Volume VII, No. 1

SEPTEMBER 1994

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

BLAST FROM THE PAST - From Pacific Way

In the corner of a very ordinary New Zealand living room, a television is showing some fascinating footage. A commentator provides excited coverage as molten lava and rocks rain down on the Auckland suburb of Remuera, engulfing familiar streets and buildings.

The whole scene--living room and television-- is an exhibit at a new million-dollar exhibition which opened in May at Auckland Museum. To be called Volcanoes and Giants, the exhibition is designed to tell the story of New Zealand's prehistoric past, and it features lifesize recreations of New Zealand dinosaurs and other ancient animals.

One of the most impressive exhibits shows an animated moa trapped In a swamp, being attacked by an extinct eagle. The massive eagle--it has a wing span of three metres--moves and cries as it descends on its prey.

Another part of the exhibition offers visitors the chance to enter a simulated live volcano, which has been cast from an authentic underground lava cave in the Auckland suburb of Mt. Eden, made realistic with heat and lighting effects.

Also on display will be the world's largest ammonite (up to 1.52m across); a model of a giant penguin and giant mussel, and mosasaurus and plesiosaurus skull casts.

Volcanoes and Giants runs from May 7 until January 1996. Entry Is NZ$7 for adults, $4 for children and $15 for a family pass.

For more information contact the Auckland Museum, Ph (09)377-3932.

SOUTH ISLAND EARTHQUAKE

Helicopters carrying monsoon buckets were to use water to shift rocks percariously perched above the state highway in the Arthurs Pass area since a powerful earthquake in mid-June.

The quake registered 6.3 on the Richter scale. It was centered near Arthurs Pass and while most severe effects were on the West Coast and in Canterbury, it was also felt as far away as Invercargill as well as Stratford in Taranaki on the North Island.

The process of dropping water from helicopters using monsoon buckets was to be used to clear the loose rocks and speed up the road clearance. This method had been used previously and was better than setting off explosives in the Arthurs Pass National Park.

SWIMMING IN THE SNOW

Freezing temperatures have proved no deterrent to Kiwis and tourists eager to sample the outdoor swimming offered at the Hanmer Springs Thermal Reserve in North Canterbury. The complex, which now includes a health and fitness centre and cafe, as well as revamped hot pools, was busy during snowfalls in July.

The reserve has had a 40% increase in visitors since a recent revamp. The small alpine village of Hanmer Springs, 90 minutes from Christchurch, is popular with Cantabrians but relatively undiscovered by tourists and North Islanders. Local attractions Include jetboating, bungy jumping, horse trekking, mountain biking, skiing, white water rafting, bush walks, abseiling, and golf.

KIWI TIPS - by Margaret Campbell (reprinted from Network for Living Abroad)

On October 6th, 1769, Captain James Cook sighted, for the first time in recorded history, the northern shores of New Zealand. Rudyard Kipling found "the eighth wonder of the world" here, and James Michener called these islands "probably the most beautiful place on earth." For a country so young with about 3.5 million in population, it offers a diverse culture, a wide array of political and religious thought, and progressive attitudes of modern life. Whoever you are and wherever you come from, you can expect a warm welcome in "Aotearoa" (Ay-oh-tee-ah- row-ah).

Few countries encompass such contrasts in geography and culture. Where else can you snow ski on Christmas morning, then drive just two or three hours to spend the afternoon frolicking in the tepid waters of the Pacific?

Outdoor and sport enthusiasts will revel in the opportunities for outdoor activities: bungee jumping, some of the world's best trout and deep-sea fishing, skiing, jet boating, and magnificient national parks with everything from rainforests to tall pines. The temperate climate allows year round hiking and exploring in many areas.

Kiwis joke that you can experience four seasons in one day, but it's no laughing matter to be caught unprepared in a downpour. A light, windproof jacket will come in handy during the warmer months while layered clothing is advised during the winter. Central heating is common, but not to the degree North Americans are used to. Kiwis are a hardy lot and don't mind if it's colder inside their homes than out.

The summer season lasts from early December through March, with late January and February the warmest. New Zealanders take their Christmas and main family holiday break in January or early February, so expect facilities to be crowded during this time.

Visitors from the U.S. and Kiwis Will probably acknowledge that the two countries are more similar than different. However, it is important to note the differences.

* * You'll drive on the left side of the road, and there are no turns on red. Expect to be shocked at the price of gas.

* * Don't be shy about asking questions if you're lost, or even if you're not. The helpful and friendly disposition of Kiwis will generally be a delight.

Kiwis tend to speak fast, so don't hesitate to ask them to repeat what they said. (Don't be surprised if they don't understand you the first time either).

* * The favorable exchange rate allows you to take advantage of the diverse shopping. Better exchange rates can be obtained in local banks (open 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday).

* * Dining out has its little traps. The "entree" in New Zealand is the equivalent of a starter in an American restaurant. For an American "entree" look for the New Zealand "main" If you would like ice water with your meal, you usually need to ask for it. When you order "tea", you'll get the hot variety. There is an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, so take advantage of local dining. Most dining establishments are licensed to serve liquor, and some offer a "BYO" option, which means bring your own beer or wine, but not spirits or fortified wines. You may be charged a small fee "per glass" for this service. Note that tipping is the exception rather than the norm.

Independent travel is easy in New Zealand and Australia, but don't leave without some preliminary planning. Try to find some of the many Kiwis or Australians living in the U.S. Have a great trip, mate!

VOICE OF A KIWI - By Richard Croft (Taranaki - continued)

Highway 3 takes you southwest across the broad

Waimate Plain to the market town of Hawera which has little to distinguish it from a dozen or so of these Taranaki dairying centres except for its large concrete water tower. Access can be readily granted and from its 170 ft. roof visitors will be well rewarded on a clear day with fine views of land and sea and, of course the incomparable scene-stealer Mt. Taranaki, monarch of all it surveys.

Hawera began its existence in the 1860's as a beleaguered colonial settlement around which raged the bitter land settlement wars. History records that some years later a group of dissident settlers, incensed at the government's continuing failure to afford more protection, declared New Zealand's first and only Republic. It lasted just two weeks!

Eighteen miles further on is Patea, Taranaki's southernmost township, set on hills on each side of the Patea River. In front of the town hall, resting on pillars, is an impressive model of the migratory canoe "Aotea" which brought voyagers to this area in the 14th century. Fifty-five feet long and five feet in breadth, it seats Turi, the famous commander, his family and others. Adjoining the model is an historical museum with a fascinating collection of ethnic materials.

The whole of the western coastline from near Auckland to Wanganul consists of shoaling iron sands, the result of ancient volcanic activity. For many years these deposits have been mined, and extraction plants separate the high quality iron concentrate which is then pumped out to giant tankers offshore for transport to Japan. There it is further processed to obtain rutile, titanium and other valuable elements for specialist steelmaking. One such plant can be seen near Waverley just south of Patea at Waipipi on the beach. Countless millions of tons are available for exploitation and at virtually no risk to the environment.

Along the road dairy herds soon start to give way to conspicuously creamy white flocks of sheep and lambs as the plain narrows. The land becomes lacerated by a series of broken twisting river valleys and gorges, while up on the eastern horizon, toward the volcanic plateau, stand the vestiges of the once dense, impenetrable rain forests. Then it's an easy run into the northern outskirts of Wanganui, or "Whanganui" as it was originally known.

Wanganui is one of New Zealand's oldest cities, and it has occupied a position of importance out of all proportion to its size. It had an inauspicious beginning when in. 1831 four Europeans landed near the river mouth to trade and, after a scuffle, three of them were killed and later eaten. An undeserved reputation was gained which persisted for some time even after Wakefield's N.Z. Land Company "bought" no less than 40,000 acres of fertile river flats. "Bought" could hardly describe the transactions which took place in those days between educated foreigners and unsophisticated South Sea natives. In this case a few hundred pounds worth of an assortment of blankets and knick-knacks such as pipes, looking glasses, and coloured glass trinkets completed the purchase. The Maoris misunderstood what had transpired and predictably

began to dispute the sale but of course to no avail.

Two-hundred settlers arrived to establish the fledgling town with the unpopular name of Petre, soon to be changed by petition to Whanganui. Resentment amongst the Maoris who felt cheated by the original land deal caused the government to set up a garrison and stockade, and after some bitter skirmishes, thought was even given to abandoning the area. However, further compensation was paid, more large tracts of this fertile land were secured, and comparative calm prevailed.

Such are the humble and troubled beginnings of many a fair city. It is the river, though, winding its way 170 miles down through mountains and forests, which dominates the scene. For both the Maori and the new arrivals it was a major route to the interior. Ingenuity made it possible for a variety of steamboats to navigate the river for over 100 miles to Taumarunui. Winches were used to haul the shallow-bottomed craft over a series of rapids-- the journey taking about three days with a ready complement of passengers, goods and mail. Then in the 1880's tourists discovered the spectacular, verdant beauty of the upper reaches, and thousands of visitors from far and wide were attracted.

In some years as many as fifteen river boats were plying the trade. These days several refurbished boats carry sightseers on day trips, and jet boats and canoes abound. For those with time to spare, an interesting round trip can be made by taking S.H. 4, a winding connecting highway, 50 miles inland to Raetihi, then across to Pipiriki on the Wanganui River. Some excellent jetboat excursions are available from here before returning another 50 miles alongside the river on a partly-sealed road back to the city.

Wanganui is proud of its cultural associations and has active theatre groups. Queens Park, a block away from Victoria Avenue, the main thoroughfare, is home for one of the country's best known art centres, the Sarjeant Gallery, as well as the public museum, library and futuristic War Memorial Hall.

This is a garden city and there are some lovely strolling parks to enjoy, chief of which is Virginia Lake on St. John's Hill. Its Maori name Is Rotokawau (lake of black shags) and it has hundreds of species of native and exotic trees and shrubs and flower displays, plus an aviary. Wild bird life flourishes.

Then there are the Moutoa Gardens where the purchase of the town site was transacted in 1840, Kowhai Park with Its popular children's playground, and Deer Park at the foot of St. John's Hill where a herd of tame deer in natural surroundings may be fed by hand. Just across the Victoria Avenue town bridge lies the entrance to the 700 ft. elevator tunnel from where you can ascend 200 feet to the Dune Hill tower lookout. Climb the 100 ft. tower and obtain a panoramic view of the city, its surrounds and the sea, and even possibly Mt. Taranaki 80 miles to the northwest.

My favourite diversion is to take the quaint old restored riverboat up river to the Holly Lodge Estate Winery to sample some local wines. In the early days it was believed that the river valley had similarities to some traditional French wine-growing areas, but nothing ever developed.

Just out of town going south, at Putiki, is a pa (Maori Village or settlement) which is worth visiting, and nearby is St. Paul's Church, probably one of New Zealand's finest Maori churches with its richly decorated interior containing beautiful examples of carving, painting, and weaving.

Wanganui in its heyday was a busy, bustling place with railway workshops, meat packing plants, and ocean and river ports. These have all gone but the city still prospers as a centre of commerce for its rich farming hinterland. Perhaps it has even gained something--there is a lingering feel of old-fashioned maturity and relaxation about the place which gives it a distinct charm, while the prevailing westerlies from the adjacent Tasman Sea and the sheltering hills ensure a genial temperate climate.

It's only about 28 miles further south to make the connection with S.H.1 again at Bulls. Strange name, that, isn't it? It was named after a noted pioneer wood-carver James Bull. Don't know whether to believe it or not, but the locals tell me it's the only place in the world where you can get milk from bulls. Could be!

GREEN HEAT FOR THE HOME

A revolutionary form of environmentally friendly home heating has been created after 17 years of research by Industrial Research Ltd, formerly the department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Earlier this year a Dunedin company, Dunedin Waste Disposal Systems Ltd. bought the production- process rights to the product and set up a manufacturing company, Hot Rocks Ltd, to make the unique heating fuel. The product is made from carefully measured amounts of coal dust, waste paper and shredded plastic milk bottles which, after being mixed with water, are then pressed into brick-sized blocks and fired.

The Hot Rocks, which can be used with or without wood, can last for up to 90 minutes and give off an equal amount of heat as coal when burnt, but with a lower smoke output. They can be used in most heating ranges found In the home.

The company is already marketing the briquets in the South Island and is currently looking at establish- ing sales in the North Island.

ANTHILL TO BACK COUNTRY ROAD

Australian anthills provided the inspiration for a chemical mix which could improve the quality of unsealed backcountry roads in NZ. The Tararua District Council is trialling the mix, which is a laboratory version of what Australian ants use to make their hills tough and weather- resistant.

ANTARCTIC EXPERIENCE (from NZ listener)

Opened recently, but not for penguins, Kelly Tarlton's new extension, the sub zero Antarctic Experience. Some 600,000 visitors are expected in the first year--1650 a day--but they won't be feeling the cold.

After a leisurely stroll through Captain Scott's fateful 1911 expedition hut (replicated with the aid of photographs and kept at a comfortable temperature), they board a computer-controlled, battey-powered. insulated snowmobile (engine adapted from a fork-lift truck spotted in operation at Foodtown) for a spell in the freezer, where they will experience Antarctic whiteout conditions with a blast of artificial snow, before moving on to see real ice (the birds, when they turn up, will need it to walk on) and, among other things, actors taking the parts of Antarctic scientists.

Mechanised penguins will stand in for the real thing until the company gets Maf permission to import 20 to 30 king penguins from San Diego SeaWorld. (All bird- management processes are in place.)

Having emerged from the (ridge, visitors will find displays of static and not-so-static Antarctic phenomena, including an interactive learning area and tanks of Antarctic fish.

But we can't help wondering, can it hold its own against a deserted Karekare Beach? We understand the wild west-coast location for Jane Campion's film, The Piano, is becoming the place to go on the Auckland tourist trail.

OBJECTIVE: NEW ZEALAND

Communique' #2.0

(Note: Field Commuinique' #1.0 described how Allan Cross and Martha Cross-Balon (The "A&M Team") planned their mission "Objective: New Zealand." This is the second in the series.)

Heading due South of Greymouth on InterCity Coachlines, the team noticed that the bus driver must have been performing some sort of secret mission. At nearly every stop, he would reach down and throw something out the window. Was this a clandestine operation of some sort? Was the driver really a solitary litterbug gone mad in this country of the clean? We later found out the bus driver was, as common to the rural areas, pulling double duty as a newspaper deliverer! Sure, this time the situation was simple enough, but the team had to stay sharp and on the lookout.

Along the way, the bus made an hour's stop at Hokitika. Normally that is just enough time to not only satisfy one's hunger for food, but also the tourists' hunger for the famous greenstone (jade) of the area. Several stores within two blocks of the bus station sell quality stone beautifully carved and at reasonable prices. However, when the bus crowd went left, the A&M Team went right. (Oh, the joy of independent touring!) This took us to the seashore two blocks due west of the bus station. And what a beach...yes, there were the usual dunes and sand and crashing waves of the Tasman Sea.

But the striking feature of this landscape is the driftwood. Fabulous sizes and shapes for as far as the eye can see. This beach alone would keep every driftwood artist in the entire state of California busy for twenty years! We only took one small memento and returned to the bus. By the way, if the driver says be back at a certain time, he means it. They do not wait!

We rendezvoused at the bus stop with LN Noeleen Williams who was to be not only our host at the farmstay code-named "The Homestead" but was also a very savvy and unique guide. The Homestead was a working farm with a century-old spacious main house complete with leadlight windows. The team was ravenous after the long bus ride and asked where the nearest chow hall was. Noeleen recommended the "Cooksaddle" in Fox township. The first impression when you walk through the door of the Cooksaddle is that there should be about six TVs all set to ESPN. Well, the first impression was pretty close because although the place was not an American- run establishment, it was the next closest thing.. Canadian! Eating an excellent meal in front of a nice warm fireplace was perfect because the temperature was dropping quickly and a typical mountain misty rain was starting to move in.

When Noeleen picked us up she asked if we wanted to see Fox Glacier up close and personal. Fortified with warm bellies, we jumped at the offer. She drove up a winding "metal" (crushed rock) road with a casual skill that would be the envy of any armored personnel carrier driver, stopping at the foot of Fox Glacier, Even through the mist and now growing fog, it was impressive...and cold! On the way back, we stopped for a unique photo opportunity by standing halfway across a small footbridge over the surging Fox River-with the monochromatic color tones of blue/gray washing into the mist. We were surrounded by rocks and giant boulders worn smooth by the steel gray water, made so by the sediment being carried by the rushing river. You feel like an insignificant Visitor on another planet. Mother Nature is definitely the commanding officer around here! But the uniqueness doesn't end here. While on vacation have you ever had a tour of the local dump? Well, don't miss the dump just off the Fox Glacier access road. Actually Noeleen was a bit embarrassed to take us to the dump, but when she said that it's the best way to see the Kea parrots in the evening --we insisted. She was right. There was a whole flock of them...doing what they love to do: tearing into various trash containers and generally having a ball By the way, they especially love to tear into the type of rubber that's found on cars. So, if you drive, don't leave your car unguarded! Nightfall happens early at this elevation and it was dark by the time we returned to the farmstay. What a day! Our only disappointment was that we could not see the mountain tops because of the low ceiling.

The next morning we awoke to the weirdest rooster call you could imagine. This city boy learned that

when a roost is "between roosters" as was the case here, the dominant hen would do the crowing...well at least try to. I was quick to point this biological deficiency out to Martha. She agreed, saying that going around crowing did seem to be a male specialty--but I digress. Unlike yesterday, it was clear. The previously shrouded mountain tops were laser sharp. Just down the road from the farmstay you can get a photo of both Mts. Cook and Tasman in one frame. Impressive.

We returned to Greymouth by bus, this time buying some beautiful jade in Hokitika. Once in Greymouth we again took advantage of our Bus/Train/Ferry package and switched over to the Trans-Alpine Express. The train surpasses European quality: lots of windows for photos, comfortable seats covered with sheepskin, a table for each seat, well maintained cars, and a wonderful service staff. Yes, they serve a complimentary tea time on the train...and even a snack! You don't even get that on many airplanes in the US any more!

After another pleasant evening in Christchurch we caught the Coastal Pacific train at Addington Station, heading North to our next destination, Picton. Along the way we saw some great Northern California type coastline interspersed with verdant green rolling hills. Not only a beautiful, relaxing ride, but on the same style train used for the Trans-Alpine Express route! (Be sure to request a seat on the "sea" side for the best views. This is whale sighting water but we just saw a few seals sunning themselves on the rocks). Along the way a significant event took place: Martha stopped saying "Oh! Look at the cute sheep!" I guess she finally realized that all the sheep were cute...all 75 million of them.

For some reason we thought that Picton was Just going to be one of those undistinguished towns that provides a crossroads service for transportation terminals. How wrong we were! Isn't there any place in this country that is mediocre? As pointed out previously, even the trash dump was fascinating! Well, Picton was such a surprise that the A&M Team decided that this would now be designated as our biggest mistake of the trip...not leaving enough time to do justice to the beautiful Picton area, including the vineyards around Blenheim (which, incidentally produce a white wine that would give any German wine a run for its money—and the money would be a lot less!--and that's based on four years of living in Germany.) Don't copy our mistake. You don't see a lot in the guides about the Picton area, but leave time for it. As for us, we can only think of the old saying about leaving something undone as a good excuse to return.

Ron and Wendy Gabites, our homestay hosts, picked us up at the train station and whisked us off to their beautiful home situated strategically on a hill overlooking Waikawa Bay. The view is as interesting as it is picturesque because of the constant movement of ferries, yachts and launches down below. However, even all this was exceeded by the graciousness of Ron and Wendy. These are great people and count yourself extremely lucky if you can manage to get into their accommodation.

As an example of how nice these people were, when they found that we were not going to have an opportunity to see much of the area, they bundled us into their car, gave us a tour of the town and then drove all the way out to Karaka Point where we were able to view the expanse of Queen Charlotte Sound and see the ferry boat which we were due to ride the next day. Then we drove further up the mountain to its summit. At seemingly airplane altitude, we were able to see the Sound on one side, and then turn around and look down over Port Underwood. We became instant friends and dined together that evening at their yacht club (they are avid boaters) in a restaurant named appropriately enough the Neptune Restaurant. Ron and Wendy also introduced us to NZ mussels which are huge and delicious. Don't miss them. After dinner we went up to a lookout point for a dazzling display of lights at night, reflecting off the calm waters.

The next day Ron took us to the Interislander Ferryboat station. The station was more like a modern airport and quite impressive in Its efficiency. The ferryboat itself was entertaining...it had a good restaurant, childrens' area, quiet area for dozing, reading, or catching up on postcards (hint: before you leave home, fill out addresses on pressure-sensitive labels to save time and writing), lots of deck space for gawking, and a game room. Martha even hit a jackpot on the slot machine! But as nice as the ferryboat was, and as beautiful as the Marlborough Sounds were, we were leaving a place that we were not yet psychologically ready to leave, and were leaving South Island to boot...which was a symbol that the clock was ticking against us in our mission to assimilate as much of New Zealand as possible in 21 days. On to North Island!!!

(Stay tuned to this frequency for Communique' #3.0: Will the earth move for Martha in Wellington? Will the team finally discover why it has been getting warmer even though they have been heading due North? Are the sheep just as cute on North Island?)

WOMEN TRAVELING ALONE

Women, there is now a travel newsletter just for you! Informative, yet entertaining--filled with loads of travel tips--"Travelin' Woman" is designed for the active woman traveler of any age. Contact Nancy Mills Communications, 855 Moraga Drive, #14, Los Angeles CA 90049. Or write to Magellan's, P.O. Box 5485, Santa Barbara CA 93150. $39/year - 12 issues.

A friend has recommended the book "A Journey of One's Own: Uncommon Advice for the independent Woman Traveler" by Thalia Zepatos, published by Eighth Mountain Press, Portland OR, 1992. Bibliography in the back--entertaining and helpful. $14.95 (342 pages).

KAKAPO RESCUE - from Rebecca Dennett

Don Merton now has permission to supplementarily feed the kakapos on all the islands. He also has permission to eradicate the rats.

That will cost about $250. 000. We're sending what we can, but we can't come close to that, unfortunately.

Kakapo Rescue is doing reasonably well. We now sell a number of items (list below). We're still very small, but we're trying very hard to help. We're proud to say that 100% of the money we make goes to help the kakapo. Not many charities can say that. We also have our non-profit status.

The kakapo didn't breed last season, but we have high hopes for this next season.

A song has come out about the kakapo. The tape is "Martin Curtis Back - From the Hills." If your readers are interested, the address is: Cityfolk Record Co., P.O. Box 919, Hastings, NZ.

Kakapo Rescue Items Available for donation of:

T-shirt - 100% cotton, pre-shrunk M,L,XL $15.00

Fine art print (T-shirts are made from this print)

Print 15.00

Print s/n (600 only) 30.00

Print s/n remarque (only 25-original painting) 125.00

Button w/photo of kakapo 3.00

Keyring (same as buttons) 5.00

Magnet 3.00

Kakapo video tape 15.00

Book-Quest for the Kakapo 35.00

Contact Kakapo Rescue, 4271 South 1350 East,

Salt Lake City, UT, 84124 - (801) 272-6833.

ASHFORD CRAFT VILLAGE

"The tourist", says the dictionary, "is a holiday traveller on a pleasure journey". Well, there are lots of pleasurable things to do in Mid - Canterbury but something unique in Ashburton is a visit to the source of the world's best-known spinning wheel.

Ashford's factory is on the main highway from Christchurch to Mount Cook, Queenstown and Dunedin and the opportunity to see where your spinning wheel is made will add to your spinning pleasure. Alongside the factory is the Ashford Craft Village. There is a plant nursery, wood-turner, potter, craft co-operative with beautiful locally hand-made gifts, teaching studio, antiques and interior decorating shop situated around an attractive village green. There are outdoor tables on the lawn and swings and things for children.

At the heart of this village is Mill House. This gracious 80-year-old home, originally built for the owner of the neighbouring flourmill is classified under the Historic Trust. Mr. Walter Ashford has collected an interesting range of spinning wheels from around the world--antique and contemporary--and the museum is open for public viewing.

The shop brims over with everything for the spinner, weaver and woolcrafter. Bales of wonderful fleeces spill onto the wooden floors. Dyed wool, yarn, books, "sheepy" collectables and special woollen garments make lovely gifts and mementos of your visit.

There is also a display of Ashford wooden toys and nursery furniture. "The Family Tree" range, made from natural timbers and precision crafted, is a feature of many a New Zealand and Australian home.

Take time for tea and "home-style" cooking in the wood-panelled Cafe. Enjoy morning and afternoon teas and lunch in the club-like atmosphere.

When next travelling through the South Island plan to spend some time at the Ashford Craft Village. Travelers express only one regret, they say "I wish we could spend more time here."

Ashford Craft Village is open seven days a week

Ashford Craft Tours, March, June, September, November 1995. See Ashford Factory and historic Mill House; Ashford Craft Village, demonstrations and workshops, Mayfleld Sheep Show, and Llama Farm. Write to:

"Ashford Woolcraft Tours", P.O. Box 474, Ashburton, New Zealand.

THREE WEEKS IN NEW ZEALAND BY CAR

by Dennis Cavagnaro

For many, the most lasting impressions in travel are formed not by historical places or even natural beauty, but by personal human experiences. For us, New Zealand's magnificent scenery takes a back seat to its most important asset, its down-to-earth, friendly people, the Kiwis (human variety, including Maoris and European stock).

On our first visit to New Zealand we feel we saw and experienced as much as three Americans can in a rented car and being accommodated in guest houses and bed and breakfast (B&B) establishments.

The only prior arrangements we made before arriving in Auckland were to reserve a car (all the major firms have agents in NZ and toll free reservation numbers in the US) and our first night's lodging. We used the books, Arthur Frommer's New Zealand on $15 (now $45) a Day, and Lonely Planet's New Zealand. A Travel Survival Kit , published in Australia but available at major bookstores in the United States, and the New Zealand Tourism Department's Accommodation Guide . With our nine-year old son we three never paid over $35 per night for accommodations including breakfast, and often less.

As we were approaching the Auckland International Airport for landing we asked a few Kiwis about NZ seafood, and were delighted to learn that a New Zealand shellfish called PAUA is actually abalone. When obtainable, abalone costs $32 a pound in California. Not all the Kiwis share this taste but use the paua shells for soap dishes.

Our rental car was waiting on our Sunday morning arrival. We were given a good supply of road maps by the Automobile Association (AA) representative at the airport upon our request and presentation of our California State Automobile Association membership card (CSAA or any AAA affiliate will do).

Because of our particular interests we planned to spend a week on the more populous North Island and two weeks on the rural South Island. Though within sight of each other, each island had its distinctive flora and fauna. While an American city dweller finds the pace of life slow on the North Island, he will find it much slower on the South Island

NORTH ISLAND --- Saint Helier's Bay is a lovely beach and residential area away from the center of Auckland, but connected to it by the Glendowie bus line. We had planned to overcome jet lag on the beach, but were thwarted by the effects of a typhoon in Fiji. The St. Helier's Bay Private Hotel (at that time approx. $30/day for 3, breakfast included) has the charm of an earlier era. Devonshire teas and evening meals are served and it is popular for its Sunday buffet of New Zealand dishes. Kath is a delightful hostess and is as irreverant as her mother Alison Irwin who seems to run the place.

While in Auckland, New Zealand's largest and perhaps most important city, we enjoyed the wide selection of NZ made goods. We also visited the most helpful New Zealand Tourism office on Queen Street for advice, and were put on to the sheep farm at which we were later to stay.

We were invited to run with the crazy Auckland Hash House Harriers on their weekly Monday evening run which was followed by the beer wagon. The exuberant members put us on to similar jogging clubs throughout New Zealand.

Driving south from Auckland on Highway #1, we enjoyed the antique shops outside of Huntly before continuing on to our first destination, Ngaruawahia, where we had been invited to dine in the officer's mess at the nearby NZ Army Base. Ngaruawahia is noted for Turangawaewae Pa where a Maori queen holds court.

At the Arrow Motel we were introduced to a nationwide custom of providing overnight guests with complimentary bottles of milk. We quickly learned to carry a box of cereal to avoid paying for breakfasts when they were not already included in the room rates.

We discovered here that most New Zealand towns have Retired Servicemen's Associations (RSA) roughly equivalent to our American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, etc. If an American identifies himself as an active or former serviceman, he will be invited in and enjoy drinking and occasionally dining at prices below the commercial establishments (if a Kiwi has not already paid for their drink).

South, past Hamilton in the beautiful, green, rolling dairy and horse farm country, we headed for the Waitomo Caves. Enroute, however, we were excited to learn from the billboards that we could see New Zealand's

famous but elusive and nocturnal bird the Kiwi, in Otorohanga, less than ten miles before the caves.

Not fully believing that Kiwis (the birds, that is) existed, we were charmed by the active birds darting about in a recreated natural habitat, dark but visable to us under ultraviolet light.

The highlights of the Waitomo Caves are the "Cathedral" with its concert-hall perfection and the glow- worm grotto viewed from an electric boat ride on an underground lake in otherwise total darkness.

A must on virtually every tourist's New Zealand itinerary is Rotorua at the center of North Island's thermal region and a center of sorts of the Maori culture.

We chose the Fernleaf, one of the many inexpensive motels grouped just south of the town center. We enjoyed the Fernleafs large, private, hot mineral pool in the bathhouse as well as its thermally heated but fresh water outdoor pool.

In the evening we participated in the Maori "hangi" feast put on nightly by the International Hotel, one of the large first class hotels. The "hangi" is the Maori version of the luau, but in Rotorua the foods are wrapped and lowered into the thermals where they are baked and boiled naturally. After the feast the diners are treated to a Maori dance concert

Rotorua has many attractions for all tastes and ages. As earthquake-prone Californians, we were impressed by the all-day Waimangu round trip tour which shows the visible effects of quakes, a village buried by an eruption and moonscape of thermal activity, all joined by two boat rides.

A visit to the Maori marae in Ohinemutu, a half mile north of Rotorua, will reward you with Maori architecture expressed in the Tamatekapua Meeting House and the Maori decoration of the Tudor style St. Faith's Anglican Church with its unusual glass window on which Christ is etched and appears to be walking on Lake Rotorua behind the church.

Driving south from Rotorua but just a few miles before Lake Taupo, we stopped at the Information Centre of the Wairakei Geothermal project to see the display model of the scheme. Harnessing the natural underground stream for electricity here and elsewhere is New Zealand's major effort to reduce dependence on foreign oil.

LETTER BOX

Ann and I were very interested to receive, from a guest of ours, a copy of the March '94 KIWiphile FILE and congratulate you on an excellent publication.

We operate a homestay Bed and Breakfast in Picton in the marvellous Marlborough Sounds, an area which is not widely known to overseas visitors but which has some of the most magnificent opportunities for a relaxing holiday yet still being very close to airports, Inter- islander ferry, trains and buses, rental cars, etc. (And if you think we are unduly enthusiastic, you may be interested to know that we have lived here for only 21 months!

Came here by conscious choise, living most of our Jives about an hour north of Wellington). A large part of the enjoyment of homestays comes from helping our visitors with advice and assistance to maximise their New Zealand experience.

The New Zealand Bed and Breakfast Book , published by Pelican Publishing Co., Inc., 1101 Monroe Street, Gretna, LA 70053. is an excellent source of accommodation information and we network with other B&B's in New Zealand to ensure travellers enjoy the best of the book.

Are you interested in contributions we can make to your publication to ensure accuracy and detail? (Ed.--YES!) For example, because the busy season is from Christmas Day to Easter, it is wise to book accommodation and absolutely essential to book Interislander ferry tickets (either foot traffic or with vehicles) for this period. As I write today, the N.Z.Rail management and unions are locking horns over ferry staff levels, conditions, rates of pay, etc., and I suspect there will be an improvement in service and attitudes after a rough shakedown time. (N.Z. Rail is approximately 60% owned by Wisconsin Central as of late last year).

Some car rental agencies (Hertz, Budget and others) have depots at both Wellington and Picton and strongly discourage their cars using the ferry, but other agencies (Maui, etc.) offer cheaper daily hire rates but do NOT always mention that the hirer has to pay additional for the ferry crossing, and that has caused more than a few problems. (This may be solved in the coming year because new vessels are scheduled, probably operating 24 hours instead of the current 5:40 AM till 10 PM. and because of a perceived high speed ferry operation from one or more competitors). Worth mentioning here is the cost of crossing--small cars up to 4 metres long NZ$112. large 4 to 6 metres NZ$150, plus driver and passengers, adult NZ$36, children 4 to 14 years NZ$18. These are standard rates which apply busy season and school and public holidays. Off peak are approximately 20% cheaper.

Ann and Dick Smith

(THE GABLES. homestay bed and breakfast, offers warm and comfortable guest rooms [double with queen sized bed and private facilities, or twin and single rooms], breakfasts include fresh fruits, fresh fish, hot muffins, freshly brewed coffee and a selection of teas. Transport to and from ferry, bus and train terminals. Laundry facilities. Ph. (03)573 6772. 20 Waikawa Road, Picton, NZ.)

As usual I've devoured the new edition of KlWIphile FILE. Thanks so much for your efforts.

The most recent edition of the Thomas' book has gone up to $14.95 here in the US, but has many more listings. And, since both sons have flown the nest, Janete Thomas is once more playing hostess at their own home in Eastbourne. We certainly enjoyed our stay with them. In fact, we found each B&B experience special in its own way.

Bob Brown's home in Nelson, for example, was across from Queen's Gardens, right on the river, within walking distance of town. We had a lovely twin-bedded room with TV, refrigerator and tea-making facilities.

Mike McClelland (The Best of New Zealand) reports that airfare has really increased, so when we return to

NZ in January or February '95 we'll pay much more than what bargain fares were in October '92.

This time we'll have only one week of timeshare--"Club Paihia" in the Northland, and will use the B&B's (and stay with friends we made last time we visited also).

I'm enjoying membership in Silver Fern Tape Recording Club. Some of the tapes are narratives, some music, some an eclectic collection of what Phyll Moore calls "Listerners' Magazine". Subjects can be fascinating or boring. Quality of recordings varies, too. I enjoy the other members' comments on the reverse side of the tapes.

Bob and I have joined two travel clubs: "Evergreen" and "Affordable". We will travel in June and October, but we'll try hosting here in our home in Anaheim in July, August and September. I'll let you know how that goes.

Kitty Baier, Anaheim CA

G'day! I continue to enjoy every issue of your informative and amusing letter. I'd like to also send a 2-year subscription to my sister in addition to my own 2-yr. renewal. Her name and address below.

Thanks again and keep up the good work.

Stephen Mangum, Santa Monica CA

Suggestion--I'm interested in corresponding with New Zealanders (pen pals...). If you can include any information on this in the FILE I'd appreciate it!

Sue Jayne Vieth, Burnsville MN

(Ed.--Any Kiwi wanting to write to Ms. Vieth, please send letter to me and I'll forward it. Thanks.)

Our organisation operates at four different levels. I'll try to give you the full details on all our operations just in case your readers are interested. 1/Paul Bryan is the local (Bay of Plenty) owner of Super Shuttle. This company operates 9-seater vans connecting all Rotorua airport plane movements with the city, and from point to point around the area. The vehicles are available for sightseeing and other private hire.

2/I operate (along with Terry and Colleen Hefferen) an organisation called Square Tours. As square dancers we put together tours for the Square dancing fraternity of New Zealand and the world. Incorporated in the tours are visits to square dance clubs through the country and trips to very-out-of-the-way places. These tours are comfortable without being expensive and are priced as a complete package. The one we have just completed is for 13 nights away, airfares Christchurch/Rotorua rtn, bed and breakfasts, 2 dinners (no lunches but occasional morning/afternoon teas), all sightseeing/admission/dance fees including all fees associated with the NZ annual Square Dance Convention for NZ$1375.00.

3/Elizabeth and I do very informal tours and sight-

seeing in our own vehicle under the name of T and E Norton. Costs for this are about $35/hour plus activity and entry expenses, but always subject to negotiation. These trips are usually more of a spontaneous nature and are not subject to any great planning.

4/Driver Rentals is run by Paul Bryan and me, and it aims to provide a top class fully guided chauffeur-driven tour service. Primarily, we drive rental cars for tourists visiting NZ who do not want the stringent inflexibility of coach touring, but who feel uneasy about driving themselves in a strange country with unfamiliar laws, placenames and customs. Contact us for information. We will work with you and your travel organiser to put together a great trip.

We drive our tours from one end of the country to the other. Costs involved in interisland travel (whether by air or ferry) are built into the price of the entire tour.

Thanks, Eva, for mentioning us In your great little news file. We are a very little organisation but we're big on trying to give visitors to NZ a good time while they're here.

Trevor Norton, 8 Miller St., Rotorua NZ Ph. (64 7) 3484 129/autofax 3489 508

CONSERVATION CAMPSITES

Camp overnight on conservation land in New Zealand's National Parks, Reserves, Maritime and Forest Parks. There are over 200 such camping areas for you to enjoy. These are located in some of the finest natural surroundings in the world, from long golden beaches to rug- ged forest clad hills. They provide an ideal base for a wide range of activities such as fishing, swimming, walking, picnics or just plain relaxing.

Our camping areas offer a "back to nature" style of camping. Facilities at most camping areas are generally basic, comprising at least toilets and a water supply so you will need to be reasonably self-sufficient.

A visit to the great outdoors, whether you're camping out, staying in a DOC hut or just visiting for the day, will take you about as close to nature as you can get. You could find yourself face to face with a kea or a robin, walking across open tops, crossing rivers on high swinging bridges, luxuriating in some of the world's finest forests, or lazing along golden beaches.

Minimal fees are charged per person, ranging from free to NZ$9/day. For details on bookings, contact the Department of Conservation office nearest to the campground.

The New Zealand Tourism Board can send a brochure to you. Call 1-800-388-5494.

BUDGET ACCOMMODATIONS

You can stay inexpensively in either of New Zealand's two largest cities. In Auckland, it's the Huia Budget Hotel, 110 Grafton Rd., tel. 3771345. There are 320 rooms: singles at NZ$30/night; doubles and twins, NZ$40/night.

Also, in the heart of the city, for backpackers (or anyone), the Auckland Central Hostel, 9 Fort St. Auckland, tel. 358-4877. NZ$16 (share) per person. Natural food restaurant at unnatural prices.

There is free transport to both accommodations from airport on any Super Shuttle.

In Christchurch, centrally located, is the YMCA Accommodation, 12 Hereford St., P.O. Box 2004, Christchurch. Phone (03) 365-0502.

NEW ZEALAND'S

"TOWN THAT NEVER WAS"--

Written years ago by "unknown author" Jack Dobson

"In my path I had found a new chain of country lying beyond the glaciers and the mountains".

So wrote Patrick Caples, a Southland miner and explorer who over a century ago in 1863, forced his way over the 4,000-foot Harris Saddle dividing Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu from the Hollyford Valley and Martins Bay. Martins Bay, the dream west coast port of those far off pioneer days never survived, but the track linking it with Otago and Southland has felt the feet of trampers and tourists ever since.

I was now following the footsteps of Patrick Caples: taking Jim Gilkison's Routeburn Walk from Queenstown. I was on the summit of the Harris Saddle and could look right across the Hollyford Valley, a magnificent saucer-shaped cleft in the Southern Alps, to the great sweep of the jagged peaks and glaciers of the snow- covered Darran Range. Below me lay almost the whole length of the valley from its source near the Homer Tunnel to my left, to Lake McKerrow far down the valley to my right--and finally, the Tasman Sea itself just visible on the horizon. Jagged peaks, glaciers, sheer rock faces falling for thousands of feet, and below that again, the thick primeval bush--the view as first seen over a century before by Patrick Caples.

The road down the valley only goes for a few miles. I had been told, "After that, there's nothing, only memories." That great valley had intrigued me for many years (it seemed like the "Rim of the World", the "Land of Never Never") and I had resolved that one day I would make my way into this magnificent wilderness and stand on the beach at Martins Bay.

Descending to the floor of the valley, I followed the original pioneers' track alongside the bubbling and surging river. I found that unlike the Routeburn and Milford Tracks where I had spent part of the time walking along the floors of great canyons with rocky walls rising thousands of feet on either side, the Hollyford Valley was quite different. It was wide and saucer-shaped and I could see beyond these great rocky walls to the serrated, snow- capped mountains rising high into the air.

In spite of the brilliant sunshine and cloudless sky, it was not difficult to imagine the sudden changes of weather in Fiordland and the suffering and privation of those who had come before me down the valley in the last century when the track was the only link between civilization and the

ill-fated settlement of Jamestown. Quite unexpectedly, I came across a tombstone in the thick bush, in a near perfect setting with the mountains and glaciers as a backdrop--"Sacred to The Memory of Donald Keith, aged 59 years, native of Scotland, who lost his way in this valley and died of exhaustion...buried in the bush where he died, March 1886". Donald Keith is one of many who will lie forever among the tangled rain forest of the Hollyford Valley. The graves of others lie forgotten in the now disappeared graveyard of Jamestown--" the town that never was".

We reached Lower Pyke Lodge. one of the two excellently equipped lodges operated in the valley by Jules Tapper of Hollyford Trail Tours. (Electric light, indoor drying rooms, hot showers, inside toilets). Later that night I have a memory of New Zealand and the Hol lyford Valley which will remain with me as long as I live. After an excellent meal and a long yarn in front of a warm stove, I went outside to drink in the night before going to bed. The weather remained perfect, the air still, the river gently bubbling a few feet away, the atmosphere absolutely cloudless--and it was the full moon! Directly across the valley and apparently entirely unconnected with the world below, was the clearly defined outline of snow-covered Mount Tutoko and Mount Madeline: a glacial and sterile desert, hung as if by some invisible thread from the star- filled sky. From that moment onwards, I succumbed to the splendid isolation and sheer beauty of the Hollyford Valley.

(to be concluded next issue)

(Ed. You can get information on the Hollyford Track from the N.Z. Tourism Board, 1-800-388-5494.)

NORTH SHORE RATED TOP TOWN--Newzgram

North Shore City has been named NZ's top town in a survey by North and South Magazine. The survey ranked selected urban centres in terms of employment, population gain, climate, property, crime, education, outdoor recreation, and arts and entertainment. Nelson was ranked second best overall, followed (in order) by Christchurch, Queenstown, Tauranga, Dunedin, Hamilton, Napier, Taupo, and Palmerston North. In individual categories, Queenstown was rated best for employment, population gain, property, and outdoor recreation, Nelson was best for climate, Dunedin for education, and Christchurch for arts and entertainment.

A GREEN DREAM: TOURS TO

NEW ZEALAND'S GARDENS

New Zealand is a gardener's paradise. Kiwis think nothing of surrounding their farmhouses with several acres of spectacular gardens. They also like to share their passion with visitors to their gardens.

New Zealand Australia Reservations Office (NZARO, formerly NZCRO), specialists in "Gardens and Best Sights" tours will offer two departures to see spring gardens at peak of bloom.

The first, October 25 to November 10, will focus on Rhododendrons, Azaleas and the other beautiful flowers of mid-spring. The Pukeiti Rhododendron Festival will be a special hIghlight. The second, November 15 to December 1, will be just in time for the peak of rose bloom. From Modern Roses to Antique and Heritage varieties, New Zealand boasts some of the finest public and private rose gardens in the world. A visit to "Roseworld '94", in the Garden City of Christchurch, will be a special feature of this trip this year. "Roseworld '94" is the 10th World Rose Convention; it will feature sightseeing activities and events for rose and garden enthusiasts who will be visiting from around the world.

Ellen Henke, Ph.D., America's "plant doctor," botanist, television personality and garden travel writer, will escort both tours as well as an extension which is available to Australia. Ellen is an expert on New Zealand and Australian gardens. She has traveled extensively downunder on writing assignments and has escorted several groups on the unique "Garden & Best Sights" tours which she has developed with NZARO. The tours have been designed to be of interest to both gardeners and non- gardeners.

For brochures and cost information call Julian at New Zealand Australia Reservations Office--USA 800- 351-2323, ext. 210. In California 800-351-2317, ext. 210.

BIRDING VACATIONS

Drive yourself or use our guide and stay at our select birding locations in areas from the Bay of Islands in the north to Stewart Island in the south. We provide high- calibre hosts who have a knowledge of birds in their area, as well as a wide range of interests.

You will have fine accommodations--either secluded cottages or in the host's home. You'll have a chance to see seabirds, shorebirds, waterfowl, birds of the countryside and wet areas, and bush-birds. There are many opportunities to enlarge your "life" lists. Highlights might include kiwis, wrens, and wattlebirds.

There are non-birding activities for non-birding friends and/or spouses, such as caving, horse riding, walking and swimming.

Contact us for all-inclusive quotes: Stuart and Alison Chambers, Clarks Beach Road, R.D. 4, Pukekohe, NZ. Phone/fax: 0-9-232-0188.

ONCE WERE WARRIORS--Newzgram

New Zealand movie Once Were Warriors is shocking even the toughest Kiwi males into some hard thinking. The violent love story has already grossed more NZ box office sales than any other NZ-made movie, including Footrot Flats. It portrays a woman's struggle to keep her family together in a violent relationship with a man she loves. One son joins a gang and another is taken into welfare. Tragedy with a teenage daughter finally forces her to take a new direction.

The NZ Film Commission says the film could top

Jurassic Park's $5million sales, to become the highest grossing film ever in NZ. The movie Will be screened at the Montreal Film Festival in September. and is expected to be released commercially in Australia, South Africa, Canada and the US later this year or early next year.

MAORI LIFE--by David Young

All New Zealand school children learn of the "eighth wonder of the world"--the breathtaking pink and white terraces formed by volcanic action and destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Tarawera, near Rotorua, in 1886.

Few know, however, that descendants of the local Maori hapu (subtribe) who fled the outpouring lava, mud and ash are even more closely identified with tourism today--living at the attraction that superseded the terraces.

The displaced Ngati Tuhourangi people of Mt. Tarawera joined their Ngati Wahiao relatives at the now famous Whakarewarea village. Today this is one of New Zealand's premiere tourist resorts, located amidst one of only three geyser sites in the world.

"It was easy enough for our people after the Tarawera eruption," says great grandmother and descendant of those refugees Emily Schuster. "It was natural that they took on a guiding role here." Emily, a gifted Maori weaver, has been guide and instructor at the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute since 1969.

She follows a tradition. Tene Waitene, an ancestor, was 32 years old when he fled the eruption to become a notable carver whose work still graces the area today. An aunt Guide Rangi was another villager and the most famed of all those who for 100 years have made tourists welcome to their village.

"There are a mixture of attractions," says today's head guide Pipiana Haira who is also from generations of guides. "Here you have a people who use the thermal activity and natural resources as a part of their everyday lives. We perform our normal jobs, but should there be something on after hours we can turn back to that traditional form of life--we can have the best of both cultures."

Emily agrees, reflecting on the changes within the lifetime of her mother, born in 1899: "Mum's life continued in the village where her culture was, yet she lived to see a man walk on the moon. We're making the people aware of who we are. We are lucky as a people, we still live our culture, compared to the people who live in the cities of Auckland and Wellington who have no real link with their culture."

Emily takes us on a walk through regenerating native forest, home of four native orchid varieties, into the thermal area, dominated by the geyser Pohutu, whose steam and boiling water shower high into the air several times each day. Beside this area of scalding mud pools and streams and bright minerally-stained earth stands the village.

Inhabited by some 75 people, it boasts a number of family homes and several carved meeting

houses, used on special occasions. One of these retains the old church bell from Te Mu, the village destroyed by the Tarawera eruption. Because of the thermal activity, graves in the cemetery are raised. Two church spires elegantly reflect the Solomon-like wisdom of a chief who decreed that one side of the village would be Catholic and the other Anglican.

Emily points out a steam box, known locally as a "Maori microwave" which is used every day for cooking. "You can cook anything from wild pork to steamed puddings," she says. "There is nothing like a good old boil- up."

When we visit the house of one of her daughters Dawn for a Cup of tea, Dawn agrees: "I would use this method maybe four times a week. The food can be left to cool--it never burns, so why give it up?" Yet Dawn's home has all the mod-cons you would expect to find in the city. No doubt the revered ancestors whose photographs are arrayed, in another Maori custom, on her lounge wall look on approvingly at the confirmation of her choice.

"Cup of tea" turns out to be, witrh customary Maori generosity, a hearty lunch of homemade pickle and pork sandwiches with banana cake. Although these villagers will drive into the city to shop in a supermarket, they find there are many time-honored delicacies in their environment they still love to harvest: Eel, whitebait (sea-food), tikauko (the core of the cabbage tree), kiekie (a flax-like vine) fruit, karaka berries (a tree food source), and fermented corn. "A handful of miro berries in a stew brings out the flavor," observes Emily.

Steeped in animism, Maori traditional belief regards all life with reverence. Humans and the natural world co-exist in ecological unity, the former holding the latter in a continuity of trust for future generations-- kaitiakitanga. Nowhere is this pilosophy more apparent than during a tangi or funeral.

Further information about Maori life can be found in the New Zealand Tourism Board brochure, "New Zealand Maori Cultural Heritage Guide." For a free copy please contact: New Zealand Tourism Board, 501 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste #300, Santa Monica CA 90401. Ph: (310) 395-7480 OR (800) 388-5494.

CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES IN NZ - From the New Zealand Listener, one reader's list of most memorable childhood experiences:

1. Tenting holidays

2. Blackberrying and mushrooming

3. Digging for toheroa

4. Catching koura and eels

5. Collecting paua shell pieces

6. Torch spotlighting for possums

CHRISTCHURCH...THE HONEYMOON

CAPITAL OF THE WORLD?

-By Melissa Burdick Harmon, reprinted from

A&E Monthly

"Funny thing," 1 said to a woman I'd just met in Christchurch, "at breakfast this morning the hotel dining room seemed filled with Japanese young people, and nobody was saying a word. Nobody. In fact, it was so quiet that it gave me the willies."

"Oh well, that's easily explained," she responded. "They're all honeymooners from Japan and it's arranged marriages, so the bride and groom really don't know one another. They get married there and then they come here and have a Western-style ceremony with a white gown, the whole bit, in one of our Anglican cathedrals. But since they're virtual strangers you really don't see a lot of conversation going on."

She was right. That did explain the silence, and the worried looks on the young men's faces as they bustled around videotaping everything except the women at their sides. And it explained the wistful expressions on some of the well-dressed women's faces. But even more, it explained the plethora of brides I'd seen the day before while strolling in Christchurch's beautifully landscaped Hagley Park.

They were posed everywhere--beside oak trees just turning gold in the late March autumn, next to rose bushes displaying the last flowers of summer, along the winding banks of the River Avon. Everywhere I looked, photographers were snapping photos of brides in expensive-looking wedding gowns. At first I'd been charmed. But after about the 20th bride it began to seem rather odd; I wondered how a city of only a third of a million people could have generated so many weddings in a single day.

Now 1 knew. I also had a pretty good idea why, as apparently the only non-honeymooning tourist in all of Christchurch, I once again found myself completely and utterly alone on the streets while walking home from the theater. My fellow tourists, it seems, had more important activities than play. going to attend to at night.

BITS AND PIECES (all from Newzgram)

* More than one third of Kiwis wilt be able to buy $40 aerials to tune into new regional television stations due to be launched next year. TVNZ has announced plans for stations in Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, and Dunedin, which will feature a mix of locally produced programs as well as BBC news and documentaries. Christchurch is already serviced by its own regional station. Canterbury Television.

* New fish species have been discovered in NZ's fishing zone every two weeks for the last five years, say Museum of NZ scientists. About a third of the discoveries are species new to science.

* Cook Strait ferry operator NZ Rail has joined the race to launch a catamaran-type service between the North and South Islands. At least two other operators are considering introducing similar services across Cook Strait.

* Franz Josef Glacier has passed the furtherest point it reached on a previous advance in 1967. A Conservation Department spokesperson said the glacier looks spectacular.

* North Shore company Maltexo is successfully exporting home brew beerkits to Australia, Canada, the US. and Russia, and expects to sell kits to Poland and Sweden soon. The company says the kits, which use matting barley from Canterbury and hops from Nelson, produce a brew that rivals any commercially manufactured beer.

* The Royal NZ Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has had a massive 200% increase in membership since 1992. The society says Kiwis own more cats per head than any other country.

* Sheep are as intelligent as cattle and horses, according to Australian scientiest Dr. Geoff Hutson who recently visited NZ. Although farmers often deride sheep as stupid, his research shows otherwise. Sheep have excellent learning ability, good memories, and can Learn simple mazes.

MILFORD TRACK

The Milford Track independent walk is something every fit person can do--and afford. It is a 4-day (3 night) adventure through the spectacular scenery of New Zealand's Fiordland.

A reasonable standard of fitness is essential-- you will need to walk 15 to 20 kms a day carrying your own gear over rocky surfaces with climbs and descents.

Accommodation is provided by three well- appointed Department of Conservation huts. Walkers carry their own food, cooking utensils and sleeping bags, cook their own meals, and sleep in communal bunkrooms.

The Milford Track's "finest walk in the world" label was first penned by a travel writer in 1908. It has stuck ever since. The first tourists walked the Milford Track in 1889 and were hosted by the men who cut it, Quintin Mackinnon and Donald Sutherland. Your walk follows in the footsteps of many notable pioneers and those Maori who sought greenstone (pounamu) from the shores of Milford Sound. The scenery has changed little from those early times.

LAST MINUTE NOTE: In case you're curious, we've learned that "The Piano" beach scenes were filmed at Piha Beach outside Auckland. The bush scenes were filmed somewhere in Taranaki.