Reporter’s diary

Press, 3 September 1981, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Zapped DAVID LAMB, a Christ-church-based co-pilot on Air New Zealand's 7375, says that some of the new video ' games are harder than the flight simulator used to test pilots every few weeks for the retention of their licences. Pictured above, he takes into his hands a flying machine rather different from those he is used to controlling. '.After trying his hand at?the video games he said that he lasted longer on the simulator and got killed quicker on the Space Invad-'

ers machine, according to his wife, Cher Reynolds, who works at a local video game factory. Crazy golf THE GOLF course at Yellowknife, in the North-west Territories, Canada, is unusual for several reasons. Ray Stocks' of Christchurch, who recently played the course, brought us the following information: the course Js an expanse of sand with scattered clumps of grass, and the "greens" are hard-packed, oiled sand. To

eliminate footprints on the “greens,” the golfers drag a fibre mat behind them by rope. The rough on each side of the fairway consists of jack pines. There is one birdie that the golfers are not too keen on — the raven. The last rule on a list drawn up for the annual midnight tournament, played in the middle of the northern summer when day lasts nearly all night, reads: “no penalty assessed when ball carried off by raven.” Teeing off times during the tournament are 6 p.m., 9 p.m., midnight and 3 a.m. Mr Stocks says that although the course is only nine holes, it takes about 2Yz hours to complete. When he was there this year, there was an added element to keep the game interesting: a wild bear had been shot in the town the week before, and this played on the golfer's minds when hitting their balls from the rough in the half-light. Although Mr Stocks was not placed, he got a prize for coming the longest distance. It was return trip for him — he worked in a Yellowknife goldmine in 1948-49. Hot pot

HERE IS another story from our hairy pig department. A Christchurch man tells of his friend, a Rotorua farmer, who, after killing the occasional pig, looks for a hot pool with ■ the correct temperature .in the bush around

his farm, ties a rope around the dead porker’s leg and dunks him to get the bristles off. Fellowships NEW ZEALANDERS have an extra month to apply for ANZAC Fellowships to Australia during 1982. The closing date has been extended to September 30. The fellowships are for Kiwis and Aussies who wish to broaden their experience by working on the other side of the Tasman Sea. Three are awarded each year and, so far the number of applications has been disappointing, according to Mr J. Searle, the Secretary for Internal Affairs and chairman of the New Zealand Fellowship Selection Committee. The successful applicants get an allowance of sAust.29 a day, plus an allowance for their spouse and children, return air fares and approved travel and study costs. The Fellowships last three months to a year, and are usually awarded to people under 35. New trend?

RANGE ROVERS are recognised as being the most fashionable form of transport to ski fields, but a new trend may be arriving. Seen at the Tekapo ski field this week was a Rolls Royce. And what is more, it was about the only car in the crowded park which did not have chains on.,