Volume XII, No. 1

SEPTEMBER 1999

DESTINATION NEW ZEALAND - (Lonely Planet On-Line)

New Zealand is a haven for visitors who seek adventure and exertion, and Kiwi fun-lovers seem to be dreaming up new ways to raise their adrenaline every other day.

There are literally thousands of km of bush- walking tracks in New Zealand; just some of the country's great walks include Lake Waikaremoana (Te Urewera National Park) and the Tongariro Northern Circuit (Tongariro National Park in the North Island); the Abel Tasman Coastal Track (Abel Tasman National Park), the Routeburn Track (Mt. Aspiring and Fiordland national parks) and the Milford Track (Fiordland National Park) in the South Island. All of these walks take between three and four days.

New Zealand is one of the most popular places for skiing in the southern hemisphere. There's downhill, Nordic, telemark and cross-country skiing, as well as ample opportunities for ski touring or snowboarding.

The largest and most popular ski area is in the North Island at Whakapapa, in Tongariro National Park. Other skiing areas in the North Island include Turoa, Tukino and Manganui. Coronet Peak in the South Island is world class in terms of both snow and the facilities available. Other South Island skiing areas include the Remarkables, Treble Cone, Cardrona, the Waiorau Nordic Area, Mt. Hull and Erewhon.

New Zealand offers challenging mountaineering opportunities, particularly in the Mt. Cook region, Fiordland, Arthurs Pass and Mt. Aspiring National Park, though these are definitely not for the uninitiated. Caving, rock-climbing and rap jumping (a variation on abseiling) are popular in the Bay of Islands, Wanaka and Queenstown.

Mountain-biking your way around the country is an increasingly popular pastime, and there are also numerous places where you can see the countryside by horse, including the Franz Josef Glacier, around Dunedin and the Coromandel Peninsula.

The best places for birdwatchers include the Catlins Forest Park, the south-east coast, Fiordland, the Otago Peninsula, the Marlborough Sounds, and the forests and coasts of Northland.

That leaves water-based activities... The Shotover and Kawarau rivers near Queenstown are popular with jet-boaters and whitewater rafters in the south, while in the north there's Whanganui, Manganui, Motu and Rangitaiki. The Okere Falls near Rotorua and the Tawhai Falls in Tongariro National Park provide some of the most hairy whitewater rafting experiences.

Popular canoeing spots include the North Island's Whanganui River and Lake Taupo. Sea kayaking is booming around the Bay of Islands and Coromandel in the North Island, and the Marlborough Sounds and Abel Tasman National Park coastline in the south.

If you have any energy left, there may still be time for cave rafting at Waitomo (North Island) or Greymouth (South island); scuba diving around the Bay of Islands or the Marlborough Sounds; surfing just about anywhere; fishing for trout in Lake Taupo (North Island) or salmon in Otago and Southland; marine- mammal watching at Kaikoura on the northeastern coast of the South Island; bungy jumping at the Kawarau suspension bridge near Queenstown; and skydiving near Fotorua or Hastings in the North. or at Nelson or Queenstown in the South.

NZ CHANGES LAW TO ALLOW

YEAR 2000 WEDDING BELLS

Couples wanting to tie the knot as the world enters the year 2000 will now be able to marry on the stroke of midnight in the first time zone to greet the new year.

New Zealand's parliament recently agreed to relax a rule banning weddings between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., clearing the way for marriages as the year begins.

New Zealand, a well-established destination in the Asian wedding and honeymoon market, is looking

to capitalize on a government-backed "First to the Future" campaign and draw more tourists over the December/January period.

Plans include a flood-lit golf tournament teeing off at midnight on December 31 and dubbed "the world's first golf tournament of the 21st Century."

The organiser, the Christchurch Casino, said the First Strike tournament would be played on an 18- hole course at Russley in the South Island city, and profits would go to local and international charities.

Despite the myriad of plans to attract visitors, Tourism Board chairman Peter Allport said he did not expect New Zealand to be overrun with brides and golfers.

While many people plan to celebrate the new millennium on the stroke of midnight this December 31, technically it does not begin until 2001.

GOLDEN SHEARS 1999

(Wairarapa Times-Age)

In 1958, a group of shearing enthusiasts from the Wairarapa Young Farmers Club put forward the idea of organising a shearing competition in the district. The annual A and P Show was chosen as the venue and shearers came from all parts of the North and South Islands.

The competition was an outstanding success and the stage was set for a new sporting spectacle which would impact on Masterton for the foreseeable futUre and make the rural town into a Mecca for competition shearers from all over the world.

Federated Farmers was approached for permission to stage an annual shearing contest under its umbrella, calling it Golden Shears and using the Masterton War Memorial Stadium as the new venue.

The inaugural Golden Shears in 1961 surpassed all expectations and the crowds were so great, the army was called in to assist around the stadium. Even before the impact of live sport on television, the Golden Shears became a household name among the initiated and seats were often booked out twelve months in advance.

The competition between shearers was fierce, with no quarter given, and many of New Zealand's great champions engraved their names in the record books, Ivan Bowen, Snow Quinn, Roger Cox and Martin Ngataki among them.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, many minor shearing competitions sprang up in New Zealand and shearing entered a new era of professionalism.

Major companies associated with the industry wanted to promote and sponsor this unorthodox sport.

Prize money for competitors grew each year and many shearers adopted training programmes and fitness courses which better suited their more professional approach to the sport.

For the voluntary organisers of Golden Shears, the rate of change was difficult to keep pace with. Rules were changed, major sponsors sought and transtasman tests implemented. In 1980, a World Shearing Championship was staged, setting the seal so far on their accomplishments.

Golden Shears became much more than just a shearing competition but an institution in its own right, with the best in the world beating a path to Masterton in order to compete with their elite peers.

Shearing competitions established themselves as a major sporting code in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In spite of intense competition from television and other activities, Golden Shears not only survived but has prospered in a way perhaps never envisaged by the original founders.

The 1996 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships, in conjunction with the Golden Shears, resulted in the event being applauded as the best Shears in many years.

Although many changes have taken place over the years and the present competition is hardly recognisable from its small beginnings, the competitors' objectives remain the same.

To do your best, compete fairly, win your grade and become a champion at the Golden Shears is still the pinnacle of shearing achievement, with the Open title counted as the finest accolade of the industry.

TIME DIFFERENCES

From late October to mid-March, New Zealand is 21 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time.

From mid-March to early April, New Zealand is 20 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time.

From early April to early October New Zealand is 19 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time.

From early October to late October, New Zealand is 20 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time.

PLEASE SEND IN YOUR LETTERS, ARTICLES AND CLIPPINGS — SHORT OR LONG!

DON'T FORGET: Marci Streiker of Lovely Planet Discount Travel Service is always ready to arrange for your discount air tickets to New Zealand—all airlines! Marci Streiker, P.O. Box 2009, Halley, ID 83333. Call 800-873-0482.

Sir Edmund Hillary is the quintessential New Zealander athletic, adventurous, and passionate about the outdoors. As the first climber to ascend Mount Everest, he joined a distinguished list of New Zealand firsts—including the first man to split the atom, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, and the first self-governing country to give women the vote and introduce old-age pensions.

A JOURNEY - RICHMOND TO TIMARU

- By Noeline McCaughan - Reprinted with the author's permission. All rights reserved.

In the soft clear light of a sunny autumn day we left Richmond (Nelson) just after 9 a.m. The early mists had almost dissipated from the Waimea plains and the brilliance of the seasonal foliage of exotic trees lit up the roadsides as we ascended the Spooner range. Behind us was the slightly misty fertile plain with the Waimea river carving its way to the sea in Tasman Bay.

The dew laden grasses on each side gave way as we rose to ferns on the banks and between the plantation, trees, scrub and treeferns covered the ground. The long run down the other side was still in shade and we popped out into the sun again at Motupiko where we crossed the Motueka river.

Up through the sunlit Clark valley and into the exotic forests again towards the Hope Saddle we commented how the changes wrought upon the road make the highway a driver's dream, comparing the present wide sealed roadway with its easy bends to the narrow, unsealed, dusty, pot-holed road with its sharp corners and steep pitches that we rattled over years ago in our little Bradford van, our young family bouncing up and down on the back seat as we manouvered around the corrugated bends.

For those travelling this road for the first time, it is a good idea to take the time to drive up to the lookout at the top of the 2000 ft Hope saddle. From there is an almost unimpeded 180 degree view of the surrounding countryside. On the right one can see Mount Arthur with its snow cap that usually lingers long into summer and further around Mounts Owen and Hope bulking high against the sky.

Look to the left across a series of wooded ranges and there are the Spenser Mountains, a range jagged and crumpled, heavily plastered with snow all winter and in summer a range of formidable rock faces above thickly bushclad slopes. Farther left again Mount Robert stands above Lake Rotoiti from which the Butler river begins its journey to the sea.

At one's feet may be seen the road winding its way through the farmland and scrub of the Hope valley to the forested valley leading into the gorges of the Buller river and a view of Mt. Murchison in the centre distance.

The drive down the gorge was as beautiful as always, made pleasurable by the small amount of traffic. "The Gorge" itself is in reality a sequence of gorges in which the river alternately foams and slides passive but deep between rock walls with the road running alongside under beetling rock overhangs and steep bushclad slopes.

Here and there we popped out into relatively open areas such as Owen River and Gowan Bridge where paradise ducks browsed across the grassy paddocks. Morning tea was shared with a pair of South Island robins beside the road, a few fantails flipped around our heads with their chirping voices so reminiscent of a finger being rubbed on a wet windowpane.

Murchison slid past and we crossed Sullivan's Bridge where the bush is even more dense and the road was empty ahead of us. Dublin Terrace, where the road of old used to wind its one-way trail up and down a precipitous face above the river until it was swept into the torrent one dark winter morning when the Inangahua earthquake rearranged hundreds of square miles of countryside, was passed and behind us, we swept through the Lyall and over the Iron Bridge into the billiance of sunlight on the Inangahua farm fiats.

Below Inangahua Junction we entered the !ower Gorge where the river becomes sedate and runs deep and green between Limestone Bluffs on Beech- clad mountains. Hawks Crag, the place that all tourists stop for photographs has been changed somewhat. The overhang of rock has been cut back to allow the passage of bigger vehicles but it is still an impressive feature of the road. Rata was flowering in the trees just before we left the gorge for the flats of Cape Foulwind.

Westport with its evocative smell of coal smoke was where we lunched at my brother's and then off down the Coast Road. Steep bushy headlands, high bluffs, mountains rising directly from the shore with the road hugging the high water mark around little flax lined sandy bays or rising up to navigate the

heights above Meybelle Bay and the Te Miko cliffs a thousand feet above the crawling swells of the Tasman Sea. Great breakers crashed on the shore and foamed right to the top of the beach and surged in a flurry of foam up the small brown watered creeks.

The pukekos beside the Punakaiki river ignored us as we drank tea and swatted sandflies and enjoyed the peace of the afternoon. From there we were into the increasingly settled area of small farms and holiday homes squeezed into the strip of land between the Paparoa range and the water and finally through Runanga, across the Cobden bridge and into Greymouth.

Many years ago when my parents took us as usual to the bach at Woodpecker Bay North of Punakaiki for our school holidays we experienced a granddaddy of all storms one night. It blew up out of nowhere. I was sleeping on a stretcher on the porch which overlooked the bay. Dad grabbed me and shoved me inside and bundled the sleeping bag and stetcher in after me. I spent the rest of the night half sleeping, half watching from the hard windowseat in the living room.

The wind buffeted the building and blew the smoke back down the chimney into the room and shook the windows as if a madman was trying to break in. The whole structure shuddered and thrummed in the assault from nature. Flashes of lightning revealed a sea madly roiling and smashing against the rocks at the foot of the bank 40 feet below the cottage. Great clouds of spray came flying up, splattering heavily on the win- dows, leaves of the flax bushes clashed and thrashed wildly and the whole night seemed given over to the madness of lightning, thunder, wind and torrential rain.

Came the morning and the sea was a maelstrom of foam. On the verandah we found a dead petrel, its smooth satiny plumage dusky in the sunlight, and the pitiful sad thing lay crumpled against the wall where it had died.

In the sunlit morning the air moved lightly. My brothers and I walked down the road towards the caves, and at the bottom of the hill we found great heaps of driftwood piled high across the carriageway. A large iron buoy had been cast up and lay on its side in the middle of the road—a small portion of its anchor chain dangling from a great ring at its base. We spent many hours over the following week attempting to move it and roll it back down onto the beach. We cast about for bigger and longer sticks in our efforts to lever it along, but despite the great effort put into the endeavour, it was all in vain.

Now when I travel that road, sweeping south across the new bridge over the Fox river and past the little area of baches beside the small headland,

I always look keenly to see, half hidden in the hydrangea bushes near the road, that same buoy still with its chain attached lying rusting quietly. I see in my mind's eye back over half a century when three young children discovered that several tons of iron were not going anywhere.

I went to sleep that night with visions of rushing streams, winding roads, tree ferns and Nikau palms against the brazen path of the sun across the sea filling my mind.

Next morning, the weather sunny and clear, we drove up the Teramakau Valley and across Arthurs Pass, the Otira Gorge, chilling and shaded, narrow and threatening, leading up and up until we found a viewing area just past the Otira slide where we could see the new viaduct being built far below. It is a challenging piece of work and obviously dangerous, too, taking into account the terrain and the weather. Lunchtime found us at Klondike corner and so did the sandflies. From the way they bit I doubt that they had had a decent feed since I was last there.

The Canterbury end of the Waimakariri bridge had obviously been undermined by the river and there was a Bailey bridge spanning the damaged section. Travel from there was uneventful. We ran into a wall of thick drizzle when we skirted Lake Lyndon, and that was all we saw for the last hundred miles of our trip home.

(Editor: Noeline McCaughan's South Island roots go a long way— she even has a Southland mountain named after her. Though she has reached the "new third of life", she remains active. The reason she was in Richmond, referred to in the essay, was to visit her mother! Noeline loves cooking, steam locomotives, and is a weaver. She currently resides in the outskirts of Timaru, although she and her husband have been trying to find a suitable place on the West Coast. Noeline is a long-standing regular on the newsgroup:

soc.culture.new-zealand)

UPDATED BASIC WEBSITE INFO -

Charles Eggen

Everyone traveling has a common interest in three things: transportation, lodging, and food. Unfortunately, the food references on the Internet for New Zealand are not yet very objective. Hopefully that will soon change. In the meantime, I would suggest that you ask locals when you get there. Places change owners and quality often, and guidebooks are not very helpful.

As for transportation within New Zealand, there is public transport such as air, train, bus or ferries, or rental vehicles. I will leave the rental vehicle

information for another time, since there are many such firms and it is hard to find objective evaluations regarding their services or quality, but I will try. The major airlines within NZ are Air NZ and Ansett NZ. There are various smaller operators such as Mt. Cook, Air Nelson, Eagle Air, etc., which are partly owned or booked by Air NZ and therefore would not need to be contacted directly by visitors from overseas; one contact with Air NZ will do it. Most visitors are not interested in flying within the country, since they want to get closer to the land than an air trip allows, so I will not go into any details regarding that at this time. Anyone wanting those details or URLs is welcome to contact me by email at: cne@efn.org

Rail transport information can be obtained within two websites. The first is the official one, but not necessarily the easiest one from which to get the basic information. The second is a source that provides basics and timetables, which is what most people are looking for. If you want some package ideas or details on the new "Best of NZ" pass, then look within the official Tranzrail site. Both sources have info on the inter-island ferries.

http://152.158.255.49/tranzrail/customerservice/passenger.html

http://byrail.wellington.net.nz/

Bus information is well contained within the intercity website of http://www.intercitycoach.co.nz/

It has not (as of June 1999) yet updated the information for the October 1999 to September 2000 season. That should be available in August. If you want details for next season sooner, then email them a note asking for the new prices (they usually go up about 5% each year) and time changes for any specific route you need.

Another coach operation is Newmans. They have some programs that are a bit different from Intercity, although they do not travel to many of the smaller communities that the Intercity system serves.

http://www.newmanscoach.co.nz/

There are many lodging resources available on the net. Probably the largest and single best one is the one that the Automobile Association has at:

http://www.aaguides.co.nz/

In addition to an extensive listing of facilities in large and small communities, they also have some information regarding interesting things to do or see in any specific area or community. A very nice URL to bookmark, but not the only one. For Bed and Breakfast facilities, a very large and helpful site is:

http://www.bnb.co.nz/NZ99/home.html

For those who think they know what a hostel is, but haven't experienced one in New Zealand, you would probably be pleasantly surprised.

You do not have a required cleanup duty, nor do you need to bring your own bedding. The places are accessible all day and most have twin and/or double bed rooms in addition to four bed ones. The YHA organization is associated with the International Hostel system with info at: http://www.yha.org.nz/

A large independent competitive organization called Budget Backpackers have member facilities all over the country and have a user rating system to aid in your selection. Their info is at: http://www.backpack.co.nz/

There are other associations and facilities that range from campgrounds to luxury lodges. Those that are looking for any specific type of accommodations (for example, there are facilities that cater only to women), are welcome to contact me. I have a very large database. Likewise, if you have some special interest, such as music, art, history, birds, etc., let me know and I can probably come up with a specific site that can provide the information that you desire.

AMERICA'S CUP 2000 IN NEW ZEALAND

(from International Travel News)

Air New Zealand, in conjunction with Events South Pacific and American Express New Zealand Cup Village, is offering an exclusive 5-night package to Auckland, "City of Sails," for the America's Cup Challenger races and the America's Cup finals.

Starting at $1,799 per person (based on double occupancy), the package is valid from October 1999 to March 2000 and includes the following:

•

round-trip, Pacific Class airfare from Los Angeles

to Auckland on Air New Zealand (add-on airfares from all major U.S. cities are available;

•

round-trip airport transfers in a private vehicle

while in Auckland;

•

five nights' deluxe hotel accommodations

including breakfast each day;

•

a day experiencing the excitement of America's

Cup racing within the American Express New Zealand Cup Village, plus private "boat party"

hospitality, including an on-the-water racing cruise, lunch and refreshments;

•

America's Cup souvenir merchandise pack;

•

a visit to Auckland's Sky Tower for bird's-eye

views of Auckland and beyond, and

•

New Zealand Goods & Services tax of 12.5%.

• Add-on packages in New Zealand and to Australia,

Tahiti and Fiji also are available. For reservations

and additional information, call an Events South

Pacific travel agent at 877/GO-SAIL-NZ (467-

2456).

A KIWI'S EGG IS ALMOST

AS BIG AS AN OSTRICH'S

(from Avenues)

What are the odds of survival for a bird that can't fly, lives in a burrow in the forest floor, is nearly blind, and lays but one huge egg a year?

Slim to none, you might think. Yet the kiwi, the national symbol of New Zealand, has thrived in that country for at least 70 millibn years. This creature is so bizarre and unbirdlike that when British scientists first heard about it in 1813, they flied the report with stories of mermaids and unicorns.

Consider the kiwi's comical appearance: It's about the size of a chicken but pear-shaped; its head is small; it has a long, slender, flexible bill with catlike whiskers at the base; useless two-inch wings hidden beneath gray-brown, hairlike feathers; no tail; and large, sturdy feet.

With nostrils at the tip, the kiwi's bill is unique. This odd bird finds food—insects, worms, snails, and berries—at night with its acute sense of smell, rare in birds. (If a kiwi breaks off the tip of its bill, it likely will starve.) By contrast, the kiwi can only see six feet ahead at night and just two feet during the day..

The kiwi lives in forests and grasslands, where it digs burrows with its sharp claws. A pair (males and females generally mate for life) might dig as many as 50 burrows in their patch of ground, which can be as big as 100 acres. The kiwi marks its territory with pungent droppings, another distinctly unbirdlike habit, and uses its claws to drive off intruder kiwis.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about the kiwi, however, is its enormous egg, the largest laid by any bird relative to its size. A four-pound kiwi may lay a five-inch-long, one-pound egg—eight times the size of a chicken's and nearly the size of an ostrich's. Unlike most birds, the male kiwi builds the nest and incubates the egg.

Because the kiwi is shy and nocturnal, few New Zealanders have seen one in the wild. But that hasn't dampened their ardor for the bird: New Zealand- ers refer to both themselves and their dollars as "kiwis." In the 1880s, the bird first appeared as an emblem on military badges and, beginning in 1906, the marketing of Kiwi brand shoe polish brought the kiwi international recognition. Today, the kiwi's image adorns scores of New Zealand products. Kiwis can be seen in the flesh at a number of New Zealand preserves, including the Zoological Gardens in Auckland, the Kiwi House in Napier, and the Kiwi House and Native Bird Centre in Otorohanga, south of Hamilton.

WILDEST & BEST "SEVEN STRAIGHT"

DVORAK'S EXPEDITIONS

(Kayaking & Rafting)

18 days / Minimum 6 people

One river flows out of mountains so remote that few have walked there and fewer still have paddled. One twists and rages through a stretch of the most awesome whitewater in the country at a place known as "The Chinese dogleg". Another blasts through an historic mining tunnel, exploding into a Class IV rapid as it comes back to daylight. These are the rivers of New Zealand, full of enough whitewater and scenery to fill a lifetime. Now you can have them all in one incredible adventure: "Seven Straight".

We offer you raft or kayak expeditions of these rivers of New Zealand. Paddle from seven to eleven rivers in eighteen days: the Tongoriro, Mohaka, Motu, Rangitikei, Gowan, Upper Buller, Matakitaki, Grey, Shotover, Kawarau and Rangitata. Trips offered during November through January and include visits to the North and South Islands. Call for more details : (800) 824-3795.

VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE GLOBE— (AAA's Cruise & Tour Center)

Australia-New Zealand Crystal Cruises are scheduled for December 17-28 aboard the Crystal Symphony and October 3-15 and 15-26, 2000, on the Crystal Harmony. For more info contact your AAA Travel Agent or call AAA's Cruise & Tour Center at (888) 874-7222.

Following is an excerpt from their publicity, but only on the New Zealand part of the tour:

Day 8: Milford Sound, New Zealand, Morning. After two full days at sea (from Australia), we're glad to see land again, even if we still can't get off the ship. Carved by glacial mnvement and situated in the middle of Fiordland National Park in the deep south of New Zealand's rain forest region, Milford Sound (a fiord, really) is as green, fresh, and pristine as a place can be. Snowcapped mountains rise directly from the icy waters. The most famous is Mitre Peak, so named because it resembles a bishop's hat. Captain Okland decides to give us a treat and maneuvers the Harmony within 30 feet of one of the many waterfalls that cascade from the cliff walls. We sneak to the bow of the ship (ignoring the CREW ONLY sign) and bask in the spray and mist of the clean, crisp water. As the Harmony makes its way back to the Tasman Sea, we spot several fur seals sunbathing on the rocks and a

school of dolphins swimming by. They are probably as amazed to see us invade their home as we are to see them in their natural habitat.

Day 9: Dunedin, Afternoon. Land ho! We're off to the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Conservation Preserve on the Otago Peninsula, about 50 minutes from the dock. These rare penguins (there are only about 40 breeding pairs in the preserve) have been decimated by ferrets and rodents as well as by the incursion of farmland into their native habitats. To protect the penguins' eggs, the gamekeeper explains, they now attempt to relocate ferrets. "What does relocate mean?" we ask. "Do you find new homes for them?" "No, they're very dead when we relocate them," he deadpans. The penguins aren't the only attraction here. We've been all around the world, but nothing could prepare us for the stunning greens and blues of New Zealand's South Island. It's like the Scottish Highlands, only with perfect weather. We take dozens of pictures, hoping that our cameras and our prints will do some justice to these amazingly rich colors.

One week later: Newton, MA, Evening. In contrast to our Opera House photos, our New Zealand countryside snapshots are like picture postcards, with dazzlingly sharp colors and impossibly beautiful vistas. Capturing this land on film proves to be like photographing a supermodel—so photogenic that even point-and-shoot-toting types can get great shots, but sitting in front of the fire on this cold autumn night, the snaps make us wistful for all we saw and experienced. Cruising is great for a first look, especially on a port- hopping itinerary like ours, but there were many places where we would have liked to linger. We close the photo album and hope our next visit Down Under will let us do that.

NEW ZEALAND: BY PLANE

Tour the arts and gardens of New Zealand by private plane on a visit from Oct. 21 to Nov. 5, co-sponsored by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens.

Guests will focus on the natural beauty of both islands during springtime in the Southern Hemisphere, when gardens are in bloom. The tour is limited to a small group of 25 people and will be escorted by guest lecturer Edward Schneider, director of the Botanic Garden, and New Zealander Tim Scott.

The tour covers formal gardens to virgin rain forests, from geysers and volcanoes to whale watching, from rushing rivers to the Bay of Islands

area and the cities of Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown, and Auckland.

Adventures will include a Dart River Jet Safari into the wilderness of Mt. Aspiring Park, a sailboat journey across Lake Gastineau, a jeep tour of a private sheep station, a ski plane to the Tasman Glacier and, optionally, a chance to bungee-jump.

Cost: $8,959 per person, including lodging, all meals, coach and internal air transportation.

Contact:

Santa Barbara Museum of Art; tel (805)

884-6436.

FISHERMAN FLYING BOTTLE NOTE TO NZ (NZ Herald)

The daughter of a First World War soldier whose final letter was dredged from the seabed 85 years after he wrote it will meet the English fisherman who found it.

Delighted Aucklander Emily Crowhurst, aged

86, will be handed the treasured love letter by Steve

Gowan and his wife, who will be flown here by New

Zealand Post.

Mrs. Crowhurst will be allowed to keep the original, although NZ Post plans to put a copy of the letter in an exhibition in Wellington's Alexander Turnbull Library, where famous love letters throughout the century are on display.

Last night, Mrs. Crowhurst's daughter, Elizabeth Kennedy, said she was thrilled and looking forward to meeting the fisherman. "It's very considerate of NZ Post to organise this. She feels it has brought her father a little bit closer to her. Before this, she only had a few photos of him."

The story of Private Thomas Hughes' last letter to his wife, Elizabeth—thrown overboard in a bottle 12 days before he was killed in France—has gained world- wide attention.

The note said: "Ta, ta my sweet for the present, your hubby."

Mrs. Crowhurst, of Onehunga, said she wished her mother could have been alive to read the final message from her husband. She died in 1979.

Mrs. Crowhurst was just 2 when her father headed for war.

Her mother remarried five years later and the family moved to New Zealand.

Mr. Gowan, of Canvey Island, Essex, said he dredged up the letter while fishing for cod.

"I am looking forward to giving it back to its rightful owner. And it will be even nicer to hand it over in person to see the smile on Mrs. Crowhurst's face."

Linda Curtis, of NZ Post, said: "We have always been interested in love letters and this story has touched hearts all over the world."

A NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER - Stephen J. Mangum

Perhaps it was too much pavlova, or all that fresh New Zealand air on my last trip down under, but I erred on the cricket info in the June 99 KIWIphile FILE. New Zealand did indeed qualify for the World Cup which was held in England in May and June. The Black Caps acquitted themselves quite well, actually making it to the semifinals where they lost to Pakistan. Australia won the World Championship, defeating Pakistan for the crown.

The Southern Sting won the national netball championship in May by upsetting the favored team from Christchurch. For one day at least, the women from the Southland put Invercargill on top of the world and the South Island especially was caught up in all the excitement.

The Volvo Ocean Race has selected Auckland as a stopover for the 2001-02 global yacht race. Formerly known as the Whitbred Round-the-World Race, this event has always been enormously popular in New Zealand. There is also some discussion of including the participants in the Sydney to Hobart Race which starts annually on Boxing Day, but nothing has been agreed upon yet.

The World Offshore Powerboat Championship will take place in Waitemata Harbor and the Hauraki Gulf from February 7 through 16, 2000. Sixty boats from sixteen countries will compete for the title. The race will power it up between the Challenge Round and the Final of the America's Cup Yacht Races.

The FIFA under 17 World Soccer Championship will take place in New Zealand in November 1999 and is expected to attract over two hundred million television viewers worldwide.

New Zealand's under age 19 rugby team won the World Championship in April,, defeating the host team, Wales, in the final, 25-0. The young Kiwis dominated the field and were highly respected by everyone both on and off the pitch as ambassadors for New Zealand.

The Super 12 rugby season concluded on Sunday, May 30, at Carisbrook Park, Dunedin. A sold-out crowd saw the Canterbury Crusaders defeat the host Otago Highlanders in an exciting game by a score of 24-19.

On the international front, the New Zealamd All Blacks are off to a great start with three big wins as they prepare to have a go at the Rugby World Cup in October and November 1999.

The season kicked off with a huge 7 1-13 win over Manu Samoa under the lights on June 18 at North Harbor Stadium in Albany. The following weekend New Zealand faced France on June 26 in the last test match ever played at historic Athletic Park in Wellington. The All Blacks won 54-7 which is a record margin for a win over France.

Two weeks later the powerful South African Springboks flew into Dunedin to face New Zealand on July 10 at Carisbrook Park. The All Blacks put on another great performance, beating their traditional rivals 28-0. This was another record margin for a win over S.A.

The All Blacks are quickly erasing the horrendous '98 season which is fading into memory, sort of like a bad dream, or the last Labour government.

In September the All Blacks fly to the British Isles to prepare for the Rugby World Cup. Sixty-seven teams attempted to qualify and a final field of twenty were selected. These will be divided into five pools of four each (A-E) hosted respectively by Scotland, England, France, Wales, and Ireland. New Zealand is seeded first in Pool B. Wales is the official host nation for the tournament.

The All Blacks open on Sunday, Oct. 3, vs Tonga at Bristol. Next up is an eagerly awaited confrontation with England on Sat., Oct. 9 at Twickenham, followed by Italy on Thursday, Oct. 15 at Huddersfleld. If they get through, the quarter-finals are on Sat., Oct. 23 and Sunday, Oct. 24. The semi-finals are Sat., Oct.

30 and Sun., Oct 31 at Twickenham. The final is scheduled for Sat., Nov. 6 at 3PM hosted by Wales at Millenium Stadium, Cardiff.

Australia and New Zealand are favored to meet in the final, closely followed by South Africa. Wales, England, and Scotland have all shown huge improvement and have a chance.

KIWIphiles can follow the All Blacks quest for the World Cup at www.nzrugby.com , the official web site of the New Zealand Rugby Union. Play On!

LIFETIME QUEST SEES RAILWAY FLOURISH

(from Coromandel Peninsula News)

When he was growing up on Auckland's North Shore, Barry Brickell's parents could not afford to buy their son a model train set, and he envied his friends who had one.Today, Barry is the proprietor of Driving Creek Railways and Potteries just north of Coromandel Town, and he runs his very own railway.

This railway is one of the biggest tourist attractions on the peninsula. Last year over 30,000 people rode New Zealand's only narrow-gauge mountain railway, a 3km journey climbing over 100m through beautiful native forest.

Driving Creek now boasts its own website, attracts rail enthusiasts from all over the world and brings substantial tourist revenue into the area.

"Local business people have told me that it's put the town on the map," says Barry.

The railway linç is an engineering masterpiece, winding through tunnels, over viaducts and up steep grades to a terminus with beautiful views over Coromandel Town and the Hauraki Gulf.

Along the way, porcelain Tamwha guard ponds, giant worms rear out of the earth and graceful mermaids peer through the ferns. Instead of appearing out of place, the clay flgui es seem as though they have always been there, and the railway has grown around them.

In a way it has; after all, the clay has been there for thousands of years, perhaps just waiting to be shaped by Barry Brickell's hands.

Named after the loggers who drove giant Kauri down to the harbour from the site many years ago, Driving Creek is the result of over 25 years of hard work, one man's vision and brain child.

Barry arrived in Coromandel as a 26-year-old science teacher, but he quickly realized that his future lay in other areas.

"I tried the teaching profession, lasted two terms and found that it was not for me," Barry recalls. "I always was a potter."

For the next 12 years, that was what he did. During that time he developed a name for himself with the quality of his work.

During that time, Barry bought and restored an old Kauri house down the road from the present day Driving Creek site, using demolition materials frcm old Kauri cottages in Auckland to rebuild the house's original features.

'In those days, you did not restore old houses, you pulled them down or modernised them," Barry explains. "The locals were astonished."

Barry bought Driving Creek in 1973 and established a pottery works which included New Zealand's first wood-fired stoneware pottery kiln, built in 1974.

He started the railway in 1975 to provide a means of transporting clay and wood fuel from the steep hills down to his pottery cooperative, and also for taking native trees and fertiliser back up to reforestate the area.

I've always had an interest in railways," Barry says. "I consider it a highly refined and environmentally superior method of transport, and has a certain beauty about it."

It was only in 1990 that Barry began to realise the enormous tourist potential his railway had. He decided to apply to the Ministry of Transport for a license to carry fare..paying passengers. This was granted in October of that year, and Mayor Alistair Thompson officially opened the line.

An engineering friend helped Barry build a locomotive and carriage, but such was the popularity of the railway from the start that it quickly became inadequate.

In 1992 Barry designed and helped build the world's largest rail passenger vehicle on a 15 inch gauge.

At 62 years of age, Barry confesses that having put his heart and soul into the railway for so many years, he's beginning to want to be a potter again.

And how does Barry envisage Driving Creek in the future?

"I hope this place is somewhere people come to learn about history and ecology, to have their minds recharged rather than their pockets emptied. My place is not going to end up being a Disneyland."

The project isn't finished yet. There are plans for a native wildlife sanctuary, an art museum to house a collection of Barry's "preferred art works", and work is already under way to extend the rail line a further 800m up into the hills. The target is a plateau with spectacular views of the Hauraki Gulf where Barry plans to build a railway refreshment and information centre, and where he hopes to revive an old tradition.

"There's nowhere any more that you can get proper old-fashioned railway coffee in a proper railway cup," he laments.

Barry seems so adept at convert'ng his visions into reality that I can almost taste the coffee now.

ANZAC DAY AT THE AUCKLAND DOMAIN - Stephen J. Mangum

During my most recent trip to New Zealand I had the great privilege of attending the ANZAC Day Dawn Ceremony of Remembrance which was held at the Cenotaph at the Auckland Domain.

It was pitch dark and a cool wind blew in from the harbor as we briskly walked from Ponsonby Road to the Cenotaph, located in front of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. I attended with a mixed group of New Zealanders and Americans, both relatives and

friends. Astonishingly, over 6500 of all ages were present at the 5:30AM service.

The ground was damp and glistening from an overnight rain which had just ceased. A half-moon peeked through the slow-moving clouds as the ceremony began.

We stood on both sides of the Cenotaph as the war veterans marched in and formed two companies in front of us. Some were gently assisted by their stronger comrades. A single spotlight shone on the Cenotaph throughout the Remembrance.

As one would expect in New Zealand, the service was dignified, brief, poignant, and respectful of all those who served, particularly the men and women who died while serving their country. The opening hymn was "Abide With Me". Prayers were then offered by Rev. Wally TeUa, who later gave a brief message emphasizing justice, mercy, and honor in both the English and Maori languages. As Prime Minister Jenny Shipley laid a wreath on the Cenotaph, a Maori Waiata echoed through the silent crowd. Other hyms were "The Recessional" (Lest We Forget) and, in conclusion, "0 God Our Help in Ages Past". Mayor Christine Fletcher of Auckland also placed. a Cross of Remembrance. Rev. TeUa pronounced the benediction and the National Anthem "God Defend New Zealand" was sung. The war veterans marched off to conclude an unforgettable morning ceremony.

Similar services were held at numerous locations throughout New Zealand and at military cemeteries and battlefields overseas, including Gallipoli, and at locations where Australian and New Zealand forces are stationed far from home.

MIRACLE FROM THE SEA?

John, my late husband, and I had friends, very dear to us, in Palmerston North—Jack and Noeline Nash. They were charming and intelligent, to say the least. Jack had had cancer for some time before we knew him, and we learned that one of his weapons against the disease was a soup Noeleen made for him from the green-lipped mussel. Once or twice a year the two would drive to the far north of New Zealand and bring home a big supply of the mussels. Some would go immediately into soup, and some into the freezer for future use. Jack fought successfully against the disease for many years until his death in his 80's.

So I was excited last week to find the following in my e-mail. First, an article from the New Zealand Herald: (7/31/99 by Catherine Masters)

New Zealand's humble green-lipped mussel is offering hope to cancer sufferers worldwide.

Australian researchers have discovered that an extract from the mussel, called lyprinol, kills human cancer cells in the laboratory.

They hope the natural dietary marine supplement has beaten scientists and drug companies around the world in the race to find a non-toxic chemical to stop cancer.

In the next few weeks, more than 100 Adelaide (Australia) men with prostate cancer and women with breast cancer will take part in world-first clinical trials to gauge the marine extract's effect on cancer cells in the body. Lyprinol has been hailed as a remarkable help for sufferers from the inflammatory illnesses arthritis and asthma.

Australian scientist Dr. Henry Betts ordered live cancer cells and began growing them, then treated them with various strengths of lyprinol—and found that lyprinol inhibited the cancer.

He said he was 90 per cent sure the extract would work in the body. "This is the most exciting discovery of my career. If I was diagnosed with cancer I would take as much Lyprinol as I could hold down."

The e-mail newsletter I received, part of which is reprinted below, by permission, is from Damn and Sandy Quiles of the Archangel Health Store. If you're a computer user you can receive their outstanding online newsletter: http://www.aomega.com/ahs/n10899.htm

This article was published in the Aug. 9, '99 issue.

You have no doubt heard about how beneficial eating seafood is to your health. It contains those nutrients that are known to reduce the risks of heart disease and fight other prevalent health disorders. Now there is a highly potent extract called LYPRINOL, that clinical tests have shown to be effective against inflammatory conditions such as ASTHMA, ARTHRITIS, BURSITIS and CANCER Cell Growth (in the lab).

Lyprinol is a unique, patented marine lipid complex rich in ETA's extracted from New Zealand green-lipped mussels. Scientists who are aware of current state-of-the art research, agree that highly concentrated ETA's in Lyprinol have evolved as the most potent Omega-3 lipids in blocking metabolic pathways responsible for inflammation in the body.

The long time native Maori people of New Zealand have included the green-lipped mussel as a staple in their diet. This unique mussel is known scientifically as pema canaliculus. For centuries it has provided the Maoris with an excellent source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and the extremely valuable Omega-3 flitty acids of ETA's.

With shell-opening knives in their belts, Maoris can be seen at Auckland seafood shops before dawn buying their mussels before going to work. Coincidentally, statistics show that the reported incidence of inflammation associated with arthritic and rheumatic disorders is extremely low in the coastal-dwelling Maoris who obtain the major part of their diet from the sea.

You may e-mail Sandi and Darrin Quiles at guiles@aomega.com For those without Internet access, you may phone (770) 963-4940 for more information.

DRIVER RENTALS

Dear Eva: I am renewing my subscription for a further 2 years, and enciuse an update about what Elizabeth and I do.

Our house is a common or garden 4-bedroom house, nothing flash, nothing fincy. One bedroom has a double bed in it and its own toilet and wash facilities that we let out to paying guests. It has double doors that open onto the garden and outside of which guests can park their cars off the road.

Our main business, though, is tourism travel. We are both frilly licensed for driving people in any type of vehicle through the length of the country, and our experience means we can organise any itinerary for anybody taking full account of their special interests. We can provide costings on trips for either the "hard- up" or the "well-heeled".

One trip that we tend to specialise in is for Square Dancers, and we have developed a subdivision of our company called Square Tours. We call on some of the clubs around the country as we tour, and have a right-rollicking knees-up with the members on their ordinary club nights.

Usually, but not always, these tours are held around the 1st weekend in June so that people on the tour can take in the New Zealand National Square Dance Convention, a 3-day festival on non-stop square dancing with the country's top callers. However, as with all our other trips, we tailor the tours to the requirements of the people on the tour.

Many thanks for your KlWlphile FILE. We always look forward to receiving each issue.

Kind regards, Trevor Norton

8 Miller St., Rotorua, NZ. Phones: Mobile 025 427 595, Autofax: 3489 508, A/hrs 647 3484 129.

e-mail: pahau@wave.co.nz

DOWN UNDER, OCTOBER '99 - pim Dodge

If you're going on this trip to Australia and New Zealand, be assured it's the trip of a lifetime. You will rack up enough memories to last you forever.

Both the American and New Zealand dollars are so to our advantage this year. As of June 30th, the Australian dollar was 1.55 to ours and the New Zealand dollar was 1.89.

The Australian part of the tour is most exciting, and in New Zealand participants will have adventures in the awesome South Island on the pre-tour, as well as joining others on the lush and fun North Island—Maori hangi, Agrodome, farm stays, Waitomo Caves, etc.

**pim Dodge, P.O. Box 769, Frankfort, MI 49635. Ph. 231-352-6013. e-mail: pim@benzie.com

PACIFIC PATHWAYS - Horticultural, Botanical, Walking, Wildlife and Special Interest Tours

Quilting Down Under New Zealand Tour - Sept. 22- Oct. 8, 1999. Led by Gail Garber

Led by noted Albuquerque quilter/teacher Gail Garber, participants on this trip will spend the first four nights of their tour in the scenic lakeside village of Queenstown while they attend events at the New Zealand National Quilt Symposium. Following the symposium, the tour includes a cruise on Milford Sound, after which you have been invited by the NZ quilters to visit them and their guilds throughout the South Island and Wellington. You will be treated to lunches, dinners and afternoon teas by the friendly and hospitable New Zealand quilters while you share and learn at the workshops and lectures. Add-ons and extensions in the North Island, such as Rotorua and Auckland, are easily arranged, as are extensions to Australia or one of the Pacific Islands. Alternative activities for non-quilting spouses and friends can be easily arranged.

New Zealand Gardens and Sights of Springtime

(Sponsored by the California Arboretum Foundation)

Oct. 27-Nov. 13, 1999 — Led by Jan Coyle, accompanied by Bill Aldrich, President of the Garden Writers of America and garden columnist with the Chicago Tribune.

Participants on this trip will visit the finest New Zealand gardens and sights as they travel through the North and South Islands.

Our tour commences with 3 nights in Auckland touring private gardens, exploring native bush and forest and cruising on the magnificent harbor. From Auckland we travel to Rotorua to experience New Zealand's Maori culture and the thermal activity that is typical of this region. We will be in New Plymouth for the famous Rhododendron Festival before flying south to Christchurch, "Garden City" of New Zealand. We have been invited to visit some outstanding private gardens here including Sir Miles Warren's Ohinetahi before we head toward the Southern Alps for an overnight farmstay in the foothills. Continuing on, with a stop at Mt. Cook, we arrive in the alpine village of Queenstown nestled between Lake Wakatipu and the Rëmarkables Mountains. We will spend a leisurely day here before traveling through Fiordland National Park for an overnight cruise on majestic Milford Sound. Return to Queenstown and depart New Zealand, or extend your tour with a trip to Stewart Island or Dunedin, or stop over in one of the Pacific Islands.

NEWZGRAM — News Aerogramme of NZ

(For more information or a free sample of Newzgram, CONTACT Mead Publishing Ltd., P.O. Box 22022, Khandallah, Wellington, NZ)

Recent Excerpts:

**The New Zealand Biotechnology Assn has re- cognised the work done by a 19th century nun by giving her a posthumous special heritage award. Suzanne Aubert, who founded the Roman Catholic order known as the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion, came to New Zealand in 1860. She worked with Maori healers and herbalists to develop proprietary medicines made from native plants. The association cited her as being "the first person to combine western and Maori medicine successfully, the first to extract New Zealand native plants commercially, the first woman to begin a commercial biotechnology process in New Zealand, and the first exporter of a commercially processed bio-technology product."

**A highlight of the newly launched New Zealand history webs ite will no doubt be the computer simulation of the aircraft built by pioneer aviator Richard Pearse early this century. The site also contains reference material about this country's history. If you want to fly, the address is: NZHistory.net

**A Rotorua company is building customised coffins that can be used for other purposes until they are required for their ultimate use. The, coffins are painted to the customer's specifications — a keen surfer has his decorated with a board rider cruising a wave — and they can then be used for storage or as furniture. The surfie is using his as a drinks cabinet.

**Bungy-jumping is poised to reach new heights when A.J. Hackett's latest venture opens. The gondola-based operation will be positioned 145 metres over Kawarau Gorge in Central Otago.

**Whatever the outcome of the election, New Zealand will almost certainly still have a woman Prime Minister as both the major parties are led by a woman.

I'm happy and proud to be beginning the twelfth year of producing the KlWlphile FILE. it is a work of love, not profit. Two or three times I have considered letting it vanish because of great stresses in my life at the time, but I'm glad I kept at it. The work has been rewarding and satisfying to my heart and my spirit. I want to mention the following individuals who have contributed so much to the effort: Dennis Cavagnaro, Richard Croft, Kitty Baler, Gary Ball, Charles Eggen, Mike Glannone, Stephen Mangum, Judy Miller, and others along the way. You all have my deep gratitude for your help. Thanks to my readers for their loyalty over the years.

Your editor, Eva Trapani

BITS AND PIECES

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From Black Sheep Touring: Every year we strive to

enrich the Black Sheep experience. This year we are thrilled to add the world-famous TranzAlpine railway journey to our Experience New Zealand itinerary. Come join us and add the TransAlpine trip to the existing riches we have to offer. Black Sheep Touring, 4222 Thackeray Place NE, Seattle, WA 98105. Ph 1-800-206-8322.

blksheep@ap.net

www.blacksheeptouring.co.nz

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Beautiful website: http://www.purenz.com — Read more about New Zealand or send postcards.