The independent newszine for the modern ecotraveller.

New Zealand travel tips and information (from Evan Bloomfield)

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This issue is dedicated to Trevor Green and Marty Davies. Two fine aviators lost tragically in the un forgiving terrain of Fiordland.

>=================== What's on in the April issue?

We get the low down on domestic NZ flights, help plan your Milford Track attack, visit Stewart Island National Park, swim with a patagonian toothfish, congratulate the Kakapo, fall out of love with cruise ships and yes can you believe it snowed in our backyard.

>=================== It snowed in our backyard.

And wouldn't you have it a nice cold snap and some blustery Southerlies left us bathed in white on the 16th of April. 4 cm of snow in the backyard! The dog went crazy, our 8 month old daughter didn't know what was going on and I got frozen feet fetching the firewood!

So anyway all of this means that we have our first winner of two Free nights accommodation in Queenstown. Well we thought we did. Tony Mole from Australia submitted the correct date but he isn't answering his emails. Does anyone out there know Tony? Tell him he's a winner.

What? You haven't entered our competition to win two free nights accommodation in Queenstown? Well get on over and do it quick! The next snow fall could be just around the corner!

>=================== What's a hongi?

We had heaps of responses from our March newsletter for more information on the hongi. Thanks!

Nearly everyone had it right. A few people talked about a "hangi" which is a damn good feed with a good excuse for a party and several people talked about "rubbing" noses when in fact it is more of a press of the nose.

So the winner was Toni Nylander. Congratulations Toni! Just email me your address and we will post a Kiwi Keyring your way.

>=================== Planning to walk the Milford Track?

If you are planning your trip to Southern New Zealand and thinking of trying one of the Great Walks this summer then you better get you calendar out and start thinking dates. These tracks book up pretty quickly and if that's one of the major reasons for your visit to the deep south then it really does pay to book early. February and March are the crunch months for most tracks.

Many people ask if the Milford Track really is worth doing and I am afraid I always have to say yes. Why afraid? Well I suppose I am a bit of a contrarian and when everyone wants to do something I will head the other way, or do it at another time. Operating since 1909 this walk is steeped in history

Nevertheless it is a great track, with some fascinating history, stunning terrain and probably its greatest asset is that everyone walks in the same direction. Howwwwls of protest. What about the weather! But seriously, this simple informal but universally accepted rule enables a large number of folk with lots of different expectations to explore this classic piece of back country.

And as for the weather? I first walked the Milford Track when I was 12 years old. We got stuck in the middle of a river delta for two hours as the water rose a metre around us, finally made it back to the hut we left from to find the next group settled in and my first experience of top and tailing and huddled in the emergency shelter on the McKinnon Saddle with gale force winds straining the wires holding the building down. The whole experience remains a vivid memory as you can see.

We have assisted a few KiwiNewZites with itinerary's and bookings on the Milford and the Routeburn so if you need to bounce a few ideas around or like help with making the bookings feel free to email me.

>=================== Domestic Airfares in New Zealand

Its official. Kiwi's are paying more to fly domestically. A recent American Express Airfare Index shows only New Zealand and Pakistan increased prices in the last quarter. Not fare!

The two major domestic airlines Air New Zealand and Ansett say not fair too, "we have a new low-cost fare that offers 65% off". Well maybe but the truth is that the restrictions on cheap air fares are tighter than ever ..... book three weeks in advance, pay the next day and stay away over a Saturday. You can get super thrifty fares which are about 55% off retail but spaces are limited.

Some good news in two up start little airlines City Jet and Origin Pacific. A quick ring around of rates for a "7 day fare" from Blenheim to Wellington shows that City Jet is cheapest at NZ$79, Origin Pacific at NZ$89 with the two majors coming in at NZ$176. Ohhhh I love competition. Wot's more City Jet have said that they will offer $29 stand by flights - FreePhone them on 0800 CITY JET ( 0800 248 953 ).

Now what I want to know is when are they going to fly in to Queenstown?

>=================== Bumper season for Kakapo

Further to our Kakapo success story in our last NewsZine it has been confirmed that four of the seven Kakapo chicks born this year are females. The Department of Conservation and Forest and Bird have fostered a program to boost the population of one of the world's most endangered birds and this is great news for those close to the action, and the Kakapo!

Real exciting was finding Lisa alive and well. She hadn't been seen since 1984 and long given up as dead. Not only alive but she had three female chicks in tow. The wonder of nature is so often refreshing .... and surprising. Seems them in the know have a major problem telling the sex of Kiwis and staff at the Queenstown Kiwi and Birdlife Park were a tad surprised when "Baldric" hatched an egg. So the Massey University and a bit of DNA sampling are trying to improve on the traditional methods used - bill length, call and size. I think I would rather leave it a surprise ....

>=================== Stewart Island National Park

Conservation Minister Nick Smith certainly has a bee in his bonnet about the deep south declaring on a recent trip that 90% of Stewart Island was to become a National Park. This hot on the heels of a long and supportive campaign for the development of the Hump Ridge Track.

Well we think its great to have the support and encouragement of the powers that be but the Stewart Island locals came away from a "consultation" meeting feeling like all the decisions had already been made so why bother wasting our time and promptly went back to the pub! Seems like another one of those grand government millenium public relations .... err ... I mean celebrations......

The Forest and Bird Society have given there full support noting that the unlogged tracts of indigenous forest and the absence of ferrets and stoats were home to a variety of threatened bird species. " No where else in New Zealand is there such a diversity of landscapes and ecosystems that have been so little modified by human occupation ....we hope national park status would mean more resources were put into eradicating deer and possums."

>=================== New Zealand Discussion Forum

Have you checked out the fab photo of Mitre Peak in Milford Sound posted by Queenstown's own Rolf Liechti on the New Zealand Discussion Forum? It's pretty large so it may take a while to load but what a vista!

Leave a message or post your favourite New Zealand snap shot.

http://www.KiwiNewZ.com/wwwboard/nzforum.html

>=================== Cruise ships disturb love-lives

Hang on. What about the love boat?

Not so say the Department of Conversation. In their submission to a draft coastal plan for Southland and Fiordland DOC told councillors that "cruise ships disturbed the love lives of Fiordland's dolphins and penguins. Says DOC planning supervisor Ken Murray, "The ships disturb bluenose dolphin's evening mating sessions and kept the shy fiordland crested penguins from their nests.

The Southland Regional Council will take the next 14 months to consider 20 submissions on the love lives of the local wildlife. Hmmm. That sounds complicated.

>=================== What's a Patagonian toothfish?

Any why are we talking about it? Well some of you may remember the Orange Roughy which was hunted to extinction in a few short years? Well they are calling the Patagonian toothfish "white gold" in the fishing industry and that should leave our toothfish trembling in the depths.

A gold rush mentality has developed in the deep southern ocean where more and more desperate fishing companies are operating illegally in remote regions of the planet. The New Zealand government flexed it's newly acquired frigate Te Kaha with an extended fishery patrol in the sub antarctic in search of illegal toohfishers. Apart from sustaining structural damage tangling with the wild southern oceans Te Kaha came back empty handed. Greenpeace had more "luck" finding and tracking an illegal toothfisher. In fact this boat had recently been fined A$1.07 million by the Australian Government for illegal fishing. Talk about thick skins!

And what is the Patagonian toothfish? It grows slowly up to 2 metres, can live up to 85 years, does not breed until it is 10 years old, lives between 300 to 3 500 metres and is found on seamounts and continental shelves around the sub-antarctic islands. As one of the major carnivores in the Southern Ocean it fulfills the ecological role that sharks play in other oceans The toothfish comprises 98% by mass of the elephant seal's fish diet and is also an element in the sperm whale's diet.

So go on you illegal toothfishers - bug off.

>=================== Back Issues

Last month we talked about;
The Hongi
NZ Discussion Group
Kakapo chicks caught on camera
Silverstone Queenstown Gold Rush Hill Climb
Send a FREE message anywhere in the world.
Fat Tyre Festival

Click here to go to the index for our previous issues online.

>=================== That's all folks

Thanks for joining us and see ya next month. Remember we live on feedback, suggestions, requests, comments etc. We try to answer every one personally. Just email us.

This newszine is assembled from our own observations and reports from others and while every effort is made to get it right we can not attest to the accuracy or otherwise. Happy tripping. If you like what you read please forward this on to your friends ( reduce, re use, re cycle ). If you are reading someone else's and you like what we offer, please subscribe! It's easy and free. Just click here.

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Evan and Jane Bloomfield
Queenstown
AOTEAROA
fx +64 3 442 8342
E-mail: evan@KiwiNewZ.com