nz_narrative

Here are some observations from our New Zealand trip in December 1999-January 2000 that you might find interesting.
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The first time the name "New Zealand" appeared in history was in the 1620s when Captain Willem Jansz of the Dutch ship Duyfken set off on a search for gold and riches in the Pacific. During the excursion, discovered an island that he called Nieuw Zeetland. But, as it transpired, this was not today's New Zealand but, rather, just a small island off the coast of New Guinea.

The next Europeans known to reach New Zealand were the crew of Dutch explorer Abel Tasman's ships Heemskerck and Zeehaen. These ships anchored at the northern end of the South Island in December 1642. Tasman sketched sections of the two main islands' west coasts and called them Nova Zeelanda. Nova Zeelanda appeared on European charts for the first time around 1645 and remained on maps until at least 1792.

There are at least two other theories about how the country got its name. Some believe that New Zealand was simply named Nieuw Zeetland after an important chamber of the Dutch East India Company.

Another theory speaks to the geographic relationship between Nova Zeetland and Nova Hollandia, the original Dutch name given to Australia. According to this version, the two Dutch provinces of Holland and Zeeland are separated by sea, the same way as Nova Hollandia/Australia and Zelandia Nova/New Zealand are separated. (Holland is the mainland and Zeetlandt consists of a number of islands off the coast in the North Sea.

Like many places around the world settled by Europeans after 1500, New Zealand had already been settled and named before Captain Abel Tasman 'discovered' it in 1642. The most popular version of how it got its Maori name--- Aotearoa--- gives credit to the great navigator Kupe, who on sighting this land about 640 BC reportedly said, "He ao, he aotea he aotearoa." ("It is a cloud ... a white cloud... a long white cloud.")
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As children of the World War II era, we both had a predisposition that the South Pacific was a hot "jungley" place. Not so. New Zealand, is, by and large, at the same latitude as the region from San Francisco to Vancouver, BC, only south of the equator rather than north. Queenstown lays at just about the same as latitude as Salem, Oregon--- 45 degrees, or roughly halfway between the Equator and the Pole. Thus, the climate is fairly similar to that of the Northwest, although local people say the impact of global warming has resulted in a tremendous change in weather patterns over the last 10-15 years. (There is no questioning global warming among these people!) New Zealand's nearest large neighbor is Australia which is 930 miles to the west. About 1,350 miles to the south, across the Southern Ocean, lies the frozen desert continent of Antarctica.

Rather than jungles, New Zealand is characterized by VERY high mountains (called the Southern Alps). These mountains were caused by volcanic eruptions in the distant past but remain very active, with additional eruptions and earthquakes not at all uncommon. New Zealand is part of the "Pacific Rim of Fire" that extends across the ocean to northern South America, up to Mexico, through the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains up to Alaska, and then down through Japan and back to New Zealand. In 1931, an earthquake of 7.9 force just about destroyed the city of Napier and the surrounding Hawkes Bay area. New Zealand is understandably making a very heavy investment in earthquake-proof construction and reconstruction for all governmental and public buildings--- Parliamentary chambers and offices, hotels, schools, libraries, sky scrapers (in Wellington and Auckland), and similar facilities.

In terms of "its continent," New Zealand is part of what is called Australasia or, increasingly, Oceania. This includes New Zealand, Australia, part of New Guinea, and a bunch of islands. Separated from the super-continent Gondwanaland 70 million years ago and surrounded by the barrier of the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand's islands evolved for millions of years as one huge, isolated botanical garden, allowing many ancient plants and animals to survive and evolve in ways unlike anywhere else on earth.

English and Scots settlers came to New Zealand in the mid-1800s so New Zealand's day-to-day language is English. However, the earlier inhabitants were South Sea Islanders, the Maori so, Maori is also an official language. (A parallel in our own experience is Finland, where both Finnish and Swedish are official languages.)

In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between Queen Victoria's British Government and Maori chiefs. The Treaty allowed the Crown to establish government over the country while guaranteeing Maori sovereignty over their lands and possessions. Maori were also accorded the rights of British citizenship. The Treaty is seen as the founding document for the country in that it that formalized an agreement between a colonial minority (Crown) and a native majority (Maori).

A Maori looks and sounds like Hawaiian, at least to our eyes and ears. Maori and Hawaiian peoples are related, both being part of the large Polynesian group along with the Samoans and Tahitians. The Maoris use a term, "Kia Ora," in the same manner as Hawaiians use "Aloha." (Sounds similar to "Que Hora" in Spanish.) It can mean "hello" and "so long" and also can have any number of other positive uses. A typical greeting between two Maoris would include the verbal exchange of "Kia Ora," and then a physical exchange of a shaking their right hands, placing their left hands on the other's right shoulder, and softly bumping noses twice. This is a symbolic coming together and "sharing breath" ritual.

Another ritual is that of greeting newcomers with a wild "peace dance" performed by a brightly decorated (tattooed) warrior. This dance includes "in your face" challenges, loud screaming, and lots of sticking out of the tongue. The meaning, as explained to us, is to accomplish peaceful ends by threatening and scaring the visitor so badly that an actual fight becomes unnecessary. "I welcome you by frightening you so badly that I don't have to fight you." Sort of convoluted thinking to us, but it is the Maori way.

On paper in on the radio/TV, the official "line" is that New Zealand is completely integrated and it seems to be so, at least on the surface. However, we saw a few newspaper "Letters to the Editor" denouncing affirmative action "quotas" in schools and universities, citing the same "reverse discrimination" arguments that you can hear in the USA these days. And, there is a growing activism, maybe even belligerence, coming from some of the Maori members of the New Zealand Parliament. And, while not traveling a whole lot within towns and cities, we have noticed "neighborhoods" that seem settled predominately by one ethnic/racial group or another.

There seems to have been an influx of immigrants from Hong Kong, Thailand, and Japan in the last decade or so, too. There are hordes of Asian tourists just about everywhere we have been; almost all signs are repeated in various Asian languages for the benefit of these economically important visitors. (Tourism is VERY BIG to New Zealanders and their approach to ecotourism is probably a model for the rest of the world.) So, the streets of Wellington, Queenstown, Christchurch, and Auckland reflect a rather multicultural history and contemporary human tapestry. (There is even an old French settlement, originally a whaling station, on the coast just south of Christchurch, complete with French street names and store signs.)

In regard to religion, New Zealand was originally almost solely Church of England (Anglican/Episcopalian) but I have been told that while some Church of England trappings can still be found in the dominant day-to-day scope of New Zealand events, the country is pretty much a religious amalgam, with citizens of Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Shinto, Jewish, and Pagan (and we use the word Pagan in a totally non-pejorative manner) faiths contributing to the national spiritual character.
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Languages

English is the "working" language of New Zealand and, yes, it can be reasonably well understood by Americans. There are lots of hard "sounds," much as in New England (pAHk the cAH instead of park the car.) New Zealanders also seem to dislike the American "e" so "bed" becomes "bid," "ten" becomes "tin," "left" becomes "lift," and "head" becomes "heed." So, always put the pillow on the lift side at the heed of the bid at tin o'clock.

Actually, we have found the New Zealand accent to be much more easily understood than some of those encountered in England and certainly more decipherable that what is heard from most Scots we have encountered. (Having only heard Australian accents in Outback Steakhouse restaurant commercials in Portland, we can't really comment on how the Aussies sound in comparison with the Kiwis.) There is a good, if somewhat scholarly, discussion of New Zealand's English, including pronunciation comparisons, on the Internet at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_English. Another website gives the American equivalent definition of expression and words commonly used in New Zealand --- http://nz.com/NZ/Culture/NZDic.html .

The Maori tongue is also an official language of New Zealand. This was established after a 1985 court case in which the Maori's argued that with a recognized place for their language, the principles and broad objectives of the Treaty of Waitangi (above) could not be achieved. In their view, the place of the language in the life of the nation was indicative of the place of the people. The government's response to this came in 1987 with the designation of Maori as an official language of New Zealand. Thus, he past two decades have seen the renaissance of Maori culture and language and a renewed call from the Maori world for the language to be recognized in the wider New Zealand context.
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Trees

The native flora of New Zealand is rich and unique having evolved in isolation for millions of years, because of this it has a distinctive look about it. No fewer than 80% of New Zealand's native plants and trees are found there and nowhere else. In spite of 1,200 years of human land clearing, about a quarter of the country still remains forested.

Economically, one of New Zealand's most important industries is plantation forestry and the Monterey Pine (radiata pine), imported from California in the 1920s, is the king of the forest, so to speak. We saw horizons with nothing but these trees and, as mentioned above, were amazed to hear the the growing cycle is about half of what it is in the United States. Some of the first New Zealand Monterey Pine plantations are now in their third harvest rotation!

A peculiar tree found throughout New Zealand is the Norfolk Pine. While not a true pine, this tree comes from Norfolk Island, speck in the South Pacific located between New Caledonia and Australia. Captain Cook discovered Norfolk Island on one of his voyages through the Pacific in 1774. When he landed he found that the island was home to an abundance of beautiful tall, green, pines. Captain Cook brought specimens of this lovely evergreen back home with him to England and from there is traveled to several other places around the world.

Since it is a very slow growing tree, some people use it as a house plant! If it were grown outdoors in it's natural habitat, it would eventually reach a height of 200 feet with a trunk measuring 10 plus feet across. Fortunately the Norfolk Island Pine is a very slow grower--- only 4 to 6 inches per year ---- and it would be many years before you'd have to worry about raising the roof to accommodate your tree.

We were in New Zealand at the right time of year to see the Pohutukawa tree, the New Zealand Christmas Tree. This evergreen, native to New Zealand, becomes a mass of scarlet flowers in late November through early January, making it excellent symbol of Christmas.

While not a tree, we are including the Silver Fern in this section because it is quintessentially New Zealand, a cornerstone of New Zealand culture. The Silver Fern is an iconic symbol of national pride and is as famous as the rugby All Blacks, who wear it on their uniform shirts. It is New Zealand’s most recognized plant and its soft green fronds are underlined with an iridescent silver coloring which glows at night.

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Birds

Until humans arrived, New Zealand had no native land animals, except for two species of bat discovered by early settlers. However, the country was alive with birds, no fewer than 250 species. A perfect balance of nature existed between vegetation and birdlife. But, when humans set foot on the islands they brought rats, cats, and introduced mammals and birds. Many native birds, unable to adapt to the foreign predators, became extinct. However, there are still some birds unique to the country.

The official icon/mascot for New Zealand is the Kiwi bird, a round little fellow with a long, narrow, and curved beak. The Kiwi is not often seen since it is a nocturnal creature, coming out of its ground burrows after sundown to seek out grubs and insects. They can't fly and are almost blind, making them easy prey and explaining their preference for night life. New Zealanders have been "Kiwis" since World War I when Australian soldiers bestowed that nickname on their New Zealand comrades.

The kiwi is a peculiar looking bird. For example it has loose, hair-like feathers and long whiskers. It is the only bird known to have nostrils at the end of its bill and literally sniffs out food. It also has one of the largest egg-to-body weight ratios of any bird --- the egg averages 15% of the female's body weight (compared to two per cent for the African ostrich). The kiwi is related to the ostrich of Africa, the emu of Australia, and the now-extinct moa of New Zealand. Kiwis live in pairs and mate for life, sometimes as long as 30 years.

Since kiwis are almost defenseless, predators are their biggest threat. Stoats (a New Zealand version of the ermine)and cats kill 95% of kiwi chicks before they are six months old. Adult kiwi are often killed by ferrets and dogs. Surveys through the 1990s showed numbers throughout mainland New Zealand dropping by an alarming 5.8% a year. There are now about 75,000 kiwis left. If the present rate of decline continues numbers will be down to 50,000 by the year 2006 and many of these will be on protected offshore islands. For New Zealanders, the kiwi is not just another bird and saving the kiwi is not just a matter of concern for scientists and conservationists. To Maori and non-Maori alike, the kiwi is taonga ( treasure) and part of the New Zealander's unique identity.

Another feathered creature unique to New Zealand's South Island is the Kea (Nestor notabilis), the only species of parrots that lives in mountains instead of jungles. The Kea is a bird with "attitude" and is rated as one of the most intelligent birds in the world. Raucous and inquisitive, the bird is not afraid of humans and puts on colorful displays for visitors to the South Island's mountains. Piercing cries of "keeaa" often give away the presence of these highly social and inquisitive birds.

They are a greenish/khaki color and some, like Yellowstone bears, make pests of themselves at places where tourists stop--- picnic grounds, scenic viewpoints, etc. We saw our first Kea en route to Milford Sound from Queenstown at a Milford Road rest area. They steal anything loose (and even some things not so loose, like windshield wiper blades and even wheel hub caps pried from cars with their powerful beaks). Kea are a protected species and although they are frequently seen throughout the South Island, the actual size of the wild population is estimated at between 1,000 and 5,000 birds.

A very common little bird that we think must be a sparrow can be found in many restaurants, darting about looking for crumbs and other table orts. (We've both always wanted to use "ort" in a real sentence, not just on crossword puzzles!) Nobody seems to pay them much mind (a typical New Zealand expression). In any outdoor place with food--- even a park with ice cream vendors--- you'll be surrounded by sparrows. They'll do practically anything to score a bit of cone. Even pose for pictures.

Maybe the funniest bird is a variety of penguin found only in New Zealand. ("Peen-gween," as it comes out the New Zealand mouth.) Called the Blue Penguin (Eudyptula minor), this is the smallest of all the penguin species, only about 10-12 inches tall. They, too, are nocturnal. The coast road near Wellington features "Slow, Penguin Crossing" signs at points where the birds waddle up from the ocean rocks, cross the roadway, and build smelly nests under peoples' houses and garages.) They only come ashore under the cover of darkness and live underground in burrows. Although quite common, its small size and unusual habits make the Blue Penguin rarely seen. Blue penguins eat mainly fish and squid.

At Cape Kidnappers near Hawkes Bay on the North Island, you can find the world's only Gannets, a distant, web-footed relative of the albatross. Gannets live in colonies which can have over two thousand nests crammed together in an area less than a couple of tennis courts. It is almost impossible to identify the male and females of the species since the are identical in color and size.

Each Gannet couple (lifelong mates) "owns" a space in the colony, a circle roughly 18 inches in diameter. These birds are highly territorial and will immediately attack anything the encroaches on their circular homestead. They have to take great care when coming in to land at their nests!

After an egg is laid, the parents take turns flying out to sea to feed, one hunting while the other one guards the nest. They can dive from a hundred feet in the air straight into the ocean at speeds up to 125 miles per hour, reaching depths of 25 feet to catch their prey. When hatched, baby Gannets stay in the nest for about three months, mainly learning how to manipulate their wings (but never flying) and gaining weight until they actually are two or three pounds heavier than their parents.

Finally, when the magical day comes, the young Gannet will take off on its first flight--- instinctively setting out on a trip 1,200 miles westward to Australia! The flight takes seven days and the bird never lands en route. (That's why the extra fat gained in the nest is vital.) After three years hanging out in Australia, the now mature Gannet returns to New Zealand, going back to exactly the same colony site to find a mate. Statistically, only 30% of the young birds complete the round trip, the rest succumbing to the various perils of nature.

As we found out on our very first day in the country, New Zealand has the misfortune to be sitting right under the a "hole" in the earth's ozone layer, causing the sun's rays to be extremely strong (and UV laden). The ozone layer above southern hemisphere countries like New Zealand, Chile, Australia, and Argentina has been significantly eroded by ozone-depleting chemicals--- mostly manmade--- and unprotected skin is more susceptible to sunburn and skin cancers than in other similar latitudes. In addition, many New Zealanders are pale-skinned and work outdoors in agriculture, forestry, and fishing occupations.

Although Ralph was fairly well tanned on arrival, his forehead and nose were all but charred in only two hours of wandering around outside in Christchurch. The government has actually passed a regulation requiring all little children to wear hats with front brims and rear neck covers during the summer months. A hot seller in stores are the so-called "Ozone Suits," thin, full-body garments, (something like wet suits) that screen out harmful UV rays. They are commonly worn on beaches. Many women can be seen wearing elbow-length gloves to protect their hands and forearms as they walk along the streets. The guidebooks all say sunscreen lotion is a must and, further, advise "don't just bring it, use it every time you're out in the sun, even if it's just for fifteen minutes."

On the other hand, these highly concentrated rays make the growing season a delight for farmers and, we discovered, a rapidly expanding timber industry (see below). A few decades ago, New Zealand imported evergreen trees from Northern California and Chile and huge tracts of pine forests can now be seen on both the North Island and the South Island. The time from "sowing to sawing" is only 25 years, about half as long as in North America. So, the ozone hole seems to be great for trees but grim for humans.

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Driving

As we discovered a couple of years ago in Scotland, driving on the left side of the side of the road while sitting on the right-hand side of the car is a trial. However, New Zealand's highways are much wider than those in Scotland and we encountered little actually difficulty on the open road once we learned how to judge where the left-hand side of the car was in relation to the left side of the roadway. Ralph did hit a few left side curbs but no parked cars or bicyclists. (We noticed that many drivers in New Zealand do not take kindly to pedestrians and often will not stop to allow them to cross a road.)

During their early road construction, most bridges were on-way since this was cheaper to build. However, the New Zealanders still have many, many of these one-lane bridges. Each bridge is marked by approach signs showing which direction has the right-of-way (red arrow for cars coming at your and white arrow giving you precedence. Since many bridges lurk just around the corner of blind curves, you sometimes don't much time to evaluate conditions, making it very exciting on occasion!

New Zealand must be the world leader in number of individual road repairs in progress at any one time. It is unusual to travel more than five or six miles without having to slow for some small patch of road repair work. Roads are almost universally in good condition but, in general, most highways are at 1960s USA standards, being two-lane and winding to follow land contours.

In the city driving is different and more nerve wracking, especially watching for pedestrians. (Except in specially marked crosswalks, of which there are few, pedestrians do NOT have the right of way.) The really difficult part of driving in busy traffic is making right turns. Ralph often deliberately refused to make a right turn into traffic in favor of a more roundabout "three left-hand turns" routing.

Speaking of roundabouts, New Zealand is replacing traffic lights with roundabouts in an effort to move traffic faster. This divides the community because pedestrians cannot cross without the breaks in traffic that traffic lights would cause. These devilish traffic circles can have as many as six entrances and exits! You just drive around the circle in a clockwise manner until you find the escape you are looking for. We finally learned the key to navigating the roundabout without a collision is to always "Give Way" to a car coming from the right side. If he looks as if he'll hit you, the driver, he has the right of way. Ralph's rule: When in cities, park car in the hotel parking lot and take a cab.

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Drinks and Goodies

There are some very strange brand names available in the average bar or cocktail lounge. How about Jack Daniels, Absolut, Stolichnaya, Canadian Club, Dewars, Guinness, Budweiser, and Heineken? And all can be had for about half the price found in a similar hangout in the USA. There a couple of New Zealand beers that tasted very good after a hot day fishing or golfing (tough life, huh?) but our own choice is a brew called Steinlagers. (For nonalcoholic choices, there are Coke, Pepsi, Gatorade, and other very familiar names.) Further, Mars, M&Ms, Snickers, Reeses Cups, Fritos, Pringles, Tostados, etc. are next to every checkout stand at the BP, Mobile, and Shell gas station mini-marts.

Wine making (and drinking) has also become popular in New Zealand. Although grapes were first planted in New Zealand as early as the 1830s, it was not until the 1980s that the country's reputation as an excellent wine producer began. The number of wineries has since grown to almost four hundred and export wine sales in 1999 reached 4.22 million gallons. In less than 20 years, the nation's wine makers have gone from producing wine of average quality to some of the best in the world. Shiraz was our favorite and there were many brands from which to chose.

An interesting aspect drinking in New Zealand is the law. The legal drinking age is 20, but if you're married and you're in the pub with your spouse, you can drink at 18. In other words, if you don't have your spouse with you, you have to be 20 to drink, but if you have your mate along, you can drink at 18. Don't ask why, but we're surprised the country isn't full of kids getting married simply so they could get slaughtered on the highways at an earlier age

On the subject of prices, everything in New Zealand seems to cost about half what it would in the USA, at least the things we had had to pay for. A fairly nice city center hotel is about $80 NZ or roughly $40 US. A bottle of the Cabernet Shiraz wine that I like usually costs $32 US at home but only $28 NZ here. And, remember, the New Zealand dollar is only about 50 cents US!

Gasoline for your car, however, is a bit more expensive here--- 99 cents a liter or roughly $2.00 US per gallon. (But, cheaper than in Europe by a whole lot!) A car rental is about half the USA cost. For housing, a nice two or three bedroom house along a lakefront would probably cost around $100,000 US, but we are sure Robyn Williams paid lots, lots more than that for his "retreat escape" near Queenstown. (We and Robyn were in town at the same time but he was too busy to "ring us up for a chat.")

Many New Zealanders drive used cars (right hand drive) imported from Japan. They are about half the price of what the same car would cost in the USA. All in all, we calculate that an American of modest means would find New Zealand a very nice place to retire in terms of the spending power of his or her pension and would certainly not require a lot of cultural adjustment.
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Sports

Cricket

New Zealanders are sports fanatics, although their two favorites, cricket and rugby, are not what an American would consider "mainstream" sports. In Wellington, we drove into town from the airport and saw a huge stadium where a cricket match was being played. When we got to the hotel, Ralph watched the same cricket match on TV on and off for over four hours and the same two New Zealand players were batting the whole time. The match resumed the next day and, sure enough, the same two guys were still batting. New Zealand was leading the West Indies team 358-0 and the "Westies" hadn't had get a chance to bat! The game went on for five days. Of course this was a "test match" and not the usual one-day competition. Scores from the Australia vs. India, England vs. Hong Kong, and South Africa vs. Pakistan matches were main segments on all TV news shows.

The other big favorite is rugby and the members of New Zealand's national team, the "All Blacks," are huge heroes, more so than players on our own World Series and Super Bowl teams. (They are called the "All Blacks" because their uniforms and equipment are completely black.) Rugby has some resemblance to American football, of course, but we weren't able to grasp most of the subtleties that brought people watching in sports bars to their feet cheering wildly for something that we saw only as a mass of guys scrambling around on their hands and knees looking as if they were hugging each other--- called a scrum.

A unique characteristic of the All Blacks is that they perform the "Haka," a traditional Maori dance, before each game. Haka is not merely a pastime for the Maori but was also a custom of great social importance in the welcoming and entertainment of visitors. It is an action chant with hand gestures and foot stamping, originally performed by warriors before a battle, proclaiming their strength and prowess and generally abusing the opposition. Tribal reputation rose and fell on their ability to perform the haka. The All Blacks perform the haka with precision and intensity which typify their approach to rugby.

Surrounded by water and also having many, many lakes, New Zealanders are extremely keen (kiin) on sailing, with an estimated 35%-40% owning their own boats. Auckland is nicknamed the "City of Sails" and was hosting the 2000 Americas Cup competition while we were in that city.

The America's Cup has it all, in a long and distinguished history. It is oldest trophy in sports, an incredible scope of technological innovation, legendary figures from the world of sailing and international rivalry across the globe. The series of races started when John Cox Stevens, first commodore and founder of the New York Yacht Club, traveled across the Atlantic to prove American shipbuilding skills were superior to those of Europeans. Stevens', America, beat a British fleet in the Royal Victoria Yacht Club Regatta around the Isle of Wight and proved the captain's claim.

For 132 years that rivalry was dominated by the United States until 1983 when Australia finally broke the stranglehold, followed by New Zealand in 1995 and 2000. We had a chance to visit the Americas Cup Village at the Auckland waterfront and saw many of the racing vessels entered in the international event, including three from the USA. (Ralph had to have a souvenir, so he bought a nifty cap identifying him as a "Stars and Stripes" fan.)

We played on five golf courses and found them to be great fun (Ralph though they would be even better fun if he could only make a damn putt once in while.) Drives go a long way due to elevation and very dry, hard fairways. Greens, while immaculate, have a very strange type of grass which makes it hard to judge speed. Not too many water hazards but lots of sand, albeit a coarse, gritty type of sand that is really quite heavy and takes more "oomph" than what we are used to at home.

On one course, the really extraordinary hazards were the thermal "blows," vents of sulfurous steam and smoke from far under the Earth's surface. These vents have pyramid-shaped piles of rocks placed on top of them and at first we made the mistake of thinking these piles were markers indicating distance from the green. (It took Ralph two experiences of rapping a six-iron way over the green before he figured out that the rock piles didn't signify 150 yards from the center of the green.)

A curious feature of most New Zealand courses is that there are two cup holes on every green, although only one is used. We found out the reason is that greens are generally only cared for--- mown and new cup holes dug--- once a week. After three or four days, the flag on each green is moved from one cup hole to the other, thus reducing wear and tear on the green. And, interestingly enough, both yards and meters are used on some score cards although it really doesn't make much difference to Ralph--- he's always good for one or two over par using either measuring system.

Fishing

The lakes and rivers of New Zealand have plenty of fish, mainly rainbow trout, brown trout, and some landlocked salmon similar to the Northwest's kokanee. (No pike or bass I am told.) Once again, the USA/New Zealand connection was apparent in that both the rainbow and the landlocked salmon were introduced in the 1880s from the fresh waters of America's west coast states, particularly northern California.

Ralph did two short fishing trips on a lake near Queenstown on the South Island and on Lake Taupo on the North Island. He caught a couple of "OK" fish in the south but brought in bunch of monster rainbows up north. The best was about 7 pounds and some 28 inches long, and fat as a football, and hooked at a depth of 125 feet! It was very much like trolling for salmon off the Oregon coast.

Ralph went out on Lake Taupo with Capt. Richard Staines aboard the White Striker.

We had the three big rainbow trout smoked and sent home!

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New Zealand is in Tomorrowland for Americans. For example, when it is 5:00 PM on Wednesday in NZ, it is 8:00 PM on Tuesday in Portland, PST. Thus, we could pretty much call home or to the office knowing there was only a three-hour difference in terms of "people being awake." (Far more convenient than calling from Finland or Russia last summer.)

One Monday afternoon Ralph was looking up the past weekend's NFL game scores on the Internet and it was very bizarre to see that the Seattle Seahawks were leading the Kansas City Chiefs with only 43 seconds to play in the fourth quarter. The game was actually still being played the day before!

Since the flight to New Zealand leaves Los Angeles at 8:30 PM and arrives in Auckland at 5:30 AM, there was not to much "loss" in terms of "body time." The thirteen hour flight was well-occupied by movies (four to choose from, one right after another) and natural sleeping. That, plus using the marvelous "No Jet Lag" pills (that's the real name, manufactured in New Zealand and available at AAA stores in the USA), resulted in absolutely no incapacitating body fatigue phenomena. It worked about the same way on the return flight to the United States, which was great for Ralph since only eight hours after arriving in Portland he had to return to the airport to fly out for a three-day meeting in New Orleans!)
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After flying to Auckland from Los Angeles, we almost immediately boarded another plane bound for Christchurch, the biggest city in the South Island and the third largest population center in New Zealand. Internationally famed as "The Garden City," Christchurch has expansive parks and public gardens. For example, our hotel was not too fat from the 325 acre Hagley Park, the Botanic Gardens, four leafy inner-city avenues, Victoria Square, and some spectacular gardens on the banks of the River Avon. In 1996, Christchurch was acknowledged as the outstanding garden city from over six hundred international entries and in 1997 was judged"Garden City of the World" among major cities in the Nations in Bloom International Competition.

The city has many "English" trees ( Weeping Willows, Poplars and Chestnuts) along the the banks of the River Avon which is, of course, named after it's English counterpart. Most of Christchurch's old, English-style buildings have been preserved and this adds to it's British-like charm. Although the people of Victoria, British Columbia would probably argue the claim, Christchurch is also reputed to be the most English looking city outside of England, (Even if justified, this claim is strange when you consider that Christchurch is the just about the furthermost city in the world from England.)

Cathedral Square in the heart of the city is an entertaining place where you can sit down and watch unplanned entertainment from people playing instruments, performing mime and juggling acts, playing chess, debating politics and religion, getting the latest news from the Town Crier, or listening to the ramblings of the "Wizard."

The Wizard can be found in the Square weekdays from 1 to 2 PM, November to March. Though of easygoing nature, his honesty, consistency and outspokenness have made him virtually unemployable, especially in these days of political correctness. He is an excellent Cathedral Square ornament and has been featured as a "must see" in all guidebooks for New Zealand. In 1988, he won the prestigious Newman Award for services to tourism and was declared "a living work of art" by the New Zealand Art Gallery Directors' Association. In 1990, the Prime Minister appointed him Wizard of New Zealand. He has had no wife, children, property or job, pays no taxes, and takes no state welfare assistance.

While in Christchurch, we also took a bus tour to visit the coastal village of Akouroa ("long harbor" in Maori). Located about an hour and a half coastward from Christchurch, this was originally a French whaling outpost dating back to 1840. When the English got the hint of French plans to colonize the site, they hastily assembled as group settlers to locate there first, thus thwarting France's plans to gain a foothold in New Zealand. The drive was pleasant enough, taking us through rolling hills, low wispy clouds, and past lots and lots of sheep. (We ran into a New Zealand traffic jam--- a flock of sheep crossing the road.)

Unfortunately, when we got to Akouroa, we encountered light rain and enough wind to make it somewhat uncomfortable. We strolled through the quaint township and observed that French street names remain and about forty wooden buildings from about 1870 are still in use. Joan bought a rainhat and we had lunch at one of the only establishments that seemed to be open. We We also took a ride on a boat, the on the Canterbury Cat, going out in the harbor to see dolphins. The weather wasn't very cooperative nor were the dolphins, although we did some. All in all, Akouroa was sort of interesting but not very exciting.

Another highlight of our time in Christchurch was a visit to the International Antarctic Center. Christchurch is the gateway to Antarctica for most of the world’s Antarctic scientists and home to the National Science Foundation's U.S. Antarctic Program. Air Force cargo aircraft use Christchurch as a staging point to ferry supplies and scientists to Antarctica. NSF has been in Christchurch since 1976 and anchors the International Antarctic Center located the city's airport. (President Clinton visited the Center just four months before us.)

If you've always wanted to know about life in the Antarctic, this is probably as close as you'll ever get. The penguins may be man-made and the leopard seals stuffed, but everything about this geographic/natural history attraction was great. The Center is considered one of New Zealand's leading attractions, giving you a feel for modern Antarctic life through dioramas, a sophisticated sound-and-light show, an excellent audiovisual presentation, and interactive exhibits. We also really enjoyed the wild ride on the "Hägglund," sort of a monster all-terrain vehicle used in Antarctica by the United States Antarctic Program. (With a few minor modifications for tourists' extra comfort, such as seatbelts and air conditioning!)

Queenstown has always attracted people on a quest. First came the Maori, seeking New Zealand's unique "pounamu" (jade). Gold prospectors followed and, today, the quest for high adventure and relaxation attracts an international amalgam to Queenstown. We read about a lot of activities that attract thrill seekers to the area, including skydiving, hot air ballooning, hang gliding, and parasailing.

Jet boat is also a very big attraction, as is bungy jumping, a "sport" the New Zealanders claim to have invented. Other outdoor-oriented options are rafting, mountain climbing, and 4WD excursions into the back country. Needless to say, we didn't try out any of these, opting instead for a more sedate round of golf at Millbrook Country Club in nearby Arrowtown and, for Ralph, a few hours fishing with a local guide on Lake Wakatipu.

We left Queenstown just after 7:00 and headed south along Lake Wakatipu and our tour guide began a running commentary about the region and the Fjordland National Park as we made the trip over the mountains to the coast. We drove through rural towns of Kingston, Garston and Mossburn and then, beyond the rugged lake edge, the route took us to high country pastures surrounded by mountains and then down into the serenely beautiful farm country. Heading west towards the mountains we got to see through some of New Zealand's most picturesque farm country. It was similar in many ways to driving through the valleys in Colorado's Rockies. There were lots of clear streams and rivers running alongside the roadway and we were told that this region is world famous for its trout fishing.

At the village of Te Anau we stopped for refreshments, looking across the lake of the same name to see the eastern fringes of Fjordland National Park, ascribed as being one of the five largest national parks in the world. After a quick snack, we resumed our journey and traveled north alongside huge Lake Te Anau, passing through Eglinton Valley with its ancient alpine beech forest, and crossing The Divide, the southernmost pass in the Southern Alps.

Entering the Fjordland National Park, we encountered the mist covered Cleddeau Valley, carved out of the rock by ice, and got to the Homer Tunnel, the 1,500 yard long gateway to Milford Sound. The Homer Tunnel took over twenty years to complete and was constructed through a world war and the depression. Before the tunnel opened in 1953, Milford Sound was inaccessible by motor vehicle. Just before entering we stopped at rest area and were really delighted to see our first Keas, the mountain parrots described above. Just as we had been told ahead of time, these brassy birds showed absolutely no fear of humans and seemed to be arrogantly scouting the crowds and parked vehicles looking for a likely score--- something to eat or, maybe even better, something shiny to grab and run off with.

As our bus descended to the Sound, we went from cloud-capped peaks to subtropical west coast valleys. The trip from Queenstown was really a visual delight and we could see why this area was a designated World Heritage Area in 1986. Our guide pointed out that Milford Sound is one of the wettest places in the world (300 inches of rain a year) but it is the rain that contributes to the area's beauty. It seems that there were dozens of waterfalls tumbling down steep mountains to the sea and rain nourishes tracts of rich beech forest. However, the guide said that in dry conditions, there are only three or four permanent waterfalls in the Sound.

In high season, November through March, more than a hundred buses arrive daily at Milford Sound, all filled with with tourists eager to make the Sound cruise. That's about 4,000 people people a day! We didn't much like the inevitable prospect of crowding but were willing to overlook this rather cramped state of affairs in order to enjoy unforgettable landscapes. We waited in line in the Cruise Center and finally boarded our vessel for a two-hour trip with took us ten miles from the head of the fjord to the open Tasman Sea and back.

We heard that the Sound's entrance is so hidden when viewed from the Tasman Sea that Captain Cook sailed right by without noticing it when he charted the waters some 200 years ago. This cruise is really the perfect way to discover the beautiful scenery of this Milford fjord, including the memorable Mitre Peak, which at a height of 5,560 feet, is one of the highest mountains in the world to rise directly from the ocean floor. We sailed along the southern side of Milford Sound right out to the Tasman Sea and returned up the northern side, slowing down at all points of interest along the way. In Maori legend, the fjords were created not by rivers of ice, but by Tu Te Raki Whanoa, a godly figure who came wielding a magical adze and uttering incantations. Maoris believe Milford Sound is his finest sculpture.

Back on land, we were hurried off to the local airport because our tour package included a flight back to Queenstown over the Southern Alps. The plane looked like some thing from the 1930s or 40s, rectangular lines and covered with what seemed to be galvanized iron. We were sort of crowed and one lady had to sit up from in the copilot's seat. We were very startled when, in mid-flight, the pilot asked if she would like to fly the plane for a bit. She wanted to and did for a few minutes, adding to the tension already felt from flying so close to the peaks of The Incredibles.

We took a city tour that covered most of the city's top sights, including the Wellington Botanic Gardens. Even though we are not overly enthusiastic about gardens, we did like the Lady Norwood Rose Garden and its three hundred varieties of roses. These gardens were established in 1868 and are well worth visiting at any time of the year. Highlights of a visit include the rose gardens, the sculptures, the peace flame garden and the soundshell where outdoor concerts take place on Sundays during summer.

We stopped at see the Old St. Paul's Cathedral and were greeted by an elderly woman who serves as a volunteer docent. She led us through the building, pointing out stunning wooden arches, magnificent stained-glass windows and other"highlights" from the church's 130 year past. We noticed that there were a lot of banners hanging throughout the church and were quite moved when our guide explained why one of most prominently displayed is a U.S. Marine Corps regimental insignia. It seems that the day before they shipped out for Tarawa, many of the marines whose unit was stationed in Wellington attended services at St. Paul's. After the battle, one of the bloodiest in World War II, the same unit returned to Wellington having lost almost 75% of is men. The banner is dedicated to the memory of the marines who fought to keep New Zealand out of enemy hands.

Our first extensive driving on our own took us from Wellington along State Highway #1 to Taupo, a beautiful little town situated on the northeastern shore of the lake of the same name. Lake Taupo is New Zealand's biggest and is internationally recognized for its Rainbow and Brown trout fishing. Lake Taupo is also the source of New Zealand's longest river, the Waikato, which leaves the lake at the town of Taupo and flows to the west coast just south of Auckland. As mentioned above, driving on the left side of the road was not too much of a problem, at least on the open highway but did get a little tricky in cities.

Lake Taupo is very much like Crater Lake in Oregon in that it is actually a volcanic crater. Almost 2,000 years ago, volcanic activities culminated in the most violent eruption history has recorded. In a few short minutes Poisonous ash, rocks, lava and pumice were emitted at speed of up to 500 mph to a height of 30 miles. The volcanic fallout was so great that even the ancient Romans and Chinese are reported to have experienced darkened skies. The whole of the North Island was coated in a thick, toxic ash, which destroyed entire forests. Lake Taupo was formed in the crater left by the eruption and remains volcanically active to this day.

Maori habitation of the Taipo area can be dated back to the 14th century. The legendary Chief Nagtoroirangi led his people here 700 years ago. Although the major volcanic eruptions were long over before the tribe arrived, they were left with a legacy of poor, ashy, soil. The winters were harsh and the lake proved to be a poor source of food. Remarkably, considering the people's harsh subsistence on bush birds, plants and roots, they remained unconquered throughout a prolonged and violent history of intertribal warfare. In the 1840s, missionaries were the first Europeans to have contact with the Lake Taupo Maori, building churches and trying to converting the the natives to Christianity.

Modern Taupo was founded in 1869 as a garrison town but remained comparatively small due to the poor volcanic soils of the region. The roads were appalling and the township didn't even have an electricity supply until the early 1950s. It wasn't until then that the region started to develop, with forestry, the construction of the world's second largest geothermal power station, and more recently tourism providing the town's economic base. The current population is about 30,000 but can swell to over 200,000 during the summer and holidays.

In particular, Lake Taupo attracts fishermen eager to hook on to an eight-pound rainbow trout. Interestingly enough, the first trout were planted into the waters in 1880s. They were the Rainbow trout from California's Lake Almanor. With few natural predators, an enormous food supply, and hundreds of miles of prime spawning streams and rivers flowing into the lake, they thrive. Today, with a self-sustaining population of rainbows and brownies, the Taupo region has cemented its name as one of the world's premier fisheries.

Some criticize Taupo as being "too touristy" and, perhaps, we might agree although we really enjoyed out short two days there. There is every sort of "spend your money here" shop in town and,certainly, nobody needs to go thirsty for lack of a place to find a drink! Eating is easy, too. There is a Burger King, a KFC, and a Subway, of course, but the local McDonald's, is the town's "must see" restaurant (below). It has the usual play area for kids but also offers customers an upscale espresso bar!

*Information Center banners--- "Kia Ora"* means "Welcome"and "Think Fresh" is the town slogan.**	Taupo's main street is looks pretty much like a small town scene almost anywhere in the USA.
We played golf in Taupo and saw steam and volcanic gases erupting in some of the rough areas on the course.	The McDonald's in Taupo is an old World War II plane that has been made into an eating place.

We found our nice "manor" hotel on the road the runs between Napier and Hastings the two main towns in the Hawkes Bay area. The first attempt to settle Hawkes Bay was made in 1839 when a small trading station was established on the north side of what was then known as Scinde Island. But the buildings were quickly burned down by dissidents who resented this invasion of their isolation. Eight years later a more successful outpost was developed and permanent settlers who began arriving in 1850. The first sale of town sections was made in 1855 but it was never intended that Napier should be anything other than a small village to service a few wharves along Hawkes Bay harbor. Today, the city has become the third largest port in New Zealand.

Named after Sir Charles Napier, a British military hero, Napier is a laid-back town that enjoys one of the best climates in New Zealand. Its biggest attraction is the high concentration of Art Deco buildings and is known as the Art Deco capital of the world. It all started in 1931 when Napier was completely leveled by an earthquake that measured 7.9 on the Richter scale. The earthquake was quickly followed by devastating fires starting from gas jets in chemist shops. With the water mains ruined there was little people could do except watch as the central city burned, creating a pall of smoke visible for many miles.

However bad the immediate disaster was, the earthquake and fires had a positive side. Before 1931, the town's western and southern boundaries had been limited by swamp and lagoon. The earthquake lifted some 7,000 acres of lagoon area by up to eight feet and improved a further 2,700 acres that had previously suffered from bad drainage. Napier was rebuilt making it the most modern city in the world for the next few years. The Art Deco style was at the height of its popularity for buildings in 1931 and it was also better suited to earthquake prone areas. Today Art Deco enthusiasts the world over come to Napier to see some of the best examples of this popular architectural style.

The Marine Parade is Napier's "showcase" street. Running parallel to the bay, it has a variety of attractions to attract the tourist dollar, include: Marineland, Hawke's Bay Museum, miniature golf, an terrific Aquarium, a skateboard park, and many, many eating and drinking establishments. Many of the houses along Marine Parade have been converted into shops and restaurants.

Nearby, Hastings and Havelock North share the same architectural style as Napier and and we visited them both a couple of time. We drove around the two towns and admired the houses and gardens. We stopped for lunch at a winery we came across along the highway between the towns. The roadside scenes as we drove along were very beautiful, especially the fields of grapes and lavender. We also enjoyed the wildflowers--- daises, wild roses, lupin, and several others we didn't recognize.

We got out our clubs in Hastings and checked in at the Hawkes Bay Golf Club. The people at the club were very friendly and paired us up with a local couple who helped us navigate the course. Ralph checked out his theory that since water flushes in the opposite direction in the southern hemisphere, his normal "slice" would become a "hook" in New Zealand. Not true, although he tested the idea repeatedly as we played the eighteen holes.

While in Havelock North, we twice went up to the top of Te Mata Peak, known as the Sleeping Giant. Once we drove up to the 1,200 foot summit on our own to take advantage of uninterrupted views over the mountain ranges of region and the volcano Ruapahu. The second time we went with a group to take part in a huge "Welcome 2000" New Year's Eve party at the Te Mata Estate winery. This winery, dating from the early 1890’s, is New Zealand’s oldest. The food served for dinner was only so-so but the wines that cane during and after were delicious (and unlimited). The people at this party were, incidentally, the first in the "civilized world" to greet the new Millennium.

Situated on the southern shore of a lake of the same name, Rotorua is the North Island's most popular tourist destination. We drove into the city and searched for our hotel which, as it turned out, was right next to a lakeside park. We did a lot of sniffing because there is a lot of geothermal activity in the area. We heard that most homes are powered by the geothermal plant and almost every house has its own spa pool, heated courtesy of nature. Despite the pungent, rotten egg smell of hydrogen sulfide gas emanating from countless bores and ground fissures, the town's hot and steamy thermal activity, healing mineral pools, and surrounding lakes, rivers and crystal springs are major attractions. Rotorua is also a major center of Maori culture, offering Maori art, architecture, song and dance, and offers both an informative daytime tour and colorful evening entertainment to the visitor.

We joined a bus tour that first took us by the Waimangu Thermal Valley, an active volcanic area with one of the largest boiling lakes in the world. We then went to the Maori Cultural Center where we saw the traditional buildings (a fortified Maori stronghold), women performing the "Poi Dance," some examples of Maori wood carving, and the sacred meeting house.

There was also the opportunity to see the nearby geothermal wonders--- five thermal areas, Whakarewarewa, Waiotapu, Waimangu, Hell's Gate, and the Polynesian Spa with it's thirty-five hot mineral pools. We traveled in a vehicle something like a long, long golf cart and saw boiling mud pools, steaming vents, and magnificent geysers shooting skywards. (And some warning signs!)

After returning to our hotel for a short rest, we boarded another bus and joined a group of tourist headed for a Maori concert and hangi (earth cooked meal). En route we were instructed on Maori protocol and learned we were really about to experience the authentic culture of the Maori, albeit set against a somewhat "touristy" backdrop. Really, you are entering sacred ground and must be officially greeted with a Powhire, the formal traditional challenge where the host village tries to interpret the intentions of the visiting people.

It was interesting, particularly when Ralph volunteered to be "Chief of the Canoe" and was responsible, therefore, for representing our busload of tourists when greeted by the host Maori Chief. Fortunately, the "Canoe Chief" from one of the five other buses was selected to take part in the Powhire and Ralph didn't have to face the taunts, screams, and tongues of the "welcoming party" during the intimidating Haka dance.

After a tour of the model Maori encampment, we went to a large hall for the Hangi, our evening meal, Maori style. (Very much like a luau in Hawaii.) We both agreed that the Hangi was simply sensational--- great tasting chicken, outstanding pork, potatoes, bread, etc. After we finished eating, the Chief discussed the Maori culture---- its traditions, history, and the present situation of his people. He really impressed us with his sincerity. He is trying to preserve his culture against an almost unstoppable merging with the Europe-focused New Zealand culture. We thought that the Maoris were really an interesting people, with a similar situation to the Native Americans, but maybe better off in most respects.

We already knew sheep were "big" in New Zealand and were told that a visit to Agrodome Sheep Show and Farm Tour is guaranteed to provide all we could ever want to know about New Zealand's leading agricultural industry. The Agrodome was, therefore, a "must see"part of our Rotorua stopover. So, we signed up for a tour to the Agrodome.

There certainly were a lot of "sheep-related" activities to entertain us including a herding exhibit by "Strong Eye" dogs, mainly Border Collies and NZ Huntaways. These dogs control sheep (as well as goats and even ducks) to the rancher's whistle and voice commands, circling the paddock to "stare down" sheep and bring them to the rancher waiting at the gate within minutes. This requires a caring and close relationship between farmer and dog. (A great picture below is the New Zealand Huntaway acting like a Maori warrior by sticking its tongue out!)

We also saw a living exhibit of the nineteen breeds of sheep found in New Zealand and sheep shearing demonstration by a top shearer. (A shearer is paid 90 cents per sheep and a good one can do about 300 sheep in 9 hours.) New Zealander's sometimes brag about how beautiful their country is and then jokingly add, "24 million sheep can't be wrong."

Meat New Zealand figures show the national flock fell to 43.9 million last year, 1999--- a fraction more than eleven sheep for each person. There were nearly 1.5 million fewer woolly-coated Sunday roasts running around than a year earlier. At the peak of their numbers in 1982, New Zealand's 70.3 million sheep outnumbered people by about twenty to one.

Our last venue for this New Zealand holiday was Auckland, one of the biggest cities in the world in area in terms of geography, over twice the size of London. However, the population is only around 1.2 million people, so it is nowhere near as crowded or cramped as London, New York, or even Los Angeles. Auckland has just under one third of the total population of New Zealand.

We were originally scheduled to return our car to the Auckland airport and take a cab into town. Fortunately, we were able to make arrangements to simply drive to the famous Sky Tower Hotel and have the car rental people pick up the car there. Getting to the hotel was somewhat problematic but we finally found the way, but not before having to only close call of the driving experience when Ralph made a right turn into the oncoming right lane, American style, instead of the proper left lane. Excited New Zealand drivers blew their horns and, to our great luck, we were able to narrowly avoid any collisions.

Our hotel was part of the Harrah's Sky City complex and is an Auckland focal point. The 1,076 feet tall Sky Tower is the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. Sky Tower has three circular public observation levels--- Sky Deck, Main Observation level, and Sky Lounge --- that allow visitors to see fifty miles in every direction. Glass-fronted elevators can take two hundred twenty-five people to these observation levels every fifteen minutes. The elevators travel at about twelve miles per hour and the ride takes only forty seconds. (For those is search of both a great view and some hearty exercise, there are 1,267 steps from the base of Sky Tower to Sky Deck. It would take someone about a half an hour to reach Sky Deck walking at 2.5 mph.)

We joined the ranks of the almost one million people who pay $10 to visit the Main Observation level annually. Ralph was very uncomfortable because parts of the floor were glass and he didn't like the idea that there was nothing else between him and straight down. All of the Observation Level's exterior walls were glass and jutted out at an angle, even more scary to those who do;t like heights. Lots of tourists were leaning against these outer walls and it looked as if they were suspended momentarily before starting a horrible fall to the ground. (Actually, the adventurous tourist can buy a ticket and leap off the Sky Tower! These jumpers fall at approximately fifty miles per hour for sixteen seconds before slowing in the last few feet to land gently. Unlike bungy jumping, there is no hanging upside down or bouncing around, they simply fall fast and smooth for 360 feet!

Auckland has been dubbed the "City of Sails" and boasts more boats per head of capita than any other city in the world--- one boat for every four households in the area. As mentioned above, we were in Auckland during the time the 2000 America's Cup race were being held and found this event to be the focus of the daily news. People in the city took to wearing red socks as a indication of their support for the New Zealand entry.

Name	Geography	In a Nutshell	History & Culture	Languages	Trees	Birds
Ozone Layer	Driving	Drinks/Goodies	Prices	Sports	Time	Christchurch
Queenstown	Wellington	Taupo	Hawkes Bay	Rotorua	Auckland

*We visited the Christchurch Arts Center and attended a very solid performance of "Cabaret" done by community theater actors.*	The Arts Center's "Le Cafe" is a perfect place to spend time over a glass of wine if you arrive a bit early for the theater.	Still another good example of the traditional English style of architecture that can be found all over Christchurch.
This building on Cathedral Square is typical of the English-style architecture that can be found throughout Christchurch.	Worcester Boulevard also have some great sidewalk markets where we found arts and crafts and, of course, food vendors.	Tourists enjoy an English tradition, "punting," on Christchurch's Avon River, which was just across the boulevard from our hotel.

Cathedral Square is a center of Christchurch activity.	The Cathedral is very ornate.	Gothic arches dominate the Cathedral's interior.
The "chalice" is prominent in Cathedral Square.	The chessboard on Cathedral Square always has players engaged.	The Wizard is perhaps the freest person in New Zealand.

Honk all you want but it doesn't do any good.	People in Akouroa "trade" on the town's French heritage.	Akouroa's main street parallels the ocean.
The guide pointed out some houses over 100 years old.	Our "Dolphin Safari" began on the village pier.	A few of the dolphins cooperated with our plans.

Entrance to International Antarctic Center.	Antarctic scenery diorama.	Boarding the Hägglund in front of the Center.
Model ice cave that you may actually enter.	Explorers' tent display at Center.	The Hägglund can operate in 8 feet of water!

Maori women performing the Poi Dance	Maori greeting, "sharing breathe."
Carving of ancestral heritage.	Skilled craftsmen are important community members.