subject: 3 May, 2004 ----- WYSIWYG NEWS ------------------------------- Copyright, Brian Harmer
Recently, I had a birthday with a big round number in it, and I received as a gift from my eldest daughter and her partner, a voucher for a ride in a helicopter around Wellington. Though I love all kinds of aircraft, and have flown in many types, I had never been in a rotary wing machine before hence this inspired gift. So there I was on the most magnificent Wellington day you might imagine. No wind, no clouds, blue water, even bluer sky. Wow! Time to redeem my voucher. I went down to Helipro on Queen's Wharf, and had to wait a little while for the other couple who were necessary to make an economic load for the company. Mary was with me, as was our lovely granddaughter, Grace. Grace is coming up for three years now, and is a lively active inquisitive child. She was really keen on the red machine which she determined was "Grandad's hair-clopter". She watched wide-eyed as I boarded the machine, a twin engined Squirrel, and climbed into the front left seat. You will be relieved to know that the controls were in front of the right hand seat. We all mastered the slightly complicated safety belts, and then the pilot equipped us each with a headset and then started flipping switches. We heard the first turbine begin to wind up and felt the "whoomp!" as it ignited. As it came up to idle speed and the rotor began turning overhead, the process was repeated with the other engine. Most of the turbine whine was muted by the headsets, but what surprised me was the apparent imbalance as the rotor spun. I imagine that the three blades are probably perfectly balanced in terms of physical weight, but that the changing pitch as each blade completes its cycle must impart some small dynamic imbalance. It was like being suspended in a bath of jelly to which an external pulse was being implied. Not uncomfortable, but unusual. Our pilot was by now busy on the radio, getting clearances to proceed via Brooklyn to Island Bay and thence to Sinclair head. Clearance was given, with the proviso that the flight would not exceed 1,500 feet. The turbines wound up and I could feel the change as the rotor changed pitch and took the weight of the machine, and then the ground receded. We rose steeply over Te Papa, turning left over the marina by the Overseas Passenger Terminal, and back over the long grey form of the French surveillance frigate, Vendemiaire which was on a goodwill visit to the city. I did give a wry thought to the Exocet launchers, and the very mean and effective anti-aircraft weapons on the ship's upper works, but they were all unmanned, so I moved on. Down below I could see Mary and Grace looking up as we whirled noisily over their heads and flew over parliament (can you imagine being allowed to do that in other world capitals?). The flight path took us along the ridge above Kelburn giving me a wonderful view over the university, and then up over Brooklyn, with a wonderfully intimate view of the wind turbine, unusually still. From Brooklyn, the run was downhill to Island Bay, giving an astonishing view of Tapu Teranga island. Astonish insofar as I always thought it was one island. There is a distinct channel that separates the two parts. Amazing. Out over the blue water of the Cook Strait, we passed over the Aratere bound for Picton, and the little freight ferry, "Purbeck" doing the reverse leg, into Wellington. We swung back towards the shore, and flew close to the hills that form the southern ramparts of the North Island. Around the bay where the Cook Strait power cable comes ashore we flew, observing the markers that mariners must observe as they outline the extensive prohibited anchorage zone. I think if they drop their hook and cut all the cables, the South Island might drift away! <grin>. Soon we were over Sinclair head, and there we could see seals basking on the beach. This colony is apparently the winter bachelor quarters for the unattached males who are not permitted near the nurseries. We zoomed up and over a ridge and followed the steep and inhospitable Western coastline up towards Makara. Over a small bay, we circled steeply looking down through the clear water for a shoal of sting rays that the pilot told us often gathered there. They must have had appointments elsewhere on this day, since we saw none. Up and over the hills we went, over Makara village and over the ridge at the Western end of Karori, over all of the green suburbs below until we crested the Kelburn ridge again, looking down at our lovely jewel of a city in its emerald and sapphire setting. A quick circuit out over Courtenay place and over the marina again, and the helicopter decelerated suddenly. There below were Mary and Grace who had patiently walked around to the twenty-five minutes or so of the trip, waving madly. With amazing delicacy, the machine alighted on the trolley used to haul it into its hangar at nights, and the trip was over. It was a lifetime memory, all the more special for the generosity of its givers, the glory of the day and the beauty of our city. If you are visiting Wellington, this is a great trip to do. I don't normally advertise, but this is so worth doing that I'll provide Helipro with an unsolicited plug. See http://www.helipro.co.nz/wellington.html ----- Any text above this point, and all subsequent material in parentheses, and concluded with the initials "BH" is the personal opinion of Brian Harmer as editor of this newsletter, or occasionally "HH" will indicate an opinion from Helen. In all cases they are honest expressions of personal opinion, and are not presented as fact. All news items (except where noted otherwise) are reproduced by kind permission of copyright owner, Newstalk ZB News All copyright in the news items reproduced remains the property of The Radio Network Limited. ---- Formatting this week is sponsored by Amanda in Toronto. Thanks Amanda. On with the news. Tuesday, 27 April ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INTERNATIONAL UNI COMPARISON STILL POSSIBLE ------------------------------------------- New Zealand universities could still be compared with their international counterparts. The Tertiary Education Commission has announced a new review to consider the comparison, which was strongly criticised by some institutions earlier this year because it compared New Zealand establishments with British ones. The appendix of the TEC report which made the comparisons was eventually removed after court action was taken. TEC acting chairwoman Kaye Turner says everyone's views will be considered before a decision is made. She says an international comparison could be one way to improve the quality of New Zealand universities. No timeframe for the consultation has been set. (I wish the media would get it clear that no one objects to an international comparison, and that was not the reason for the objection. At issue were the mechanics of that particular comparison which were said to be flawed. - BH) DEPARTMENTS UNITE TO STOP CHILD PORN ------------------------------------ Internal Affairs and Child Youth and Family are working closer together to combat child pornography on the Internet. CYF is welcoming the jail term given to Tauranga man Ross Mundy, convicted on 41 child pornography charges. He had 1,300 images of children being abused and also emailed pictures of a naked child whom he said he was offering for sex. Judge Peter Rollo described him as sick and depraved. Child Youth and Family spokeswoman Shannon Pakura says her department and Internal Affairs are developing a protocol on how they can work together to share information. She says they can swing into action to see if children are involved, then respond, and make any placement decisions. NZ POPULATION STILL RISING -------------------------- The number of people living in New Zealand is still rising, but the rate of growth is slowing. Statistics New Zealand estimates the country's population at 4,054,200 as at the end of March. That is up nearly 57,000 on March 2003. However the population rose 68,000 in the previous 12 months. AUSTRALIANS MOST FRUGAL TOURISTS -------------------------------- Australians are the least high-spending nationality when it comes to holidaying in New Zealand, according to new industry figures. The average Australian spends less than $2,000 during a visit here. That compares with more than $6,000 for someone from Thailand. Despite that, business correspondent Roger Kerr says New Zealand's trans-Tasman cousins are still very welcome and are still its largest tourist group, followed by visitors from Britain and America. The overall average spend by an overseas tourist is around $3,300. (Isn't frugal a synonym for "tight"? :-) - BH) Wednesday, 28 April ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONTACT PROFITS RISE 63% ------------------------ Contact Energy has announced a 63 percent increase in profit for the half year to March 31st. The company made $55.297 million, against $33.954 million in the corresponding period last year. The company says the improved result reflects a variety of factors, including higher electricity retail and generation revenues. This is partly due to the Taranaki Combined Cycle plant, acquired last year, as well as on-going strength in retail volumes, tariff adjustments, and a strong performance from wholesale electricity sales. Contact CEO Steve Barrett says the generator and retailer is to expand its reach so that it can offer service to every New Zealand household and business. "We will be rolling out to the few remaining areas where Contact does not yet offer service over coming months," said Mr Barrett. "That means we will be launching retail offers to people in King Country, Bay of Plenty, Marlborough, Waipa, central and southern Hawke's Bay, Wairoa, Buller and Westland. He says around 125,000 households and businesses in those areas will be targeted with competitive offers over coming months. "These moves will also make Contact Energy the second energy company to retail electricity throughout the entire country," said Mr Barrett. An interim dividend of 7 cents a share has been declared. MERINO SHREK LIGHTER - AND CHILLY --------------------------------- Shrek the sheep is a lot lighter and a little chilly, after his date with shearer Peter Casserley at Cromwell in Central Otago. After more than 27 kilograms - and six years - of fleece was removed from the wether merino, it was noticed that Shrek was shivering, despite his new protective jacket. So he spent tonight indoors, after being stripped down in front of a large crowd at Golden Gate Lodge in Cromwell. He produced 27.5 kilos of wool, which is being sold on-line at $100 a staple, with the proceeds going to Cure Kids, which raises funds for research into children's illnesses. Cure Kids chief executive Kaye Parker says the money is going to a worthy cause. She says medical research costs a lot but enables cures to be found for children with illnesses. Bids can be made online at www.shrekauction.co.nz ANOTHER BABY DIES IN BATH SEAT ------------------------------ The drowning of a child in Adelaide, which is being blamed on a baby bath seat, echoes a similar accident in New Zealand. Adelaide coroner Wayne Chivell is calling for a national ban on the seats. He found a seven-month- old child drowned after his legs slipped between holes in the Stay'nPlay seat, which is no longer being made. The baby's mother had left him alone in the bath while she answered the phone. Plunket's child safety adviser Sue Campbell says a similar death happened in Auckland towards the end of last year. She says it highlights the need to be vigilant. KIDS WANT MORE INFO WHEN PARENTS SPLIT -------------------------------------- Children of couples going through divorce say they want to be better informed about what is going on. Victoria University PHD student Andrea Rigg is asking nine to 18- year-olds how they feel about their parents' separation. She says the young people she has interviewed have been very pragmatic about how they fit into the process of divorce. Ms Rigg says they want to know why the divorce is happening and be involved in making decisions about what happens after the split. She has so far spoken to 20 young people but to make sure her results are accurate, wants to interview at least another 30. HOSPITAL ATTACKS CANCER WAITING LIST ------------------------------------ Auckland City Hospital hopes to eliminate its waiting list for cancer treatment by the end of the year. It is about to start sending up to five patients a week to Hamilton for treatment because there is spare capacity at Waikato Hospital. Until now, about 30 patients a month have gone to Australia, with the added cost being borne by the Ministry of Health. Auckland City Hospital's Dr John Childs says the waiting list has been caused by a shortage of radiation therapists, but he hopes that over the next six months or so the hospital will have full staffing. Thursday, 29 April ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ KIWI COMPANIES CASH IN ON LARGER EU ----------------------------------- New Zealand companies are already positioning themselves to take advantage of the world's largest developed market. The British Consulate General in Auckland says there has been a surge in the number of companies looking at using the UK as a springboard into the enlarged EU, which from Saturday will have a population of 450 million, more than one-and-a-half times bigger than the United States. Consul-General Stephen Turner says the new EU members make up a hungry new market for New Zealand goods. He says New Zealand's historic links with the UK make it a good place to base a European campaign. Mr Turner says if companies base themselves in the UK, they get British Government help to grow into Europe. Companies already with bases in the UK include Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, Jade Software and Pulse Data. MICROCHIPS WILL FOIL PASSPORT FORGERS ------------------------------------- Internal Affairs is convinced new passports carrying embedded microchips will make it more difficult for the documents to be forged. The need to improve security on New Zealand travel documents has been highlighted by the discovery of 11 fake kiwi passports in Thailand. They were found during a police raid in Bangkok on Monday, and it's feared other forged passports may have fallen into the hands of terrorists. Internal affairs spokesman Tony Wallace says microchips will be part of passports in the future, and this will make any fakes easy to spot at border controls. He says the microchips will have a duplicate photo and biographical data specific to the holder, making forgeries more difficult. Arrests Two men - a Thai and his Pakistani accomplice - were arrested in the Bangkok raids. They had a total of 23 fake passports in their apartment. The arrests followed the detention last month of another Pakistani suspect, found with 12 bogus New Zealand passports. The Bangkok Post newspaper says the passports might have been used by al Qaeda- linked terrorist suspects or human traffickers. The documents have serial numbers beginning with N379, which allows visa-free entry to several countries. Thai police say terrorist suspects arrested in Europe have travelled to several nations carrying fake passports with such serial numbers. (Inventions always foil the bad guys until they figure a way round it, and they always do - BH) PORN CASE SUPPRESSION LAPSES ---------------------------- Name suppression has lapsed on a man jailed for seven months on Internet child pornography charges. Hamilton man Peter John Riddell is serving a seven-month term. He was found guilty of 52 charges of collecting and distributing videos and pictures of adults sexually abusing children. The children were aged from two to 14. Riddell sought permanent name suppression, but the court has refused his application. The Department of Internal Affairs says its policy is to oppose name suppression in such cases. It says having offenders identified in public is an important deterrent to others. TAPU INCREASES RESOURCE CONSENT COSTS ------------------------------------- Whangarei's Mayor is angry after some rural properties were declared sacred. An interim deal between the Whangarei District Council and Ngararatunua Marae means any resource consent will require a costly historical assessment. Specific areas of significance have not been identified and currently a blanket tapu affects several hundred properties. Mayor Craig Brown says it is out of Council hands after the Environment Court imposed the ruling. He says he does not agree with it, he is not happy with it, and he does not believe the council is happy with it. However, he says it is an interim measure until a planned change can be brought about. Craig Brown says a district plan change to justify areas of significance could take until the end of the year or longer. MONTE CASSINO TRIP CLOSER FOR VETERANS -------------------------------------- More than half the money needed to get an extra 75 veterans to the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino has been raised. So far $320,000 had been raised, $150,000 of which was given by the Government. 'Our Heroes' Trust organiser Greg Evans says they are organising two doctors, paramedics and three nurses to fly with the veterans to Italy next month. In all they need about $550,000 and donations can be made at any branch of the BNZ bank or by ringing 0900 43 763. ANTIQUES EXPERT AXED FROM ROADSHOW ---------------------------------- Derk Dykema will not be hosting the Napier Lions fundraising antiques roadshow on Saturday as planned. Suggestions he was not involved in the British TV show "Antiques Roadshow" and news he was imprisoned in 1997 for trying to sell stolen antiques have prompted organisers to drop him. He was described on Wednesday's edition of TV One's Breakfast programme as one of the 'stars of the British Antiques Roadshow', though this statement was later retracted on the TVNZ website. Mr Dykema himself claimed to have worked as a consultant on the programme in a newspaper interview. However, a BBC spokeswoman says no-one on the Antiques Roadshow production team had heard of Mr Dykema. Convener Brenda Beattie says the proceeds are to go to Hearing Dogs for Deaf. But she says they were prepared to pull out if Mr Dykema was to be the host. Ms Beattie says the Napier Lions are now looking for a new antiques expert to host Saturday's event. (I heard this fellow on the radio. He is genuinely knowledgeable about antiques. It is a pity that this had to happen - BH) TV'S LANA COC-KROFT SERIOUSLY ILL --------------------------------- Broadcasting celebrity Lana Coc-Kroft is seriously ill in Auckland Hospital. The former national beauty queen has been medivaced from Fiji, where she had been filming the TV reality show Celebrity Treasure Island. Her agent Andy Haden says his client was feverish and delirious when she was flown back to Auckland on Wednesday morning, and she remains that way in hospital. He says Dengue Fever and Typhoid tests have come back negative, but those symptoms could still develop. Andy Haden says Ms Coc-Kroft's partner and family are at her bedside. He says he doesn't fear for her life, but her condition is serious. The rest of the Treasure Island cast and crew are back New Zealand as scheduled. WTO CRITICAL OF NZ FISHERIES PROPOSAL ------------------------------------- New Zealand has proposed to the World Trade Organisation the prohibition of the estimated $30 billion in fisheries subsidies paid out worldwide. Trade Negotiations Minister Jim Sutton says world fisheries are in crisis and subsidies are a part of the problem. He says large parts of the industry are suffering and is having acute social as well as commercial impacts. At the WTO in Geneva, the proposed prohibition has immediately been criticised by the European Union as brutal and over the top. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are also opposed to the move. CONCERNS OVER FREE ACCESS TO XENICAL ------------------------------------ There is concern freeing up Xenical could make people rely on it, instead of use it in a weight-loss plan. The drug that affects fat absorption is being made available in Australia without a prescription. Australia's National Drugs and Poisons Schedule Committee's decision means consumers can buy Xenical over the counter without having to talk to their doctor first. There have now been calls in this country for the New Zealand Medical Association to consider similar moves. National's health spokeswoman Lynda Scott says it is an effective drug in the management of obesity - but she says that is with the watchful eye of a GP. Dr Scott is concerned it would be freely accessible to teenage girls and people with eating disorders. There have also been concerns raised in Australia that use of the drug could affect vitamin absorption by young people who need them most. Xenical works by preventing the body from processing a third of the fat eaten by the patient. The spare fat is excreted normally. However, along with the spare fat, the body is also getting rid of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Doctors say that teenagers who use Xenical should also be put on vitamin supplements. MAN JAILED FOR KILLING SON -------------------------- A Hawke's Bay man has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after beating his son to death because he thought he was taking drugs. Rangikotua Wano pleaded guilty to manslaughter over the killing of his 15-year-old son Rocky Wano at Tuai late last year. Wano senior was originally charged with murder but police reduced the indictment to manslaughter and he pleaded guilty. The Crown says he had received a call from a local marae claiming his son was there, and 'out of it'. Thinking he was on drugs, Wano senior intercepted the boy on his way home and beat him with his fists and feet, and again later at another address. He took the boy home, where he died in bed that night of a blood clot to the surface of the brain. Friday, 30 April ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PORT STRIKE WILL HURT MANUFACTURERS ----------------------------------- Major South Island manufacturers are preparing to lose millions of dollars as workers at the Lyttelton Port Company begin strike action. Staff have walked off the job until at least Monday. The dispute involves the use of permanent part-time workers and the ratio between them and permanent full-time staff. Solid Energy predicts it will lose half a million dollars in coal exports. Dairy companies are also preparing for financial setbacks. Chief Executive of the Lyttelton Port Company Peter Davie says discussions between both parties over the last two days have failed to result in a solution. The Port Company says it is particularly disappointed about the timing of the strike, as it is affects a high proportion of its customers during what is for many, a peak exporting time. AUCKLAND BEHIND IN RADIATION THERAPY ------------------------------------ The Cancer Society is questioning why Auckland City Hospital is failing to attract radiation therapists. Cancer patients are being sent to Waikato Hospital and to Australia for treatment because of staff shortages in Auckland. Dr Peter Dady from the Cancer Society, says increased numbers of radiation therapists are graduating and are being hired and retained by other hospitals. He believes Auckland needs to focus more on retaining the valuable staff it already has if it wants to reduce waiting lists for cancer patients. An Auckland DHB spokesman says the hospital plans have full staffing by the end of the year. SKYCITY RAISES THE STAKES IN HAMILTON ------------------------------------- SkyCity has increased its stake in Hamilton's Riverside Casino by buying up Tainui's 15 percent holding for $10.5 million. The purchase means SkyCity now has 70 percent of the business. Hamilton-based Perry Developments owns the remaining 30 percent. SkyCity Entertainment Group Managing Director Evan Davies says developments such as the recently announced expansion of Hamilton Airport have encouraged the company to invest further in Waikato. The deal is subject to regulatory approval. NEW STUDY OF GAY COMMUNITIES ---------------------------- A Massey University research project is focussing on New Zealand's gay and lesbian communities. Called Lavender Islands, the project has been launched by openly-gay cabinet minister Chris Carter. The researchers say it is the first time an in-depth study has been undertaken to look specifically at the gay and lesbian community, as previous studies of the group have been mostly problem- focused, looking at health and social problems The research will examine everything from personal identities to politics and career choices. It will endeavour to develop a broad understanding of issues such as sexual behaviour, sexual attraction, sexual fantasies and emotional attraction. Dr Mark Henrickson believes Lavender Islands is the most comprehensive study of the group done to date in New Zealand and expects the findings to be of international significance. The gay and lesbian population in New Zealand is conservatively estimated to number about 75,000 people. The researchers want at least 3,000 people to participate in the study. THE FINANCIAL PAGE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date: 30 April 2004 Brian Dooley Wellington New Zealand CURRENCIES ~~~~~~~~~~ The currency codes given below conform to ISO 4217, which can be found at http://www.xe.net/currency/iso_4217.htm. The rates given are for telegraphic transfer. To Buy NZD 1.00 USD 0.6279 AUD 0.8678 GBP 0.3546 JPY 69.36 CAD 0.8940 EUR 0.5321 HKD 4.9125 SGD 1.0697 ZAR 4.3840 CHF 0.8233 INTEREST RATES (%) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Call : 5.50 90 Day: 5.65 HOW TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brian Harmer does NOT administer the mailing list. Please do not send subscription related messages to him. Instead, visit the website listed below, where you can make changes as required. _______________________________________________ WYSIWYG News mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you wish to unsubscribe, please visit http://wysiwygnews.com/mailman/listinfo/news Mailing List services provided by OneSquared <http://www.onesquared.net/>
