We welcome new members to The New Zealand Edge in August 2000 from Boulder Colorado, Budapest, Cooranbong Australia, Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, Guam, Little River South Carolina, London, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Middlesex, Mountain View California, Nairobi, New Orleans, New York, Paris Illinios, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Pittsfield Massachusetts, Putnam Valley New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Victoria Canada, Warsaw, Washington DC and Zurich; and from New Zealand, Auckland, Cambridge, Christchurch, Hamilton, Hastings, Kerikeri, Leeston, Lower Hutt, Manukau City, Nelson, Pukekohe, Tauranga, Wellington, Wellsford, Whangarei and Winton. Thanks to everyone for their contributions.

"Absolutely outstanding. The site is truly inspirational to all New Zealanders and has given me extra encouragement to strive to meet all my goals and aims; and will also help motivate my team and others I associate with and hopefully other budding kiwi scientists and academics. I will encourage my team to register, and would like to talk about how the site could be further publicised and help inspire, motivate, influence public policy and help facilitate the knowledge economy and the return of talented kiwis... All the best."
Neuroscientist, Philadelphia, USA

"Beautifully written. I agree with you that it is so important that New Zealanders learn to openly respect their diverse talents. Young New Zealanders need to escape the monoculture of the mind that ascribes talent worthy of respect to just a few pursuits. If young Kiwis can find ways to open their minds to the world of possibilities available for their talents, the country will be a lot happier for it. Good luck with your terrific site!"
Professor, Pittsburgh. USA

"Kia ora, Great to see a positive spin put on things in a time when everyone seems down in the dumps. If NZ can somehow get rid of this black obtrusive cloud that hangs over us, we'd achieve great things. Ozzy this, Ozzy that, Ozzy this...how can we stay in NZ but still achieve greatness? How can we become the desired place to live for young people? I'll keep watching the site, Cheers, NZ fan"
Radio/TV/writing, Auckland, New Zealand

"At 11,000 miles away it is comforting to have a connection to my birthplace and family just a few clicks away. Really enjoy the images, especially photos of the Hauraki Gulf this past February when I was home. Thanks."
Social Worker, Putnam Valley, New York, USA

"Inspirational! Emphasises that even though New Zealand is relatively small and isolated geographically, these factors do not prevent New Zealanders from doing what they excel at - leading the world!"
Management Student, Hamilton, NZ

"Hi there, I was forwarded your website and I was of course impressed with what you have put together. There are a number of other kiwi scientists working overseas that are very much interested in contributing to New Zealand's third culture (see www.edge.org for 3rd culture def.) I very much like the style of both your site and edge.org... The website below may also be of interest to you and at least worth a link. It is the hub of a New Zealand brain-drain discussion group. Best regards, Scott 
Doctoral Student, Philadelphia & Auckland, USA & NZ

"If there's one thing New Zealanders do well, it's communicating with other human beings, whether in the broadcast media, on the internet, through the visual arts or in music. This site is a great reflection of that fact, and a reminder of the vast opportunity that exists for our nation. We have a gift that allows for fresh ideas and the means with which to express them: our unique perspective. For New Zealand to prosper internationally, all that need happen is for us to use that gift well, and foster it amongst our children. Give them an idea of what it means to be a New Zealander, and let them shape what it will mean in the future."
Lecturer, Radio, Auckland, NZ

"This is great, extremely clear"
Administration, Wellington, NZ

"Very interesting site. I have always wanted to go to New Zealand after I flew over the island upon returning from a sailing trip in Tonga. I am also a skier and am fascinated with the incredible mountains in the country. Keep up the site and please send me updates and event notifications."
Interactive producer, Los Angeles, USA

"Some of the team here at work have subscribed to The Edge and regularly circulate this to others including myself. I love the stuff that you are talking about, especially the need to create a meaningful network of the overseas New Zealanders, and define New Zealand in an international context. It's great to be hearing some positive commentary for a change!"
Management Consultant, Hamilton, NZ

"I am just looking for some old friends from a long time ago. They both lived in Auckland. Met them in Los Angeles, California." litonany@sccoast.net
Pauline, Little River, South Carolina, USA

"This is a very interesting and informative website. I came upon it by accident when searching for information on WWII war hero, Wing Commander Trevor Owen Freeman DFC (and Bar), DSO, who was killed in the Pacific in 1943. Freeman was from Dunedin. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who might have info on Freeman." rdixon@adlink.com.au 
Retired Public Servant, Cooranbong, Australia

"I have just found your site, wow! Well done. The profile on Rob Waddell is so timely. Please could you include Allan Duff on your list. He also is a highly notable New Zealander who I am sure history will declare a hero. Thank you."
Librarian, Tauranga, NZ

"Fantastic site and great updates coming through. I underestimated the number of Kiwis currently offshore, and some sort of network to get the 'connected and informed' is a fantastic idea. Tremendous to see it working so well and being appreciated. I have a suggestion for your Hot list - Robin Judkins. He was the first sports promoter in New Zealand, and one of the first worldwide, to start the adventure racing craze. It was he and a few mates that held their own adventures to find new courses for people to tackle, taking in the best of New Zealand's rugged peaks and rivers. Who else could put a tiny West Coast town called Kumara on the map, as the starting point of a manic dash from one side of the island to the other? The beauty of his events is that he gets a genuine thrill from seeing world class athletes competing, just as much as he does with 'Joe/Joanne Average' crossing the finish line, and welcoming every single person with a can of the sponsor's product and a manic laugh. He has been so successful in marketing his 'product' (both the race and the setting) domestically and internationally, that the Eco-Challenge (with 1000 participants and global audience of 100 million) are considering staging their next event in New Zealand. His autobiography (Mad Dogs: A Life on the Edge) is a great read, and the title very apt in the context here! Judkins defines 'being on the Edge', with his ability to create, innovate and make things happen."
Mark, San Francisco, USA

"I hope at some time that you can include in the Heroes section "Speedsters" details of Ivan Mauger and Denny Hulme. Thanks."

"Guys what about sport? Mark Cromie 3 times world champion jet boat racer! I want to be part of a winning thing that puts Kiwis on the global table. I think you have a fantastic concept and wish you luck. I also want to see my sport [jet boat racing] recognised for what it is and what we achieve. I would also like to see my industry receive the respect it deserves. New Zealand Greenshell Mussels are unique to our country, a New Zealand food icon and #2 on the New Zealand Seafood export list by value. If there is some way of sharing this and more with you and the world then I'm in. I am of the school that says "There is no such word as "Can't". And the first syllable of 'Triumph' is TRY ". Wishing you all the best of luck."
Jet Boat Racer/Mussel Farmer, Nelson, NZ

"Looking good so far! In you "Heroes", you may like to consider John Thornton of Te Aute. He is credited by academic historians as being "one of two headmasters who have changed the course of a nation". (The other being Arnold of Rugby School.) Thornton was responsible for the formation of the "Young Maori Association"."
Management Consultant, Christchurch, NZ

"Dear Paul Ward, nzedge.com

Famous (Invercargillites)

Here is a short list of some interesting and or famous Invercargillites and Southlanders. The list is not comprehensive. I am sure there are loads more yet to be rediscovered. However, I have placed the ones that may be of most interest to you in comparison with Godward at the beginning. There are many more if you are interested. A good book to look at is Southern People: a dictionary of Otago Southland biography (1998). 

•  Herbert Pither (aviation legend of Southland, made cycles, petrol engines, marine engineering etc.)

•  Herbert James (Burt) Munro (land speed records, inventor)

•  Gerald and David Cross (technological experimenters)

•  John Pomeroy (inventor - tracer bullet!)

•  Joseph Hatch (pharmacist, sealing and penguin oil  trade, subantarctic

•  islands, MP – once spoke for six hours non-stop!)

•  Alfred Philpott (entomologist, helped to set up Cawthron Institute)

•  Barry Hillis (Solar Power enthusiast)

•  James Herries Beattie (local historian, percy smith medal in anthropology)

•  Robert McNab (historian, MP etc.)

•  Peter Arnett (War Correspondent)

•  Richard Henry (Dedicated to the early preservation of N.Z.’s flightless birds)

•  Sir Joseph Ward (Prime Minister)

•  Garfield Todd (Prime Minister Rhodesia)

•  Jenny Shipley

•  Henry Gordon Munro (All Black, 1924-25 Invincibles)

•  Victor Spencer (last soldier to be executed WWI, pardon currently under review)

•  Georgie West (first Maori to enter RNZAF.)

•  Bernice Mene

•  Jeff Wilson

•  Lesley Nicol

•  Lester Ruttledge

•  Bill Manhire (N.Z.’s inaugural poet laureate)

•  Dan Davin (author)

•  James Hargest

We hope this is of some assistance to you.
Yours sincerely, Information Services, Invercargill Public Library

"Great site, as all Kiwi's I have personal heroes who I feel should be in here but I am sure your looking at doing that at the moment: John Britten, Aaron Slight, Graeme Dingle, Fred Hollows - all good Kiwi's showing the attitude. Hollows’ reputation has made doing business in China so much easier for so many Kiwi's. Slight has managed to become one of the most popular Kiwi's on earth (amongst bike riders anyway). Anywhere I have been you mention being a New Zealand'er amongst riders and they ask if you have met Slight. Dingle although not world famous has done a lot of good, more recently with Project K, but the creation of Outdoor Pursuits Centre has to be seen as something thousands of Kiwi's have benefited from. Britten, home made bike overtakes factory Ducati race bikes on its back wheel....enough said. Thanks, Tim."
Thinker student worker, Hamilton but always moving, NZ

"Here's a weird candidate for expat Kiwis of note. Reading Sept issue of Harpers Magazine and review of two books dealing with the life of Elijah Muhammad, commonly thought of as the founder of the "Nation of Islam" which as you know produced also Malcolm X., Muhammad Ali and runs through the black community today under the leadership of Louis Farrakhan. Review quotes books as saying that Elijah actually was motivated in 1931 after attending a meeting with a "spellbinding orator" who founded the Nation of Islam. That orator was one Fard Muhammad....described in the story as someone who "looked in any light like a white man, is believed by the FBI to have been Wallace Dodd Fard, a hardened half-British half-Indian ex con and grifter out of New Zealand". This guy apparently claimed to be a Mahdi, or redeemer and it was he who created the still current Nation of Islam beliefs that whites are "bleached-out devils" created in breeding experiments etc. So there we have it....the foundation for the Black Nation of Islam was a New Zealand con-man with 58 known-aliases according to FBI records. Elijah seized on his teachings and thus was born a black revolution of violence that still lurks in the USA. Good stuff????? Haven't checked out how much this is on line at http://www.harpers.org but it's Sept issue, review section headed "Death of the Nation" by Anthony Walton. If you need more let me know.  Neil."
Atlanta, USA

Ed’s Note: do a Google search www.google.com on "Wallace Dodd Fard" or "Fard Muhammed" to get more on this controversial and elusive possiblke New Zealander.

Special mailing - New Zealand Diary
On Tuesday 22 August 2000, GG and I left San Francisco for a vacation trip to New Zealand -- well what started out as a vacation trip anyway. We started by taking the United Shuttle from SFO to LAX. Guess what, just as we were about to board the shuttle, the gate crew discovered that they did not have any crew aboard the plane. Why was I surprised. When we left IAD for SFO, the starter motor on one of the engines failed and we waited three hours for that to be replaced (we were kept well informed but chased out of the Red Carpet club when we dared to suggest that there was no where civilized to eat a snack while waiting for United). Well we finally got to LAX and that evening boarded the United flight to Auckland. We taxied out roughly on time and just as we got to the end of the runway, the Captain discovered that the weight and balance of the plane was dangerously out of limits ( the United ground people suggested he cure this problem by moving the passengers to the front of the 747 for takeoff. The Captain declined and back we went to the gate where in 15 minutes they unloaded and reloaded some pods. It then took ONE hour for the United ground staff to recalculate the paperwork (maybe they used Monroe calculators?).. We finally left three hours late and had a uneventful flight to Auckland.

We had arranged to stay at the Stamford Plaza in Auckland -- one of the best if not the best hotels I have ever stayed in. The service was excellent, the suite magnificent and the Room Manager and Concierge wonderful. More on this latter.

I had had a violent allergy attack in the Bay area and so the first days in NZ were rather sneezy but still great. The City of Sails is a big digestible city with lots to see and great eating places. The three notable were Dragon Boat (Diem Sum), Cin Cin by the Ferry and Kermadet -- magnificent fish by the America Cup Village. We too the Ferry to a quaint village that was out of time and friendly and fun. Auckland even for a big, by NZ standards, city was friendly and neat.

BTW, even though it hurts the NZers, the exchange rates made our stay in NZ a bargain. Prices were about equal numerically to those in the USA BUT were in NZ $s worth about 42 cents so great meals were a bargain. In fact NZ is a bargain!!!

I had told the IP list we would be in NZ and guess what -- I was asked by EDS NZ and Telecom NZ to give an informal talk in Auckland and while I was down in Wellington with GG to do the same. Well things escalated out of hand -- the story of my life and I appeared on National TV and was interviewed by the key IT publication. We, GG and I , were invited by the USA Embassy for dinner. Attending was Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, Roderick Deane, Chairman, Telecom NZ, Jillian Deane, Helen Anderson, Chief Scientific Adviser, Ministry of Research, Science and Technology George Newstrom, President, Information Solutions, Asia Pacific, Robert Gray, Managing Director, EDS NZ ,James Higgins, Director, Networking Edge , James O'Neill, Executive Director, Information Technology Association of NZ , Sid Huff, Professor of Electronic Commerce, Victoria University and Paul Aceto, Economic Officer, U.S. Embassy, Wellington.

It was very very stimulating. The Ambassador was charming and sharp as was Dr Deane (and the rest). The conversation ranged from the economic state of NZ to the question of whether classical economic models work in the internet world. One of the most stimulating dinners GG and I have had in a long time.

I met two other people of interest. One was Theresa Gattung - the CEO of Telecom NZ -- a live wire if I ever met one and the second was the Minister of Communications, Hon Paul Swain. The conversation with the Minister focused on the forthcoming report on the telecommunications industry. NZ is now loosely regulated by a general mechanism that looks broadly at all industry. The suspicion is that the report to the Government will suggest a Regulator for communications be appointed. Strange that at a time that the USA is moving away from regulation - slowly, places like NZ may be moving into possibly more regulation. Sounds like the old US trick of believing that Japan knew the future and planning to follow it while the Japanese were trying to follow the USA.

Some general remarks about NZ. It is a beautiful country with a friendly people. The population of NZ is 3 plus million. We say only the northern island. Next time the southern one is in order. Auckland -the city of sails, is a big city and is like most big cities - fun and on a wonderful bay - remember that is where the America Cup is right now. Wellington is the national capital and right on a major fault line. It is hilly surrounding a bay. On can get houses with great views of the bay for next to nothing, by Silicon Valley standards, and still be 20 minutes from work. The Te Papa museum is excellent with a great restaurant -- the ICAN. It is the national museum with great displays, and an excellent Mauri history section.

We took a tour from Auckand to Rotorua. That is the home of one of the sulfur spring resort areas and also the location of a village where the Maori culture is viewable. The situation in NZ with the Maori reminds me strongly of the Hawaii situation with the Native Hawaiins and also the Native American Indian nations. Real complicated and with lots of emotion on all sides.

From a technology standpoint, NZ is heavily into wireless and the internet is every where with free ISPs etc. Also crowded Cybercafes that seem to do very well. Love to understand why they are so successful in NZ compared with elsewhere.

NZ is searching for it's future. The main export products are commodities like wood, lamb, deer produce. There seems to be a point of view that says NZ can not compete in technology. I thing that is wrong. They have a well educated people with a stable government and a great climate. The thought of opening high tech boutique companies with people who love to live is such a wonderful climate seems feasible. In many ways NZ is like Finland. It is a rough hard path but of all the places I have visited it has a lot going for it. Now it needs the guts to try non standard paths. Remember those photons don't take long to go from NZ to Palo Alto.

GG and I look forward to a return visit soon.

Dave

 
"Reading the literature on this site one thing kept occurring to me: "These are my sentiments exactly". New Zealand is a special place without a doubt and New Zealanders are special people. I moved to Australia 7 years ago, and I still think about New Zealand on a daily basis."
Grammar School Student, Melbourne, Australia

"Good on you for a fantastic site. It has both style AND content, which is a very rare thing. The internet has so much information, but little knowledge. Kia kaha....keep going."
Doctor, Auckland, NZ

"Finally, a site dedicated to the great things about our country, a non-commercial site I can recommend to foreign friends with pride. Thanks."
Architect, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

"I've found this page very useful for a year 9 social studies unit that I teach. I would like any updates or further information. I reckon it's a great site and the kids will be using it in term four for research on famous New Zealanders."
Teacher, Leeston, NZ

"Nothing like a few optimistic bastards to brighten the place up - keep it coming."
Manager, Energy, Wellington, New Zealand

"As an addicted historian of 61 years I think that this site has a lot to offer as a link on my web page! I also enjoy the way you do things!"
Retired, Tangiteroria, Aotearoa/New Zealand

"Just wanted to say hi and I want to be part of you."
Student, Nairobi, Kenya

"Great site - I will be back for frequent visits to remind me of home."
Project Manager, Boulder, Colorado, USA

"Thoroughly enjoyed the site. Great look and good information. Really enjoyed the HOT list. Intend to share with friends overseas."
Business Analyst, Auckland NZ

"Great concept. Great to be here."
New Economy Networker, Christchurch, NZ

"To Vice President, Sales, Washington, DC. USA Yes, the DC area does have a lot of Kiwis and most of them belong to the Southern Cross Club."
Co-editor/Under the Southern Cross, Westminster, Maryland, USA

"Brilliant site."
London, England

"Very patriotic, good site!"
Colonel, Canberra, Australia

"What a fantastic site to visit. It is a breath of fresh air to visit a site that is clean, well designed and free of the usual entropy."
Coach/Author, Auckland, NZ

"Cooooooool"
Systems Analyst, Staines, Middlesex, England

"Excellent site - have added the shortcut to our weekly newsletter!!"
Team Manager, Hamilton, NZ

"It's fantastic to see such an interesting and positive site!"
Solicitor, London, UK

"Great site. Will recommend to friends."
Self employed, Christchurch, NZ

"This is a really inspirational website and should be more widely publicised in schools - certainly would enrich the country so much more if the public didn’t just rely on sporting heroes like the All Blacks for inspiration."
Scientist, Auckland, NZ

"A great idea for a website to get people to realise that we have lots of great achievers in New Zealand that no-one notices."
Scientist, Auckland, NZ

"Good stuff guys!"
Student, NZ

"Please send to my brother Jack who has been living in Canada since 1948 but has been home four or five times over the last few years. He would love to get The Edge information."
Retired, Victoria, Canada

"I got an email from a friend about you guys would like to join the family. Cheers."
Designer, Hamilton, NZ

"Great site. Very interesting to understand a little about your ideas and philosophy. As a Kiwi working in the US I like to keep track of other Kiwis making it big away from home."
Development/e-commerce, Mountain View, USA

"Just a quick email to say I really enjoy The Edge emails. I'm a Kiwi working at the Republican National Committee in DC, originally from Otago, so it's great to hear that other Kiwis are getting amongst it."
Washington DC, USA

"Gidday from Wall St. This is the second tab I've hit so haven't seen the site yet. I'll let ya know..."
New York, USA

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