Reporter’s diary

Press, 3 August 1983, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Galaxid

FANCY a galaxid pattie? North Island galaxid lovers are preparing for the beginning of the season next week, although the South Island season does not start for another month. Galaxid is the collective name for the five varieties of whitebait. All five species are widespread throughout New Zealand. Most are also found in the Chatham Islands, and one at the Campbell and Auckland Islands. The most common species is the inanga. The inanga whitebait are large, reaching 55mm, and are a translucent, greenish colour with black lines along the side. The second most com-, mon species is the juvenile koaro. These have fewer black spots and a rather milky appearance. They also have large pectoral fins and are sometimes known as “elephant’s ears.” The short-jawed kokopu is indistinguishable from the juvenile koaro. A rare species, it lives under cover in forestcovered streams. The fourth and fifth species are the banded and giant kokopu. The adult banded kokopu is a large, chunky fish reaching 26cm. It is brownish in colour and has pale, vertical bands or stripes along the sides. The giant kokopu adult fish can reach 60cm and 3kg. Now relatively uncommon, it lives in swamps and lake margins.

Army rugby

MILITARY and spotting history is being this

week by the first tour of New Zealand by an Australian Army rugby team. The players arrived in Christchurch yesterday afternoon and are staying at Bumham Camp. They will play their first game tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Wigram. Their opponents will be a Royal New Zealand Air Force South Island selection. The visiting team will leave Christchurch on Friday. During their three-week stay they will play two “test” matches against the New Zealand Army. The first will be at Trentham on August 11, and the second at Papakura on August 17. They will also play the Royal New Zealand Navy on August 15 at Auckland.

Volcano

RUMBLE 111 is making its presence felt again. Rumble 111 is the name given to an undersea mountain on the fault line from the Bay of Plenty to the Kermadec Islands. The mountain, about 200 miles into the Pacific from the Bay of Plenty, has begun making a mysterious rumbling noise again. The mountain has rumbled for several years but has never been checked to see if it is an active volcano. The Royal New Zealand Navy research ship Tui set off this week to take water temperatures and samples to check whether Rumble 111 is still active. Film show

CHRISTCHURCH people interested in experimental

film will have the chance to see the work of the late Len Lye on Sunday. Len Lye grew up in Christchurch and pioneered new animation and special effects techniques. Three of his short films are included in an exhibition of New Zealand independent films being toured by Alternative Cinema, the New Zealand Film-makers’ Co-operative. The Lye films are “Tai Farlow,” “Free Radicals,” and “Colour Cry.” They will be shown with other films in the Glasshouse in the Peterborough Centre at 8 p.m.

City of sails

AUCKLAND, the “City of Sails,” is how the Sheraton international hotel group intends to promote the Queen City. The slogan was created for Sheraton by its advertising agency to reflect the Auckland harbour and gulf as the city’s strong point. Last year, Sheraton spent $1 million promoting Auckland overseas and hopes to increase the use of the harbour by tourists as well as by Auckland boatowners. Colour blue

THE HALL for the National Party conference in Dunedin last week-end was appropriately decked out in blue banners and ribbons. The delegates wore blue hats and rosettes. Everything was colour-co-ordi-nated in the party’s colour. Then the party president, Mrs Sue Wood, arrived to open the conference, wearing alright red jacket.