http://blog.teara.govt.nz A Blog by and about Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:40:49 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en [caption id="attachment_3288" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The 1975 Māori land march or hīkoi – a defining moment in New Zealand history"][/caption] Mid-November is the beginning of the festive season, marked by spectacular Santa parades through city streets. This year Santa is facing competition from a series of street protests. Last Tuesday some 6,000 ... http://blog.teara.govt.nz/2009/11/24/the-season-to-protest/ [caption id="attachment_3276" align="alignnone" width="499" caption="A haven for urban farmers – The Stricklaw Street community garden in Christchurch"][/caption] Over the past few years or so I've noticed that urban people have become more interested in growing their own food than in the recent past. Vegetable and herb gardens, and to a lesser ... http://blog.teara.govt.nz/2009/11/18/urban-farmers/ [caption id="attachment_3243" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Lord Howe Island skink – probably unaware that it has just switched genus"][/caption] Getting it right is a major expectation of Te Ara. But sometimes it's not us, but our committed users, who put us right. Their emails can take us on fascinating journeys in the pursuit ... http://blog.teara.govt.nz/2009/11/16/skinks-dolphins-and-toatoa/ [caption id="attachment_3252" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Black singlets, as worn by all self-respecting shearers"][/caption] Happy Friday the 13th all. In honour of Black Friday, and the fact that black seems to have become our national colour (especially here in Wellington, I'm told), here's a not-at-all-exhaustive list of black things featured in Te Ara: black ... http://blog.teara.govt.nz/2009/11/13/black-things-for-black-friday/ Early in the year I declared 2009 was to be my year of travel and, true to my word, it has been so far. I have just returned from a fantastic 5-week holiday that led me to wonderful destinations. [flash http://blog.teara.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/FLASH/loader.swf?version=2 w=512 h=350 p={FlashVars;xml_path=xml/travelquiz2.xml}] To view the quiz you need to have ... http://blog.teara.govt.nz/2009/11/04/travelling-on-quiz/ [caption id="attachment_3154" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Great spotted kiwi"][/caption] The kiwi has been named the Forest & Bird Bird of the Year. This was a great comeback after failing to make the top 10 last year, which I suspect was partly due to cultural cringe. Even this year the kiwi was lampooned as a ... http://blog.teara.govt.nz/2009/10/30/are-kiwis-boring/ [caption id="attachment_3127" align="alignnone" width="250" caption="Book cover of New Zealanders and the sea (click to see a larger image)"][/caption] Just in time for New Zealand Book Month (and early Christmas shopping), Te Ara's new book, New Zealanders and the sea, has hit the shops. New Zealand's 18,000-kilometre coastline is the seventh-longest of any ... http://blog.teara.govt.nz/2009/10/23/new-sea-land/ [caption id="attachment_3110" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The waka, suspended above its tank (photo by Fin Bird)"][/caption] The word got around at morning tea time: there was a waka (canoe) in our building. It had arrived earlier that morning, and was being welcomed with karakia (prayers). In small groups, we were allowed to venture down ... http://blog.teara.govt.nz/2009/10/12/waka-in-the-basement/ [caption id="attachment_3095" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="An iconic image of Mt Taranaki (Mt Egmont)"][/caption] Taranaki is the next region to get its very own Te Ara Places entry. We're currently editing the text and pulling together images and other resources, and it will be launched in early December. And you can contribute to it ... http://blog.teara.govt.nz/2009/10/09/taranaki-in-pictures/ [caption id="attachment_3081" align="alignnone" width="120" caption="The spread of a tsunami, 2004"][/caption] The devastating tsunami that hit the coasts of Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga on the morning of 30 September – with waves up to 6 metres high, flooding as far as 1.6 kilometres inland, and killing at least 150 people ... http://blog.teara.govt.nz/2009/10/02/tsunami/