Essay winners start tour

Press, 14 January 1982, Page 7

Essay winners start tour

Snow and sheepskins are things that two young Australian essay competition winners are looking for on their prize tour of New Zealand.

Lisa Staines aged 17. of Queensland and Martin Hoffman. aged 16. of New SoiXh Wales arrived in Christchurch this week with their Australian chaperon to begin the 16-day tour. Their entries on future relations between Australia and New Zealand topped a national school competition run by the Australia New Zealand Foundation last year. Acting the part of Mr Muldoon and a 72-hour sleepless writing stint paid off for Miss Staines. She was chosen to represent the Prime .Minister in a student re-enact-ment of the recent Commonw’ealth heads of Government conference and used research she did for the part in her essav.

"It was a rather procrastinated effort but it was worth it." she said.

Mr Hoffman spent about

four weeks during school examinations reading background material and writing his winning entry. Both essays argue that the two countries are similar, "under-arm bowling excepted." and should co-oper-ate in areas such as defence agreements and joint marketing for tourism and agricultural products. It is the first trip overseas for the two Australians but the only problem so far has been confusing hot and cold taps. Today's plans include a bicycle" tour of Christchurch unless Miss Staines' first attempt at riding a bicycle is unsuccessful. Shopping for sheepskins and other souvenirs is another "must" before the group leaves on Friday for a sightseeing bus tour of the South Island and North Island. Both are keen to see the Southern Alps, the Fox Glacier, and Milford Sound. For Miss Staines it will be the first time she has seen snow.