Flavour of New Zealand
NZ popular culture 1960 onward
NZ popular culture 1960 onward
Excerpts from Strange Facts & True about New Zealand should be seen as having validity as of its publishing date of 1981.
The only man known to have built a boat using only his feet was Kaitaia solicitor Mr Rodney Haines. Mr Haines, who is armless, built an 8.2 m double outrigger cruiser in his spare time while a partner in a Kaitaia legal firm. 1
During 1971 there were more marriages solemnized than in any other year; 27,199 couples were married. 1
Mr Tim Shadbolt of Auckland holds the world record for the longest speech ever given. Starting on 15 June 1979, he harrangued a crowd non-stop for 32 hours. 1
In the southern Hawke’s Bay district of the North Island, about 14 km from Porangahau, is a hill 300 m high which bears the longest placename now in use in the world. The unofficial version has 85 letters; Taumatawhakatangihangakaoauauotamatea (turipukakapikimaungahoronuku) pokaiwhenuakitanatahu and means: “the brow of the hill where Tamatea, the man with the big knees who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as Traveler, played on his flute to his loved one”. The official version does not include the letters in parenthesis, and thus has only 57 letters. For obvious reasons, the name is usually shortened to Taumata. 1