Volume 21, No. 1
SEPTEMBER 2007

A TOURIST’S DREAM

New Zealand is full to the brim with places to visit and sights to see. Start at Cape Reinga in the far north where two oceans collide. Head south through all the nooks and crannies the North Island has to offer—caves in Waitomo, the beautiful Lake Taupo, the monolith that is Mt Ruapehu—these only scratch the surface of the sights that can be seen, before ending up in the self-styled arts capital, Wellington. Jump on the Cook Strait ferry for a trip to the South Island. Take in the warm, dry climate of Marlborough before heading over the Southern Alps to the rugged West Coast. Head south and take a journey through to the sounds of Fiordland, the Southern Lakes and onto Stewart Island in the deep south with its crystal-clear waters and scenic walking tracks. One visit to these islands will want you coming back for more.

TINY TOWNS CONTINUE TO CHARM -

from West of the Alps

It’s been less than two years since Little Earth began taking shape just north of Greymouth, but already there are five miniature towns in place, with another to come.

Most prominent is the model of Waiuta, the town that developed early last century around the West Coast’s richest (and New Zealand’s deepest) gold mine. Although Waiuta’s been a ghost town for about 50 years, former residents still figure among

visitors to the smaller version, adding their stories to the fascination of the tiny buildings.

Adjacent are the beginnings of a Maori village and some slab huts, illustrating the way of life before and after the gold rushes of the 1860s. From another sphere altogether is Gnomeland, the definite favourite with small children.

Little Earth’s creator, Alan Hunt, has also built a model of downtown Reefton as it was when he was a lad in the 1950s and ‘60s. He’s even equipped it with electric lighting as a tribute to its place as the first town in New Zealand to have a public electricity supply, back in 1888.

Most of his time is now being spent on his model English village, based upon Bekonscot in Buckinghamshire, England, the inspiration behind Little Earth. Most of the buildings have been completed and site landscaping is proceeding, with the aim of having everything in place later this year. Alan received a recent boost with a visit from a neighbour of Bekonscot who expressed her approval of his efforts and intentions.

Little Earth is behind On Yer Bike (by contrast a noisy, muddy experience) along Highway Six between Greymouth and Runanga.

SAFETY IN NUMBERS -

From Tourism News

The Police, tourism and conservation sectors are working together to make sure our visitors know how to stay safe in New Zealand

A group, led by the Police, have been meeting and consulting over the last six months to develop some key safety messages. and ways of communicating these to visitors traveling in New Zealand.

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"We want to ensure visitors are aware of the different types of crime in the country and the dangers in the outdoors and on roads." George Hickton, Chief Executive of Tourism New Zealand, says making visitors aware of how to keep safe is an integral responsibility for those involved in tourism in New Zealand.

"New Zealand is a peaceful destination, geo graphically far away from the world's troubles. We are a friendly and welcoming people, and are generally very open and helpful to our visitors. This has given New Zealand a wonderful reputation over seas as being a very safe destination. Unfortunately this means some visitors don't think there is any crime, or that there are any dangers in our outdoors.

- Of course this is not the case, so we need to make sure our visitors take a realistic approach to their visit, without overstating the dangers."

To meet this objective, Tourism New Zealand produced the Play Safe in New Zealand brochure in 2002 in conjunction with Lone/v Planet. This brochure is distributed through guidebooks, information centres and tourism industry outlets such as backpackers and i-Site information centres.

One useful tool for visitors is the text messag ing service. Visitors can send updates about their location and travel movements via text to number 7233 {SAFE}. These details are kept on a central database which can be accessed by police if necessary.

Each text message sent to 7233 is acknowledged by an automated response, which advises calling 111 and requesting police assistance if the caller is in danger.

WHAT MAKES A KIWI BLOKE AS HANDY AS

A POCKETKNIFE? From Bullet Magazine -
(by Melanie Blundell)

Kiwi blokes are strong. positive. physical and can live with or without you. although they need love and prefer to be with you. They are protectors and nurturers. Hard but flexible. Problem solvers and self- motivated. They have a great energy about them that is very exciting, and they walk through life with strength and ease. They are fun and. most importantly, they know themselves.

This may be the key to life.

They always fall back on who they are and what they know to be true. We can all learn a few things from the "Kiwi Bloke'.

Why should a woman look for a kiwi bloke you might ask? Because they have qualities that will

see you through such as loyalty and if there is something you have that is broken then they can fix it. Because along with a cold beer at the end of a hard days work, they can also enjoy good food, wine. entertainment, art, physical activity, sex, compassion and most importantly a little meat on your bones. They don't want ou to cover yourselves with make up and fancy clothes. They see true beauty in us and in the outdoors. Plain and simple.

A kiwi bloke knows who he is and therefore doesn't waste time contemplating life or his looks. He gets on with it and has more time to please you.

In today's world we need to move towards being friendlier to the environment and more self sufficient within our communities.

That's where a kiwi bloke is handy-he can build, fish, hunt, garden and survive in the bush. After all that, he can also light the fire, cook the dinner, and snuggle in bed.

There is one drawback to a kiwi bloke and that is where you fit on their list of priorities.

Mv friend's husband is a kiwi bloke. He loves his pocketknife and doesn't like to lend it out. He says there are two things he won't let any other man borrow: his pocketknife and his wife. in that order.

I think his Ute is on that list as well.

However I think she knows where she stands. like all women with a good kiwi bloke. These are behaviours that are consistent and reliable and you can work around them.

You won't lose yourself with a good kiwi bloke but find yourself.

ALEXANDRA - From KIA ORA

Cold winters and hot summers mean the South Island town's landscape is always a drawcard. Every spring the little Central Otago town of Alexandra (pop. 5000) bursts into a romantic billow: of pink fruit blossom and thousands of people flock to its Blossom Festival, now the longest-running community event of its kind in New Zealand. In 2007 it is staging its 51st festival and over 25,000 visitors will be treated to picture-book scenes guaranteed to soften the toughest heart.

Nestled into a vast landscape of schist mountains, craggy tors, red-brown tussock and fertile green valleys set against impossibly blue skies, Alexandra is a place of striking contrasts. One of New Zealand's hottest places in summer, one of its coldest in winter, it sits at the head of Lake Roxburgh and is the largest town on the Clutha River.

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Before adopting the name of the new Princess of Wales in 1863. its names had included Lower Dunstan, Junction and Manuherikia. But it was Alexandra that stuck and after establishing itself as a town in its own right (rather than an offshoot of Clyde) during the gold-dredging boom of the 1890s, it went on to become a commercial centre for the prosperous fruit-growing and farming area that developed around it. Today, along with its proliferation of pip-fruit orchards - peaches, nectarines, apples, apricots, cherries - it is host to a growing number of vineyards particularly suited to low rainfall, hot summers and cold winters.

It may be the spring fruit blossoms that have put Alexandra on the national map but it is summer that provides the most spectacular landscapes. That's when temperatures soar into the mid-30s, when tussock turns golden and the rocky hills are flushed purple with scented wild thyme, and the Clyde River curls through Alexandra like a brilliant turquoise snake. It passes under one of the town's most distinctive landmarks. the historic Shakey Bridge, the original suspension bridge that was opened in 1879 and once carried bullock wagons into town.

Pioneering relics abound in and around Alex andra and. mixed with the contemporary pleasures of good wine and food and proximity to major assets like the Central Otago Rail Trail and excellent trout fishing, it is the ideal base to explore this rugged, dramatic region.

DO:

Let peach juice dribble down your face as you

try fresh fruit at orchard stalls. Visit Black Ridge Wines. Conroys Rd. Alexandra (03) 449 2059 www.blackridge.co.nz, the most southern winery in the world. Get on your bike and tackle the Central Otago Rail Trail (www.centralotagorailtrail.co.nz). Explore local pioneer landmarks and gold tailings; and spot the Clock on the Hill - a giant steel construction 11m in diameter that can be read 8km away at night.

EAT:

Olivers Lodge & Restaurant, 34 Sunderland

St., Clyde. (03) 449 2860. www.olivers.co.nz, in nearby Clyde is famous for its stone stable accommodation and its excellent food and wine. The Post Office Café & Bar. 2 Blythe St., Clyde, has a charming terrace and garden bar. Grumpy's Café & Bar, 26 Centennial Ave., Alexandra, (03) 448 9189, was the regional winner of the 2005 Montana Food & Wine Challenge.

SHOP:

Red Tussock Gallery, cnr Talbot & Deel Sts,

(03) 448 7995. for contemporary artwork by leading Otago and South Island artists. Buy fresh fruit and country produce at Schist Mountain Orchards, 129

Earnscleugh Rd, (03) 449 2083. and visit their orchard museum.

STAY:

Hawkdun Rise. 241 Lefts Gully Rd. (03) 448

7782, www.vineyardstay.co.nz, offers spacious rooms in a contemporary home set in its own tranquil vineyard. Rocky Range Lodge, 159 The Half Mile, (03) 448 6150, www.rockyrange.co.nz, is a modern, custom-built, French-provincial style lodge set in a striking position on a thyme-covered hill above the town.

SLUG FENCE - Humane protection for buttercups and super-toms - from No 8 WIRE, the Best of Kiwi Ingenuity

One of New Zealand's greatest contributions to the world of agriculture came with the combination of two quite different technologies-the fence and electricity. Just as the electric fence caused innovation in farming techniques, it also set off reverberations in other areas of the fencing market in New Zealand, particularly in the tricky invertebrate fence industry.

In 1992, after years of trial and error, Bob Tait of Auckland came up with a way to keep slugs and snails off his lettuces without killing them. A simple wire loop, laid around the perimeter of the lettuce area, attached to a nine-volt battery served to repel the gastropods by giving them the kind of shock you get when you lick a nine-volt battery (except imagine your whole body is a tongue). The slugs and snails slink away disappointed, stunned and sore, still hungry, but not dead.

Let's look at it this way. Keeping slugs and snails off lettuces without killing them (and without employing a student to just sit there picking them off) is a perfectly good invention. What stops it from being a great invention, a rich-and-famous-making, mana bringing giant of simple thought and clever engineering? Just one thing - that while quite a few people care if slugs and snails are on lettuces, very few people care whether the slugs and snails that are not on lettuces are alive. It's not the invention itself, but our attitude towards slugs and snails that holds this invention back. Bob is just waiting for a huge slug- and-snail attitude swing. It might not happen soon, but when the slug-and-snail rights movement gains a foot-hold, Bob Tait will live like a king!

Readers Please send in your stories and letters for the next issue of K.F. Thanks.

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HONEY, WE'RE TAKING THE KIDS - from Tourism News

It's a traveller's horror - boarding a long-haul flight and discovering you're two seats down from a screaming child.

Children. many have said, should have their own separate aircraft, but a new breed of child is starting to emerge-the refined traveler. These are not children on their way to beach resorts and fun parks where fries are served with every meal. These are children who have iPods and their own digital cameras and are used to fine dining. These are children who take civilised holidays with their mums and dads.

The new trend has been brought about by working parents. These couples work long hours while their kids are in care so when they have a holiday they want to spend it with their children. But they also want a grown-ups' holiday: staving in nice places and eating good food. So the compromise is an adult holiday with children on board-and they're prepared to pay for it.

US mother Ruth Grau, a long-time travel operator. saw the opportunity when she set up Springboard Vacations, which targets a 30-50 age group whom she calls 'money active indulgers'. Established in 2001, Springboard Vacations recently won a USA Tourism New Zealand Travel & Tourism Award for Best Consumer Brochure.

Ruth says people traveling with kids don't necessarily fit the stereotypical family. "They're people looking for an experience they're going to remember for the rest of their life and just because some of these people have kids doesn't change the style of their vacation"

Springboard Vacations' guide for families visiting New Zealand and Australia. titled Cool Capers for Kids. covers activities for kids from preschoolers to teenagers. What's different about it? Their accommodation style for starters.

"These are executive families who are used to traveling and want to stay in five-star accommodation. We've had families who will hire the owner's cottage at Huka Lodge and pay to bring in a chef to cook dinner."

While family tourism might be the new hot thing, these parents might also be doing us a favour. An enjoyable trip to New Zealand could bring those youngsters back again and again as adults.

SIGNIFICANT NATURAL BEAUTY - from Explorer

The central North Island is the hot spot for hiking at this time of year, prior to the influx of the skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts. Tongariro National Park at its heart is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site under two categories. It is listed because of its unique, active volcanic attributes and also its special cultural significance.

When Horonuku Te Heu Heu Tukino gifted Tonganro to the people of New Zealand, he was also gifting it to the world. The volcanoes of the Park and their glaciers, plants and animals represent a set of Iandforms and natural communities which have been recognized as outstanding heritage of international significance.

The volcanoes are unique because of the frequency of eruptions. their highly explosive nature. and the high density of active vents. Ruapehu and Tongariro/Ngauruhoe (technically the same volcano) are two of the world's most continuously active composite volcanoes.

The two skifields on Mt Ruapehu, Turoa and Whakapapa offer an unparalleled winter experience for all levels of snow skills.

Army Museum Waiouru:

Discover the heroes, heroines and hardships that shaped New Zealand at this fascinating museum. An hour's drive from Turangi, the Army Museum is full of interesting displays of our military history. A great trip for a wet day. Ph 0800 369 999.

Bushwalks/Hiking:

The Tongariro Crossing is described as one of the best one-day hikes in New Zealand. The Tongariro Crossing trek traverses alpine meadows to mountain summit with stunning volcanic features along the way. On the Tongariro Crossing visitors walk across a lunar landscape' of craters. Scattered pumice. active volcanoes, mountain springs, lava flows, emerald lakes, piles of scoria and statue-like mounds of volcanic desert.

It will take about 8-9 hours to allow time for photos and any side tracks. The summit of Mt Tongariro is 1967 m and Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom, for all the Lord of the Rings fans) 2287m above sea level.

There are many wonderful walks in the Chateau area, including the Lake Rotopounamu Walk. Translated as Greenstone Lake and nestled on the side of Mount Pihanga, this beautiful lake is a popular spot for bird-watchers and nature lovers. It is

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an uphill 20 minute walk one-way to the lake to enjoy the picnic, fishing and swimming spots, or enjoy the 1-hour walk around the lake (a 5 kilometre loop track).

Ohakune is a key centre for this region and there are many great walks from the township.

Ohakune mountain road: A number of walks, all of which are well signposted, begin just off the Ohakune Mountain Road.

The Rimu and Mangawhero Forest walks begin just beyond and opposite the Ranger Station at the bottom of the Mountain Rd. The Rimu walk takes 15 minutes and is suitable for prams and wheelchairs. The Mangawhero walk is through the magnificent Ohakune podocarp (native pine) forest. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours.

Near the 11-km marker is a track leading to Waitonga Falls the park's highest waterfall. Thetrack crosses an open area of tussock, with Lake Rotokawa an alpine tarn that reflects views of the southern face of Mt Ruapehu. Along the way, look out for the native mistletoe. Allow about one hour return for this walk.

Mangawhero Falls are reached via a 5-mm. walk which starts near the 13-km marker. The track provides great views of a beautiful waterfall over vol canic rock formations. close to the road. Spectacular icicles form around the falls in the colder months.

Lake Surprise: This track begins on the Ohakune Mountain Road. 15 kilometres past the Ranger Station. The track passes by a cascade flowing over smooth bedrock. coated in white silica deposited from the mineral-rich alpine spring water. Lake Surprise, a broad, shallow lake set amongst beech forest and tussock. is reached after a steady climb from the Mangaturuturu River Valley. Five hours return.

Coach Graham Henry and selectors have chosen a veteran squad with a couple of surprises in the mix. The New Zealand team has been 37-4 under Henry and won all other major competitions to date. This year they once again won the Tn-Nations over Australia and South Africa and retained the Bledisloe Cup. They've also dominated European teams in the fall tours the last few years.

The Rugby World Cup is being hosted by France this year. with several tests also being played in Wales and Scotland. The tournament features four pools of five teams. The competition kicked off on September 7 and concludes with the championship match on October 20 in Paris.

The experts figure that when all is said and done Australia and New Zealand will meet in the first semifinal on October 13 with France and South Africa on October 14. However, England, Argentina, and Ireland also have a chance.

Pool A is designated the dreaded "Pool of Death" with two of the top five teams.

New Zealand has an excellent chance to win the tournament but must come through this time. The All Blacks have an exceptionally strong and exper ienced team which hasn't seemed to be quite the juggernaut of 2005 and 2006. The team now appears to be jelling with just one loss this season.

Kiwiphiles: Let's all support the Men in Black.

Until next time. play on!!

HISTORY OF THE RUGBY WORLD CUP

Excerpted from RUGBY

The modest start of the modern day Rugby World Cup began in 1871 when England played Scotland in Edinburgh. marking the first-ever international rugby match. Four thousand spectators were in attendance.

The Scots were attired in blue jerseys with the traditional white thistle emblem and white knicker bocker pants tucked into miscellany of different club socks. The English dressed in white jerseys with the familiar Tudor red rose emblem and long white pants tucked into dark colored socks (to view photos of the two teams go to www.rugbvfootballhistorv.com).

In the ensuing years. Ireland and Wales would join England and Scotland playing international matches. These four "Home Countries" would eventually compete on an annual basis. starting in 1883.

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France would play England in 1906 and later expand the tournament into "Five Nations" by 1910. Italy joined the group in 2000 to establish the current "Six Nations" European format.

In the southern hemisphere, Australia first played New Zealand in 1903. New Zealand toured the UK in 1905 and South Africa visited in 1906.

Credit for a sport's world championship must go to soccer-playing nations. which sponsored the first World Cup in 1930 in Uruguay. where 13 teams vied for the championship. (Coincidentally, Scotland versus England in 1872 marked soccer's first inter national match).

Recall that rugby was an Olympic sport in 1900. 1908, 1920, and 1924. The USA won gold medals in 1920 and 1924.

In 1987. all the contentious reasons for not conducting a world cup had been swept away, and 16 invited nations-all amateurs then-traveled to Australia and New Zealand for the first tournament. (The Springboks could not compete owing to the worldwide athletic boycott due to its apartheid policies).

New Zealand defeated France 29-9 in the final at Eden Park to win this first contest. Wales beat Australia 22-21 for third place. For the IRB and the host nations, the event proved a great success, generating a profit of more than $2 million and attracting 300 million total television viewers.

HUKAWAI GLACIER CENTRE INDOOR ICE

CLIMBING WALL

Training for Everest?

You soon will be! Whether you're a complete beginner or a proven professional. ice climbing is addictive!

The Hukawai Glacier Centre indoor Ice Climbing Wall is 200 square metres of fun and challenge. One of the five largest in the world, it's the only one in the Southern Hemisphere.

Created to be as similar to glacial ice as possible. the 10 metre high wall has 20 climbing routes ranging from easy-angle slabs through to a challenging overhang, with an array of angles, corners. bulges and cracks to give the best and most natural indoor ice climbing experience possible.

With each climbing session lasting 1 .5 hours. it's a fun and safe experience for all ages and abilities. All equipment and instruction is provided by our professional ice climbing staff. You will be taught

everything you need to know to ensure yon have a safe and enjoyable session.

Grab a bulge, dangle from an overhang, or if you're new to the sport just get yourself up the icy heights!

Your family and friends can watch you climb your heart out through floor to ceiling windows in the comfort of Hukawai Glacier Centre's stylish café.

The Hukawai Glacier Centre is located in the historic glacier town of Franz Josef, South Island. Once in the township make your way to the northern end. When you have made it to Cron street, head towards the mountains and you will not miss the brand new Hukawai Glacier Centre, corner Cron and Cowan Streets.

(Editor: Highly recommended by my granddaughter Bonnie.)

SEEN ANY GOOD NEW ZEALAND MOVIES LATELY? (By Charles Eggen)

Probably the most enjoyable movie. recently available on dvd. is Sione's Wedding", or as it is called in North America. "Samoan Wedding". The story: Sione is getting married. He has decided that he does not want his brother Michael and his three party- boys mates to attend. since they have nearly ruined every other wedding they have attended. However. they are given a chance-they must bring real girl friends. not party-girls, to the wedding. and they have one month to pull it together. This comedy set in Auckland about first generation Samoan New Zealanders. starts a bit slow, but by the time of the wedding. it gains speed and really becomes the urban romantic comedy it is meant to be.

Another great newer film that is on dvd just about everywhere but North America. is "No. 2" or as it is called in the U.S.. "Naming Number Two". It is having its North American theatrical run now and therefore will not be available for North American dvds until later this year. To give you an idea of the film: The heart has gone out of Nanna Maria's family. There arc no parties-they don't even fight any more. Inspired by a dream of her childhood back in Fiji. Nanna demands that her grandchildren put on a big feast at which she will name her successor. The grand children reluctantly turn up, but as the day progresses. their preparations unravel into chaos and an outraged Nanna calls the whole thing off. That's when ev ery one realizes they have to pull out all the stops and give the crazy old lady what she wants. and what they all need. Infused with the heat and vibrancy of the South Pacific, "No. 2" is a big-hearted, exuberant story about what it takes to bring family together.

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Other films that are now available on dvd are:

"River Queen", well worth seeing, but not yet avail able in North America. '"Out of the Blue", a dramatization of the 1990 Aramoana massacre of 13 people in a small New Zealand town. Because of the actors' talents, you feel the pain. It is an uncomfortable experience, but one of the best of the small all-New Zealand productions to date.

"Perfect Creature", a vampire movie in which the vampires and non-vampires co-exist but, of course something goes wrong: a thriller called "The Ferrvman" finds its way to dvd in late September. A black comedy, "Black Sheep" will be available on dvd in early October, which will probably appeal to fans of "Bad Taste". A comedy, "Eagle vs Shark" is starting to show up in theatres, so it will be the end of the year before you can purchase or rent a dvd, but you will probably get more than one laugh from this one.

Older films that have recently found their way to dvd are "Mr. Wrong". "The Silent One" and "Flight of the Albatross". All are on PAL R0 dvds and therefore playable every where. but copies can only be pur chased from New Zealand retailers. "The Silent One" is one of my favourite older films that has become available on dvd. It is not a great script, nor does it have outstanding acting. but it is a nice "family" film that was made in the Cook Islands with great under water photography and a memorable original film score. This 23-year-old film has been out of print and only available on vhs, so I am looking forward to re ceiving a copy.

'"Flight of the Albatross" was mostly filmed on Great Barrier Island and is also classified as a family film.

For further details and to view trailers of these and other New Zealand films, go to http://www.nzvideos.org

Enjoy.

ROBOT REPTILE "RELEASED" INTO WILD

TO AID BREEDING RESEARCH - Dave Hansford

in Wellington. New Zealand for National Geographic

News

On Stephens Island in New Zealand's storm- wracked Cook Strait, the tuatara-one of the most ancient reptile species on Earth-is getting a hand from distinctly 21st century science (see a New Zealand map). Researchers have placed in the wild a very special male that, like its wild cousins, can put on physical displays to establish its dominance.

But this reptile's skin is made of rubber, not scales, and its "heart" is a nickel-cadmium battery. The alpha male in question is "Robo-Ollie." a robotic tuatara created to help researchers understand the behavior of these rare reptiles, the last species in a family that dates back 200 million years.

Specifically, postdoctoral student Jennifer Moore wants to know how male tuatara establish dominance-how they attract and keep females. Understanding critical behaviors could help tuatara translocation and captive-breeding programs, perhaps by guiding conservation managers to the genetically fittest, most productive males.

(Related news: "Warming May Drive Gender- Bending Reptiles Extinct, Scientists Say" ([November 10, 2006].)

"We needed a model we could manipulate in the field to look at aggression between males, which ultimately leads to reproductive success," Moore said.

"That can give us an idea of who is winning the fights, who's getting the ladies, who's fathering the children-who is more successful generally."

To create a controllable tuatara, Moore enlisted aid from Weta Workshops, the Wellington- based anirnatronics company that fashioned monsters for such films as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Weta's senior prosthetics supervisor, Gino

Acevedo, first took a cast from the venerable corpse of

Oliver, a captive tuatara that recently passed away at

Victoria University in Wellington.

'"After defrosting him, I packed his body with cotton wool, then added in spheres for his eyes and pins to hold up his spines," Acevedo said.

With advice from Moore, he set Oliver's body into a lifelike pose before pouring silicone over him to create a perfect negative mold. From this Acevedo made a polyurethane cast out of the mold.

Weta then installed electrical servos. tiny devices for controlling motion that allow Moore to choreograph Robo-Ollie's territorial posturing. The robot can't walk around; its movement is limited to its head. Moore noted.

And there are still a few tweaks to be made to his programming: Right now Robo-Ollie inadvertent ly displays at least one gender-bending trait.

"He bobs his head." Moore said, "which we now know is a female signal, so he's sending mixed messages. "We're going to have to tweak things a little bit." Moore thinks head bobbing in females is an appeasement gesture. a way of pacifying aggressive males. Instead, "Ollie should be gaping his mouth,

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which is a very strong signal from one male to another."

Moore and her team spent five weeks with Robo-Ollie on Stephens Island in March gaining valuable insights into the tuatara breeding hierarchy.

After the robot is placed in the wild, the researchers left it alone for a few hours at a time, with only remote cameras to monitor interactions.

After reviewing the tapes. Moore and her colleagues have seen wild tuatara respond less with aggression and more with curiosity.

Robo-Ollie has taught the researchers that gaping among males is just the curtain-raiser in a long, ritualized pantomime. "If one gapes and the other doesn't gape back, that's the end of it," Moore said.

"But if one gapes and the other one gapes back, then the first one puffs up and then the other one puffs up, and it escalates from there. If one doesn't back down, it degenerates into full-on fighting and rolling."

Moore thinks tuatara have evolved such rites as a way of stalling physical confrontation.

"These are animals that spend perhaps 95 percent of their time sitting motionless. So if they are forced to do something that requires big bursts of energy, then that's really costly," she said. "They often lose tails in fights, and regenerating them can be a big cost, too."

"It's complex. I'm just starting to get some of these details figured out."

PROPERTY BOOM ON GREAT BARRIER -

tvnzco.nz

Isolated Great Barrier off Auckland's east coast is in the middle of a property boom. The island is becoming increasingly popular with the well off, but it is feared the trend could mean they are the only ones who can afford to live there.

Great Barrier has traditionally attracted people who want to get away from the bustle of city living. It has a diverse range of residents including religious communities, Maori groups and alternative living communities.

It has been a haven for eccentrics and artists and a place where, in the eyes of the mainstream, society's dropouts dropped in and built a new life. But now city dwellers are getting on the bandwagon and locals fear the island will become a rich man's paradise. And as the money floods in, more locals are flooding out.

Property values have skyrocketed, in some cases by more than 100%, and there are for sale signs everywhere.

"People feel that they may be able to make a capital gain as property values in the last five years have risen quite dramatically; in other cases they are finding it too expensive to live here," says John Cran from John Cran Realty.

Most things are more expensive on the barrier where petrol costs more than $2 a litre and power is not cheap. Combined with a rates hike, island life is more expensive than ever before.

Local Tony Storey fears the only people who will be left are the ones "serving the rich fat cats who buy property out here at inflated prices and don't contribute anything to the local economy".

NEW ZEALAND FOURTH IN QUALITY OF LIFE SURVEY

New Zealand ranks fourth in an international survey rating quality of life. International Living magazine has undertaken the survey for the last 26 years and uses government statistics in nine different areas to make its judgments.

New Zealand ranked behind France.,Australia and the Netherlands but ahead of the United States. The bottom five were Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan and in 191st place was Afghanistan.

The tiny European nation of Andorra, on the border between Spain and France, was found to have the highest life expectancy.

Nauru was the cheapest nation to live in and Zimbabwe ranked top for weather.

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KlWlphile FILE
Published quarterly by Eva Trapani

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