New Zealand

Other traveller reviews on New Zealand

Lily Nguyen — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:28:00 GMT

Read New Zealand travel reviews by other travellers from our friends at bugbitten.

Tramp Mount Cook, New Zealand

Jahn Vannisselroy — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:15:00 GMT

I hadn’t heard of Mt Cook, or Aoraki (meaning ‘Cloud Piercer’) as the Maori call it, until I was on a flight into Christchurch.

The Kiwi pensioner sat next to me was anxiously looking out of the window. First flight nerves, I thought. She finally pointed out a snow-smothered summit poking proudly through the clouds.

I made an ambiguous “oh-ooh” noise, pretending I recognised it. It was an undeniably dashing bugger and I was intrigued, so I made plans to go for a closer look.

Highest mountain in Australasia

At 3754m, Aoraki/Mt Cook isn’t high by world standards. But it is the highest mountain in Australasia – a very large region indeed.

It looks like a mountain from a children’s book, with big muscular shoulders sloping away on either side, except that the top of its head has been lopped off, giving it an abrupt and slightly dissatisfying apex.

It looks daunting yet handsome, with the gleaming glacial lake in front of it a vast carpet leading up to a throne.

Peak a boo

Aoraki/Mt Cook is often hooded by cloud, so only a privileged few ever get to see the very top.

The peak is king of the World Heritage-listed national park of the same name, about halfway down the South Island.

The park is a beautiful yet (as I find out) cruel kingdom of rock and ice.

Around 40 per cent of it is glacier and it includes the Tasman Glacier – New Zealand’s largest and longest – and another 18 peaks over 3000m.

Maori legends about Mount Cook

According to Maori mythology, a young boy called Aoraki was with his brothers in a canoe when it got stuck on a reef and tilted to one side.

The boys sat on the wreck but the wind froze them, turning them into stone and creating the South Island’s rugged spine.

It’s offensive to the Maori to climb to the top of the summit – effectively the head of one of their ancestors – so most right-minded mountaineers stop just short.

Climbing Aoraki/Mt Cook is a serious activity – it’s a technical peak – and someone dies on it nearly every year.

Tramp around at Aoraki

At first I’m happy enough to stare at the magic mountain and do a series of short walks to viewpoints, neighbouring peaks and glaciers.

The best tramp takes you up to the Mueller Hut. It’s an exhausting four-hour ascent, which rewards me with a cosy cabin and five-star views of the glorious giant.

The hut warden says the last five sunsets have been cloudy, but I watch Aoraki/Mt Cook in wonder as pinks, mauves and oranges splash across it, like an amazing silent disco I wasn’t invited to. As my camera purrs, I can’t believe my luck.

The next day I pick up a hitchhiker. He is elated (if smelly), raving about a tramp over Aoraki/Mt Cook’s shoulder.

The two- to three-day Ball Pass Crossing is more a route than a trail (no signs means navigational skills are needed) and the pass is blanketed in snow. Although he warns me he found it pretty hairy in places, I have to do it.

Safety first in New Zealand

The Department of Conservation (DOC) calls the route “demanding”, but I’ve done plenty of tramping in New Zealand – how difficult can it be?

I hire crampons and an ice axe, talk the route through in Cook Village’s DOC office and start out, full of gung-ho hubris. I think I am uber mountaineer Reinhold Messner. But I’m about to become a different type of mess.

On the second day, after carefully climbing an icy gully, I come to scree (an accumulation of broken rock fragments), and so remove my crampons. I reach a patch of compact snow that bars my path and disappears off the side of the mountain somewhere. It seems friendly enough so I don’t bother sitting down and reattaching my crampons.

About three strides later, after an unexpected, though I like to think nevertheless convincing, Laurel and Hardy impression, I find myself hurtling uncontrollably downhill.

Self-arresting with the axe doesn’t work – the snow is bulletproof. I carry on sliding with increasing speed, towards the end of the runway, and possibly the end of – well, me.

Descend carefully on Mount Cook

It seems my only option is to try and snag myself on to some fast-moving rocks to my side. A few reluctant sideways rolls take me off the snow and into the relatively welcome rocks.

They stop my descent, and thoughtfully seek out any remaining patches of uncut exposed skin and have their wicked way with them. I am a bloody mess. But I’ve never felt so alive.

About an hour later, while my mind is blown by views of peaks and high fields of snow and I relive my lucky escape, the answer to the Aoraki/Mt Cook conundrum comes to me. Maybe this mountain is relatively unknown because it’s dangerous, and Kiwis don’t want inexperienced pillocks like me killing themselves on it.

Quite considerate, really.

Essentially New Zealand

Ideas for travel in the Land of the Long White Cloud

1. Take in the wondrous scenery on one of the country’s many well-maintained tramping tracks.

2. Hear Maori stories, partake in their traditional customs and visit their ornate wooden meeting houses.

3. Do one of the many Lord Of The Rings tours and see the sites for Isengard, Edoras and Rivendell, or go in a hobbit hole.

4. Bungee jump in the country that created it. Suspended above a canyon, the 143m Nevis Bungee is particularly pant-ruining.

5. Visit windy Wellington, the country’s capital, and kick-back in cosy cafés, smart bars and cool museums.

6. Swim with seals or dolphins, and spot sperm whales off Kaikoura.

7. Hike on one of the west coast glaciers and get happily lost in the ice kingdoms.

8. Take an overnight boat cruise on the fjords of Milford or Doubtful Sound.

9. Experience the thermal spas, geysers and other-worldly smells of Rotorua.

Fergburger and the finest walk in the world. TNT Travel Writing Awards 2009

TNT Travel Writing & Photography Awards — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:43:00 GMT

A TNT Travel Writing Awards entrant

Author: Micah Sarut

Leaving in the dark hours of the morning, driving down the road to the end of the world, we battled sleet, snow, gusts of wind, and terrible chill. The clouds cleared as dawn broke over our destination, the small hamlet of Te Anau, in the southwest corner of New Zealand's South Island. The world felt flat here, and we were perilously close to the edge. Effectively there was only one road in or out, and beyond the impossibly bright green manicured lawns of the modest cottages and the cold waters of Lake Te Anau, the otherworldly mountains of the extraordinary Fiordland National Park draped perfectly across the horizon like a painted movie set. We would soon begin our trek through these distant valleys and over misty passes, through a landscape so incredibly dramatic as to be utterly unique. Like so many national parks, it was created simply because it was of no use for agriculture or industry. I'd like to think it was because it was so spectacular.

This, of course, did not stop some enterprising men from leaping on the opportunity to generate some form of income from the area. To this end, in 1888 pioneering Scotsmen Quintin Mackinnon and Donald Sutherland were commissioned to cut the Milford Track from existing Māori trails to create a guided tourist attraction. The footsteps we were to follow were well travelled, but even with this long legacy of mass tourism the track was simply a thin ribbon of inconsequential human occupation cut nervously through a grand and indifferent landscape.

Crossing Lake Te Anau and heading for the trail head, it was hard not to look into the fathomless depths and think of poor, charismatic Mackinnon. Curiously famous for his mutton fat scones and parrot stew, he drowned in the lake some years after becoming the track's first guide. The water itself was clear and pure as it splashed against the hull, yet the lake appeared a black so deep it seemed to mourn the loss today. The allusion was hard to ignore. Departing from a small wharf off a lonely road, we crossed the blackness of the lake to head for a new world of jagged and snow-dusted peaks. We had paid the coin to the ferryman to carry us across the River Styx, right into the open mouth of Hades.

Four days hiking the Milford Track was a journey through an ecosystem unlike any other. It was as if we had been transported to another planet that developed in a similar fashion to Earth, or perhaps more accurately, Earth hundreds of millions of years ago. Impossibly vertical rock faces, cut by successions of glacial activity, pushed their way ever skyward, encapsulating lush valleys blanketed with emerald green fern and beech forests. These valleys illustrated an image of the primeval, nature in unrefined infancy. They evoked oil painted artist's renditions of prehistoric landscapes depicting dinosaurs munching grass (or each other) that so enlivened the pages of mid-century issues of National Geographic. Despite these appearances, Fiordland is surprisingly far from prehistoric: only a paltry two million years old, long after the last dinosaur perished. What I found especially extraordinary was the existence of an ostrich-like species of carnivorous bird that stood over two metres tall. It was hunted to extinction only recently. It is such a shame we humans have a proclivity for destruction, for what a fabulously surreal encounter that would have made along the way.

In a stroke of marketing genius, the far-away editor of the London Spectator in 1908 re-named a rather modestly titled essay about the Milford Track from ‘A Notable Walk' to 'The Finest Walk in the World'. It stuck, but he quite obviously had never been, for it was definitely not a walk. It was four days of torturous yet rewarding pain. Like the world around us, we found the hike to be equally primal. As there was no provision for meals for independent hikers, all forms of sustenance had to be carried on one's back. For a self-confessed bon vivant, this was a culinary disaster, as there was no other option than to endure a motley collection of bland and dehydrated trail foods. The fantastically absurd exception was two kilograms of spaghetti bolognese that we desperately managed to prepare prior to setting off. When the trail became increasingly difficult, which began in the knee-shredding switchback ascension of the Mackinnon Pass whilst brutally lashed by hurricane winds and sleet, there was only one chance of survival. Struggling with the extra weight of fresh meat sauce, it was imperative that we focused on a ray of hope, a shining beacon to follow to victory. It was Fergburger that got us through.

The night before we left we discovered Fergburger, a small hamburger bar in the charming streets of Queenstown which provided us the extra cholesterol necessary to prevent the dangerous possibility of losing weight during the hike. Amongst the alarming Australasian toppings of beetroot and fried egg, the true version of the hamburger was there: juicy patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, tomato relish, and fresh buns. Combined with homemade french fries, an icy Coke, and perfectly surly service, we became instantly addicted. Together with some fellow trekkers we persuaded to join us, it was no surprise that it would be the one thing we would seek out first upon our return to civilisation. The luxuriously named Pierre Laurent Ho-Yin Chin-Dickey and his friend Kristen were especially excited to try the delights of Mr. Ferg and his burgers, to the point of driving through the night to join us there upon completion of the trek.

Fergburger famously never closed. Returning from the trek, we headed merrily and with great anticipation straight for the door of the establishment. It was closed for four days for refurbishment. Pierre and Kristen, unable to join us after all and without a way to contact us, made the same discovery the next day. After receiving an angry missive, I never heard from Pierre again.

Learning to fly. TNT Travel Writing Awards 2009

TNT Travel Writing & Photography Awards — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:49:00 GMT

A TNT Travel Writing Awards entrant

Author: Tracey Price

I wake up just before dawn in Franz Joseph, Westland Tai Poutini National Park, a World Heritage Site in West coast New Zealand, South Island. It encompasses temperate rainforest, lakes and famous glaciers. It is springtime. Rain has fallen continually for 5 days. This is not unusual due to the proximity of the Southern Alps and the prevailing North Westerly winds. But forecasts today say rain will not fall, which is a fortunate prerequisite for this morning. However, I've slept badly and have a sickening sensation within. I bite the bullet. I've committed to facing my fear.

The seed for 'extreme sports' in New Zealand was planted with the commercialisation of the ancient Vanuatuan ritual known today as bungee jumping. 20 years on, New Zealand has a reputation for heart pounding, dry mouth encounters which can be endured and enjoyed through a multitude of activities in this fearless nation. It is in Aoetera, land of the long white cloud, that I challenge myself to a sky dive over Fox Glacier at 12,000 feet. Our chirpy Kiwi driver rolls up bright and early, to collect the damned.

During the 25 minute journey the driver narrates our fate. We'll get a jump suit. We'll practice some moves. The plane is a 4 seater. We'll free fall at 200 kilometres per hour for 45 seconds. Our instructor will take care of everything. Once the parachute opens, he'll control it, making turns so we may experience the G-force effect as we descend. Should anyone not be keen on feeling the G-force, we should let our instructor know. Nervous chatter pours out and my fear reigns supreme, subdued temporarily by a song, Sex on Fire. The driver turns up the radio and I focus my attention on the rising sun.

We arrive at a homely, friendly place. A cat and dog meander around, unfazed. We all laugh at the toy like yellow plane under the corrugated iron shelter. We sign a disclaimer. We meet 2 instructors, men in their fifties, strong, serious, mischievous Kiwis. I identify the one I trust, eyeball him and blurt out "Am I going up with you?" He instinctively replies "'Yeah darlin'" without a hint of condescension. We all practice the 'banana' demonstrated by him. "Curve backwards without bending your knees, that's it darlin' you got it, the girls know what they're doing, boys you're not doing the Haka! Don't bend your knees! push your dangly bits out as far as you can and make a banana with your back, yep that's better, you've got it, alright who's going first?" It's decided I should.

The engine starts, the door closes. I sit between the legs of my instructor. He is behind, buckling, attaching and tightening things, insisting I'm going to love it. I ask how long he's been doing this, he replies 30 years. I say it must be a bore humouring scaredy cats like me. "Quite the opposite darlin', you'll get more out of this than anyone else I'll see today." We climb high. I see virgin white snow between jagged rocks. This is Mount Cook, Aoraki, the highest mountain in New Zealand and we are almost eye level with the peak. The sky is flawless blue against perfect white, morning sun floods in.

We're nearly at altitude. My brain does not, perhaps cannot comprehend it. He fits my eye mask and hat, points the camcorder at me for a few last words. I can't. He whispers words one might use to reassure a frightened infant. The plane lurches. My stomach churns. He shouts " We are at 12,000 feet and we're going sky diving!" he whoops and cheers. The door flings up, deafening gushing air engulfs us all, I swing my legs round so they hang outside and I do the banana. "Look at the camera and give us the thumbs up eh?" My eyes locate the wing camera and surprisingly I deliver the gesture. "Good on ya darlin', OK I'm counting down from 3..."

When fear becomes futile, liberation blooms.

He didn't count out loud. I feel his weight suddenly. This is the best. It's like falling through a dream. The body turns. The plane under carriage gets smaller. We face down. 3 taps to the head signal to uncross the arms, stretch them out. There is the unearthly feeling of flying and floating. Laughing out loud turns the face to jelly; it wobbles and contorts to alien shapes. Breathing could be done through the nose as mouths seem unable to close again when opened during free fall.

The body plummets but the mind stays still, absorbed by the moment.

The parachute snaps open. The harness strains, now shooting upwards, I scream, legs flailing. The vast red canopy steadies, there is an illusion of being stationary. Then utter silence and views of ocean, shore line, green landscape. Suddenly there's whooping and cheering and "How'd ya like that Tracy?" I respond, blabbering with euphoria. It's a while before I register the camcorder still in my face. Now I want to feel the G-force. Like an excited child, I make the request. Later I would be told the screaming could be heard back at base.

We practice the landing position. Soon I feel the skidding of thick cotton overalls against grass. With weak legs I stand, making predictable, happy sounds. My instructor says in legitimate jest "There it is, oh my god, oh my god. The ‘oh my gods' are back in town!" I step aside and watch the next guy land. We have a few minutes exuberant celebration then pile in the car and drive back to base where the others await their turn. I seek out my instructor. He's busy re-packing the parachute. I hang around him like a puppy wagging it's tail. "You're a different woman now ain't ya darlin'?" I conclude that indeed I am. As they say in New Zealand, sweet as... sweet as.

Relaxing in Golden Bay, New Zealand

Jahn Vannisselroy — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:17:00 GMT

Although we sane ones thought her statement was ridiculous, none of us had the heart to argue against it.

A month later, Hannah invited me to Golden Bay.

It’s an area at the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island that stretches for 45km from long, sandy Fairwell Spit down to the Abel Tasman National Park.

From the moment I landed in Nelson, I fell for South Island.

I’d never been anywhere so beautiful and yet so humble, but as we made our way along State Highway 60 to Golden Bay I started to realise I hadn’t seen the half of it.

Mountains became bigger and better, blanketed in an atmospheric mist. I turned to Hannah and pointed to a dark cave covered in vines: “That’s where the hobbits live, isn’t it?”

Original I know, but I was only half joking. If scenery this magical existed then I, too, was beginning to believe that anything else could.

We were staying at a friend’s cottage in the tiny hamlet of Westhaven.

The cottage stood on the edge of a jagged cliff face and the Tasman Sea shimmered in the distance.

The next morning it was time to explore the beaches.

Surfboards and trikes at the ready, we set off on the small dirt road to Paturau, stopping at a tiny cafe called The Nugget in Mangarakau for a breakfast of homemade muffins.

As we approached Paturau, a stunning sandy stretch on Golden Bay’s Tai Tapu coast, something didn’t feel right.

I couldn’t put my finger on it, but then it struck me — there was no one else in sight. The only creatures to greet us were a flock of seagulls who made a quick exit when the trikes revved up.

It was the perfect place for my first surfing lesson — no one to embarrass myself in front of and all the room I needed.

A couple of hours later we headed to Anatori, a beach further south, to find better waves.

Something even more unusual than fairies awaited us here — people.

A couple were camping right beside the beach, enjoying (until we arrived) a romantic retreat.

That evening we barbecued, drank too much, and passed out in the glorious silence of Golden Bay.

The following day it was time to travel back to civilisation, but not before we stopped off at Takaka, a delightfully laid-back town just west of the Abel Tasman National Park.

We had lunch at the Mussel Inn, a cabin filled with a fruity range of both beer and locals.

With live music and tasty grub, it’s no surprise it’s a popular drinking hole for the people of Golden Bay.

Our stay was meant to be a short one but when an American guitarist called Panda started an acoustic set we couldn’t leave.

And as a storm began thundering outside we settled in for the night.

Panda slapped his hand against the guitar, thumped his feet on the floor and growled into the microphone as the locals and odd traveller watched in awe.

It was the sort of performance that only belonged in that quiet corner of New Zealand.

Returning via the Takaka Hill to Nelson, I was thankful that I had gone off the tourist trail to discover this enchanting area of New Zealnd.

With my Golden Bay adventure wrapped up I too was a believer in “all those things”.

Well, almost.

The lowdown on Nelson

Location

The small town of Nelson lies near the glorious Tasman Bay on the northern coast of South Island.

It’s 50km from the Abel Tasman National Park — New Zealand’s most popular national park.

Trips across the Cook Strait to Wellington are simple with boats leaving from nearby Picton.

Vibe

With its perfect proportions, Nelson is the model town of New Zealand.

It’s big enough to keep tourists entertained all year round, but small enough for the locals to know one another.

While Kiwis are a friendly lot you can’t beat the warm smiles and gentle manners of Nelson folk.

Eat and drink

For a small town Nelson manages to serve up a delicious variety of food.

The cafe culture has also made its mark so there’s no shortage of good coffee or places to watch the world go by.

Hit Trafalgar Street if you’re looking for some late -night action.

Things to do

For a bit of culture visit Nelson’s Provincial Museum.

Entry is free and it’s a chance to learn more about the area’s history.

Feeling a little more adventurous?

Then there are plenty of high adrenaline activities to try out, including paragliding, hang gliding, kite boarding and rock climbing.

The market on Saturday morning is well worth a visit, with lots of food, fresh produce and fashion stalls to peruse.

Getting there

Air New Zealand offers internal flights to Nelson’s diminutive domestic airport.

Other retreats on the South Island

With idyllic hideaways covering the South Island from top to bottom, it’s hard for travellers to know where to head first. Here are a few top South Island getaways:

Marlborough Sounds

Starting at the north of the South Island this extensive network of sea-drowned valleys is spectacular.

As you gaze out at the five-star scenery it would be understandable if you start to feel you deserve five-star accommodation to match the view.

Good job that there are many top range resorts and health spas in the area.

If you want to explore the sounds more, why not hop into a kayak and discover the remote bays, coves and inlets? See www.soundswild.co.nz

Arthur’s Pass

As 30 per cent of New Zealand’s land is covered by national parks it can be difficult to travel across the country without bumping into one.

Lying west of Christchurch is Arthur’s Pass National Park, a paradise for alpine lovers.

With towering mountains and rainforests it’s a great tramping area and good for skiing during the winter.

Camping is free at Klondyke Corner, 8km south of the pass, or camp at the basic public shelter.

To enjoy a stunning view of the national park, take a ride on the TranzAlpine train (www.tranzscenic.co.nz). Warning: there may be other people on the train but you can ignore them.

Mount Cook

With its glaciers and frosted mountain top Mount Cook is the perfect place for a getaway (and those who studied geography at school will appreciate every glaciated valley and truncated spur).

Although the Mount Cook village is popular with tourists you don’t have to climb very far until you are alone.

Sir Edmund Hillary used the mountain to train for his Everest mission and in his memory the Alpine Centre pays tribute to one of the world’s most famous explorers.

If the Hermitage Hotel is outside your price bracket there are a range of B&Bs and hostels. Or you can even opt for a farm stay.

Glenorchy

Glenorchy is a low-key and humble town.

About 25km from Glenorchy the tiny kinloch at the head of Lake Wakatipu is the launch pad for some of South Island’s best tramps.

For those on a budget there is a campsite at Kinloch Lodge or you could upgrade to a bunkhouse or more elegant 19th-century heritage room , which the lodge has on offer.

New Zealand Art Deco Weekend

Daniel Landon — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:38:00 GMT

What: Art Deco Weekend

Where: Napier, New Zealand

When: February 17–22

The 1930s were a high point for fashion and design, and this stylish era comes to life in a town that has New Zealand’s (possibly the world’s) best examples of art deco.

There’s a range of activities on offer in Napier (and nearby Hastings), including displays of vintage vehicles, balls, picnics and a bathing suit brunch.

See www.artdeconapier.com

Vettori wants batsmen to make amends

JOANNE CACKETT — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:34:00 GMT

New Zealand cricket captain Daniel Vettori admitted his free-hitting batsmen went outside the gameplan today, but wants them given a chance to make amends against the West Indies.

Vettori added a note of caution to calls for change in the top six for the first test against West Indies starting in Dunedin on December 11 despite his disappointment at their capitulation in the loss to Australia by an innings and 62 run defeat in the second test here.

The rot set in from the day's second ball when Aaron Redmond hit a catch to point immediately after he cracked Brett Lee for four.

At No 3, Jesse Ryder perished in similar fashion and New Zealand soon slumped to 84 for six before being dismissed for 203 as Brendon McCullum blazed 84 not out, New Zealand's highest innings of the series.

"It wasn't just Aaron, it wasn't our intention to go out there in an attacking mode," Vettori said.

"It was to bat through the day, try and bat through the first session tomorrow and get ourselves a chance to set up the game but nothing went to plan.

"I think the application is the big key because we all acknowledge they are pretty talented players, the Ryders, the Taylors, the Hows – the top six are extremely talented players and now we need to find a way of them consistently scoring runs."

Of the New Zealand top six, Ross Taylor averaged 40 in the two-test series, while Daniel Flynn was next best with 29.33 and Redmond 28.75.

Vettori said everything needed to go to plan for New Zealand to challenge Australia in their own conditions and with the bat "nothing went right".

A glum Vettori said outgoing coach John Bracewell should not bear the brunt for the team slipping to No 8 in the world test rankings with the 0-2 series defeat.

"He has always set up the right plans for us and the right environment for us to succeed and in the end it's been the players that have let him down with performance."

The team return home tomorrow for a few days' rest, then assemble in Dunedin with new coach Andy Moles at the weekend for the first test.

Allrounder Jame Franklin might come into the frame to replace a batsman, with doubt over the status of Jacob Oram's cracked left index finger.

"But (otherwise) there isn't a weight of runs there to say 'pick me' over the guys that are here," Vettori said.

NZPA

Pilot tells of overpowering alleged hijacker

JOANNE CACKETT — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:16:00 GMT

A pilot told on Monday of overpowering a woman passenger holding a kitchen knife, who wanted to hijack the aircraft to Australia or crash and kill everyone on board.

The woman, Asha Ali Abdille, also said she had a bomb on board and the pilot was worried she might be able to operate the bomb with her cellphone, he told a depositions hearing at Christchurch District Court.

The pilot, who has name suppression, said that as the 19-seater aircraft approached Christchurch Airport on February 8, Abdille flipped a switch on an overhead panel.

The switch operated the emergency cabin lights, but the two stop buttons for the Jetstream 32 aircraft's engines were only about 20cm away.

The aircraft was then at 1000 feet (300m), configured for landing.

Crown prosecutor Pip Currie asked the pilot what would have happened if she had operated the stop buttons at that time.

"I believe that considering the configuration of the aircraft and the altitude, that we would have crashed," he said.

Abdille's depositions hearing is set for three days.

The 34-year-old Somali woman faces charges of hijacking, taking an offensive weapon onto an aircraft, and four charges of wounding or injuring with reckless disregard for safety. She is represented by Antony Shaw and Greg Gimblett.

Currie said Abdille had booked her seat from Blenheim to Christchurch under another name, for the following day, but later rebooked it under her real name.

She bought a steak knife and a utility knife that day and boarded the aircraft at Woodbourne, Blenheim, on February 8 with three knives.

The pilot told the court that Abdille appeared just behind him and the first officer about 10 minutes after take-off.

She thrust a knife at the pilot and said, "take me where I want to go".

The pilot's hand was cut as he tried to grab her wrist. He noticed she had blood on her hands, but it wasn't his.

The first officer flew the plane and sent a mayday call to air traffic control while the woman said she wanted to go to Australia.

"I had serious concerns for the safety of myself, the first officer, the passengers, and the aircraft," the pilot told the court.

Her mood ranged from aggressive to crying, sometimes calm.

When told there was not enough fuel to fly to Australia, "she suggested we could just fly into the sea".

He ignored that and the plane continued towards Christchurch.

She had a plastic bag and a cellphone and said she had a bomb. The seven passengers remained in their seats.

"They were scared and several passengers were crying," the pilot said.

"I seemed to be able to reason with her and tried to calm her down. I started talking to her about her family.

"She said she had six children, and a sister in Christchurch, and she said her mother had recently died. She ranged from calm and tearful, to aggressive."

She ordered the first officer to take off his sunglasses, and slapped him on the side of his head with the hand that held the knife.

"She said at one stage we were all going to die. She didn't say how."

He was worried when he saw her touching the keys on her cellphone.

As the plane approached Christchurch and the ground came closer, the pilot said Abdille seemed to become excited about the fact that they could crash. That was when she interfered with a switch on the overhead panel.

When the plane landed, she agreed to let the passengers get out the rear door and the first officer helped while the pilot stayed in his seat.

As Abdille was distracted, he shoved her over and she became wedged into the recessed aisle.

He tried to wrest the knife from her but realised he had received a large cut on his hand.

The first officer then came back and kicked the knife from her hand before police boarded.

The pilot needed stitches to his right hand, and extensive surgery to reattach muscles, tendons and nerve on his left hand. He also had a cut on his back he did not know about until the paramedics told him. The first officer had a cut foot.

NZPA

Manuka honey rating dispute still sticky

JOANNE CACKETT — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:06:00 GMT

Industry infighting over how biologically active manuka honey should be measured and ranked are far from being resolved, with the tiff likely to get even more sticky.

Ratings of the unique manuka factor (UMF) underpin domestic and export manuka honey markets worth more than NZ$100 million a year, but have been caught up in a series of disputes.

UMF ratings are based on measurement of the antibacterial activity of samples of honey to indicate how well it fights a wide range of very resistant bacteria.

Manuka honey has proven effective against major wound-infecting bacteria and the bacteria which causes stomach ulcers.

One company, Manuka Health NZ Ltd, has said objective measurement of the active ingredient methylglyoxal might be the best way to measure anti-bacterial strength.

Now the industry's leading researcher, Dr Peter Molan – who has said methylglyoxal is not a reliable indicator of anti-microbial activity – has cut his ties to the body which holds the trademark for UMF ratings.

Molan last Thursday told honey companies in a personal email that he will no longer have anything to do with the Active Manuka Honey Association (AMHA).

The association has 48 members, with 32 licensed to use its trademarked UMF ratings.

"I hold the executive of AMHA responsible for my reaching this personal decision," Molan said.

AMHA chairwoman Moira Haddrell said she could not comment for legal reasons. Her chief executive John Rawcliffe also said he could not comment.

Molan, who has spent decades on the research underpinning the industry's sale of high-value biologically-active manuka honey to combat infections, said his employer Waikato University did not want to get involved in litigation, so he could only make personal comments.

"Regrettably, I cannot specify why I am unhappy with the executive of AMHA," said Molan.

The AMHA was created only after Molan was asked by Government trade officials to help set up an industry group for producers of active manuka honey.

And the UMF testing on which it relies uses a method described by Molan and other honey researchers at Waikato University in 1991.

Molan said in the NZ Beekeeper magazine in August that though researchers had developed further improvements to increase the reliability of the method , AMHA had not adopted these.

"Since that article in the NZ Beekeeper was published, further developments have come from our research which will allow greatly improved reliability in the assay of the UMF and a much faster turn-around time in getting assays done," he said today.

Research done at the honey research unit into the nature of the antibacterial substances has revealed why testing of some manuka honey gives only partial inhibition of bacteria.

Scientists are now able to reliably assay such honeys in a way which will show the true full antibacterial activity.

The intellectual property involved in these advances was controlled by Waikato University, he said.

Manuka Health this year claimed UMF test variations had led to conflict between beekeepers and honey producers, by causing differences in payment of up to NZ$2000 for a 300kg drum of honey.

NZPA

Two Japanese climbers missing from Mt Cook

JOANNE CACKETT — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 10:03:00 GMT

Two Japanese climbers are overdue on a climb across the Mount Cook summit.

The pair, believed to be in their forties, were due back at Mt Cook village on Saturday and have not been seen since Friday.

A team searching for them was turned back by deteriorating weather on Monday.

Senior Constable Brent Swanson, of Tekapo police, said the pair went in to the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park last Wednesday, intending to climb to Gardeners Hut, the Empress Hut, cross the Mt Cook summit and bivvy on the summit rocks.

They were due out on Saturday but were last seen on Friday on the upper Empress Plateau by two other climbers.

Swanson said Department of Conservation Mt Cook rescue team flew in to the Hooker Valley Empress area today but did not find anything and were turned back by deteriorating weather.

The search was put on hold but it was hoped a small window may open tomorrow morning so the search can continue.

Police were trying to locate next of kin, Swanson said.

NZPA

All Blacks aspire to honour Sir Ed

REBECCA GALTON — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:37:00 GMT

Richie McCaw gets one hand on the Hillary Shield at Twickenham on Thursday but plans to take sole ownership of rugby's latest trophy when the All Blacks play England this weekend.

The New Zealand captain and his English counterpart Steve Borthwick are to meet Sir Edmund Hillary's widow, Lady June, at the home of English rugby, a forerunner to the actual presentation of the trophy honouring the legendary mountaineer after the test.

Becoming the inaugural holders of a trophy commissioned just last month has added to an occasion already holding plenty of significance for the All Blacks and their hosts.

Should the All Blacks extend their current winning streak over England to eight matches they will also complete their second Grand Slam since 2005.

England, meanwhile, require victory to ease the pressure on manager Martin Johnson in the wake of defeats to Australia and South Africa.

Success will also see them ranked fourth and receive a favourable draw when the 2011 World Cup pools are allocated in New Zealand on Tuesday (NZT).

New Zealand are already assured of the top seeding so in that regard the Hillary Shield is a key focus.

"There will certainly be a talk to the boys from within (the team) about what it means, who he was, who we're honouring," assistant coach Wayne Smith said.

While Sir Ed is renowned as the first climber to conquer Mt Everest in 1953, Smith said his humanitarian work in Nepal defined his legacy.

"I actually think it's more than climbing a mountain. The shield, to me, represents what he did subsequently with his sherpa communities.

"They set up hospitals, education systems ... he'd set up one and then he'd set up another one.

"He's made a special contribution to the world. I think the shield will a big part of future rugby for us."

Head coach Graham Henry said while there would obviously be "many other" recognitions of Sir Ed's remarkable life, he was proud rugby was able to play some part.

"Lady Hillary was keen on the idea, the players think it's great," he said.

McCaw said he had been privileged to meet Sir Ed.

"It was a few years ago, he was just a hell of a nice guy. He's one of the most iconic Kiwis that there's ever been.

"He was famous throughout the world but with that he was a pretty humble sort of character.

"Some of the things he's done for people in Nepal is quite remarkable. That's why people hold him in such high regard."

Hillary, whose English link is the fact he was part of a British expedition to Everest, died in January this year aged 88.

NZPA

Irish tourist presumed dead

REBECCA GALTON — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:35:00 GMT

Police divers are heading to Taupo to recover what is believed to be the body of a young Irish tourist who got into difficulties in the Waikato River on Wednesday afternoon.

Senior Constable Barry Shepherd said the 21-year-old man was one of a group of six young tourists swimming in a thermally heated Waikato River tributary near Spa Park.

"We're unsure how the finer points of it unfolded, but he's been drifting down river and has been unable to float," Shepherd said.

"Other people, including a Taupo off-duty fireman, leapt into the river in an attempt to save him but were unsuccessful."

The Lion Foundation rescue helicopter and coastguard boat launched a search for the man and what appeared to be a body was seen on the river bed downstream from where the group were in the water.

Police divers from Wellington would assess the situation when they arrived and it was likely they would enter the water on Wednesday night.

Shepherd said it was a sad event that had quickly turned around a situation where friends were having a good time holidaying in New Zealand.

He said police had been in touch with the Irish Consulate to advise them of the situation.

NZPA

Light moments for Key in London

REBECCA GALTON — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:32:00 GMT

John Key's first courtesy call to press the flesh in London as New Zealand prime minister included some lighter moments.

As well as meeting the Queen, London's eccentric mayor Boris Johnson and the All Blacks, in a touching moment Key met his half brother Martyn Key, 68, for the first time.

Martyn, his wife Carole and son Milo met the new PM in a London hotel and discussed their shared father George and other personal issues.

John Key, 20 years Martyn's junior, said: "It was a great meeting and a fairytale story to come out of the election. The New Zealand Herald played the dating game."

Martyn Key said: "We had a lot to catch up on", adding that the pair talked about "personal things".

He added: "I used to look like that (John) when I was younger."

Martyn Key said he had been following the election all the way through.

"He's very charismatic. This is all absolutely surreal. I'm stunned but very proud."

John Key said Martyn looked "a bit like my Dad".

The pair now plan to meet in New Zealand, with Martyn laughing: "I'm sure I'll get a visa now!"

Earlier in Key's whistle-stop 24-hour tour, he and Boris Johnson joked about Saturday's All Blacks-England rugby clash.

Johnson said New Zealand's "colonial masters" would win, adding he was a "great admirer" of Key's "warrior spirit" for flying over.

After a longer than expected meeting with the Queen and Prince Philip, Key said he was not a fan of republicanism, but that there would be no return to knighthoods in New Zealand under his premiership after their removal in 2000.

NZPA

Violence charge dropped against former Hurricane

REBECCA GALTON — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:25:00 GMT

A former Hurricanes rugby player representative has escaped charges over an alleged kidnapping and bashing after police came up short on evidence for a trial.

Former prop Mike Edwards, 38, was charged in August with kidnapping convicted murderer Michael John Sneller, beating him unconscious at gunpoint and torching his car before leaving him for dead.

Sneller, who is back in prison for methamphetamine offending, was jailed for life for the 1983 murder of Lower Hutt businessman Robert Cancian in what was described as "a classic gangland burglary, beating and killing".

He told police he was beaten with a shotgun before being dumped, unconscious in a stolen station wagon on February 5 this year.

But at a depositions hearing in Lower Hutt District Court today, police said they were unable to offer any evidence "due to circumstances that have occurred recently".

TV One reported that police had not ruled out re-laying charges against Edwards, who was nicknamed "Tyson", and played 11 games for the Hurricanes and 81 for Wellington.

NZPA

Penney offers two more years with Canterbury

REBECCA GALTON — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:23:00 GMT

Canterbury's Air NZ Cup-winning rugby coach Rob Penney has been asked to remain at the helm for another two years.

Although Penney has yet to sign on, he indicated he was keen to remain in charge.

Following a review process, the Canterbury Rugby Football Union board on Tuesday night decided to ask Penney to stay in charge.

"I'm honoured to be considered for the position once again and I'm excited about continuing in the role given the positive outcome of discussions with the board," Penney said.

"I'm already looking forward to the next Air NZ Cup competition and hope to build on Canterbury's success this season."

Canterbury are be looking to replace John Haggart, who decided not to reapply for the assistant coach's position.

He intends to pursue other job opportunities.

Penney and Haggart steered Canterbury to their first Air NZ Cup triumph, putting together a 12-match winning streak which culminated in victory over Wellington in a thrilling final.

NZPA