Reporter’s diary

Press, 21 January 1987, Page 2

Reporter’s diary

Column comment A PARTY of trampers tackling the testing northwest tracks on Stewart Island recently began their trip enthusiastically by filling in the “Creative comments” column of the log books provided by the Forestry Service in each hut. The initial comments about the delights of outdoor life waxed lyrical enough, but as the days wore on and fatigue crept in, the comments became less effusive. The last entry read wearily: “Not feeling creative.” Hot stuff RICHARD PERLE, the United States Assistant Defence Secretary, has gourmet tastes which have caused security scares, especially on foreign trips when he packs his own snacks. One of the most extraordinary scares, reported by the “Daily Telegraph,” hapthe Reykjavik svmmiWlast October. Two

of Perle’s kosher salami sausages rolled off a second-floor bathroom window at Hofdi House, where the arms talks were in progress, to be whisked away as potential bombs by startled security guards. As a result, the American makers of the giant salamis sent Perle replacements. Unfortunately, his secretary thought the packages looked like missiles, and they too were rushed away to be prodded and X-rayed by explosives experts. Keeping tabs TABS ADDED to a shirt bought at full price in Christchurch by a West Coast man, gave it an ultra-trendy effect of which he was rather proud. His wife, wiser in the ways of clothing manufacturers, noticed that the tabs were apparently scattered at random on the front, but spaced a little more systematically on the back. Turnip the

garment inside out, they realised at once the reason for the “decorations”: each tab covered a minute cut in the fabric. Gourmet cooking... ONE OF THE cavers stranded in Babylon cave last week was awarded the Punakaiki Cup for cooking a superb meal under duress. The “cup,” is a splendid polystyrene throw-away, inscribed among members of four or five families who have for several years spent holidays together at the Punakaiki camping ground. It is presented, with due solemnity, to the person who does the “flashiest cooking.” Cheating, by using candelabra and other aids, is quite acceptable. ... goes underground MRS JANICE KERSHAW earned the “Punakaiki Cup for flashy cooking”

when she made sandwiches out of dry bread and tinned corned meat for the trapped cavers while they were still well below the surface and cut off from help by the torrent of water. The table service lacked a little refinement as no-one had thought to bring silver cutlery; and the decor was certainly unusual, but the Hungry party thought the resulting “doorstep” sandwiches were quite the most delicious they had ever eaten, and certainly worthy of their coveted “Punakaiki Cup.” All men are equal but... DEREK EVANS, the director of a conciliation service in Wales, reports a wide-ranging claim for sex equality. During an equal-pay for equal-value case recently handled by his company, a male applicant claimed equal pay with “any woman who gets more than I do.” Feltham.