Volume X, No. 1

SEPTEMBER 1997

WHAT'S NEW

Zorbing - Zorbing is now offered seven days at Mountain Adventures by Zorb Rotorua, priced $45 for two rides. Downhill adventurers stand or roll around in a giant ball in the latest ride with a difference.

A small, shy bird with brownish grey plumage and long legs, the godwit is a superb aviator, skimming barely 50cm above the rippled beach at a speed of 50 km /hour.

More eye-catching in appearance is the curlew, a bird with a magnificent curving beak, a curve which almost echoes the Spit's own shape.

The Spit is an alluring spot on the New Zealand map--it is the extreme northern point of the West Coast of the South Island, while in latitude it is well north of Wellington, at the base of the North Island. On a sharp and clear winter's day Mount Taranaki's snowy cone on the North Island's West Coast may stand out in the distance.

Despite its isolated feel, Farewell Spit is readily accessible to visitors to the Nelson region. From Nelson city to Collingwood, the main settlement in north-west Nelson, is a comfortable two-and-a-half hours drive.

However, there are plenty of distractions along the way, including wineries and craft shops, plus the delights of Abel Tasman National Park where there are boat trips, sea-kayaking tours, and a popular three or four day coastal walking track.

Although Farewell Spit has been a nature reserve since the 1930s, it wasn't until the 1980s that it was designated as a wetland of international significance Now it is one of just five such designated wetlands in New Zealand.

The Department of Conservation, which man ages New Zealand's national parks and many other reserves, is in charge of the spit. Puponga Farm Park at the base of the spit is owned by the department, and leased to a private farmer who has built a visitor centre and resiau rant there with high powered binoculars for viewing the spit. Public access is provided along with the chance to experience something of New Zealand farming.

Guided four wheel drive tours onto Farewell Spit operate from Collingwood, and include a drive up the outer beach to the lighthouse, about 20 km along the spit.

Tours travel along the outer shore of the spit where long stretches of sand rise into low sand dunes almost devoid of vegetation. Very few shells embellish the beach, most are swept up in currents and deposited at the end of the spit.

Unlikely though it may seem, Farewell Spit has its origins high in the mountains of the Southern Alps, the alpine spine of the South Island. The relentless grinding of glaciers deposits gravel in the mighty West Coast rivers, gravel which washes out onto the Coast and is swept northwards by the dominant Westland current.

When the Westland current is met by the Durville current the gravel, by now ground into sand, is deposited along the spit. Each year some three and a half million cubic metres of sand arrives on the spit, much of it building up the inner shores and gradually making Golden Bay shallower.

Farewell Spit has also hosted some unexpected visitors, as have many parts of New Zealand's long coastline. Over the years at least eight vessels have been wrecked on the spit, many the victims of low grey sand dunes blending into a grey sea and sky.

In 1870 the first of two lighthouses was built in this remote spot. All construction materials had to be brought along the beach by horse and sledge, dodging the incoming tide. A second lighthouse was built in 1897 of steel, shipped in and hauled across the beach, to replace the wooden structure which was being eaten away by wind-blown sand.

The light is barely 30 km above sea level, but its single flash every 15 seconds is visible for 24 km. Like lighthouses around New Zealand, modern technology has caught up with Farewell Spit, and the lighthouse is now fully automated.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Collingwood Safari Tours are licensed by the Department of Conservation to drive onto the spit, operating the original Farewell Spit Safaris. Tour times are entirely dependent on tides, with departure times varying widely. Each tour lasts around five hours, includes an informative commentary, a cup of tea at the Spit lighthouse, and a walk on a sand dune. As departure times vary and minimum numbers apply, enquiries and bookings should be made before leaving Nelson.

The company also offers specialist bird watching tours to a gannet colony and a high tide trip to view visiting arctic waders. Other tours include visiting a cave and bush walks. Mother operator, Farewell Spit Nature Tours, run a tour taking in parts of the Puponga Farm Park and down to the lighthouse of Farewell Spit (around 6 and a half hours). They are also licensed by the Department of Conservation and provide a meal at the Visitor Centre.

Independent travellers can park at Puponga at the base of the spit and walk up to 2.5km along the inner beach, or 4km along the outer beach.

While the Farewell Spit trip is the drawcard for many visitors to Collingwood, there are also opportunities to explore the town's colourful history. Tours up the Aorere Valley, also run by Collingwood Safari Tours,

include a slice of gold mining history, gold panning and a visit to the Golden Bay Machinery and Settlers Museum.

Back in the late 1850s Collingwood was the scene of New Zealand's first goLd rush. Optimism for the region's future ran wild, with ideas that Collingwood itself would become the nation's capital. However, within a few years the rush was over and the goldminers set off to new fields such as Central Otago and the West Coast.

Other activities in the area include the Scenic Mail Run, where passengers can join a five hour trip to deliver mail to isolated rural districts at the top of the West Coast, and a range of hiking opportunities in North-West Nelson Forest Park.

Department of Conservation offices in Nelson and at Takaka and other information centres around the region have details on activities in Abel Tasman National Park, North-West Nelson Forest Park and throughout Golden Bay.

Collingwood has motel accommodation, a camping ground, pub and two restaurants, garage and other services, and there are also motor camps and bed and breakfast houses north and south of the town.

For further information contact the New Zealand Tourism Board: 501 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste #300, Santa Monica CA 90401. Ph. (310) 395-7480 OR (800) 388-5494.

OUR THIRD TRIP TO NEW ZEALAND.

MARCH 1997 - Sharon & Stanley Searles, California

In March 1997 we kept a seven-year promise to ourselves to return to New Zealand. It was our third trip there. Predictably, the American friends who heard about our upcoming trip asked us why we were going to Australia again!

Many of the Kiwis we talked with wanted to know what had changed since our 1990 visit to their country. Stanley noticed more traffic and more buildings. I noticed the same friendly welcome and New Zealand attitude. Its probably not new, but we noticed lots of Raid and bug sprays used in NZ. And, oddly enough, almost no screen doors or windows. They just let the bugs in and then spray pesticides through the house!

We thought we would meet and get to know many New Zealanders by traveling as Servas visitors. A few years ago we became Servas hosts. Servas members meet and stay with members from other countries. The purpose is to promote peace--we won't want to fight the people we befriend. It's made up of travelers who stay with one another, usually for a couple of days. No money changes hands, but it's not meant to be a cheap travel organization. We've met some wonderful people whom we have hosted (alas, no Kiwis yet!) and we've been happy visitors in Canada.

In New Zealand we had a fabulous experience with a Servas host family outside of Auckland, but in general we were disappointed when we tried to make plans while at home in the States.

home in the States. It seems that New Zealand hosts have been stood up by no-shows and many of the ones we called were not willing to commit to host us until we were a few days away from their home! Our time in New Zealand is precious and we have to do more precise planning than that. Still, Servas is a viable option for Kiwiphiles who have a more flexible schedule. If you're interested, U.S. Servas is based in New York.

Our Servas plans severely curtailed, we went for the Bed and Breakfast book listings. The b&b's, or homestays, refer to this book as "the black book". We were pleased with the four homestays we chose. They were all very different from one another and didn't feel terribly commercial, which we found to our liking. Some felt very much like Servas visits.

We like to stay at a bed and breakfast when we arrive in and depart from Auckland, because b&b's are relatively small and they give us personal attention when we need it. And when we need to retreat to our own room and succumb to jet lag we can. On our past two visits we stayed at the Ascot Parnell, but this time the Ascot Parnell cost more than we wanted to spend. In retrospect were glad because we found our new favorite, The Redwood.

The Redwood- - It's across from the Rose Gardens in Parnell. (There were still some roses in bloom in March. Beautiful garden for walking.) We arrived very early in the morning, well before our room would be ready, but we were welcome in the living room and we could put our luggage in a corner. There's a very small deck (they're planning to enlarge it soon), and from this deck we sat and looked at the distant Auckland Harbor, and Sharon painted the view in watercolors. While we were outside some small birds came by to peck at the dish of bird food kept there for them. The owner, Dawn Feickert, and her assistant, Ursula, are very welcoming, gracious, and helpful. The Redwood feels like a home, and we were treated like friends, not tourists. We needed to do a small amount of laundry and asked where we could go but Ursula did our laundry for us!

The breakfasts were full and plentiful--juice, milk, a variety of cereals, dried fruits, nuts, toast, jam, butter, yogurt and fresh fruits, tea and coffee, and a cooked breakfast as well, for those who could fit more in!

We returned to the Redwood the day before our departure. I wanted to get a massage and Dawn called a masseuse, gave me the phone to arrange the time, and then drove me to my appointment! Best of all, even though we'd checked out the morning of our departure, we not only left our luggage at The Redwood all day, but we took showers in Dawn's bathroom before we were picked up by the shuttle to go to the airport. Make reservations at The Redwood in advance as they are often full. It's at 11 Judges Bay Rd. in Parnell, Auckland. Phone (09)373-4903.

We had called the Auckland visitors center several times before our trip to try to find out

about any special events while we would be there. They have so many listings that they couldn't tell me everything, but I told the woman who answered the phone what our interests were and the dates we would be there, and she was extremely helpful. In fact she was so helpful that we were looking forward to stopping in the visitors center for more up-to-date information and basking in some of that Kiwi helpfulness and friendliness. We went there and were disappointed. There were several people working, all were extremely busy, and one man working there was particularly unhelpful and unfriendly. Definitely not your typical New Zealand experience! We love New Zealand and were horrified to think that other tourists would think this a representative NZ welcome. We hope it was a fluke; just a bad day at the Visitor Center. There is a weekly booklet listing Auckland events that you can pick up there without talking to anyone.

We found out from phone calls to the Visitors Center (while we were in the States) that our time in Auckland happened to coincide with Artists in Eden, a benefit for local arts programs. Artists gather to produce art in the morning and later the works are auctioned for an arts scholarship program for youth. Just the kind of event we like to participate in when we travel! Sharon, an artist, corresponded with the organizers of the event. These people were very kind and welcoming. (In typical Kiwi friendliness, one of them invited us to her home where we had dinner and met her family.) Artists in Eden was great fun. Sharon had a continuous crowd of onlookers surrounding her painting table and talking with her. There was a classful of art teachers attending the event and we were befriended by one who had lived in our home area a few years ago. When we returned to Auckland at the end of our trip she borrowed a friend's car and gave us a long tour of the beautiful outlying areas and we had lunch in her home.

We flew to New Plymouth on an Air New Zealand Link SAAB Model 340. As soon as we walked in the door Stanley was sniffing the real leather seats. We were on our way to visit a friend we'd met on our last trip--she had been the warden of a youth hostel where we stayed. She's since retired, and we've kept up correspondence. Her letters have described her new home and garden in loving detail. Kiwis are great garden-lovers. Our friend picked us up from the airport and took us to Pukekura Park in New Plymouth. It has a small lake with an arched orange wooden bridge over it. Stanley thought it looked like a Monet painting.

The most unusual part of the park was the gorgeous rocky waterfall. Stanley climbed up part of it to have his picture taken, and the water stopped. We had to push a button to turn the waterfall back on! There's also a fountain in the lake that's push-button activated. Our friend told us that it used to take the insertion of coins in a box to get the button to push and start the falls and the fountain. She remembered being at the park years ago when the Queen visited.

The mayor was so excited and overwhelmed that he made some introductions incorrectly.

The park: has three hot houses, with rock entry-ways and passages. One of the hot houses is a fernery. The others have exotic blooming plants from several parts of the globe. It's absolutely gorgeous and magical. Expect to want to spend some time there. The park has a building with a tea room, and sells postcards of the park, different from any other NZ postcards we've seen. Our favorite waterfall is. featured on a postcard in a nighttime view with colored lights--kind of bizarre, and fun. We weren't there at night, but in the summer the park is open late and there are tiny colored pebbles mixed with other gravel on the paths and at night under the artificial lights the pebbles fluoresce. Kids love it.

Our friend was thrilled to have us visit, disappointed that we could stay only two days, and packed in everything she could. We received the typical all-encompassing Kiwi welcome, met three of her four children and a couple of grandchildren as well! We ate fresh vegetables from her garden and saw Mt. Egmont from her back yard, visited a local tannery and bought sheepskin scraps to bring home to our sheepdog.

We flew to Christchurch, with a stop at Wellington. (We did all our local flights standby, using our Youth Hostel membership card for a 50% discount. The discount is only for standby. Our timing was good and we had no trouble getting flights.) We were served a full meal on that flight! We rented a car from Pegasus and drove to Akaroa. Akaroa is gorgeous. It reminds us of Northern California without all the buildings. Unimaginable beauty and a great place to paint.

We stayed at a farmstay, the home and farm of Paul and Hanne LeLievre (POB 4, Akaroa. Ph. (03)304-7255.) They were very friendly, helpful, and Stanley's wish to ride a horse was fulfilled there. One of the best features of their place is that it feels like it is very far away in the country, yet it is just a five minute drive into Akaroa. It's very close to The Winery, an excellent restaurant when we were there, but the management is changing, so we don't know what it'll be like in the near future. The views are gorgeous. The restaurant is on land that used to belong to the LeLievres.

The farmstay guest room and bath is not as new or fixed-up as some of the other places we've stayed, but it suited our needs. Their breakfasts were wonderful. Something different each day (muffins, homemade breads, etc.) plus the usual cereal, juice, fruit and eggs. They have a very friendly cat, so if you love cats and miss your own, you can get some good cat loving here. Sharon was interested in their spinning wheel and Hanne gave her a spinning lesson.

The LeLievres are very accommodating and can often offer a ride to town to people who come without vehicles. But this is a place where it's nice to have a car because there's very little

traffic, and you can go to other places on the Banks Peninsula, such as the Okains Bay Maori and Colonial Museum. The gorgeous ride alone is worth the visit, and the museum is wonderful. Sharon's absolute favorite. Our guide that day, a young woman named Tanya is very helpful and intelligently answered our questions. The museum is open every day from 10am to 5pm except Christmas Day, $4 for adults, $1 for children.

Everything you'll see in the museum is the personal collection of one man, Murray Thacker, and it is housed in a former cheese factory. He used to keep the collection in his house, and people paid nothing to get in. But he wants to be sure the collection stays together when he's gone, so he housed it in an old cheese factory, got other people involved in administration and planning, and admission fees help keep it going. The museum has a wonderful feeling--outdoor space, various small buildings, one very large building, and the signs are hand lettered. It is a museum that feels alive and the collection is obviously well-loved. It feels more accessible than any museum we've been to. Although this museum seems more real and alive than professional slick museums, don't get the wrong impression--it is absolutely chock full of artifacts and feeling for the past, and for the Maori people and their ways. Get the guide booklet--it's inexpensive and interesting.

The best part is the large building with Maori artifacts, but here's a quick rundown of what you'll see (and some things that are being worked on for the future):

* Harris's building has many weights and scales about 100-150 years old. Some were brought over from England.

* Paddock: Will have displays of cocks footers (to cut grass), old cow milking tools, steam engine and the old grandstand from Akaroa, built in 1917. It'll probably take a few years to finish.

* Maori canoes: The canoe shed holds a war canoe and fishing canoes. The war canoe was used on the Whanganui River as a war canoe, then it had an outhoard motor added and was used to trade. The museum owner bought it and had it stripped down to its original state. This war canoe has been used in recent years by Maoris on Waitangi Day.

* Matuku Rangi: Small houses built by the Maoris to store valuables and smoked meats. This one is particularly ornate. The carvings tell stories. You can see the chief encouraging men to pull up a whale out of the water, and other images the museum guide will point out to you.

* Whare Taonga ("home treasures"): This is the big, impressive building. There are stuffed native birds, some incredible Maori cloaks (they're very valuable, and an extension is being built for them), fishing, hunting, and warring implements, basketry, boats, and more. See the "God-stick", dated around 1400.

* Whakaata: A Maori meeting house.

* Churchill Cottage: 1860 pioneer living quarters, wood floor.

* Slab cottage: 1884, has a dirt floor.

* Slab stables: 1871, includes horsedrawn cart

* Saddle and Harness Maker Shop

* Blacksmiths shop: 1871, many tools and implements. Stanley was entranced

* Wheelwright's Furnace

* Colonial Hall: Sharon loved this one, but we were almost out of time and had to go through it quickly, so we'll have to go again! It has old printing equipment, old childrens' school items, old washtubs (and a sign telling us that people used to bathe once a year!), a topographical model of Canterbury, old money, and more. If you like old things and history and imagining what the past was like, you'll want to be here.

* Outdoors: bread oven and water pump

A funny aside about Okain's Bay: A local told us there is one man who owns most of the houses in the area. When he looks for renters, he is especially partial to those with many children. The reason? - He wants to be sure there are enough children to keep the school open!

FOREIGN PESTS OR DISEASES - Pacific Way

New Zealand's rather isolated position in the Southern Hemisphere is no guarantee against foreign pests or diseases which could destroy the nation's agricultural industry.

To keep the country safe, the country relies on its quarantine laws, which are overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries' quarantine service. Every year their staff located at ports and airports throughout New Zealand handle and inspect thousands of tonnes of overseas cargo and luggage, looking for potentially dangerous items.

While new tougher penalties will help encourage companies and travellers to be vigilant, the quarantine service would rather be thought of as an educator than an enforcer and considers prevention as important as detection. So--if in doubt, declare it.

THE BEST OF NEW ZEALAND FLY FISHING

Experience some of the world's finest trout fishing at two of New Zealand's premiere lodges with Dave and Emily Whitlock—March 19 to 29, 1998.

Dave and Emily Whitlock hosted their first New Zealand fishing trip in 1992. Everyone so enjoyed the week that another New Zealand trip with Dave and Emily was organized and quickly sold out three years later in 1995. Maintaining their three year cycle, Dave and Emily will again lead a very small group to New Zealand in March 1998.

The group will depart Los Angeles on Air New Zealand non-stop to Auckland where they will

be transferred to the Tongariro Lodge, located on the shores of Lake Taupo and set on the banks of the Tongariro River, New Zealand's most famous fly fishing river.

In operation for over 16 years Tongariro Lodge has an international reputation as one of the finest trout fishing lodges in the world.

After three days of guided fishing with Master guide and Lodge co-owner, Tony Hayes, and his excellent team of fishing guides, the group will fly to the South Island to stay at the Lake Rotoroa Lodge. This prestigious fishing lodge was built in the 1920's and incorporates the style of the Victorian era. The Lodge provides luxurious facilities coupled with old world charm and relaxed, personal attention to all guest requirements. The group will enjoy another three days of guided fishing which will consist of spotting and stalking brown trout in gin-clear water and then delicately presenting small dry flies to fish that will average 4 lbs.

Be one of the few to have the opportunity to learn and hone your fly fishing skills with one of the fly fishing world's top professionals. Each day Dave will demonstrate a variety of his extraordinary fly fishing skills and techniques--including how to tie some of the patterns he has developed and made famous. Each evening will always include a lively social hour with Dave and Emily.

Dave Whitlock designed, and for ten years ran the L L. Bean fly-fishing schools. He also wrote the Dave Whitlock Guide to Aquatic Trout Foods, the L L. Bean Fly Fishing Handbook, and regularly contributes his art and writing on fly fishing to many publications such as Fly Fisherman, American Angler, Trout, In-Fisherman, and Field & Stream.

Dave has also demonstrated his fly fishing and teaching skills in four videos and guest appearances on televised fly fishing programs.

The cost per person, double occupancy, is $4,590 and includes air fare from and return to Los Angeles on Air New Zealand; four nights accommodations and meals; three days of guided fishing at both Tongariro Lodge and Lake Rotoroa Lodge (eight nights total); all domestic flights and transfers within New Zealand; and 12.5% Goods and Service Taxes. Single supplement or non- fishing rates are available.

For information and reservations contact Mike McClelland. The Best of New Zealand Fly Fishing, 281 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica CA 90403. Tel. (800) 528-6129.

THE TAIKO, CHATHAM ISLAND SPECIES -

Pacific Way

The taiko, a bird living in the Chatham Islands, formed a major part of the Moriori diet, until introduced predators further decimated its number. Weka and possums used the taiko's burrows as retreats and early European settlers also

destroyed its habitat while clearing land for farming. The taiko's future is still uncertain. Sixty-four birds have now been banded and the total taiko population is thought to be about 100. But as far as is known, this population is dependent on the off- spring of one, possibly two breeding burrows.

Department of Conservation scientist Andy Grant, co-ordinator of the taiko recovery programme, says there are two ways to ensure success: make the existing breeding areas safe from predators or create a new, predator-safe breeding area and attract taiko to it.

The problem is the huge cost involved. "Ideally, we would like to see both options occur," says Grant, "but considering all the other endangered species, we just do not have the resources. We are looking for a cost-effective way to predator-proof the huge area used by taiko to breed. The project is an ideal opportunity for a corporate sponsor to become involved in the management programme.

"We need more time, more knowledge, more money and, most of all, more taiko. Saving the taiko is not only a matter of national pride. Since New Zealand signed the International Convention On Biological Diversity in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (Part of an international commitment to maximise biodiversity of the world), it has also become an obligation."

NZ PRODUCTS AT PAVILLIONS

One of the most comprehensive ranges of quality New Zealand food and beverages were featured for two weeks from July 24 through August 6 at Pavillions supermarkets in Southern California.

In-store cooking demonstrations and tastings featuring recipes specially created by leading US chef Jeffrey Mora ran in all 32 stores. The products themselves were made available to all customers.

Included in the New Zealand promotion were free range eggs, ENZA apples and Zespri Kiwifruit, Steinlager beer. Stoneleigh and Cloudy Bay Savignon Blanc, Kumeu River Chardonnay, a range of breadsticks, preserves, fruit teas, hot sauces, honey, mineral water, asparagus spears, Greenshell Mussels, fresh lamb, Cervena farm-raised venison, Hapuku (NZ Sea Bass), seafood chowder, NZ cookies, and apricots in light syrup.

TALL SHIPS FIRST AT 2000

Visitors to New Zealand in late 1999 can literally sail into the new century at the Pacific Tall Ships Festival in Gisborne. The city is the most easterly in New Zealand and will be one of the first in the world to see the light of the year 2000.

Fourteen Tall Ships have been confirmed for the festival, leaving Sydney, Australia, during November 1999, to arrive in Wellington on November 16 for an official welcome and various sports events, before departing for

Napier, where Christmas celebrations are planned.

On December 27 the fleet will sail for Gisbome for an historic New Year's party, greeting the first dawn of 2000 with a cannonfire salute. An extensive cultural entertainment program is planned for New Year's Day.

From Gisborne, the fleet will sail to Tauranga where day excursions to Rotorua and the Coromandel will be offered, and then on to Auckland, City of Sails, and the Bay of Islands. Some ships are bound to return from the Bay of Islands to Auckland to witness the defense of the America's Cup in late February/early March 2000.

For further information contact the Pacific Tall Ships Festival organizers: Ph 011 64 6 867 2049. Fax 011 64 6 867 9265.

DISCOVER NEW ZEALAND WITH CAMPERVANS AND CONSERVATION CAMPSITES

Imagine waking up to the stillness of nature. A sunlit New Zealand coastal cove one morning. The next. a secluded corner of a rainforest and the following morning, in an alpine region bordered by snow capped alps.

New Zealand's natural areas are among the last unspoiled places left on earth and you don't have to wait in line to see them. Nor do you have to give up basic comforts with fully equipped campervans and New Zealand's extensive range of Department of Conservation campsites.

New Zealand has over 200 DOC campsites, providing stunning bases for a wide range of activities as adventurous as white water rafting, jetboating or bungy jumping, or as relaxing as swimming, walking, bird watching or having a picnic. With a coastline of almost 10,000 miles, pristine beaches and dramatic scenery are never far away. It is not unusual in New Zealand to have a beach all to yourself Just the environment for replenishment and renewal

The Department of Conservation camps are classified into three categories. Serviced campgrounds have flush toilets, tap water, kitchen, laundry, hot showers, rubbish collection, external lights and powered sites, while standard camping areas have at least toilets, water supply and vehicle access. The most basic category, informal camping areas, only have a water supply. Fees range from free informal camping areas to $6 to $9 NZ per person at the serviced facilities. Bookings for serviced campsites can be made at DOC offices, nearest the campsites.

New Zealand's best-loved areas contain DOC campsites. from the Coromandel with its spectacuiar beaches, to Rotorua and its amazing geysers, mudpools and recreational lakes, to Fiordland with its fiords, valleys and waterfalls

Touring vehicles in New Zealand range from 4-6 person campervans to two person 4WD campas, with more flexibility off the beaten track. Minibuses or economy cars with camping equipment included are also available.

From its tranquil sub-tropical location in the South

Pacific, New Zealand offers travelers a simply remarkable experience. A haven for the senses; an oasis of rejuvenation amid unspoiled natural beauty. Just an overnight flight away, New Zealand is a destination of friendly people who Look forward to welcoming you. For more information on camping in New Zealand or traveling to New Zealand, please contact the New Zealand Tourism Board at (800) 388-5494.

SPECIAL NEW ZEALAND DATES, OCT.-DEC.

Oct 5 Daylight saving begins, NZ 20 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time. Oct 27 Labor Day. Dec 25Christmas Day. Dec 26 Boxing Day.

School vacations : Primary schools Dec 17-Jan 25. Secondary schools Dec 6-Jan25 or Dec 13-Jan 25.

KiwiPac KRONICLE

"NIFTY, OVER FIFTY" NEW ZEALAND TOUR WITH MILFORD TRACK OPTION - Mar. 7-Mar. 30, 1998

No, the group will not number over fifty people, and, no, you do not have to be over fifty to enjoy this trip! Designed for, but definitely not limited to the "Nifty, Over Fifty" crowd, this tour includes hikes and lunches with New Zealand walking club members, whale watching and swimming with dolphins if you wish, a cruise up the Dart River to walk in the silence of Mt. Aspiring National Park, an overnight farmstay with a Kiwi family, an overnight cruise on majestic Milford Sound, high tea in a private home and an option to stay on to walk the Milford Track at the end if you wish.

To enjoy this tour you do not have to be a mountain climber. All the walks are optional and may be adjusted to fit your pace and your walking ability. They can be extended to suit the hiker, or shortened to suit the rambler and when we hike with NZ walking clubs their members divide into hikers and ramblers so everyone is accommodated. When traveling we stop frequently, for ice cream, for photos, for tea, or just to stretch our legs. It's a "laid back" kind of trip with room to adjust the itinerary as weather or any other factors dictate.

If you are seriously considering joining this tour please let us know. Even if you are not certain enough to make the commitment of a deposit at this time we would appreciate knowing that you are a definite "probable", or even just a "maybe".

SPECIAL INTEREST TRIPS FOR INDIVIDUALS

If garden or nature/walking tours are not your cup of tea, but you would like to get more from your trip to New Zealand or Australia than is possible in a general interest group tour, please call us. Since KiwiPac Tours is New Zealand owned and operated, we know the country and people well and we can match you up with New Zealanders who share your special interest whether it's

gardening, quilting, beer or wine tasting, sailing, bird watching or just about anything. One of the most frequent comments made by travelers who return from Down Under is how friendly the people are, and what better way to meet the people than by sharing your special interest with them. Give us a call and allow us to put an itinerary together for you.

If you don't want to drive yourself we can arrange a tour using public transport, trains and local coaches. Don't worry. We arrange all transfers to and from your hotel, motel or B&B so you don't have to drag your bags around.

'NEW ZEALAND HAS MORE BEAUTIFUL GARDENS THAN ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD"

So commented Jim Wilson (PBS Victory Garden and Home and Garden TV Network) after traveling with us on our Summer Garden Tour last February. New Zealand is also noted for spectacular scenery and arguably the friendliest people in the world. We will experience all three on our Spring Garden Tour October 29 to Nov. 14, 1997.

Commencing in Christchurch, Garden City of New Zealand, we will have some free time before visiting gardens brimming with rhododendrons, azaleas, clematis and native plants. In Dunedin you will marvel at the Botanical Gardens and two private gardens which have been featured on US television and, time and weather permitting, have a chance to visit the albatross and penguin colonies. En route to the scenic area of Fiordland National Park we will turn south off the highway to visit an amazing garden which features tame birds along with spectacular plantings. This garden has also been shown in the US. As we visit Milford Sound and Queenstown you will have a spell from gardens to enjoy the stunning surroundings before our scenic flight to Christchurch and on up to Rotorua in the North Island. Here you will be introduced to our Maori culture, agricultural background and thermal wonders before heading south past Lake Taupo through the central North Island. Lunch in the garden at Titoki Point and an overnight farmstay with a New Zealand family near Hunterville will make this a day to remember.

Turning north and up the west coast we stop in New Plymouth, site of the annual Rhododendron Festival, to visit a variety of gardens, and then as we proceed north, stop to see the glowworm grotto at Waitomo and the TeAwamutu Rose Gardens. TeAwamutu is known as "Rose City" and rosarians on our Summer Tour thought this was one of the most outstanding rose gardens they had ever seen. By this time the roses should be at their spring peak. Our tour finishes in Auckland with gardens, sights and a farewell high tea in a private home.

Driving has been kept to a minimum and there will be free time to explore Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown, and Auckland. Travel is relaxed with stops for photos, great Kiwi ice cream, and just to wander in small country towns. If you are interested in this trip please let us know as soon as possible.

FOR INFORMATION AND BROCHURES ON ANY OF THE ABOVE TOURS PLEASE CALL US: KiwiPac Tours, 1919 Chula Vista Drive, Belmont CA 94002 (415) 595-2090.

IT'S EXOTIC AND ALL ORGANIC

The Waitete Orchard & Cafe is a magical place tucked away in semi-rural Waihi (Coromandel). Flanked by organically grown apple, pear, feijoa trees, blueberries, and an assortment of nut trees, and on the other side by macrocarpa, Japanese cedar, eucalyptus, wild cherry and ponga trees, the cafe is an east-coast Africa styled building.

El fresco dining inside willow corral fencing, watching the children playing happily in an adventure playground; sampling organic wines and imported ale; savouring fresh salads and divine quiche--it's a place you will want to return to.

Tony and Thea Belcher make their own wines from the fruits of their orchard and cater for people who want to enjoy the pleasures of life in a relaxed atmosphere.

The Waitete Orchard & Cafe is already proving to be a popular luncheon venue, particularly for those who enjoy healthy food, all organically grown. Curries are a favourite on the ever-changing menu, as are lasagne, samousa, homemade desserts and cakes. Even the coffee tastes different. It is a 100% organic Papua New Guinean blend.

The Waitete Orchard & Cafe is decidedly different. It offers a feeling of escape, of freedom from the mainstream Kiwi cafes.

LOVELY PLANET TRAVEL SERVICE

Lovely Planet Discount Travel Service, Sun Valley, Idaho, researches the wholesale and discounted INTERNATIONAL airfare market for all your requests. For surprisingly low quotes phone Marci at 1-800-873-0482 or e-mail premrup@micron.net. Please include cities of departure and destination and approximate dates of travel.

FRANZ JOSEF - It's one steep glacier!

from Hostelling Horizonz

You don't hear much about the other 3150 glaciers in New Zealand because of their general inaccessibility to the average person, but the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers on the South Islands West Coast and the Tasman Glacier on the East, would have to be the most visited. Out of these three the Franz Josef Glacier is by far the steepest--and this is what sets it out on its own.

Cascading out of the Southern Alps at an altitude of 3000 metres above sea level, the Glacier starts its descent. Twelve and a half km later it greets you at the terminal face amidst temperate rainforest only 250 metres above sea level and 18 km from the Tasman Sea. You would have to travel to Southern Chile to see this sight anywhere else in the world. Just one and a half hours south of Hokitika you will find the Franz

Josef Village with Franz Josef Youth Hostel nestled in against the mountains, surrounded by thick rainforest with the glacier just another six km along the road.

As you travel along the coast you get the feeling you have been taken back in time, for all the eye can see is lush green rainforest cloaking the land as the mountains stand sentinel. The first Europeans to witness this sight in 1849, described a "streak of mist" descending from the mountains into the rainforest. Upon closer inspection they were surprised to find a glacier in the same temperate zone as the south of France. Both Cannes and Franz Josef sit at the latitude 43.5. This incredibly accessible glacier soon became a major tourist attraction and for one hundred years now guides have been leading people onto the ice.

The Franz Josef Glacier is an unusually steep glacier. Fox Glacier, 30 minutes south, has only half the gradient of the Franz Josef. This provides the visitor with a spectacle of towering ice pinnacles, weird and wonderful ice formations created by the excessive melting in such an unusually warm glacial environment.

Being such a steep glacier means that is is also very fast moving; in fact outside of Greenland the Franz Josef would be the fastest of any non- surging glacier in the world. If you've studied glaciers at any stage in your life you'll remember the technical terms--crevasses, seracs, moulins. Due to the steepness and speed at which the Franz Josef moves, all these features are accentuated.

Carrying on from the tradition of 100 years ago clients still don hobnail boots and are led onto the ice with the guides deftly cutting steps ahead of them. Franz Josef Glacier Guides operate Half Day Trips, a three and a half hour trip that gives you a taste of the ice world. Franz Josef Ice Labyrinth (Full Day Trip), leading you through a labyrinth of ice, four or five hours to explore the first ice fall of the Franz Josef and, a bonus of the modern age, helicopters have taken some of the hard work nut of the glacier experience.

In conjunction with The Helicopter Line, the Heli-Hike involves a ten minute scenic helicopter flight of the glacier, followed by a two hour hike admidst unbelievable beauty. Return is by helicopter and back to reality. This is the ultimate glacier experience.

Any enquiries about these tours can be made at the Franz Josef YHA, a warm and comfortable place to plan your ice adventures. The hostel is located at 2-3 Cron Street, Franz Josef Glacier. Ph/fax is (03) 752-0754. Cost: Standard NZ$16, double/twin $18.

INTERESTING NEW ZEALAND WEBSITES

By Charles Eggen, Oregon

The following list of New Zealand websites are not meant to be the best, but they are among the best and are worth looking into and, in my opinion, worth "bookmarking". Some of these sites are large and will take a while to load, so be patient. Most have a section containing links to other sites; do check these links as they are often just as interesting. If you have any special interests

or questions regarding NZ sites, drop an e-mail at:

cne@efn.org and I will do my best to be of assistance-- Charles Eggen.

These URLs are not listed in order of importance. Be sure to use caps only where indicated.

* nz.com/nz/ Aotearoa on the Web. This is a large general site with a lot of information and links as well as graphics.

* www.govt.nz/ Official NZ government homepage-- therefore a lot of links to various sites of government agencies.

* www.nztb.govtnz/ The NZ Tourism Board Home page. As you might imagine there is a good bit of tourism info here.

* www.aa.org.nz/ Automobile Assn. of New Zealand Homepage. If you are a member of AAA you will be able to get basic services at no cost. In any case, a good source for accommodation recommendations and vehicle rental as well as maps.

* Maori. com/ If you have questions regarding the Maori, is the place to check on-line.

* www.kiwihome.co.nz/gardens/ For those who enjoy gardens, this site will provide much pleasure. Many pictures as well as directions to gardens throughout NZ.

* www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~treweek/aviation.html NZ aircraft images and historical background plus links to related sites in NZ and other countries.

* www.netlink.co.nz/~monpa/index.html For those who know the book "Why Cats Paint" this will be a treat. For the uninitiated I can only say you will need to check it out and even then you might not know what you have experienced.

* www.waitaki-dc.govt.nz/ A new NZ website for the Waitaki District and Oamaru. This website is still under construction, but there is a fair amount of info available and some pictures. There are also hot links to separate sites regarding the Blue Penguins and the Yellow-eyed Penguins which have nesting areas on the edge of town (Oamaru).

* www.commercial.co.nz/~rakiura/The Stewart Island site was set up by Sam Sampson who lives in Oban. It is therefore current and probably as accurate as is possible. A great deal of information and many pictures. I think this is turning into one of the best websites in NZ.

* www.efn.org/~cne/ I have saved the best for last. The NZ Stamp First Day Cover page. I say it is the best because it is my webpage. If I can't brag about my own site, who will.

LETTER BOX

My niece Joy had made good friends in NZ who went out of their way to show us the entire South Island over the next two weeks. We saw Joy at her school her last day. Mary had penpal letters from her class members to Joy's class. The kids were so thrilled that "Miss Vane's Mum" brought them. A teacher friend Stuart McDonald drove us south from Christchurch. Two nights in Queenstown, two in TeAnau, crossed the mountains to Milford Sound, boat ride to Tasman Sea, back up along east coast.

In the next week we took the bus to Cathedral Square, took a bus to Scarborough Beach at Sumner, another to Lyttleton. The next weekend Mary and I took the train across to Greymouth. Joy's friend's family had a "bach" cabin on Lake Manieri and we "did" the glacier park Franz Josef and the Pancake Rocks.

Jason drove us all 'back across the mountains. The last weekend Cora Johnston (where Joy had been staying) drove us up to Kaikoura where she grew up, along the northeast coast. Saw seals, a Maori pa, the old cemetary where her grandparents are buried.

People were so nice to us. I don't know if I will ever get back to NZ, but I will always remember this island and its people.

Lillian Neeck, Wisconsin

If you would include this info on the American Women's Club cookbook in your next newsletter it would be greatly appreciated.

When we were living in New Zealand I became involved with the American Women's Club. Not only is this a group of ex-pats but also many Kiwis married to Americans and women from Canada, South Africa and all over. As residents of NZ we felt a need to give back to the country that welcomed us. Each year we chose a charity to donate to, and our fund-raising efforts focused on one or two main organizations.

Last year we gave to the Bone Marrow Transplant unit at Auckland General Hospital and Starship Childrens' Hospital--the only ones in the country involved in that work. Plus we gave generously to the Auckland City Mission.

The cookbook proceeds will be divided between these two groups. It is also available at Whitcoul's bookstores throughout NZ for NZ$29.95. It includes recipes for NZ favorites such as pavlova and recipes from Graham Kerr (himself a Kiwi), and US Ambassador to NZ Josiah Beeman. Besides, where else can you find a recipe for that wonderful pumpkin soup you fell in love with on your trip down under!

Thanks. Rose O'Donnell, California

(Ed. The Community Charity Cookbook can be ordered from The American Women's Club, c/a A. Moss, 807 State Highway, R.D. 2, Albany, NZ. Cost US$30.00. Make checks out in U.S. dollars to The American Women's Club. The US$30 covers the cost of the book and surface mail.)

(Ed. Ms. O'Donnell also sent along "A Guide to the New Zealand Health System for Overseas Visitors, a very comprehensive pamphlet, which also includes important telephone numbers to know. For copies please contact:

Corporate Communications, Ministry of Health, P0 Box 5013, Wellington NZ. Tel. 04 496 2201.)

Your KIWIphile FILE publication always brings back fond and warm "fuzzies" of my two trips to New Zealand. Keep up the good work.

Franklin L. Fountaine, Washington

EMBARRASSING SECURITY GLITCH - Internet

Auckland International Airport claims it has fixed an embarrassing security glitch after a 16-year-old stowaway passed through four security checks and on to a Los Angeles-bound plane without a Passport or a ticket.

Kinnear Penman of Whangarei was detained for 12 hours at Los Angeles International Airport after he arrived on a United Airlines Boeing 747 from Auckland and tried to get through immigration and customs checks. He arrived home from L.A. and went into hiding.

The case drew the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was reported in the Los Angeles Times.

According to his neighbours and friends, the computer whiz might have learnt the secret to flying without paying while tapping into the Internet.

Customs said it had no record of the youth passing through but airport security confirmed that he was screened and his baggage x-rayed. He got past two other security points--at the departure gates and when boarding flight UA842.

After the meeting, Auckland International Airport chief executive John Goulter said the "astute boy" had exposed a weakness in the airport's security system.

"The boy is quite bright. He has identified a number of things as sometimes kids do," he said. He would not disclose how Mr. Penman got on the flight. "But it's been nailed down definitely, definitively, completely."

HELP YOUR FELLOW KIWIPHILES!

Some of you must have been in New Zealand during the past year. Have you written down some of your experiences and/or observations? Even if you feel that your notes aren't in what you consider to be suitable condition for publication, please let us be the judge of that. We'll print what seems to be interesting reading for others. So send something along to us. Thanks.

NOTES FROM PIM DODGE, TRAVEL HOST

The number of overseas visitors arriving in New Zealand over a 12-month period has exceeded 1.5 million or the first time. In the year to November 1996, 1,507,000 people arrived in the country, up from 1,389,000 the year before. More than 90,000 New Zealanders left on short overseas trips in November, a 20% increase from the November before.

Visitors to Auckland cannot fail to notice the Sky Tower nearing completion above the city's casino. The 328 metre (1076 ft) structure is taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris (320m), and Sydney's Centrepoint Tower (304m). Auckland's Tower features a revolving bar and restaurant, and three observation decks. It is expected to attract one million visitors a year.

New Zealand now has less than 48 million sheep, down from a peak of 70 million in 1982. The gradual decline is expected to continue as more land is converted into dairy and deer farms, or used for forestry.

A sign of the times in Auckland--a "nappy" (diaper) changing table is to be installed in the men's toilet at Manurewas botanical gardens. The decision followed protests from fathers that a plan to provide a changing table only in the women's toilets amounted to discrimination!!

Underground tunnels built to shelter up to 22,000 Aucklanders during the Second World War could be developed into tourist attractions. A city butcher has been given council permission to explore the tunnels' potential.

(Write to pim Dodge for her newsletter. pim Dodge, P.O. Box 769, Frankfort, MI 49635. Ph. 616-352-6013).

RHODODENDRON FESTIVAL

The Dunedin Rhododendron Festival from Octo- ber 17-24 welcomes spring to one of the best rhododendron growing regions in the world. From an elegant choir garden party at Lanarch Castle, to a stroll through the world-renowned Rhododendron Dell at Dunedin Botanic Gardens or a tour of the city's private gardens the city will be in flower.

RAKIURA RAINBOW

(Stewart Island)

"Yes, islands have something special for us all. We think ours is best, but don't believe all you

read.

Stewart Island doesn't lie between the covers of this book. It's here, south of Bluff, and it's waiting for you! Come and join us for a time."