Archive of posts from January 2004

  • Weta

    The weta (pronounced “wita”) are a variety of insect resembling giant crickets and are unique to New Zealand. They are truely massive and, according to the Rough Guide, the Giant Weta is the heaviest insect in the world and can grow to the size of a small thrush!

  • Mammal Proof Fence

    The Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (now known as Zealandia) is 252 hectares of regenerating native forest surrounded by a predator fence designed to keep mammals away from the re-introduced native birds. It’s an impressive undertaking in a beautiful spot and a great place to spend a few hours. The Sanctuary is criss-crossed with walking tracks and visitors are encouraged, making humans the only mammals for whom the fence is no barrier. It’s big enough to find some quiet here even over a holiday period - there are plenty of tracks that will take you away from the more popular areas of the park if you desire a bit of seclusion.

  • Community Spirit

    I just thought the Linux-using community in Wellington deserved a mention due to their friendly and helpful response to my recent request for help. I posted a message to the Wellington Linux User Group mailing list asking for advice on where to get backups done and got several offers of assistance within hours - so as a result I’ve got all my precious photos saved onto a couple of CDs in addition to the laptop. Thanks again to everyone who replied to my message.