.

The survey of more than 3100 people, commissioned by the Tourism Department, asked visitors about accommodation, transport, roads, restaurants, service, shopping, natural attractions, and the provision

of travel information.

A further breakdown showed natural attiactions top scored, with 97 per cent of the people surveyed commenting favorably, the department said yesterday.

The departing visitors also rated outdoor activities and Maori cultural experiences highly, along with the availability and quality of general travel information.

COMPANIONS TRAVEL FREE IN SPRINGTIME

New Zealand's spring begins in September, with a floral momentum that peaks in November. The country's rolling hills rival Ireland's for sheer greenness, interrupted by waves of sheep tending their newborn. Popular attractions at this time of the year include flower shows such as the Taranaki Rhododendron Festival Nov. 1-10, and the daily display of New Zealand exotica in private and public gardens.

A visit to NZ this fall comes with a double bonus. Companions travel free, with a "down under" spring as an add-on, with the purchase of an Expanding Horizons' two-for-one land package starting at $1,495 for a 9-night holiday.

The two-for-one plan offered by the California tour company gives two people 9 nights accommodation in rooms with twin beds and private bath, daily breakfast, two lunches and dinners. Transportation is with a tour guide in a modern, air-conditioned bus throughout both the North and South Islands. Also included in the price tag is a boat trip on the scenic Milford Sound along with access to regional attractions and such cultural events as a Maori concert and hangi (luau-style dinner).

Tour departure dates are Sept. 22 and Oct. 20 from Auckland.

Other bargains from Expanding Horizons include a $215 per person double occupancy rate for 5 night home-stay plans and a hotel voucher plan starting at $52 per room per night. On the home-stay package guests enjoy NZ hospitality in a farm, country or city home. Each package includes private bedroom, breakfast and dinner and an opportunity to get to know folks at the grass-roots level.

Contact: Bristol Travel (800) 525-6810.

SAVING THE ELUSIVE KAKAPO

The kakapo, a huge, fat, gentle night parrot with

a face similar to an owl, is in trouble. Only about 50 of the ancient birds remain (just 14 are females)--all confined to 4 small islands off New Zealand's coast.

The few people who have had personal experience with the kakapo have come away with their hearts touched. The creature is like a bird out of time. The NZ Department of Conservation is determined to save the bird from extinction.

After holding one of the birds, Cons. Minister Philip Woollaston said, "It was a rare privilege and a most emotional experience. The kakapo seemed to have utmost trust. I was cuddling a gentle creature from another age."

Among our subscribers is an American citizen who is also determined in behalf of this bird who is dear to her heart. Last February Rebecca Dennett of Salt Lake City stayed on Little Barrier Island with some kakapo workers headed by Ralph Powlesland. She had the happy experience of being present when two chicks were found, both of which are doing well, the first survivors in the past decade.

Dennett writes: "In speaking to Don Merton (called the kakapo man because of his work in starting the recovery program years ago), I was told that they are running out of money for the supplementary feeding."

Dennett herself has raised money for the effort by holding auctions. She delivered a large check when she visited NZ this year.

We have an opportunity to help save the kakapo, one of the most endangered species on earth. Watch for more on the kakapo next time.

In the meantime, you may send contributions to either Don Merton or Ralph Powlesland, % Dept. of Conservation, P.O. Box 10420, Wellington, NZ. Make the check out to "Dept. of Conservation, Sciences, and Research," and make sure you specify that it is to be used for the kakapo.

Sketch is by Rebecca Dennett.

KIWIFRUIT WINE SPARKLES IN US

Kumeu fruit wine maker Riverhead Estate Winery has won a contract that could be worth $1.3 million over four years to export 120,000 bottles of sparkling kiwifruit wine a year to Florida.

Riverhead had contracted to deliver 1.5 container-loads this year, five containers next year, seven in 1993 and nine in 1994. Each container holds about 13,000 750ml bottles.

The sparkling kiwifruit wine is like an Asti style wine but dryer. The dryness suits the American palate.

The Florida company importing the wine had also inquired about the nashi pear, feijoa and boysenberry wines also made by Riverhead Estate.

Riverhead produced about 250,000 bottles of fruit wine a year, with only about 20,000 sold in New Zealand.

Until next time, KIA ORA!