Geography

'A bird of great size...'

At the sight of the first Endeavour, the natives of New Zealand were amazed and afraid, describing the vessel with its yards of flying canvas as a "bird of great size and beauty" and "a houseful of divinities." Astonishment quickly gave way to curiosity—the same emotion which drew thousands to wharves around the country this summer to inspect a sailing replica of one of history's greatest ships of discovery. For volunteer crew—here shortening sail in a freshening blow—the work of hauling rope and climbing shrouds was a chance to taste 18th century exploration and to relive momentous events in this country's history.

Magazine

ISSUE 030

Apr - Jun 1996

Humpback whales

Endeavour

Greenstone valley

Health camps

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Geography

Summer in the valley

Nestled between the mountains of the Main Divide and Lake Wakatipu, the Greenstone Valley is verdant home to a wealth of wildlife and plants. It is also something of a spiritual home for former high country shepherd Tony Maturin, who has worked as a part-time Department of Conservation hut warden in the valley for the last seven summers, assisting trampers on the Greenstone Track, recording the natural history of the area and reflecting on the beauty of it all.

Geography

Humpback

Almost driven to extinction for their meat, oil, bone and baleen, humpback whales are making a comeback, not only in the seas, but in human consciousness. With their haunting songs and evidence of culture—even language—they are now embraced as mysterious long-neglected kin, perhaps a seat of wisdom deeper and more enduring than our own; icons of oceans too long abused.

Living World

Out in the cold?

After 76 years of ministering to the nation's children, health camps have become a uniquely New Zealand institution. However, today's health authorities—awash with reformist zeal—are questioning whether the camps still have a role in providing "healthy bodies and solid citizens," the founding aims of the movement.

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