A group of Maori, and two boatloads of European tourists see a mysterious canoe on Lake Tarawera. Although the tourists think little of it, the local Maori see it as an omen of evil. Around a week later, Mt Tarawera erupts, devastating the area and destroying the Pink and White Terraces. Later reports talk in depth about the significance of the "Tarawera phantom canoe."
So what is the harm in a "very pretty and poetical conceit", or the "prodigies of fancy... to have seen this or any other portent that affords .. comfort in the retrospect", as the Otago Witness newspaper reported after the event?
Monday, February 20, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Everything in NZ - in centimetres
An incomplete (100 things) list of absolutely everything in NZ.... in descending order by centimetres.
What
|
Centimetres
|
NZ coastline
|
1513400000
|
Distance travelled (straight line) by Dr Ropata from La Aurora
International Airport (Guatamala) to Auckland International Airport
|
1138395000
|
Distance of Chatham Islands from South Island
|
80000000
|
Coast to Coast race
|
24300000
|
Furthest distance from the sea at any point in NZ
|
13000000
|
Running - 2:08:59.00 (Rod Dixon, 23 October 1983)
|
4219500
|
Halfway down Dominion Road (before extension) – intersection of Peary
and Dominion Road
|
3100000
|
Mt Cook (highest mountain in NZ)
|
375400
|
Buildings & infrastructure within 3km of new vent in Auckland
Volcanic field destroyed by initial surge of hot gas, steam and rocks
|
300000
|
Mt Ruapehu (highest mountain in North Is)
|
279700
|
North Island snow field – permanent snowfield
|
250000
|
Martin Jetpack – estimated hover above ground limit
|
244000
|
Estimated distance into Pike River mine of 29 miners' bodies from
November 2010 explosion
|
230000
|
South Island snow field – lower range of permanent snowfield
|
200000
|
Running – 3:49.08 (John Walker, 7 July 1982) (mile)
|
160934
|
Martin Jetpack – 29 May 2011 – unmanned test flight
|
150000
|
Distance the Manukau bar moved from where it was recorded on the
nautical map used by the captain of HMS Orpheus (wrecked 7 Feb. 1863)
|
120700
|
<1km - crater that could be caused by explosive Auckland Volcanic
Field eruption
|
100000
|
Mt Erebus crash site (above sea level)
|
76000
|
Height from sea floor of White Island
|
75000
|
North Island snow field – low point
|
60000
|
Sky Tower
|
32800
|
Running – 4:53 (Thomas Dold – Germany), fastest time up Sky Tower –
1,267 steps (2009)
|
32800
|
South Island snow field – low point
|
30000
|
Height of Chunuk Bair, Gallipoli
|
26212
|
Rangitoto
|
26000
|
Mt Eden
|
19600
|
One Tree Hill
|
18200
|
Vero Centre (Auckland) NZ tallest skyscraper from 2000
|
17200
|
Metropolis (Auckland) NZ tallest skyscraper 1999 to 2000
|
15500
|
Eyewitness accounts of distance of first powered flight by Richard
Pearse’s bamboo monoplane … in a barely controlled straight line, before
crashing into a gorse bush (31 March 1903, 9 months before Wright brothers)
|
15000
|
ANZ Centre (Auckland) NZ tallest skyscraper 1991 to 1999
|
14300
|
Crowne Plaza (Auckland) NZ tallest skyscraper 1990 to 1991
|
11000
|
BNZ Tower (Auckland) NZ tallest skyscraper 1982 to 1990
|
10600
|
Running – 10.11secs (Augustine Nketia, 22 Aug. 1994)
|
10000
|
AMP Tower (Quay Tower)(Auckland) NZ tallest skyscraper 1980 to 1982
|
8700
|
Copthorne Plimmer Tower (Wellington) NZ tallest skyscraper 1975 to
1980
|
8500
|
HSBC Building (Auckland) NZ tallest skyscraper 1973 to 1975
|
8100
|
NZ Parliament House (The Beehive)
|
7200
|
Civic Building (Auckland) NZ tallest skyscraper 1966 to 1973
|
7100
|
Spire of Christchurch Cathedral - till 2011
|
6300
|
geological evidence of maximum height of run-ups from tsunamis that
have affected NZ coastline over last 6000 years
|
6000
|
Tane Mahuta (NZ largest living Kauri) – Total Height
|
5120
|
Auckland Harbour bridge
|
4327
|
Obelisk on top of One Tree Hill
|
3000
|
Cave Creek viewing platform
|
3000
|
Rubber domes covering ‘Echelon’ satellite interception dishes in
Waihopai - deflated by sickle attack in 2008
|
3000
|
Tane Mahuta (NZ largest living Kauri) – Trunk Height
|
1768
|
Amount Mt Cook shrunk after 1991 avalanche
|
1050
|
Height of lahar that destroyed Tangiwai bridge (1953 rail disaster)
|
600
|
amount of uplift (below surface) caused by magnitude 8+ 1855 Wairarapa
earthquake
|
600
|
Distance New Zealander Jonathan Macfarlane threw Andrew Rainford to
beat Guinness World Record for throwing a person (2009)
|
487
|
Yards of space between Maori chiefs and British platform at Waitangi
during Treaty negotiations (5 Feb 1840), to allow orators to stand and move
during their presentations
|
457
|
Maximum height of tsunami run-up affecting NZ in 1960 from magnitude
9.5 earthquake near Chile
|
450
|
Kawerau Bridge Bungy
|
430
|
Largest moa (Dinornis novaezelandiae) (neck outstretched)
|
370
|
Horizontal distance per 100cm rise of Baldwin Street, Dunedin (world's
steepest street)
|
286
|
highest amount of land slip (below surface) as a result of
Christchurch Earthquake 2011 - near Avon-Heathcote estuary.
|
250
|
NZ average rainfall – max
|
200
|
height of tsunami in Wellington Harbour from 1855 Wairarapa earthquake
|
200
|
Average male New Zealander
|
177
|
Average female New Zealander
|
165
|
Britten V1000 motorcycle - wheelbase
|
142
|
Width of yellow 1978 Morris Mini 1000 in Goodbye Pork Pie
|
141
|
Ketland & Company flintlock musket captured during British
storming of Ruapekapeka (during Northern War), 11 January 1846
|
138.5
|
Americas Cup (Auld Mug) – as at 2010
|
111
|
Americas Cup (Auld Mug) – original size (1848)
|
68
|
Monadnock PR 24 baton used by riot police during NZ Springbok Tour
1981
|
60
|
NZ average rainfall – min
|
60
|
Width of standard NZ coffin at the shoulder (increased from 51cm in
2000s as a result of growing obesity issues & wider average shoulder
width)
|
58
|
Height difference between Elijah Wood (168cm tall) and Frodo Baggins
(approx. 114cm tall)
|
54
|
Male Great Spotted Kiwi
|
45
|
Christchurch Earthquake 2011 - rise in ground level around western
side of Avon-Heathcote estuary
|
40
|
Rugby World Cup – Webb Ellis Cup
|
38
|
Reach difference between David Tua (178cm) and Lennox Lewis (213cm) in
2005 WBC, IBF & IBO Heavyweight title fight
|
35
|
Oscar statuette (Academy award)
|
34
|
Annual rainfall in Central Otago
|
30
|
Minimum size of bloodstained sock prints found in Bain household
(compared with David Bain's foot length of 30cm)
|
28
|
Approx. diameter of largest of >40 'One Ring''s used during filming
of Fellowship of the Ring - steel (gold plated), used for prologue
|
20.3
|
Buzzy bee – wing-span
|
17.5
|
Height of 'V' 250ml slimline can
|
13.3
|
Minimum legal size for amateur harvest of blackfoot paua (Haliotis
iris)
|
12.5
|
estimated amount of ash fall over most of Auckland area during
volcanic field eruption
|
10
|
Standard diameter of beer can
|
6.5
|
Distance NZ and Australia move together per year
|
4.5
|
Coin - 50 cent coin – 1967 to 2006
|
3.17
|
Coin - Twenty cent coin – 1967 to 2006
|
2.85
|
Coin - Two dollar coin - from 1991
|
2.65
|
Con - 50 cent coin - from 2006
|
2.47
|
Coin - Ten cent coin – 1967 to 2006
|
2.36
|
Coin - Dollar coin - from 1991
|
2.3
|
Coin - Twenty cent coin - from 2006
|
2.17
|
Coin - Two cent coin - 1967 to 1990
|
2.1
|
Coin - Ten cent coin – from 2006
|
2
|
Coin - Five cent coin - 1967 to 2006
|
1.9
|
Coin - One cent coin - 1967 to 1990
|
1.75
|
Amount of microfoam on a good flat white coffee
|
0.6
|
Draught of Container Ship Rena (fully laden)
|
-120
|
Depth of Rainbow Warrior under ocean surface - Cavalli Islands
|
-2600
|
Depth under water of lower tier of Pink & White Terraces
|
-6000
|
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