Haere Mai,Welcome,To all family & friends in NZ & around the world and anyone reading my blog ! This is my first ever blog, which I started on Black Friday, 13th May 2005. My thoughts & prayers are with you all. Take care & God Bless. Arohanui ! Kakite !

Blog Archive

Sunday, January 22, 2006

# 680 - # 689

# 680. A Big Banger !!!

I aren't talking about Guy Fawkes bangers, (which bloody people still seem to be letting off - either early in the morning or late at night. Hopefully the government will ban the sale of fireworks to the general public this year) but "bangers" you can eat !!! Well one person couldn't eat this big banger even if they tried. It weighs in at a hefity 40 kilos, equal to 480 normal size bangers and is 60 metres long. No little piggies were lost in the making of this big banger, as it is made out of venison (deer) meat. The barbecue needed to cook it isn't small either. It is 6 metres long and weighs in at 859 kilos. It is NZ's longest sausage & longest barbecue. Anyone hungry ???

# 681. Ham & Eggs !!!

Remember the story "Green Eggs & Ham" !!! Well it seems that in Taiwan, scientists have come up with "green ham"from "green pigs", which has totally thrown the "pink pig" & pink ham out the window. Next will they try try to make "green eggs" to go with the green ham. Just think - "Mum, I think it's time you clean the fridge, the ham is off - it's green" !!! "Thats not off. Thats the colour of ham now" !!! This little piggy had roast beef; this little piggy had none; this little piggy went to market; this little piggy stayed home (because he was "green") and this little piggy went wee wee all the way home, because he didn't want to be green. I wouldn't want to be green either - its hard enough been brown !!! One good thing about it - there would be no more little piggies getting run over at night if they got out onto the road - because they glow in the dark as well.

# 682. Chips In Humans ???

How long will it be, before "chips" end up in people !!! I aren't talking potato chips here but GPS - global positioning system - chips. They are been made small enough now, to fit into mobile phones. The "chip", as tiny as a baby's fingernail, manufactured here in NZ is the smallest in the world. Mobile phones with GPS, can locate the user to within metres - useful for what, other than tracking & keeping tabs on people ? At the present time, any Tom, Dick or Harry can walk into a mobile phone shop and purchase a prepay phone without having to fill in any paper work or give any personal details. The number of the mobile phone isn't even recorded, by the retailer. Will people be "made" to trade in their old mobile phone, for one with GPS ??? Who knows - only time will tell.

# 683. New Chinese/English Newspaper

A newspaper aimed at the NZ chinese community is starting up in Auckland - in english. The 24 page paper with a print run of 25000 copies will appear fortnightly from Friday 3rd of February. Its Singapore born editor, Lincoln Tan, knows that some of the stories will make him unpopular as he probes Chinese-Kiwi life. Lincoln Tan said he won't try to preserve the chinese community's "face" - a difining aspect of the culture - if issues such as domestic violence and high abortion rates need to be aired. The paper will be called - iBall.

# 684. Nine Year Space Odyssey

"New Horizons", a piano-sized spacecraft, blasted off into space to try and reach new horizons - a 4.8 billion kilometre journey to reach "Pluto", the solar system's last unexplored planet. It is the swiftest spacecraft ever launched and is expected to reach the Moon in nine hours and Jupiter in a year. The distance to Pluto though means that scientists will not be able to receive data on Pluto, until at least 2015. The launch drew attention from opponents of nuclear power because the spacecraft is powered by 10.8kg of "pluto"nium, whose natural radioactive decay will generate electricty for the instruments. A successful journey to Pluto would complete an exploration of the planets started by NASA in the early 1960's with unmanned missions to observe Mars, Mercury & Venus.

# 685. Giant Of Luxury Travel

The 116,000 tonne "Diamond Princess" docked in Auckland the other day, so the 4000 passengers & crew could do a bit of shopping !!! The ship making the first of 5 summer visits to Auckland, is 290 metres long; 49 metres wide and 63 metres high. Passengers can choose from 5 swimming pools; 10 resturants & cafes; 13 bars & lounges and 2 nightclubs.
There are 15 ships in the Princess Cruises company, all of which have live bridge video cam images via satellite, that are updated every 60 seconds. I am currently at St Lucia, where the "sun" is just dawning from the "Sun Princess". Some of the ships also have wedding chapel video cams, but............no weddings at the moment. I'll be back.............. at dawn, to have another look at the "Diamond Princess", which is currently tied up at Tauranga.

# 686. Birds Sing A Different Tune !!!

Krazy as it may seem, studies have shown that "birds" - the 2 legged feathered variety - don't all sing the same language, even if they are of the same variety.
"The Saddleback" of Whale Island off Whakatane sing a different song to saddlebacks on the "Hen & Chicken Islands" off Whangarei. This remarkable discovery by biologists about NZ birds has emerged from research on islands where wildlife thrives in the absence of predators. Research has found that the birds are forming distinct songs & calls, unique to the area they live in - not dissimilar to human dialects. Other groups of tui, bellbirds and grey warblers also have their own regional language & song. Maybe they are trying to tell us something - listen carefully next time you venture out into the bush !!!

# 687. Red Carpet Rolls Out Again !!!
Wanganui will be in the "spotlight" when the movie "River Queen" has its NZ premiere on Tuesday 24th. The movie filmed in the region and on the Whanganui River is the story of a young irishwoman who finds herself caught on both sides of the conflict during wars between Maori and the colonial army in the late 1860's. A special feature of Tuesdays premiere will be a ceremony on the Whanganui River. Three waka built for the movie, will be paddled up the river by Maori dressed in the warrior costumes or colonial uniforms that were worn in the movie. The waka will be presented by film company, Silverscreen to the Whanganui iwi in recognition of their contribution in the late afternoon.

# 688. Young Stars For Fantasy Movie

Two young actors will star in a fantasy movie, which will start production in NZ within the next month. "Bridge To Terabithia" , based on the popular novel by Katherine Paterson, will star Josh Hutcherson & Anna Sophia Robb. Hutcherson is set to play Jess, an 11 year old boy whose life is changed when he meets Leslie (Robb). Together they create the world of Terabithia, an imaginary kingdom filled with giants, trolls and other beings. Hutcherson is on NZ screens now in the space fantasy movie, "Zarathura" and Robb played Violet Beauregarde in "Charlie & The Choclate Factory". The movie is to made by Walt Disney & Walden Media - the same companies who made "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe.

# 689 Ruapehu & Whanganui Area Popular.

The Ruapehu District is one of the most popular film locations in New Zealand. Everyone has heard of the "Lord Of The Rings" and many know that Mount Ngauruhoe is Mount Doom from the Fellowship Of The Ring, but how many know that Peter Jackson was beaten to the punch by such cinematic notables as George Lucas of Star Wars fame and Happy Days, Ron Howard who as director filmed many of the outdoor scenes from the 1988 cult fantasy, "Willow" in the Tongariro National Park.
Horopito Motors the largest car parts wreckers yard in Australasia, was the backdrop for 2 New Zealand movies - Goodbye Pork Pie & Smash Palace. Movies filmed in & around the Ruapehu District / Whanganui area are - Skin Deep, Raetihi - 1978; Goodbye Pork Pie, Horopito, Desert Rd - 1980; Smash Palace, Horopito - 1980; Pictures, Pipiriki - 1981; Strata, Mt. Ruapehu - 1983; Wild Horses, Taumarunui - 1984; Bridge To Nowhere, Mangapurua - 1986; Willow, Tongariro National Park - 1988; Pikowae, Desert Rd - 2002; Lord Of The Rings, Tongariro National Park - 2002; No Ordinary Sun, Tongariro National Park - 2004; Without A Paddle, Raetihi - 2004; River Queen, Ruatiti, Horopito, Kahura - 2004.

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