August and September 2011

Don was invited to the opening ceremonies for the Environmental Research Institute at Waikato University in Hamilton, NZ and to address the Ecological Society of New Zealand, in Rotorua. Hamilton is about 50 km due west of Rotorua, which is about 2/3 of the distance from Rotorua to the coast on this little map. 

Hamilton is a large city by New Zealand standards. The beautiful Waikato River flows through the town.

Don was greeted in Maori to the affair at the Environmental Research Institute by the local Maori potentate, Kaumauta Rui Rapana.  According to an official announcement, "Kaumātua Rewi Rapana is of Tuwhare Pā Ngāti Haua Werewere and Ngāti Raukawa. Rewi was nominated for the position of University kaumātua by Dr Hare Puke, and this nomination was confirmed by King Tūheitia." The only English words in the Rui's speech were Don's name!  Attending the King were his retinue, men and women dressed as he in business suits, with tattooing, "moko," visible on their hands and necks (no photo). The retinue sang him a song of tribute in Maori at the end of his welcoming speech. The King had no visible moko.

The Maori and their language have done well in modern New Zealand. They own much productive land, businesses, and even their own TV channel that broadcasts in Maori.  And, most importantly, Maori inspire the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team! Check out the haka before the All Blacks-Tonga match at the World Cup, last week.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXpJuZgbjH4


Back to the affair at the Environmental Research Institute

Don's speech at the Institute followed that by Jim Bolger, the previous Prime Minister of NZ. He is presently Chancellor of Waikato University. I have chosen to show you a photo of Jim with Nelson Mandela instead of the photo with Don because both Jim and his companion look better in this shot than in the one from the opening ceremony (http://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-events/media/2011/08new-environmental-research-institute-stresses-need-for-sound-science.shtml). Jim is a colorful character (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Bolger). Upon being introduced, he asked Don if the US was going to make the next interest payment to Beijing. Among his other comments was that neither President Bush took his advice, "and look what happened."



Landscape

 

Don enjoyed several long walks along the  beautiful Waikato River, just down from the hotel in Hamilton. The Waikato is NZ's longest river and has multiple dams and power generation sites along its length. Flowing rapidly through Hamilton, the river has a ways to go to the next dam and power station. A large fraction of NZ's electricity is hydro.  The next largest fraction is from coal, with which the country is well endowed. The Waikato River cools a large coal fired electrical station. 

No nuclear power is a point of pride for New Zealand. It also is a point of practicality given their history of earthquakes and volcanos. A geologist told me that there is no safe spot for nuclear power in New Zealand. He smiled when I asked him if there were a good spot for nuclear power in Japan.

Scenes along the Waikato River as it flows through Hamilton.

Brit spelling extravaganza

 Putting the boat away

Homes of the affluent line the river front.

Day trip from Hamilton to the new marine station at Tauranga.

Walk in the mangroves examining problems of invasive species and pollution from an old dump site on the hill above the salt marsh.

Charming native moor hen, the Pukeko. They are abundant on the North Island

Up Mt. Maunganui! The white spots are multiple legs of lamb.

And, finally, the summit! Great exercise.

To the north, a pine plantation. Maori owned. Lots of logs for China!

On to Rotorua and the meeting of the Ecological Society of New Zealand

 Check out the progamme and reference to yours truly.

http://www.nzecologyconference2011.com/index.cfm?id=204.

Rotorua is the land of hot springs and volcanos.

Karin arrives!

We visit the Rotorua Museum, viewed over the hot springs from our hotel window.

Scones for tea time.

Viewing from the roof of the museum.

Lots of art around Rotorua.

Stuff we did in Rotorua.

Our Maori chef at the meal cooked in the ground.

Kiwi at the game park.

Kia performing maintenance on an automobile.

Sheep shearing, not to be missed!

Dog herding sheep.


On to Auckland.

We stayed at the Quadrant, a thoroughly hip hotel that Erik found for us near the harbor                         (and it was cheap!).

 They are not shy about promoting their image of being on the cutting edge. We partied with the French rugby enthusiasts in the bar, for a while, until they began singing "Viv Sarkozy." (no photo).




Art in the park

Harbor cruise to Rangitoto Island. From the Wikipedia, "Rangitoto was formed by a series of eruptions between 600 and 700 years ago. Scientists are in dispute about the length of the eruptions, which are thought to have lasted (with interruptions) for 10 to 200 years."My friends Bruce and Bev Clarkson have studied the vegetation succession on Rangitoto.

Omnipresent biosecurity concern in New Zealand. Rangitoto is home to kiwi and other native birds, which are saved only on islands where the introduced rodents are continually trapped out.

Intertidal oysters.

Back to the harbor for green lipped mussels.

Our final fling, sailing on the 1998 America's cup boat.

Big Mainsail!

 

This boat is as perfectly balanced as could be. Close hauled12 knots of wind, 10 knots headway.

 

Don trimming the head sails.  

We then we popped the 160 gennaker, but a fluky wind carried us at 20 knots onto the lee shore.          6 of us were required to douse it into a cavernous hold. Dark down there!

 

Mast fits under the bridge, but only at low tide!   

The bungi jumpers gave us wide berth.

Karin at the helm. High to lee!


Strolling around Auckland before our plane for SF.

Nice Triumph Thruxton