Dedication and enthusiasm from volunteers are not proving enough for the Lake Taupo Museum and Art Gallery to keep its head above water financially, and now its storage of artefacts has come in for criticism.

The society which runs the enterprise is expecting a $30,000 deficit this financial year.

Not only does it not have any reserve funds to meet the shortfall, but it also has an outstanding loan of more than $37,500.

Those were some of the facts outlined to a Taupo District Council meeting this week from society officers and their director.

National

“Land of the Kiwis”
“Not Only Tourist Paradise But Hi-Tech Society”
Korea Is NZ’s 2nd Largest Export Market in Asia

By Ripan Kumar Biswas
Staff Reporter

Amb. David Taylor of New Zealand

Called as "chisang nakwon (earthly paradise)" by its top envoy to Seoul during the special interview with The Seoul Times New Zealand now emerging as one of the most favored destinations for study or immigrations among South Koreans. Amb. David Taylor also emphasized that "Land of the Kiwis," or "Aeoteroa (Land of the Long White Cloud) by Maori terms is not merely a tourist paradise, but also a high-tech society worthy of Korea's attention. He spoke a lot about his country during the interview he had on the occasion of the Waitangi Day of New Zealand, which falls on Feb. 6, 2005. The following are the questions and answers.

Election of a new leader for the Maori church

Maori from throughout Aotearoa will gather at Turangawaewae in Ngaruawahia tomorrow afternoon (Feb 10) to elect a new Pihopa o Aotearoa, or leader of the Maori arm of the Anglican Church.

The election is to fill the vacancy created last year when the Most Rev. Whakahuihui Vercoe was chosen as overall head of the church, or Archbishop of Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia.

The election at Turangawaewae is a three-day process, and will begin with a hui-a-iwi – which has been called to hear submissions on the role of the Bishop of Aotearoa, and to gather nominations for the post.

The government has launched an ambitious Encyclopedia of New Zealand website, purportedly the first of its kind anywhere in the world.

Dubbed Te Ara, which means ‘the pathway’ in Maori, the website provides an interesting set of glimpses into the country, augmenting an introductory block of celebratory promotional content with meatier stuff.

Initially, the most important website content is a digitised, searchable version of a nearly forty-year-old print version of the Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, but Prime Minister Helen Clark said, when launching the reference tool, that content would be rolled out by theme over the next seven years.

Tohu is ready to change your perception--and appreciation--of New Zealand wines. Two varietals are available in B.C. at the moment; more are on the way. The present portfolio contains seven different wines, and while I doubt we'll ever see all of them here, at least a couple more would be welcome.

Tohu Wines is a flagship enterprise for a Maori corporation; the first aboriginal-owned winery in the world (the Okanagan's Nk'Mip is the second), it has, in seven years, grown from the initial vintage in 2001 of 6,000 cases to more than 60,000 cases this past year and 120,000 projected for 2007.

Taupo man Te Reowhakotahi Charles Wall's 41-year commitment to rugby and the community have been recognised, becoming a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Mr Wall was very surprised to hear that he had been nominated for the honour.

"I don't even know who nominated me, but I am really happy about it," he said.

Since 1964 Mr Wall has been on the management committee of the Taupo Rugby Sub-Union, and from 1980 to 1999 was chairman of the College Old Boys Marist Rugby Club. He was chairman of the Taupo Maori Rugby Football Union in 1980

Tumu Te Heuheu

Even the paramount chief of Ngati Tuwharetoa needs a little guidance.

When Tumu Te Heuheu found out he had been nominated for an honour, he asked one of the tribe's kaumatua, Rangihouhiri Asher, if he should accept.

"All he said was that if it's good for Tuwharetoa it's good for you, and if it's good for you it's good for Tuwharetoa."

A week later Mr Asher died.

Mr Te Heuheu, brother-in-law of National MP Georgina Te Heuheu, was honoured for for services to conservation.

Special funding for schools with high Maori rolls is being abolished as the Government prepares to remove race relations from the political agenda next year.

A U-turn on the population-based health funding formula introduced by Labour is also being signalled, with Race Relations Minister Trevor Mallard suggesting that there was now some doubt as to whether weighting some of the funding in favour of Maori and Pacific Islanders was the right way to go.

The Government confirmed yesterday that it was abolishing the race-based component in school decile funding and said "poor white kids" would attract the same funding as "poor brown kids" from now on.

New Zealand paralympian team captain Peter Martin has been named the supreme overall winner at the 2004 Maori Sports Awards.

The 42-year-old Waikato farmer, who has been a quadriplegic since a farm bike accident 15 years ago, was honoured at the Trillian Trust Maori Sports Awards in Auckland last night.

He won two golds and a bronze at the Athens Paralympics this year and holds world records in his class for the shot put, javelin and pentathlon.

In the shot put at Athens he beat the old world record with five of his six throws.

Martin has been competing internationally for 10 years and also won gold at Sydney in 2000.

NEW ZEALAND - Charles Royal is standing in the heart of a New Zealand forest.

He is compact, wiry and intense. All around him are various shades of green, dappled by tiny shifting spots of sunlight. His eyes dart left, down, up, picking out shapes and species. Finally he makes his choice, leans over and delicately cuts off a pale-green furled fern tip.

"Pikopiko," he explains gently to the group knotted around him, watching closely. "They are researching it now. They think it might be very high in iron. You cut the leaves from underneath, but always leave the top third of the plant."

He cuts a few more and passes around crisp shoots. The group tentatively nibbles. It is delicious.