Sunday, 12 October 2008
Saturday, 20 September 2008
Crunch time for sweet lovers
4:00AM Saturday Sep 20, 2008
By James Ihaka
The curtain call for iconic movie treats Snifters, Tangy Fruits and Sparkles has incurred the wrath of lolly lovers the nation over.
Along with Sunday double features, halftime intermissions and smoking in auditoriums, the once-popular sweets are doomed for the nostalgic movie time waste basket with Cadbury Schweppes' last batch in June.
But the decision, blamed on steadily decreasing sales, has irked many sweet-toothed fans.
One person suggested the New Zealand Warriors wear black armbands in remembrance of the Snifter during their match against Sydney City last night while an Australian fan said its demise was a "sad day indeed" on a website, savethesnifter.co.nz.
By James Ihaka
The curtain call for iconic movie treats Snifters, Tangy Fruits and Sparkles has incurred the wrath of lolly lovers the nation over.
Along with Sunday double features, halftime intermissions and smoking in auditoriums, the once-popular sweets are doomed for the nostalgic movie time waste basket with Cadbury Schweppes' last batch in June.
But the decision, blamed on steadily decreasing sales, has irked many sweet-toothed fans.
One person suggested the New Zealand Warriors wear black armbands in remembrance of the Snifter during their match against Sydney City last night while an Australian fan said its demise was a "sad day indeed" on a website, savethesnifter.co.nz.
Sunday, 14 September 2008
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Apron Strings
http://blogs.nzherald.co.nz/blog/film-reviews/2008/8/14/apron-strings/?c_id=None
The role of food in expressing and shaping cultural identity has long been a preoccupation of this film's co-writer, Shuchi Kothari, on whose original idea it is based. But in asking the idea to sustain a dramatic feature, she stretches it a little more than is comfortable. Apron Strings is, to use its own idiom, overspiced, but the taste is not as rich as it should be and is ultimately a little unsatisfying.
This is not to say it is devoid of pleasures, many of them rather tasty.
What's more, it is imbued with a refreshing, distinctly feminine sensibility which recognises that, in real life, resolution occurs more often in small, barely perceptible steps than with major dramatic crises and Big Speeches. But it's hard not to conclude that it's a lesser movie as a result.
The two parallel and occasionally intersecting storylines concern mothers and their sons (the absence of fathers hints at one of the great social malaises of our age, a more widespread form of deracination, perhaps, than the immigrant experience). Lorna (Ludlam) is the proprietor of a classic Kiwi cake kitchen in a part of town whose ethnic makeup, to her distinct chagrin, is changing. Her son Barry (Wills) is a 35-year-old layabout loser, living at home and sponging off Mum, who is also under pressure from a creditor.
Elsewhere, the gorgeous Anita (Rouass, from Footballers Wives) is the host of an Indian cooking show on TV (never mind that she doesn't much like Indians or even Indian food) whose carefully constructed life starts to crumble when her son Michael (Whitaker), begins to explore his Indian roots and gets a job in an authentic curry house. But this is not just any curry house.
There's a slightly plodding deliberateness to this set-up, although the film carries it off with more aplomb than that outline suggests. The script's insistence on constantly underlining its Key Points and explicating characters' interior lives ("You don't know what it's been like not knowing about a whole side of my life!") is faintly insulting too. But as overwrought as it is, it's like a classy soap opera, set in a multicultural New Zealand seldom seen on screen.
Thanks to Rewa Harre's luscious camerawork, it certainly looks mouth-watering (if you go on an empty stomach, you won't get through the opening credits) and the cast is more than competent, though the excellent Ludlam is the only one of whom we always believe there is more than meets the eye, and her experience gives the film much-needed gravitas. (A bouquet, too, for the evergreen Kate Harcourt as Lorna's mum; she shows the youngsters a thing or two about line-reading).
With a bit of luck, it will be the first of many movies that grapple with our changing ethnic identity. If only for that reason, and for all its faults, it deserves attention.
Peter Calder
and you tube
The role of food in expressing and shaping cultural identity has long been a preoccupation of this film's co-writer, Shuchi Kothari, on whose original idea it is based. But in asking the idea to sustain a dramatic feature, she stretches it a little more than is comfortable. Apron Strings is, to use its own idiom, overspiced, but the taste is not as rich as it should be and is ultimately a little unsatisfying.
This is not to say it is devoid of pleasures, many of them rather tasty.
What's more, it is imbued with a refreshing, distinctly feminine sensibility which recognises that, in real life, resolution occurs more often in small, barely perceptible steps than with major dramatic crises and Big Speeches. But it's hard not to conclude that it's a lesser movie as a result.
The two parallel and occasionally intersecting storylines concern mothers and their sons (the absence of fathers hints at one of the great social malaises of our age, a more widespread form of deracination, perhaps, than the immigrant experience). Lorna (Ludlam) is the proprietor of a classic Kiwi cake kitchen in a part of town whose ethnic makeup, to her distinct chagrin, is changing. Her son Barry (Wills) is a 35-year-old layabout loser, living at home and sponging off Mum, who is also under pressure from a creditor.
Elsewhere, the gorgeous Anita (Rouass, from Footballers Wives) is the host of an Indian cooking show on TV (never mind that she doesn't much like Indians or even Indian food) whose carefully constructed life starts to crumble when her son Michael (Whitaker), begins to explore his Indian roots and gets a job in an authentic curry house. But this is not just any curry house.
There's a slightly plodding deliberateness to this set-up, although the film carries it off with more aplomb than that outline suggests. The script's insistence on constantly underlining its Key Points and explicating characters' interior lives ("You don't know what it's been like not knowing about a whole side of my life!") is faintly insulting too. But as overwrought as it is, it's like a classy soap opera, set in a multicultural New Zealand seldom seen on screen.
Thanks to Rewa Harre's luscious camerawork, it certainly looks mouth-watering (if you go on an empty stomach, you won't get through the opening credits) and the cast is more than competent, though the excellent Ludlam is the only one of whom we always believe there is more than meets the eye, and her experience gives the film much-needed gravitas. (A bouquet, too, for the evergreen Kate Harcourt as Lorna's mum; she shows the youngsters a thing or two about line-reading).
With a bit of luck, it will be the first of many movies that grapple with our changing ethnic identity. If only for that reason, and for all its faults, it deserves attention.
Peter Calder
and you tube
Friday, 29 August 2008
Ugly fish, tasty dish
1:48PM Friday August 29, 2008
By Martin Hickman
If the seabed had mirrors, the gurnard would surely swim by without a glance.
Throughout history, the public has felt the same way: trawlers catching gurnard in their nets tossed it back into the sea; lobstermen used it to bait their pots.
Recently, though, chefs have championed this most ugly of fish and it is being served up by cooks seeking sustainable alternatives to overfished species.
The first signs that the fish was becoming a favourite came last year when its price leapt from 25p a kilogramme to £4 (NZD$10.41). Sales figures this week show sales of gurnard have jumped from £17,000 in the year to July 2007 to £181,000 for the same period this year, a rise of more than 1,000 per cent.
Although from a low base, the surge suggests that cooks are heeding the message to give under-pressure fish a break and experiment with lesser-known species such as sprats, pilchards and pollack.
Where gurnard differs from some of these alternatives is that it is especially tasty, according to food critics.
"Most of the substitute fish are garbage. But here we have a real hero n it's got a stunning flavour and a good texture," said Terry Durack, The Independent on Sunday's restaurant reviewer.
AA Gill of The Sunday Times described gurnard as "the Amy Winehouse of battered fish" because it provided "a sonorous bluesy mouthful".
Celebrity chefs, too, are enthusiastic. Rick Stein, who serves gurnard cooked in beef dripping at his fish and chip shop in Padstow, has a recipe for gurnard with sweet and sour onions in his book Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes.
Samantha Clark of Moro recommends gurnard with sweet onions, ginger and saffron, while Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall cooks gurnard whole with winter vegetables, because "it's cheap, delicious and looks amusing".
Gurnard is a bottom-dweller that uses its legs to stir up food on the seabed. Three species swim in British waters: red; grey, and yellow (also called tub). Until recently, if used gastronomically, it was slipped invisibly into Mediterranean fish stews, stocks or soups.
"Since being championed by celebrity chefs such as Rick Stein and Tom Aikens, gurnard has been appearing on menus at top restaurants all around the country," said Philip MacMullen, of Seafish, the seafood industry body, which released the sales figures.
"This backs up other research showing that consumers are becoming more confident in trying alternative seafood, which takes the pressure off more traditional species," he said.
The rise of gurnard has not been universally popular, however. In a recent interview with the BBC, Rick Stein remarked: "A lobster fisherman had a go at me for having gurnard on my menu. It used to be lobster bait but he said he can't afford to put it in the pots anymore because I've made it too expensive."
By Martin Hickman
If the seabed had mirrors, the gurnard would surely swim by without a glance.
Throughout history, the public has felt the same way: trawlers catching gurnard in their nets tossed it back into the sea; lobstermen used it to bait their pots.
Recently, though, chefs have championed this most ugly of fish and it is being served up by cooks seeking sustainable alternatives to overfished species.
The first signs that the fish was becoming a favourite came last year when its price leapt from 25p a kilogramme to £4 (NZD$10.41). Sales figures this week show sales of gurnard have jumped from £17,000 in the year to July 2007 to £181,000 for the same period this year, a rise of more than 1,000 per cent.
Although from a low base, the surge suggests that cooks are heeding the message to give under-pressure fish a break and experiment with lesser-known species such as sprats, pilchards and pollack.
Where gurnard differs from some of these alternatives is that it is especially tasty, according to food critics.
"Most of the substitute fish are garbage. But here we have a real hero n it's got a stunning flavour and a good texture," said Terry Durack, The Independent on Sunday's restaurant reviewer.
AA Gill of The Sunday Times described gurnard as "the Amy Winehouse of battered fish" because it provided "a sonorous bluesy mouthful".
Celebrity chefs, too, are enthusiastic. Rick Stein, who serves gurnard cooked in beef dripping at his fish and chip shop in Padstow, has a recipe for gurnard with sweet and sour onions in his book Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes.
Samantha Clark of Moro recommends gurnard with sweet onions, ginger and saffron, while Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall cooks gurnard whole with winter vegetables, because "it's cheap, delicious and looks amusing".
Gurnard is a bottom-dweller that uses its legs to stir up food on the seabed. Three species swim in British waters: red; grey, and yellow (also called tub). Until recently, if used gastronomically, it was slipped invisibly into Mediterranean fish stews, stocks or soups.
"Since being championed by celebrity chefs such as Rick Stein and Tom Aikens, gurnard has been appearing on menus at top restaurants all around the country," said Philip MacMullen, of Seafish, the seafood industry body, which released the sales figures.
"This backs up other research showing that consumers are becoming more confident in trying alternative seafood, which takes the pressure off more traditional species," he said.
The rise of gurnard has not been universally popular, however. In a recent interview with the BBC, Rick Stein remarked: "A lobster fisherman had a go at me for having gurnard on my menu. It used to be lobster bait but he said he can't afford to put it in the pots anymore because I've made it too expensive."
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Mystery surrounds 'treasure chest' contents
5:50PM Wednesday July 09, 2008
A treasure chest full of chocolate bars which was found washed up on a Dargaville beach does not belong to Cadbury.
Locals made the discovery after the wooden and leather trimmed case washed to shore at Glinks Gully on Sunday night.
They hoped it was full of treasure, but it was instead packed with Crunchie bars and other chocolate.
Cadbury spokesman Daniel Ellis says the company has not run any promotions with a treasure chest. He is advising the treasure hunters not to eat the chocolate bars, as the expiry date is 2006.
- NEWSTALK ZB
A treasure chest full of chocolate bars which was found washed up on a Dargaville beach does not belong to Cadbury.
Locals made the discovery after the wooden and leather trimmed case washed to shore at Glinks Gully on Sunday night.
They hoped it was full of treasure, but it was instead packed with Crunchie bars and other chocolate.
Cadbury spokesman Daniel Ellis says the company has not run any promotions with a treasure chest. He is advising the treasure hunters not to eat the chocolate bars, as the expiry date is 2006.
- NEWSTALK ZB
Sunday, 8 June 2008
Selling like hot ... pies
5:00AM Sunday June 08, 2008
By Rachel Guest
Phil Pollett. Photo / Hawkes Bay Today
Healthy Kiwi pies could soon be on the menu at 800 New York schools.
Hawke's Bay-based Goodtime Food Company is negotiating large orders from two US distributors and eyeing up markets in other countries.
A supplier for the New York schools is looking at taking a million pies a week, and a Missouri-based ex-pat New Zealander wants to put them in schools and service stations.
"The numbers are mind-boggling," said Goodtime managing director Phil Pollett.
The company already produces six million pies a year and supplies 500 Kiwi schools. But breaking into the US market would be another level.
"We'd probably make them in the States - but we'd send people over there to show them how and keep control of the secret recipe."
Pollett said his pies meet nutrition regulations in England and his firm would approach schools there soon. "Then we think, what about South Africa and Australia as well? It's pretty exciting."
Pollett has been in the business for 30 years and spent more than three developing a healthier recipe that qualifies for the Heart Foundation tick.
His products can still be sold in schools here, despite a ban on unhealthy options in tuck shops.
But he's angry pies get the blame for our obesity crisis. "All pies are not created equal."
New Zealand Nutrition Foundation director Sue Pollard said pies may be a Kiwi icon but are often high in fat and salt. She said an occasional pie is okay and recommended products with the Heart Foundation tick.
By Rachel Guest
Phil Pollett. Photo / Hawkes Bay Today
Healthy Kiwi pies could soon be on the menu at 800 New York schools.
Hawke's Bay-based Goodtime Food Company is negotiating large orders from two US distributors and eyeing up markets in other countries.
A supplier for the New York schools is looking at taking a million pies a week, and a Missouri-based ex-pat New Zealander wants to put them in schools and service stations.
"The numbers are mind-boggling," said Goodtime managing director Phil Pollett.
The company already produces six million pies a year and supplies 500 Kiwi schools. But breaking into the US market would be another level.
"We'd probably make them in the States - but we'd send people over there to show them how and keep control of the secret recipe."
Pollett said his pies meet nutrition regulations in England and his firm would approach schools there soon. "Then we think, what about South Africa and Australia as well? It's pretty exciting."
Pollett has been in the business for 30 years and spent more than three developing a healthier recipe that qualifies for the Heart Foundation tick.
His products can still be sold in schools here, despite a ban on unhealthy options in tuck shops.
But he's angry pies get the blame for our obesity crisis. "All pies are not created equal."
New Zealand Nutrition Foundation director Sue Pollard said pies may be a Kiwi icon but are often high in fat and salt. She said an occasional pie is okay and recommended products with the Heart Foundation tick.
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Greengrocer not the only one who's confused
WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE - LAURIE BAUER
The Dominion Post | Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Some people are outraged when others put the apostrophes in the wrong places. They feel that the rules are simple, and that getting these things right should not require any great thought, but simply a little care.
They say things like "the apostrophe shows possession, not plural" and "put the apostrophe before the 's' when there's just one possessor, and after it if there are several".
But the fact is that the rules for the apostrophe are far from simple, and that the simple rules – at least in the form in which I have quoted them – are not entirely accurate.
The first problem is that the use of apostrophes is subject to fashion. When I was in school in the 1960s, it was fashionable to write "1960's", but today it is fashionable to miss the apostrophe out.
Why did people write "1960's" with an apostrophe? It was a generalisation of the rule that anything that was not a real word should have an apostrophe before the plural marker. People wrote "&'s", "if's and but's", and "1960's". We would probably still write, "The teacher only gave seven A's in a class of a hundred". It's the same rule, but it has become more restricted over the last half-century.
At an even earlier period, it was also general to put an apostrophe after a foreign word that ended in a vowel other than "e". People used to write "cello's", "piano's" and "sonata's".
We no longer do that, though whether the people who write "pizza's" and "taxi's" as plurals are continuing the same (now no longer fashionable) usage or are just incompetent is a matter we could no doubt discuss.
There is clearly some incompetent usage: notices advertising "apple's", "cabbage's" and even "peach's" are so common that the phenomenon is known as the greengrocer's apostrophe, though it is not only greengrocers who get it wrong (and not all greengrocers do).
Then there's the matter of possession, and in particular the word "its". This will be treated by Janet Holmes in a future column, but it is not all plain sailing.
Then there's the question of plural possessors. "A girl's books" are owned by one girl, and if two girls own the books, we say, "Two girls' books". Easy.
But what if you want to say "two books that are intended for young females"; is it "two girl's books", "two girls' books" or "two girls books"? Less easy.
Even within academia, people are unsure whether to write "masters degrees", "master's degrees" or "masters' degrees".
And what if the aforementioned books were not owned by girls but by women? Then a woman's books and two women's books both have the apostrophe before the "s", even though one is singular and one is plural. Similarly if the women were alumnae: the alumnae's books.
Of course, it is relatively easy to tidy up these odds and ends, but it makes the point that you need to be very careful in specifying what the rule is if you will then expect people to follow the rule and not make errors.
When we get to proper names, all rules break down. It's St John's in Newfoundland, but St Helens in Lancashire and Washington State. The newspaper is Hawke's Bay Today, but it is Hawkes Bay Golf Club.
And if you look in the restaurant listings in Wellington's yellow pages, you can find listings for Ford's, Mano's, Maria Pia's and Scorpio's and also for Alfred Coles House, Charltons, Firemans Arms, Uncle Changs and for both Valentines and Valentine's (the same restaurant).
In other words, though we can all agree that the notice advertising Golden Deliciou's apples reported a few years ago in Britain contained an error, there are plenty of places where it is not easy to get it right.
And as a final example, consider the following: "in three months time" – should there be an apostrophe in "months" or not?
There is an answer here. Given that we would say "in one month's time" where the "s" cannot be plural and so must have an apostrophe, it must also be "in three months' time".
But would you have got that right?
* Laurie Bauer is a linguist from Victoria University.
* Send your questions about language to words@dompost.co.nz
The Dominion Post | Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Some people are outraged when others put the apostrophes in the wrong places. They feel that the rules are simple, and that getting these things right should not require any great thought, but simply a little care.
They say things like "the apostrophe shows possession, not plural" and "put the apostrophe before the 's' when there's just one possessor, and after it if there are several".
But the fact is that the rules for the apostrophe are far from simple, and that the simple rules – at least in the form in which I have quoted them – are not entirely accurate.
The first problem is that the use of apostrophes is subject to fashion. When I was in school in the 1960s, it was fashionable to write "1960's", but today it is fashionable to miss the apostrophe out.
Why did people write "1960's" with an apostrophe? It was a generalisation of the rule that anything that was not a real word should have an apostrophe before the plural marker. People wrote "&'s", "if's and but's", and "1960's". We would probably still write, "The teacher only gave seven A's in a class of a hundred". It's the same rule, but it has become more restricted over the last half-century.
At an even earlier period, it was also general to put an apostrophe after a foreign word that ended in a vowel other than "e". People used to write "cello's", "piano's" and "sonata's".
We no longer do that, though whether the people who write "pizza's" and "taxi's" as plurals are continuing the same (now no longer fashionable) usage or are just incompetent is a matter we could no doubt discuss.
There is clearly some incompetent usage: notices advertising "apple's", "cabbage's" and even "peach's" are so common that the phenomenon is known as the greengrocer's apostrophe, though it is not only greengrocers who get it wrong (and not all greengrocers do).
Then there's the matter of possession, and in particular the word "its". This will be treated by Janet Holmes in a future column, but it is not all plain sailing.
Then there's the question of plural possessors. "A girl's books" are owned by one girl, and if two girls own the books, we say, "Two girls' books". Easy.
But what if you want to say "two books that are intended for young females"; is it "two girl's books", "two girls' books" or "two girls books"? Less easy.
Even within academia, people are unsure whether to write "masters degrees", "master's degrees" or "masters' degrees".
And what if the aforementioned books were not owned by girls but by women? Then a woman's books and two women's books both have the apostrophe before the "s", even though one is singular and one is plural. Similarly if the women were alumnae: the alumnae's books.
Of course, it is relatively easy to tidy up these odds and ends, but it makes the point that you need to be very careful in specifying what the rule is if you will then expect people to follow the rule and not make errors.
When we get to proper names, all rules break down. It's St John's in Newfoundland, but St Helens in Lancashire and Washington State. The newspaper is Hawke's Bay Today, but it is Hawkes Bay Golf Club.
And if you look in the restaurant listings in Wellington's yellow pages, you can find listings for Ford's, Mano's, Maria Pia's and Scorpio's and also for Alfred Coles House, Charltons, Firemans Arms, Uncle Changs and for both Valentines and Valentine's (the same restaurant).
In other words, though we can all agree that the notice advertising Golden Deliciou's apples reported a few years ago in Britain contained an error, there are plenty of places where it is not easy to get it right.
And as a final example, consider the following: "in three months time" – should there be an apostrophe in "months" or not?
There is an answer here. Given that we would say "in one month's time" where the "s" cannot be plural and so must have an apostrophe, it must also be "in three months' time".
But would you have got that right?
* Laurie Bauer is a linguist from Victoria University.
* Send your questions about language to words@dompost.co.nz
Monday, 26 May 2008
Bic Runga teams up with Flight of the Conchords
Sunday Star Times | Sunday, 25 May 2008
DOES THIS make Bic Runga New Zealand music's fifth most popular folk performer?
The Kiwi songstress told fans at an Auckland concert on Thursday she was off to Los Angeles to open for Flight of the Conchords.
"They're giving me my big break," she said of the comic duo who opened for her 2006 Birds tour and who have a running joke in their shows that they are New Zealand music's fourth most popular folk performers.
Now world-famous for their HBO hit series, the Conchords self-titled album recently debuted at number three in the United States.
Their upcoming LA gig May 30 and June 1 at The Orpheum has already sold out.
Runga, who performs independently in the city on June 17 and July 8, says her appearance is not set in concrete but when the pair heard she was going to be in Los Angeles, "they're like, get up, play some songs".
Runga invited the Conchords to tour with her two years ago, after seeing them perform in New York. "I just think they're genius."
DOES THIS make Bic Runga New Zealand music's fifth most popular folk performer?
The Kiwi songstress told fans at an Auckland concert on Thursday she was off to Los Angeles to open for Flight of the Conchords.
"They're giving me my big break," she said of the comic duo who opened for her 2006 Birds tour and who have a running joke in their shows that they are New Zealand music's fourth most popular folk performers.
Now world-famous for their HBO hit series, the Conchords self-titled album recently debuted at number three in the United States.
Their upcoming LA gig May 30 and June 1 at The Orpheum has already sold out.
Runga, who performs independently in the city on June 17 and July 8, says her appearance is not set in concrete but when the pair heard she was going to be in Los Angeles, "they're like, get up, play some songs".
Runga invited the Conchords to tour with her two years ago, after seeing them perform in New York. "I just think they're genius."
Saturday, 17 May 2008
SECOND HAND WEDDING
SECOND HAND WEDDING will have its World Premiere on May 7 at the Embassy Theatre.
With post production in full swing SECOND HAND WEDDING is in the best possible hands. From the edit room where Academy Award nominee Michael Horton (Lord Of The Rings -The Two Towers) weaves his magic, to post production sound which is supervised by Michael Hopkins and mixed by Mike Hedges both are Double Academy Award winners (Lord of the Rings – King Kong).
Geraldine Brophy shines in her role as bargain-hunting junkie, Jill. Most remembered for her role as Moira Crombie from New Zealand’s best loved drama Shortland Street. Multi talented Geraldine is also heavily involved in the New Zealand theatre scene with directing, producing and acting. In her subsequent 22 years in the industry she has played more than 150 roles on stage.
SECOND HAND WEDDING also stars Grant Roa from Whale Rider and Patrick Wilson alongside rising New Zealand talents Holly Shanahan and Ryan O’Kane.
Metropolis Films has been appointed as the distributor for SECOND HAND WEDDING. Co-Producer Nigel Stanford says "Gordon Adam of Metropolis Films was a standout choice. His excited response to the script and then the first cut of the film was music to our ears. His energy and enthusiasm for the film know no bounds, he was even selling SECOND HAND WEDDING to cinema operators three months before he had signed a contract with us.”
Gordon responds “As soon as I read the script I knew that SECOND HAND WEDDING was going to deliver a delicious slice of Kiwi life to cinemagoers throughout the country. Being based on real life events the story rings so true, and the payoff in the final scenes will have patrons leaving their local cinema with smiles on their faces.”
The premiere will be co-hosted by the Lions club of Silverstream Wellington as a fundraiser and the major beneficiary will be Ronald McDonald House.
With post production in full swing SECOND HAND WEDDING is in the best possible hands. From the edit room where Academy Award nominee Michael Horton (Lord Of The Rings -The Two Towers) weaves his magic, to post production sound which is supervised by Michael Hopkins and mixed by Mike Hedges both are Double Academy Award winners (Lord of the Rings – King Kong).
Geraldine Brophy shines in her role as bargain-hunting junkie, Jill. Most remembered for her role as Moira Crombie from New Zealand’s best loved drama Shortland Street. Multi talented Geraldine is also heavily involved in the New Zealand theatre scene with directing, producing and acting. In her subsequent 22 years in the industry she has played more than 150 roles on stage.
SECOND HAND WEDDING also stars Grant Roa from Whale Rider and Patrick Wilson alongside rising New Zealand talents Holly Shanahan and Ryan O’Kane.
Metropolis Films has been appointed as the distributor for SECOND HAND WEDDING. Co-Producer Nigel Stanford says "Gordon Adam of Metropolis Films was a standout choice. His excited response to the script and then the first cut of the film was music to our ears. His energy and enthusiasm for the film know no bounds, he was even selling SECOND HAND WEDDING to cinema operators three months before he had signed a contract with us.”
Gordon responds “As soon as I read the script I knew that SECOND HAND WEDDING was going to deliver a delicious slice of Kiwi life to cinemagoers throughout the country. Being based on real life events the story rings so true, and the payoff in the final scenes will have patrons leaving their local cinema with smiles on their faces.”
The premiere will be co-hosted by the Lions club of Silverstream Wellington as a fundraiser and the major beneficiary will be Ronald McDonald House.
A family affair
Fledgling Kiwi filmmaker Paul Murphy's debut feature, Second-Hand Wedding, was released on Thursday and he is bracing himself for the inevitable comparisons with his famous father.
"I put a yellow Mini in it so there's bound to be comparisons," he says with a chuckle.
Paul's dad is veteran filmmaker Geoff Murphy who has directed everything from Hollywood sequels to documentaries after making his name with groundbreaking New Zealand 70s movies Utu, The Quiet Earth and much-loved Goodbye Pork Pie which saw two larrikins drive straight into Kiwi hearts in a little yellow Mini.
Murphy Junior says the yellow Mini that appears in Second-Hand Wedding was something of a "happy accident" as the script originally called for a red version.
"But when we found the yellow one I thought it would be fun to put it in the movie and pay homage to my dad."
It also tickles him that the station-wagon Mini in his movie is a more 'middle-aged' version of the Pork Pie vehicle. The difference also provides a nice analogy for the differences in the two movies.
While Goodbye Pork Pie was a celebration of two male outsiders thumbing their noses at the world, Second-Hand Wedding stars Geraldine Brophy and is a humble, heartfelt celebration of family values.
Forty-five-year-old Paul Murphy has served a long apprenticeship to get to the stage of directing his first feature film. For 15 years he worked on various sets in the art department, lighting and as a key grip until 2004/2005, when he made the leap into the director's chair taking on TV commercials, a kids' series and six episodes of Sensing Murder.
It was creative impatience and the desire to get on and make a film without waiting for Creative New Zealand funding that made him take on a producer role for the film.
"I don't really subscribe to the idea that you should only make movies with a message or ones that you are really passionate about," he says.
"It is not deep and meaningful, it's a nice story about some real people that I wanted to share. I hope people are entertained and they like it."
Written by Kiwi scriptwriter Nick Ward (Stick Men), Second-Hand Wedding is set in small-town New Zealand and steeped in Kiwiana from the garage sale props to a cameo appearance by singer John Rowles. Murphy is full of praise for Rowles.
"He was really in his element when he sang. I reckon he could sing while he ate his dinner. We only did three takes and each one was great. The applause and response of the extras in the movie is real. It was a good moment in time."
Filming was a real family affair. Producer Kerry Robins is Paul Murphy's uncle, Kerry's mother Pat Robins served as script supervisor and Paul's daughter Ella played a small role. Nick Ward's mother provided props as well as inspiration and his father Brian was technical advisor for the Model-T Fords used in the film.
Despite the cosy set, and Paul following his father into the film industry, Murphy says he doesn't want his own children (he has four, aged from 7 to 18 years) to follow suit.
"I'd support them if they wanted to but I'd prefer it if they didn't," he admits. He says film sets are very insular and unlike the real world, and there is no job security, with gaps between projects common. He has worked on orchards, at a freezing works and as a builder and believes the blue-collar jobs have made him a better filmmaker.
While he doesn't want his kids to go into the business, Murphy is confident and content with his own career choices, saying the director role came easily to him.
"When you work on a set you think about how you would do things or talk to your mates about it. It was great to have the ultimate creative role and make all the calls."
And what does Dad think of the yellow Mini homage and his son's debut movie? "He was supportive and positive which is nice because everyone wants their parents to endorse them," he says.
But it wasn't all rosy accolades from Murphy senior, who told his son he shouldn't call the movie a comedy. "I think he was expecting a laugh riot but this is a more gentle comedy about the situations that real people can find themselves in. He said it's not a comedy, it's sentimental."
After facing his father's feedback, Murphy is looking forward to seeing how the New Zealand public responds to his movie. Then he'll take it to Cannes to see if it can get on the festival circuit or picked up by international distributors.
Ultimately, he hopes Second-Hand Wedding will lead to other directing jobs. He also has six more feature films of his own in various stages of development. And with a western, a horror-thriller and a period drama in the line-up, it looks like he could have a career as versatile as his father's.
5:00AM Saturday May 17, 2008
By Shannon Huse
"I put a yellow Mini in it so there's bound to be comparisons," he says with a chuckle.
Paul's dad is veteran filmmaker Geoff Murphy who has directed everything from Hollywood sequels to documentaries after making his name with groundbreaking New Zealand 70s movies Utu, The Quiet Earth and much-loved Goodbye Pork Pie which saw two larrikins drive straight into Kiwi hearts in a little yellow Mini.
Murphy Junior says the yellow Mini that appears in Second-Hand Wedding was something of a "happy accident" as the script originally called for a red version.
"But when we found the yellow one I thought it would be fun to put it in the movie and pay homage to my dad."
It also tickles him that the station-wagon Mini in his movie is a more 'middle-aged' version of the Pork Pie vehicle. The difference also provides a nice analogy for the differences in the two movies.
While Goodbye Pork Pie was a celebration of two male outsiders thumbing their noses at the world, Second-Hand Wedding stars Geraldine Brophy and is a humble, heartfelt celebration of family values.
Forty-five-year-old Paul Murphy has served a long apprenticeship to get to the stage of directing his first feature film. For 15 years he worked on various sets in the art department, lighting and as a key grip until 2004/2005, when he made the leap into the director's chair taking on TV commercials, a kids' series and six episodes of Sensing Murder.
It was creative impatience and the desire to get on and make a film without waiting for Creative New Zealand funding that made him take on a producer role for the film.
"I don't really subscribe to the idea that you should only make movies with a message or ones that you are really passionate about," he says.
"It is not deep and meaningful, it's a nice story about some real people that I wanted to share. I hope people are entertained and they like it."
Written by Kiwi scriptwriter Nick Ward (Stick Men), Second-Hand Wedding is set in small-town New Zealand and steeped in Kiwiana from the garage sale props to a cameo appearance by singer John Rowles. Murphy is full of praise for Rowles.
"He was really in his element when he sang. I reckon he could sing while he ate his dinner. We only did three takes and each one was great. The applause and response of the extras in the movie is real. It was a good moment in time."
Filming was a real family affair. Producer Kerry Robins is Paul Murphy's uncle, Kerry's mother Pat Robins served as script supervisor and Paul's daughter Ella played a small role. Nick Ward's mother provided props as well as inspiration and his father Brian was technical advisor for the Model-T Fords used in the film.
Despite the cosy set, and Paul following his father into the film industry, Murphy says he doesn't want his own children (he has four, aged from 7 to 18 years) to follow suit.
"I'd support them if they wanted to but I'd prefer it if they didn't," he admits. He says film sets are very insular and unlike the real world, and there is no job security, with gaps between projects common. He has worked on orchards, at a freezing works and as a builder and believes the blue-collar jobs have made him a better filmmaker.
While he doesn't want his kids to go into the business, Murphy is confident and content with his own career choices, saying the director role came easily to him.
"When you work on a set you think about how you would do things or talk to your mates about it. It was great to have the ultimate creative role and make all the calls."
And what does Dad think of the yellow Mini homage and his son's debut movie? "He was supportive and positive which is nice because everyone wants their parents to endorse them," he says.
But it wasn't all rosy accolades from Murphy senior, who told his son he shouldn't call the movie a comedy. "I think he was expecting a laugh riot but this is a more gentle comedy about the situations that real people can find themselves in. He said it's not a comedy, it's sentimental."
After facing his father's feedback, Murphy is looking forward to seeing how the New Zealand public responds to his movie. Then he'll take it to Cannes to see if it can get on the festival circuit or picked up by international distributors.
Ultimately, he hopes Second-Hand Wedding will lead to other directing jobs. He also has six more feature films of his own in various stages of development. And with a western, a horror-thriller and a period drama in the line-up, it looks like he could have a career as versatile as his father's.
5:00AM Saturday May 17, 2008
By Shannon Huse
8:17AM Thursday May 15, 2008
Your Views
Elton John's skill as a performer is that he manages to deliver an unpredictable and diverse show, while leaving the crowd in want of nothing.
This week he played at Auckland's the Vector Arena. Here is the latest of Your Reviews:
Helene Roberts (Birkenhead)
What a brilliant event! Last night was the 5th Elton John concert I have attended, and as usual, he was purely brilliant. I could not sit still. From the moment he came out I was either on the edge of my seat dancing, or standing up and moving as my body saw fit to the music, singing along to every song. Eventually everyone was up and dancing and you could see Elton feed off the energy of the crowd.
His voice has not faded over the years. He may not be able to reach all the high notes, but his voice is as powerful and soulful as ever, blowing my mind every time I hear it live.
As the previous reviewer said, there weren't many twenty somethings drunk. In fact from where I was sitting, it was the older crowd that was having a grand old time with the alcohol, including the lady sitting next to me who was slurring all the words as she sang! It didn't matter, she was enjoying herself and that is what it's all about. I am one such twenty-something who was not drunk 'Elton's music gets me on a musical high which is better than any alcohol!
For all those that didn't attend and are reading this, trust us (those who attended)
McManus (Balmoral)
I have not been to a concert since Cher in 2005 and never to the Vector Arena until last night, but wow was it worth going. Elton was electrifying and did not disappoint. We were fortunate to only be 20 rows from the front and it was great to see the queen of England in all his regal majesty. Despite the review I love the extended jam of Rocket Man and the longer versions of most of his 70s crowd pleasers, it sounds so much better than it would on an album, and Elton's voice and intense honky tonk piano skills ensured the songs sounded as fresh as ever. We may have not been dancing at the start but we were stamping along to the beat and by the time Philadelphia Freedom and Saturday night came on the entire floor was in movement. There were a lot of die hard fans there and the atmosphere was amazing, very few drunken twentysomething, but mostly middle class people from their 30s to their 70s, my companion is 67 and he was dancing like an excited teenager. Besides Elton his band was amazing especially Davey Johnstone who played no less than six different guitars and a banjo. This is not ego, this is pure music, Elton looked and sounded fantastic, a great night. Thanks Sir Elton!
Your Views
Elton John's skill as a performer is that he manages to deliver an unpredictable and diverse show, while leaving the crowd in want of nothing.
This week he played at Auckland's the Vector Arena. Here is the latest of Your Reviews:
Helene Roberts (Birkenhead)
What a brilliant event! Last night was the 5th Elton John concert I have attended, and as usual, he was purely brilliant. I could not sit still. From the moment he came out I was either on the edge of my seat dancing, or standing up and moving as my body saw fit to the music, singing along to every song. Eventually everyone was up and dancing and you could see Elton feed off the energy of the crowd.
His voice has not faded over the years. He may not be able to reach all the high notes, but his voice is as powerful and soulful as ever, blowing my mind every time I hear it live.
As the previous reviewer said, there weren't many twenty somethings drunk. In fact from where I was sitting, it was the older crowd that was having a grand old time with the alcohol, including the lady sitting next to me who was slurring all the words as she sang! It didn't matter, she was enjoying herself and that is what it's all about. I am one such twenty-something who was not drunk 'Elton's music gets me on a musical high which is better than any alcohol!
For all those that didn't attend and are reading this, trust us (those who attended)
McManus (Balmoral)
I have not been to a concert since Cher in 2005 and never to the Vector Arena until last night, but wow was it worth going. Elton was electrifying and did not disappoint. We were fortunate to only be 20 rows from the front and it was great to see the queen of England in all his regal majesty. Despite the review I love the extended jam of Rocket Man and the longer versions of most of his 70s crowd pleasers, it sounds so much better than it would on an album, and Elton's voice and intense honky tonk piano skills ensured the songs sounded as fresh as ever. We may have not been dancing at the start but we were stamping along to the beat and by the time Philadelphia Freedom and Saturday night came on the entire floor was in movement. There were a lot of die hard fans there and the atmosphere was amazing, very few drunken twentysomething, but mostly middle class people from their 30s to their 70s, my companion is 67 and he was dancing like an excited teenager. Besides Elton his band was amazing especially Davey Johnstone who played no less than six different guitars and a banjo. This is not ego, this is pure music, Elton looked and sounded fantastic, a great night. Thanks Sir Elton!
Everyone has a favourite Elton John song.
:00AM Thursday May 15, 2008
By Joanna Hunkin
He didn't say much, but Elton John enjoyed himself in his first Auckland show for 10 years. Photo / Dean Purcell
Everyone has a favourite Elton John song.
It's a track intrinsically tied to a certain memory that transports you to back to that time and place, evoking the thoughts and feelings of that moment.
Looking around Vector Arena last night as Sir Elton performed his first Auckland show in 10 years, you could see each and every individual reliving those memories.
Their wedding dance to Your Song, crying broken- hearted tears to Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me, drunken karaoke to Tiny Dancer ...
It was a slow builder of a show, with the crowd barely moving for the first hour.
But with three hours of stage time, Sir Elton could afford to let things simmer.
It wasn't that the audience didn't enjoy the opening third, rather, they were simply mesmerised by the Piano Man's pure musical talent and magnetism.
As he kicked up his heels, jumping over his piano stool and launching into The Bitch Is Back, the crowd settled in to a comfortable trance, watching Sir Elton come alive as he absorbed the life force of his music.
Most concerts are a shared experience, but last night was a strangely solitary event.
Each audience member focussed on his or her own personal responses to Elton's sprawling repertoire, including a hyper-extended version of Rocket Man that clocked in at well over 10, possibly even 15 minutes.
That song came midway through the show as Sir Elton, having sufficiently teased the audience with various instrumental segues and showed off his prowess on the piano, began to reel of his biggest ballads, including Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Daniel and Sacrifice.
It wasn't until the latter third, when Sir Elton cranked out his party hits Crocodile Rock and Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting that the crowd became a cohesive unit, dancing raucously to Elton's honky tonk piano.
The star had few words to say to his audience, apart from some brief commentary on his different album eras and the obligatory introductions of the band.
But it didn't matter. His beaming smile and extensive hand gestures said it all - he was having a grand old time, and he knew we were too.
It would have been easy for Sir Elton to deliver a non-stop hit parade, check all the boxes and leave.
But such is his skill as a performer that he managed to deliver an unpredictable and diverse show, while leaving the crowd in want of nothing.
He even signed autographs for the front row before going back for a brief encore.
Not only is Sir Elton still standing, he is still remarkable.
Everyone has a favourite Elton John song. And everyone should be so lucky as to see him perform it live in concert.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/author/story.cfm?a_id=328&objectid=10510252
By Joanna Hunkin
He didn't say much, but Elton John enjoyed himself in his first Auckland show for 10 years. Photo / Dean Purcell
Everyone has a favourite Elton John song.
It's a track intrinsically tied to a certain memory that transports you to back to that time and place, evoking the thoughts and feelings of that moment.
Looking around Vector Arena last night as Sir Elton performed his first Auckland show in 10 years, you could see each and every individual reliving those memories.
Their wedding dance to Your Song, crying broken- hearted tears to Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me, drunken karaoke to Tiny Dancer ...
It was a slow builder of a show, with the crowd barely moving for the first hour.
But with three hours of stage time, Sir Elton could afford to let things simmer.
It wasn't that the audience didn't enjoy the opening third, rather, they were simply mesmerised by the Piano Man's pure musical talent and magnetism.
As he kicked up his heels, jumping over his piano stool and launching into The Bitch Is Back, the crowd settled in to a comfortable trance, watching Sir Elton come alive as he absorbed the life force of his music.
Most concerts are a shared experience, but last night was a strangely solitary event.
Each audience member focussed on his or her own personal responses to Elton's sprawling repertoire, including a hyper-extended version of Rocket Man that clocked in at well over 10, possibly even 15 minutes.
That song came midway through the show as Sir Elton, having sufficiently teased the audience with various instrumental segues and showed off his prowess on the piano, began to reel of his biggest ballads, including Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Daniel and Sacrifice.
It wasn't until the latter third, when Sir Elton cranked out his party hits Crocodile Rock and Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting that the crowd became a cohesive unit, dancing raucously to Elton's honky tonk piano.
The star had few words to say to his audience, apart from some brief commentary on his different album eras and the obligatory introductions of the band.
But it didn't matter. His beaming smile and extensive hand gestures said it all - he was having a grand old time, and he knew we were too.
It would have been easy for Sir Elton to deliver a non-stop hit parade, check all the boxes and leave.
But such is his skill as a performer that he managed to deliver an unpredictable and diverse show, while leaving the crowd in want of nothing.
He even signed autographs for the front row before going back for a brief encore.
Not only is Sir Elton still standing, he is still remarkable.
Everyone has a favourite Elton John song. And everyone should be so lucky as to see him perform it live in concert.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/author/story.cfm?a_id=328&objectid=10510252
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Walnut the Clown
Hi, I am Walnut the Clown, Auckland's friendliest Clown, based in the city of
Auckland, New Zealand. Auckland Clown. Auckland Clown.
I have been a Children's Entertainer for 28 years having trained in Circus,
Children's Theater, Magic, Puppetry, Balloon Twisting, Walk-about and Busking.
I have toured both the North and South Islands of New Zealand 15 times,
visiting communities as far south as Stewards Island and as far north as Spirits
Bay. Some schools had rolls as low as 10 pupils but I am willing to perform
anywhere.
I have also worked in France, Italy, Brazil, Easter Island, Australia and Vanuatu.
I am primarily a children's entertainer specialising in Pre-Schools and Primary
Schools (Ages 3 to 7) but I can also work intimately with adults in a casual
environment such as a party or restaurant.
I prefer to work with small audiences in intimate environs but have also
successfully performed on large stages.
Sunday, 27 April 2008
Saturday, 26 April 2008
Mugabe's Last Stand
by Stephen Chan
Robert Mugabe appears to be living in a kung fu movie, says Stephen Chan (right), who was part of the Commonwealth Observer Group that oversaw Zimbabwe’s independence. The University of Auckland graduate, now Professor of International Relations at the University of London, has monitored Zimbabwe’s elections over the past 28 years.
My most amazing image from voting day in the Zimbabwean elections was being run off the road by President Robert Mugabe’s motorcade. I was touring the polling stations and, in a day that alternated direst poverty with its exact opposite, had reached the richest suburb, Borrowdale Brook.
Suddenly, crashing out of the tree-lined side-street, Mugabe’s outriders sped into the light. It was all over in a flash, but I noticed the outriders rode Chinese motorbikes. The smoked-glass Mercedes bearing Mugabe had Zim 1 numberplates, and the open-topped Land Rover bearing his backup military support was crammed with soldiers carrying sub-machineguns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. I caught my breath. The man goes about with heavy-duty protection.
I drove down his street and came to the huge grounds of his palace – and it is a palace, not a mere mansion. The estate is surrounded by white walls topped by blue ceramic tiles that shone in the sun.
I came to the gates. Guards stood by with ordinary AK47s, but with bayonets fixed. They were Chinese gates, something from a kung fu movie, the blue and white pavilion of dawn. I drove on, not carrying proper papers and not wanting to be questioned.
But the image lingered. Mugabe sees the Chinese as his last friends, but he has always had an affection for things Chinese. Now 84, he has built the ultimate Chinese retirement home – only he is refusing to retire.
I am convinced Mugabe lost the presidential elections, but the numbers game is one that can be rigged, and his hardliners demanded that they be rigged to force a run-off against the opposition challenger, Morgan Tsvangirai. I had Tsvangirai winning by 56%, with a generous margin of error downwards, but certainly above the 50% threshold that would have meant a clear victory, with no need for a run-off.
My figures were extrapolations from very informal surveys. Being a lone operator doesn’t allow much science to intrude. But every monitoring group that ventured a prediction was certain Tsvangirai had taken more than Mugabe, and was at least terrifying close to the 50%. With the votes for fellow challenger Simba Makoni regarded as a vote against Mugabe, the president had received the crushing rebuke of a vote only in the high 30 to early 40 per cents.
But his Politburo, after a marathon session, demanded that he stay to fight on, when and if their people had finally rigged the count to favour a run-off. For days, the phones rang red hot from South Africa, bearing US promises of immunity from international prosecution if Mugabe went graciously.
Every offer was made to induce him to eke out his life, luxuriously, in his Chinese palace. He even has a miniature clone of the palace in Malaysia, should be feel in need of a more authentic oriental atmosphere.
But the intransigence of his party, ZANU-PF, is such and its self-deception so great – an imagination that they are still fighting the revolution while living like Chinese emperors – that the Politburo agreed an all-or-nothing endgame to the elections, spurning immunities and deals and rallying around the old man.
There was a Chinese emperor once. He had a captive nightingale that sang beautifully. One day it flew away. The emperor had a clockwork replacement installed, but it had only one song. Then the clockwork replacement broke down and the emperor, in his fury, declared war on all the nightingales in China. The last stand of Mugabe will not be a peaceful, blood-free affair.
Robert Mugabe appears to be living in a kung fu movie, says Stephen Chan (right), who was part of the Commonwealth Observer Group that oversaw Zimbabwe’s independence. The University of Auckland graduate, now Professor of International Relations at the University of London, has monitored Zimbabwe’s elections over the past 28 years.
My most amazing image from voting day in the Zimbabwean elections was being run off the road by President Robert Mugabe’s motorcade. I was touring the polling stations and, in a day that alternated direst poverty with its exact opposite, had reached the richest suburb, Borrowdale Brook.
Suddenly, crashing out of the tree-lined side-street, Mugabe’s outriders sped into the light. It was all over in a flash, but I noticed the outriders rode Chinese motorbikes. The smoked-glass Mercedes bearing Mugabe had Zim 1 numberplates, and the open-topped Land Rover bearing his backup military support was crammed with soldiers carrying sub-machineguns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. I caught my breath. The man goes about with heavy-duty protection.
I drove down his street and came to the huge grounds of his palace – and it is a palace, not a mere mansion. The estate is surrounded by white walls topped by blue ceramic tiles that shone in the sun.
I came to the gates. Guards stood by with ordinary AK47s, but with bayonets fixed. They were Chinese gates, something from a kung fu movie, the blue and white pavilion of dawn. I drove on, not carrying proper papers and not wanting to be questioned.
But the image lingered. Mugabe sees the Chinese as his last friends, but he has always had an affection for things Chinese. Now 84, he has built the ultimate Chinese retirement home – only he is refusing to retire.
I am convinced Mugabe lost the presidential elections, but the numbers game is one that can be rigged, and his hardliners demanded that they be rigged to force a run-off against the opposition challenger, Morgan Tsvangirai. I had Tsvangirai winning by 56%, with a generous margin of error downwards, but certainly above the 50% threshold that would have meant a clear victory, with no need for a run-off.
My figures were extrapolations from very informal surveys. Being a lone operator doesn’t allow much science to intrude. But every monitoring group that ventured a prediction was certain Tsvangirai had taken more than Mugabe, and was at least terrifying close to the 50%. With the votes for fellow challenger Simba Makoni regarded as a vote against Mugabe, the president had received the crushing rebuke of a vote only in the high 30 to early 40 per cents.
But his Politburo, after a marathon session, demanded that he stay to fight on, when and if their people had finally rigged the count to favour a run-off. For days, the phones rang red hot from South Africa, bearing US promises of immunity from international prosecution if Mugabe went graciously.
Every offer was made to induce him to eke out his life, luxuriously, in his Chinese palace. He even has a miniature clone of the palace in Malaysia, should be feel in need of a more authentic oriental atmosphere.
But the intransigence of his party, ZANU-PF, is such and its self-deception so great – an imagination that they are still fighting the revolution while living like Chinese emperors – that the Politburo agreed an all-or-nothing endgame to the elections, spurning immunities and deals and rallying around the old man.
There was a Chinese emperor once. He had a captive nightingale that sang beautifully. One day it flew away. The emperor had a clockwork replacement installed, but it had only one song. Then the clockwork replacement broke down and the emperor, in his fury, declared war on all the nightingales in China. The last stand of Mugabe will not be a peaceful, blood-free affair.
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
Friday, 28 March 2008
Motutapu Island - Auckland
http://www.viewauckland.co.nz/motutapu_island_auckland_index.html
What looks like a peaceful haven has had more than its fair share of excitement.
Motutapu Island has witnessed eruptions, aggressive farming, countless visitors, and animals introduced from far-flung lands.
When Rangitoto Island emerged from the sea 600-odd years ago—blasting lava and ash—Maori frantically paddled away from the adjacent Motutapu Island.
They’d been living on this island for generations. In fact, it was one of the earliest Maori settlement sites in New Zealand.
For Motutaupo’s iwi, Rangitoto’s eruption had its pros and cons. It destroyed their villages and gardens, but it also made the soil much more fertile and it wasn’t difficult to resettle there soon
What looks like a peaceful haven has had more than its fair share of excitement.
Motutapu Island has witnessed eruptions, aggressive farming, countless visitors, and animals introduced from far-flung lands.
When Rangitoto Island emerged from the sea 600-odd years ago—blasting lava and ash—Maori frantically paddled away from the adjacent Motutapu Island.
They’d been living on this island for generations. In fact, it was one of the earliest Maori settlement sites in New Zealand.
For Motutaupo’s iwi, Rangitoto’s eruption had its pros and cons. It destroyed their villages and gardens, but it also made the soil much more fertile and it wasn’t difficult to resettle there soon
Minestrone Soup Recipe
– From the Millennium Institute of Sport and Health
Serves four
olive or canola oil spray
1 onion, chopped
1 potato, cubed
1 carrot, cubed
400g can tomatoes in juice, chopped
1 pkt MAGGI Rich Tomato Soup Mix
2 tsp MAGGI Garlic Stock Powder
3 1/2 cups water
1 courgette, cubed
1 cup chopped green beans
1/2 cup dried pasta
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Spray a large saucepan with oil and heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes.
Add potato, carrot, tomatoes, soup mix, stock powder and water. Bring to boil, stirring. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add courgette, green beans and pasta. Simmer uncovered for a further 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked, stirring occasionally. Stir in chopped parsley and serve with bread.
Food Tip:
For a low fuss minestrone option, try using pre-cut frozen vegetables (such as beans, peas and corn mixes) to save preparation time.
Serves four
olive or canola oil spray
1 onion, chopped
1 potato, cubed
1 carrot, cubed
400g can tomatoes in juice, chopped
1 pkt MAGGI Rich Tomato Soup Mix
2 tsp MAGGI Garlic Stock Powder
3 1/2 cups water
1 courgette, cubed
1 cup chopped green beans
1/2 cup dried pasta
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Spray a large saucepan with oil and heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes.
Add potato, carrot, tomatoes, soup mix, stock powder and water. Bring to boil, stirring. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add courgette, green beans and pasta. Simmer uncovered for a further 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked, stirring occasionally. Stir in chopped parsley and serve with bread.
Food Tip:
For a low fuss minestrone option, try using pre-cut frozen vegetables (such as beans, peas and corn mixes) to save preparation time.
Lamb Shanks Recipe –
From the Millennium Institute of Sport and Health
Serves 4
Olive or canola oil spray
4 lamb shanks, trimmed of fat
10 baby pickling onions
250g button mushrooms
1 pkt MAGGI Cook in the Pot Beef Bourguignon Recipe Mix
1/2 cup red wine or water
1/4 cup water
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp MAGGI Garlic Stock Powder
400g can tomatoes in juice, chopped
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Spray a large non-stick frying pan with oil and heat. Add lamb shanks and cook, turning for 3-4 minutes. Add onions and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until browned.
Place lamb shanks, onions and mushrooms in a large casserole dish.
Combine remaining ingredients and pour over lamb shanks. Cover casserole.
Cook in preheated oven for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Serve with mashed potato and steamed green beans.
Food Tip:
For creamy mashed potatoes, cook and drain potatoes and mash with reduced fat milk and a knob of margarine. Add chopped fresh herbs or a little parmesan if desired. Beat with a fork.
Serves 4
Olive or canola oil spray
4 lamb shanks, trimmed of fat
10 baby pickling onions
250g button mushrooms
1 pkt MAGGI Cook in the Pot Beef Bourguignon Recipe Mix
1/2 cup red wine or water
1/4 cup water
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp MAGGI Garlic Stock Powder
400g can tomatoes in juice, chopped
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Spray a large non-stick frying pan with oil and heat. Add lamb shanks and cook, turning for 3-4 minutes. Add onions and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until browned.
Place lamb shanks, onions and mushrooms in a large casserole dish.
Combine remaining ingredients and pour over lamb shanks. Cover casserole.
Cook in preheated oven for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Serve with mashed potato and steamed green beans.
Food Tip:
For creamy mashed potatoes, cook and drain potatoes and mash with reduced fat milk and a knob of margarine. Add chopped fresh herbs or a little parmesan if desired. Beat with a fork.
Passionfruit Cheesecake Recipe
– From the Millennium Institute of Sport and Health
Serves 10
125g vanilla wine biscuits, crushed
75g margarine, melted
2 tbsp gelatine
1/4 cup hot water
375g light cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
375mL can CARNATION Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup orange juice
passionfruit pulp to serve
Combine biscuit crumbs and margarine, mix well. Press into base of 22cm round springform tin, refrigerate until firm.
Dissolve gelatine in hot water, cool.
Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in evaporated milk and vanilla essence.
Stir orange juice into gelatine mixture, beat into cheesecake mixture. Pour mixture over crumb crust, refrigerate until set.
Drizzle over passionfruit pulp before serving.
Food Tip:
This cheesecake is delicious served with any seasonal fresh fruit or berries.
Serves 10
125g vanilla wine biscuits, crushed
75g margarine, melted
2 tbsp gelatine
1/4 cup hot water
375g light cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
375mL can CARNATION Light & Creamy Evaporated Milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup orange juice
passionfruit pulp to serve
Combine biscuit crumbs and margarine, mix well. Press into base of 22cm round springform tin, refrigerate until firm.
Dissolve gelatine in hot water, cool.
Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in evaporated milk and vanilla essence.
Stir orange juice into gelatine mixture, beat into cheesecake mixture. Pour mixture over crumb crust, refrigerate until set.
Drizzle over passionfruit pulp before serving.
Food Tip:
This cheesecake is delicious served with any seasonal fresh fruit or berries.
Thursday, 27 March 2008
Maori film festival to go on the road
The Maori Film Festival is going on the road for the first time, visiting Wellington, Auckland and Taumarunui after the main event in Wairoa.
For its third running, the main festival in Wairoa will be held during Queen's Birthday weekend in June, tying in with the Matariki festival, which celebrates the Maori New Year and harvest.
Selections from the main festival will then be toured to the other centres, and overseas film-makers will be invited to those screenings.
"The theme of this year's festival is 'Te Karanga O Papatuanuku, Te Waiata O Te Whenua - The Land Sings, The Earth Cries Out'," festival director Leo Koziol said yesterday.
"As we face a world imperilled by ecological decline and the uncertain impacts of climate change, we find it is our indigenous voices that are emerging as beacons of hope for the future of our planet."
Films on this theme include Barry Barclay's documentary The Neglected Miracle, about plant genetics; Herdswoman, set among the native people of Lapland; and Blowin' in the Wind, about the effects of atomic testing on Australian Aborigines.
The festival will also honour the contributions of Maori film pioneers Witarina Harris, Don Selwyn and Barclay, who died in February.
It will open with the classic New Zealand comedy Came a Hot Friday, starring Selwyn and Billy T James. A Mexican-Maori themed celebration will accompany this screening.
In Taumarunui, a special showcase of Selwyn's films will be presented to local audiences to celebrate the life of their hometown film-maker, who died last year
The Dominion Post | Thursday, 27 March 2008
For its third running, the main festival in Wairoa will be held during Queen's Birthday weekend in June, tying in with the Matariki festival, which celebrates the Maori New Year and harvest.
Selections from the main festival will then be toured to the other centres, and overseas film-makers will be invited to those screenings.
"The theme of this year's festival is 'Te Karanga O Papatuanuku, Te Waiata O Te Whenua - The Land Sings, The Earth Cries Out'," festival director Leo Koziol said yesterday.
"As we face a world imperilled by ecological decline and the uncertain impacts of climate change, we find it is our indigenous voices that are emerging as beacons of hope for the future of our planet."
Films on this theme include Barry Barclay's documentary The Neglected Miracle, about plant genetics; Herdswoman, set among the native people of Lapland; and Blowin' in the Wind, about the effects of atomic testing on Australian Aborigines.
The festival will also honour the contributions of Maori film pioneers Witarina Harris, Don Selwyn and Barclay, who died in February.
It will open with the classic New Zealand comedy Came a Hot Friday, starring Selwyn and Billy T James. A Mexican-Maori themed celebration will accompany this screening.
In Taumarunui, a special showcase of Selwyn's films will be presented to local audiences to celebrate the life of their hometown film-maker, who died last year
The Dominion Post | Thursday, 27 March 2008
It's natural for children to love nature
North Harbour News | Friday, 21 March 2008
Remember those long, lazy summer days of your youth when you’d lie on the grass patiently watching a spider weave its web?
Those times of watching nature are often forgotten in the bustle of school, homework, after-school activities, television and computer games.
Children often miss out on the chance to build their own love affair with nature.
"My dad used to get me to recite all the names of the plants and trees he grew at home," local Kiwi Conservation Club parent Linda Darbyshire says.
"And he had big gardens. It was a matter of pride to him, that he could always remember their Latin and common names, and he wanted me to be able to do the same.
"He loved nature and just naturally instilled that into my sisters and brother and me. He would turn over old logs on our wood-pile and show me the centipedes and slaters quickly scuttling away.
"He found a nest of hedgehogs under our hedge and we watched each day as the naked, pink little babies’ soft spines grew. He used to leave a saucer of milk out for the mamma hedgehog and she’d always come snuffling out to drink it.
"I cherish those memories, especially now that he’s gone. I’ve brought my children up to love nature too, and KCC is a brilliant way to nourish that enjoyment."
Hibiscus Coast KCC coordinator Richard Chambers is keen to see the local group grow.
If people want to go along to see what it’s like, they need a gold coin donation for each child. To join KCC costs $12 a year, or $20 for a family. The membership fee supports KCC and Forest & Bird and a subscription to the KCC bi-monthly children’s magazine.
KCC meets once a month, every second Friday.
Coming up on Friday, April 11, at 6.30pm, is a night walk, meeting at the Waterfall Valley carpark. Torches and warm clothes are needed. Discover glow-worms, fish and other night-loving critters.
On Sunday, May 25, is the Shakespear Regional Park tree planting day. KCC has an area to plant out. A sausage sizzle follows. Times are to be advised.
On Friday, June 13, at 4pm, the club meets at the Woolshed. Peacocks and other introduced birds are the topic of study. Bring binoculars and any bird identification books.
Remember those long, lazy summer days of your youth when you’d lie on the grass patiently watching a spider weave its web?
Those times of watching nature are often forgotten in the bustle of school, homework, after-school activities, television and computer games.
Children often miss out on the chance to build their own love affair with nature.
"My dad used to get me to recite all the names of the plants and trees he grew at home," local Kiwi Conservation Club parent Linda Darbyshire says.
"And he had big gardens. It was a matter of pride to him, that he could always remember their Latin and common names, and he wanted me to be able to do the same.
"He loved nature and just naturally instilled that into my sisters and brother and me. He would turn over old logs on our wood-pile and show me the centipedes and slaters quickly scuttling away.
"He found a nest of hedgehogs under our hedge and we watched each day as the naked, pink little babies’ soft spines grew. He used to leave a saucer of milk out for the mamma hedgehog and she’d always come snuffling out to drink it.
"I cherish those memories, especially now that he’s gone. I’ve brought my children up to love nature too, and KCC is a brilliant way to nourish that enjoyment."
Hibiscus Coast KCC coordinator Richard Chambers is keen to see the local group grow.
If people want to go along to see what it’s like, they need a gold coin donation for each child. To join KCC costs $12 a year, or $20 for a family. The membership fee supports KCC and Forest & Bird and a subscription to the KCC bi-monthly children’s magazine.
KCC meets once a month, every second Friday.
Coming up on Friday, April 11, at 6.30pm, is a night walk, meeting at the Waterfall Valley carpark. Torches and warm clothes are needed. Discover glow-worms, fish and other night-loving critters.
On Sunday, May 25, is the Shakespear Regional Park tree planting day. KCC has an area to plant out. A sausage sizzle follows. Times are to be advised.
On Friday, June 13, at 4pm, the club meets at the Woolshed. Peacocks and other introduced birds are the topic of study. Bring binoculars and any bird identification books.
Crowds line up for icecreams
More than 1200 ice-creams were scooped in three hours at Ollies in Royal Oak on Saturday.
The icecream parlour was taking part in a Tip Top 10 cent cone promotion.
Owner Colin Haines says customers were queuing down the street for a cheap treat.
"It was hard work for three hours," Mr Haines says.
Ten other icecream parlours took part in the national promotion.
Central Leader | Friday, 21 March 2008
The icecream parlour was taking part in a Tip Top 10 cent cone promotion.
Owner Colin Haines says customers were queuing down the street for a cheap treat.
"It was hard work for three hours," Mr Haines says.
Ten other icecream parlours took part in the national promotion.
Central Leader | Friday, 21 March 2008
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Saturday, 1 March 2008
Maori Overseas
" More than 60,000 NZ-born Maori now live in Australia."
In 2001 there were an estimated 62 thousand New Zealand-born Maori living in Australia, and another 41 thousand in Australia with at least one New Zealand-born Maori parent.
Elsewhere in the world, there were about another 18 thousand New Zealand-born Maori living overseas, (England 8000, Canada 1000, the USA 1000), and 12 thousand with at least one New Zealand-born Maori parent.
So in 2001 the total number of NZ-born Maori living overseas was about 80 thousand, and there were another 53 thousand overseas-born Maori with at least one New Zealand-born Maori parent.
Therefore the total number with NZ Maori ancestory living overseas was about 133 thousand.
And of the 550,000 Maori living in New Zealand in 2001, about 5,000 had been born overseas.
A Statistics New Zealand report says:
"Like New Zealanders generally, the Maori population is mobile. The highest number of Maori movers are those aged in their 20s.
" There are now about 4000 Australian-born Maori children in New Zealand."
The 1996 NZ Census recorded 9,600 Maori who had returned to New Zealand from overseas within the last five years. Most of these were aged under 40, and two-thirds had been living in Australia."
"Nearly 2,000 of those Maori enumerated in the 1996 Census who had been overseas in 1991 were children, and over 3,500 were in the 25-34 age group. This suggests that most were returning for family or economic reasons."
In 2001 there were an estimated 62 thousand New Zealand-born Maori living in Australia, and another 41 thousand in Australia with at least one New Zealand-born Maori parent.
Elsewhere in the world, there were about another 18 thousand New Zealand-born Maori living overseas, (England 8000, Canada 1000, the USA 1000), and 12 thousand with at least one New Zealand-born Maori parent.
So in 2001 the total number of NZ-born Maori living overseas was about 80 thousand, and there were another 53 thousand overseas-born Maori with at least one New Zealand-born Maori parent.
Therefore the total number with NZ Maori ancestory living overseas was about 133 thousand.
And of the 550,000 Maori living in New Zealand in 2001, about 5,000 had been born overseas.
A Statistics New Zealand report says:
"Like New Zealanders generally, the Maori population is mobile. The highest number of Maori movers are those aged in their 20s.
" There are now about 4000 Australian-born Maori children in New Zealand."
The 1996 NZ Census recorded 9,600 Maori who had returned to New Zealand from overseas within the last five years. Most of these were aged under 40, and two-thirds had been living in Australia."
"Nearly 2,000 of those Maori enumerated in the 1996 Census who had been overseas in 1991 were children, and over 3,500 were in the 25-34 age group. This suggests that most were returning for family or economic reasons."
Prince Tui Teka
Teka was from Ruatahuna in the Ureweras, and had a musical childhood. His mother played mouth organ and clarinet, and his father was a saxophonist with a bush band. After learning guitar and saxophone at woolshed dances with teenage bands, Teka moved to Sydney and began a six-year stand with the Maori Volcanics showband on the Japan and Pacific circuit. The 'Prince' title was adopted when Teka joined the Maori Troubadours: "In those days Elvis was the king of rock'n'roll so we thought up New Zealand's prince of entertainment."
In the 1970s Teka performed solo in Sydney and southeast Asian clubs, his extravagant stage wardrobe including rhinestone jackets and embroidered shirts cut for his one hundred and forty kilogram frame. His cabaret set was enlivened with downhome jokes: "Nat King Cole? - I'm his half-brother Charcoal." His over-sized choreography added to the fun, as Teka found later when he dieted down forty kilograms on medical advice: "I had no stomach to wiggle."
Missy joined the show after their marriage in 1976. Teka would appear on up to ten instruments- "Middle of the road," he said, "a couple reggae numbers, a couple country and western, rock'n'roll impressions and playing different instruments."
By 1981 he had returned to Tokomaru Bay "I began to feel homesick" and became a household name during the next year with E Ipo, and two albums with Teka originals including Real Love and Oh Mum. He appeared in films, including Came A Hot Friday, and Savage Islands in which he featured as a cannibal chief.
Gordon Spittle - Counting the Beat
In the 1970s Teka performed solo in Sydney and southeast Asian clubs, his extravagant stage wardrobe including rhinestone jackets and embroidered shirts cut for his one hundred and forty kilogram frame. His cabaret set was enlivened with downhome jokes: "Nat King Cole? - I'm his half-brother Charcoal." His over-sized choreography added to the fun, as Teka found later when he dieted down forty kilograms on medical advice: "I had no stomach to wiggle."
Missy joined the show after their marriage in 1976. Teka would appear on up to ten instruments- "Middle of the road," he said, "a couple reggae numbers, a couple country and western, rock'n'roll impressions and playing different instruments."
By 1981 he had returned to Tokomaru Bay "I began to feel homesick" and became a household name during the next year with E Ipo, and two albums with Teka originals including Real Love and Oh Mum. He appeared in films, including Came A Hot Friday, and Savage Islands in which he featured as a cannibal chief.
Gordon Spittle - Counting the Beat
Farewell Missy Teka
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00502.htm
Farewell Missy Teka
Friday, 29 February 2008, 4:35 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Government
“Missy Teka was a talented musician in her own right, a wonderful person and a good friend. I am truly saddened by her passing” Minister of Maori Affairs, Parekura Horomia said today.
Missy Teka, the widow of the late Prince Tui Teka, passed away yesterday.
“Missy was internationally renowned for her continuous support of her late husband Prince Tui Teka, but within her home of Tokomaru Bay and amongst Ngati Porou whanau she was seen as much much more.”
“She always had a lovely disposition and was a pleasure to work with and be around. She was a talented modern musician, but could also hold her own on stage performing kapa haka.”
“Her loss will be felt by many and my thoughts are with her friends and whanau during this very sad time.”
Farewell Missy Teka
Friday, 29 February 2008, 4:35 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Government
“Missy Teka was a talented musician in her own right, a wonderful person and a good friend. I am truly saddened by her passing” Minister of Maori Affairs, Parekura Horomia said today.
Missy Teka, the widow of the late Prince Tui Teka, passed away yesterday.
“Missy was internationally renowned for her continuous support of her late husband Prince Tui Teka, but within her home of Tokomaru Bay and amongst Ngati Porou whanau she was seen as much much more.”
“She always had a lovely disposition and was a pleasure to work with and be around. She was a talented modern musician, but could also hold her own on stage performing kapa haka.”
“Her loss will be felt by many and my thoughts are with her friends and whanau during this very sad time.”
Saturday, 23 February 2008
Saturday, 16 February 2008
Chaos on the cockle beds
00AM Saturday February 16, 2008
By Mike Rose
If you are fisher or shellfish gatherer in or around the Auckland region, now might be a good time to start to worry.
Ever since we humans first came to live in this abundant area, we have enjoyed a wide variety of fish and shellfish, often literally at our feet.
On many of the region's beaches, large populations of the humble cockle have provided a rich and incredibly easy-to-harvest food source. All one needed to do was wait for the low tide, wander out to the beds and simply pick them up. Not hard at all.
Not only were these beds prolific and generously spread throughout the entire region, they were hardy, too. For generations, they supported local communities, never seeming to diminish in any significant way. Of course, as communities grew and expanded and private transport made us more mobile, this wonderful resource came under more pressure.
Recognising that, despite appearances, these beds were not infinite, we sensibly decided to limit the amount each person could take. The idea was to set the limit high enough so it was still worth the effort to collect them but low enough to ensure there was enough for us all, both now and into the future.
It is, of course, a simple and effective way of managing a freely available but limited resource. All it requires is good sense and the knowledge to set the limit at the right level and for all of us to do our part by sticking to it.
Unfortunately, it is now obvious that significant sections of our community don't get this plan. Well, to be fair, they do get the bit about the resource being easy to get and free; they simply don't get the bit about it being limited and us all having to share it. And it appears that these "greedies" are growing in both number and in their determination to take as much of this limited resource for themselves as they can.
Example: Anniversary Monday; a fine day combined with a low tide at popular Cockle Bay, near Howick. Fishery officers patrolling the beach estimate that some 1500 people are gathering cockles. They also estimate that the number of those gatherers sticking to the "50 cockles per person gathering" limit is somewhere so close to zero that it doesn't matter.
These fishery officers and the dedicated local volunteers who assist them (known as HFOs or Honorary Fishery Officers) do their best to stem the tide. Their task is nigh impossible.
All are experienced and hardened but what they experience that day shocks even them. In the worst case any of them can remember (and some have been fishery officers for a very long time), they check a woman who has been collecting with her 14-year-old daughter and 8 year-old son. Between them the three are entitled to 150 cockles; a reasonable amount and surely enough for a good feed.
Instead they find this woman, who was still collecting when she was stopped, had an unbelievable 3594 cockles. Her haul filled three big laundry baskets and was some 68 times her legal limit!
While the worst, this is by no means the only horror story from that day; or indeed any of the other days fishery officers or HFOs have patrolled this beach, or any of the others with accessible cockle beds.
Groups of these cockle plunderers are now turning up at the beaches with big gas barbecues, gathering large numbers of cockles and having a party, complete with large amounts of alcohol. After a while, empty cockleshells and dead beer bottles litter the ground, interspersed with live (or, more accurately, dying) cockles they have been too lazy or too drunk to cook up. And good luck to the fishery officer or HFO who tries to check if the limits have been followed.
This article started by saying that fishers and shellfish gatherers should be worried and here's why. After appearing impervious to the ravages of these plunderers, the cockle beds are starting to show the effects. And, as so often happens with these natural disasters, the effects are not gradual, they are dramatic.
Example: at Umupuhia or Duders Beach (another south-eastern beach popular with the plunderers) the results are alarming. After years of showing no noticeable depletion, the cockle count per square metre has more than halved in the past two years; from a healthy 30 to just 12. The size of the cockles has diminished considerably, too.
That rate of decline will not be easily reversed and is a source of considerable concern to the local marae. They have enjoyed these cockle beds for generations and are now faced with the very real fear that they could disappear.
They are considering a rahui or ban for the beach but that is no guaranteed solution. Not only would it simply put more pressure on surrounding beaches, it would be difficult to enforce.
After all, if the plunderers don't take any notice of bag limits why would they observe a rahui?
The ministry would no doubt do its best to enforce it but, like the cockle beds, its resources are finite, too.
There are no easy answers but there are plenty of reasons to worry. These shellfish beds are also an important food source for snapper and other local fish.
And, as we continually learn, taking away a vital part of the food chain is likely to have disastrous consequences on the rest of the ecosystem.
By Mike Rose
If you are fisher or shellfish gatherer in or around the Auckland region, now might be a good time to start to worry.
Ever since we humans first came to live in this abundant area, we have enjoyed a wide variety of fish and shellfish, often literally at our feet.
On many of the region's beaches, large populations of the humble cockle have provided a rich and incredibly easy-to-harvest food source. All one needed to do was wait for the low tide, wander out to the beds and simply pick them up. Not hard at all.
Not only were these beds prolific and generously spread throughout the entire region, they were hardy, too. For generations, they supported local communities, never seeming to diminish in any significant way. Of course, as communities grew and expanded and private transport made us more mobile, this wonderful resource came under more pressure.
Recognising that, despite appearances, these beds were not infinite, we sensibly decided to limit the amount each person could take. The idea was to set the limit high enough so it was still worth the effort to collect them but low enough to ensure there was enough for us all, both now and into the future.
It is, of course, a simple and effective way of managing a freely available but limited resource. All it requires is good sense and the knowledge to set the limit at the right level and for all of us to do our part by sticking to it.
Unfortunately, it is now obvious that significant sections of our community don't get this plan. Well, to be fair, they do get the bit about the resource being easy to get and free; they simply don't get the bit about it being limited and us all having to share it. And it appears that these "greedies" are growing in both number and in their determination to take as much of this limited resource for themselves as they can.
Example: Anniversary Monday; a fine day combined with a low tide at popular Cockle Bay, near Howick. Fishery officers patrolling the beach estimate that some 1500 people are gathering cockles. They also estimate that the number of those gatherers sticking to the "50 cockles per person gathering" limit is somewhere so close to zero that it doesn't matter.
These fishery officers and the dedicated local volunteers who assist them (known as HFOs or Honorary Fishery Officers) do their best to stem the tide. Their task is nigh impossible.
All are experienced and hardened but what they experience that day shocks even them. In the worst case any of them can remember (and some have been fishery officers for a very long time), they check a woman who has been collecting with her 14-year-old daughter and 8 year-old son. Between them the three are entitled to 150 cockles; a reasonable amount and surely enough for a good feed.
Instead they find this woman, who was still collecting when she was stopped, had an unbelievable 3594 cockles. Her haul filled three big laundry baskets and was some 68 times her legal limit!
While the worst, this is by no means the only horror story from that day; or indeed any of the other days fishery officers or HFOs have patrolled this beach, or any of the others with accessible cockle beds.
Groups of these cockle plunderers are now turning up at the beaches with big gas barbecues, gathering large numbers of cockles and having a party, complete with large amounts of alcohol. After a while, empty cockleshells and dead beer bottles litter the ground, interspersed with live (or, more accurately, dying) cockles they have been too lazy or too drunk to cook up. And good luck to the fishery officer or HFO who tries to check if the limits have been followed.
This article started by saying that fishers and shellfish gatherers should be worried and here's why. After appearing impervious to the ravages of these plunderers, the cockle beds are starting to show the effects. And, as so often happens with these natural disasters, the effects are not gradual, they are dramatic.
Example: at Umupuhia or Duders Beach (another south-eastern beach popular with the plunderers) the results are alarming. After years of showing no noticeable depletion, the cockle count per square metre has more than halved in the past two years; from a healthy 30 to just 12. The size of the cockles has diminished considerably, too.
That rate of decline will not be easily reversed and is a source of considerable concern to the local marae. They have enjoyed these cockle beds for generations and are now faced with the very real fear that they could disappear.
They are considering a rahui or ban for the beach but that is no guaranteed solution. Not only would it simply put more pressure on surrounding beaches, it would be difficult to enforce.
After all, if the plunderers don't take any notice of bag limits why would they observe a rahui?
The ministry would no doubt do its best to enforce it but, like the cockle beds, its resources are finite, too.
There are no easy answers but there are plenty of reasons to worry. These shellfish beds are also an important food source for snapper and other local fish.
And, as we continually learn, taking away a vital part of the food chain is likely to have disastrous consequences on the rest of the ecosystem.
Wednesday, 6 February 2008
Okahu Bay Album
http://www4.snapfish.co.nz/share/p=74151202254542168/l=230888967/g=80341616/cobrandOid=1025/otsc=SYE/otsi=SANU
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