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 smallest New Zealand bird is the acanthisitta, the rifleman or New Zealand wren, often called the titipounamu, which measures on 8 cm from beak tip to tail. The bird inhabits the forests of both main islands, especially the South Island beech forests. 1
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
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
New Zealanders consume more butter than any other people in the world – 14.8 kg per head in 1977. The average American, by contrast, consumes only 2.18 kg of butter a year. 1