Flavour of New Zealand
NZ popular culture 1960 onward
NZ popular culture 1960 onward
Excerpts from Strange Facts & True about New Zealand should be seen as having validity as of its publishing date of 1981.
The tallest fern in New Zealand is a tree fern of the mamaku species (Cyathea medullaris) which grows over 12 m tall and has a stem 30 cm thick. Individual fronds can grow up to 5 m long and 2 m across. 1
The capital’s nickname is well-earned. On average Wellington has 188 days with wind gusts of over 65 kph and over 41 days when wind gusts reach 96.5 kph. 1
The Raurimu Spiral, on the North Island Main Trunk Railway, is a unique piece of engineering. Designed by Mr R W Holmes, the spiral enables the railway to surmount an ascent of 217.6 m by means of a complete circle and 2 loops, one of them shaped like a very long horseshoe. The spiral involves a gradient of 1 in 50 and was opened to traffic on 6 November 1908. 1
Wapiti, or Canadian deer (Cervus canadensis) were first introduced to New Zealand by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905. These wapiti multiplied and spread over a wide area. Nowhere else in the southern hemisphere do wapiti live in the wild state. Moreover, this New Zealand herd interbreeds with red deer to produce a unique hybrid, which is surprisingly fertile. 1