March 17, 2006
NZ Holidaymaker -- Issue #002 -- March 2006
Table of contents
1 Whale on Auckland beach
2 Striking gold!
3 Healthy kiwis
4 Giant penguïn
5 Buying a camper van
6 Wanganui or Whanganui?
7 New coins
Whale
Can you imagine, a whale on one of Auckland's beaches? But that is what nearly happened last month! A five metre grey beaked whale tried to beach itself in Devonport (on Auckland's North Shore). This type of whale is ususally not found in shallow waters, and is not good at navigating there. People tried to prevent the whale from beaching by splashing water with board motors, but it kept coming back in. In the end, Department of Conservation staff loaded the whale onto a ponton and moved it out to sea.
Striking gold!
When you travel around the South Island, sooner or later you'll be confronted with the history of New Zealand's gold rush. The gold fever is over a long time, but looking for gold is still a popular pastime, for New Zealanders as well as tourists. You don't need a lot of equipment to get going and it's a nice way to spend an afternoon. Besides, it can be a lucrative pastime too! In February, a man found a 275 g gold nugget (8.87 ounces) in the Arrow river, which he managed to sell on E-bay for NZ$ 15,000!
Healthy kiwis
You probably did know that kiwis contain a lot of vitamine C, but did you know that they had other health benefits as well? Last month, at the international kiwifruit symposium in Rotorua, a paper was presented that showed that kiwis are even more effective than aspirin in reducing the risks of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes. Another of its lesser known qualities is its potential as a cancer-preventer. So why not take the most of your New Zealand holiday and enjoy plenty of this delicious fruit!
Giant penguïn
A couple of school kids who were on a fossil hunt on a beach near Kawhia (on the west coast of the North Island), ended up finding the remains of a giant penguïn. The penguïn could have weighted more than a hundred kilos and was probably around 150 cm in height - so it could have looked us in the eyes! The emperor penguïn (which is the biggest one today) only grows to 30 kg in weight and stands about 115 cm tall. The remains of the penguïn found are thought to be 40 million years old.
New Zealand to English Translation Guide
This is fun! Find out what those strange Kiwi words mean in plain English!
Buying a camper van
If you're planning to stay more than just a couple of weeks in New Zealand, the best option might be to buy your own camper van. But take care. Last month a German couple ended up with not much more than a wreck, though it had a current warrent of fitness, with 2 months left to run. The van was partly eaten away by rust, and had been bogged with wet tissue paper, putty and tinfoil. They bought it in Christchurch and got as far as Blenheim with it, where the windscreen collapsed. To be on the safe side, pay for an independent vehicle inspection or buy your van through a licenced dealer. More info on our special page about buying a camper van.
Wanganui or Whanganui?
Is it Wanganui or Whanganui? Well, that depends: Wanganui is the town, and Whanganui the river. Quite confusing isn't it? The spelling for both used to be without the h, but the spelling of the river was changed in 1991, to include the h. When spelt with an h, it means 'great expansion of water' in Maori language. And that makes sense for a river! But the name of the town won't change: 80% of the people who took part in the referendum about this name change last February, wanted to have the name of their town spelled without an h. Changing names is nothing new in New Zealand: Otago used to be Otakou, Wellington was Poneke, Manukau used to be called Manuka, and Mount Taranaki was changed to Mt Egmont and then back again.
New coins
On July 31 of this year some new New Zealand coins will be introduced: of 50, 20, and 10 cents. The new coins will have the same design as the current ones, but will be smaller and of lighter and lower-cost plated steel. The 5 cent coin will be taken out of circulation. Both old and new coins can be used until October 31.
All the best and till next month,
Boukeline & Rob
www.new-zealand-camper-van-adventures.com