Clay's Blog

• Wow! I Did Not (care to) Know That!

  01/29/07 4 Comments

  Grr. I had almost finished this blog and accidentally hit something which wiped the whole thing. takes deep breath and starts again

  Today's lesson is New Zealand trivia, which is set to amaze and/or amuse you. Feel free to pass on to your friends who are gluttons for Trivial Pursuit or who have nothing better to do with their time.

  Wellington City is the southern-most capital city in the world.

  New Zealand also boasts the southern-most McDonalds restaurant in the world. That's a subtle-as-a-sledghammer hint, Mr Aiken. ;o)

  In 1893, New Zealand became the first country in the world where all women had the right to vote.

  The New Zealand Police do not carry guns - except in the thankfully still quite rare armed offenders callout. Sadly, I wish I could say that the criminals also don't carry guns, but I'd be lying :O(

  New Zealand has no snakes - except those running the country.

  New Zealand has no dangerous wild animals (ie bears, etc). We do have two poisonous spiders (the Katipo and Australian import - The Redback) but you stand more chance of a Clay encounter than an encounter with either of these spiders.

  The Tuatara (a protected reptile)is the only survivor of a group of ancient reptiles distantly related to the dinosaurs.

  New Zealand is the penguin capital of the world. Of the approximately 16 species of living penguins, nine breed in New Zealand or its territories. New Zealand is home to the greatest diversity of penguins, and has more fossil species than any other region. The first and the oldest fossil penguins were found in New Zealand.

  We are also home to the smallest and rarest dolphins: The Hector and Maui (pronounced mowee).

  Parts of NZ are some of the WETTEST places on the planet! Milford Sound can receive over 7 metres (approx 23 feet!) of rain annually! But it also makes it one of the most beuatiful places on earth to visit:

  

  The Fox & Franz Josef Glaciers on the West Coast of the South Island are quite unique in that they are some of the few glaciers in the world close to the ocean! I have walked the Franz Josef Glacier and it is a fantastic experience! My thighs hated me the next day, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world! The West Coast also attracts a high annual rainfall but it creates beautiful rainforest.

  

  New Zealand is a volcanic country and several volcanoes are still fairly active. At present, one volcano, Mount Ruapehu, is on a high lahar warning level. It's last major eruption was about 12 years ago and made world headline news. We also experience many earthquakes (we sit right on one of the world's most active faultlines) but you don't even notice most of the 'quakes. :O) Banks Peninsula near Christchurch is also an "extinct" (although I prefer the term "dormant") volcano but is now a beautiful crater harbour.

  Baldwin Street, a street in Dunedin (also known as The Scotland of the Southern Hemisphere) is reputed by the Guinness Book of Records to be the steepest street in the world. At its maximum, the slope of Baldwin Street is approximately 19° or 35% - that is, for every 2.86 metres travelled horizontally, the altitude rises by 1 metre.

  Tane Mahuta (Tahnay Mahootah) or "God of the Forest" is the largest Kauri (Cowree) tree in the world. Its measurements are:

  Trunk Girth 13.77 m (approx 45 feet) Trunk Height 17.68 m Total Height 51.2 m (approx 625 feet) Trunk Volume 244.5 m3

  Hey, Mr SmartyPants Aiken. You had such fun pronouncing "Lubjliana", well, howzabout you try pronouncing the 2nd or 3rd (there's debate over which it is, but it is recognized by the Guiness Book of Records) place name in the world?

  "Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu"

  (English transalation): "the place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as 'landeater,' played his flute to his loved one."

  Since that last piece of trivia will no doubt keep you occupied for several hours, I'll disappear for a while to do some dust-bunny hunting. No, dust-bunnies aren't native to NZ. But they seemed to have become more pronounced in many parts of the world since a certain singerguy appeared on the scene. Anyone know what a "vacuum cleaner" is?

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