94 days left...

The Olympic Football draw has been made, and it threw up a very interesting NZID based point!


In the Women's tournament New Zealand and Team GB have been drawn in the same group along with Brazil  (gulp) and Cameroon. New Zealand won their qualifying match 15-0 on aggregate so will be no easy game for Team GB. The match between the Football Ferns and Great Britain will take place on the 25th of July, 2 days before the opening ceremony and the overall curtain raiser of the entire games. No pressure then!


No such NZID based rivalry for the GB men's team though, they have drawn, Senegal, UAE and possibly the toughest group, Uruguay. Not that the NZ men's team had an easier draw, drawing Brazil same as the women's team, with Belarus and Egypt making up the rest of another tough group.

Conservation is all about will

I just happened across this BBC article about the Iberian lynx from August last year.

Now I'm not suggesting that lynx be introduced to New Zealand to control rabbits, but the last line is compelling:


"If a species is doomed, it is only doomed by a lack of will to conserve it."

...and Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy (in Tauranga)

I have to be honest and say that Tauranga doesn't tend to feature heavily on my tailor-made holiday itineraries.  There is nothing wrong with the city at all but there just isn't too much in the experience that I feel is unique and special so I tend to suggest that my clients just call in on their way to Rotorua or Taupo.

That is all about to change though, especially for clients with children, and my children will insist that we visit when we are on holiday in New Zealand next year.  

Lynley Dodd's series of books about Hairy Maclary and his mates have been brilliant bedtime story material for nearly 30 years now and by this time next year there will hopefully be a number of statues dotted around Tauranga to commemorate their tireless work in getting children off to sleep.

Hairy himself, Schnitzel von Krumm, Muffin McLay, Bitzer Maloney and the rest will all be there, no doubt stalked by their nemesis Scarface Claw.  Well I'm excited anyway!