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Saturday 24th of October will see Christchurch's freshest "frockers" and their faithful steeds rendezvous at Victoria Square for an afternoon of delightful entertainment.
Frocks On Bikes sees fabulous women gathering with their bikes and their style – from winter to summer, on-road and off-road, with meticulous planning and utter spontaneity!
Why? To bring about the momentum for better cycle routes in our FLAT city, and demonstrate that there is a groundswell of people wanting to ride. To lure SUV drivers to thinking that bikes are actually a sexier and much more fabulous way to get around, and to dispell the myth that you need special gear to go cycling!
visit http://frocksonbikes.org
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In a first for Christchurch, kiwi juveniles are being placed inside the predator-free enclosure at Riccarton Bush. Here they will learn how to forage for food and nest in burrows, until they are big enough to be released into the wild, and the worst of the winter weather has passed.
The kiwi juveniles, range in age from 4-7 months old. They were hatched from eggs recovered from the Hurunui and Hawdon valleys as part of the Bank of New Zealand Operation Nest Egg™ (ONE) programme, sponsored by the BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust.
Once the chicks are large enough to protect themselves from stoats, their primary predator in the wild, they will be released into Arthur’s Pass National Park.
As Riccarton Bush is the only predator-free enclosure in a natural setting in Canterbury, it is being used as a temporary measure. A purpose-designed enclosure is being developed to accommodate increasing numbers of kiwi juveniles in the future.
“The people of Christchurch will be key to the success of this kiwi crèche. We ask all visitors to keep to the tracks and keep all dogs out.
Resident Riccarton Bush caretaker John Moore is confident that the enclosure is safe from predators and the public will respect kiwi being there.
“In fact the public will neither see not hear them as they sleep during the day and the enclosure is locked at night when they’ll be out foraging for food.
The two hour guided Christchurch City Bike Tour includes a 10 minute walk through Riccarton Bush. Click here for more information...
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New Zealand Prime Minister John Key recently appeared on the 'Late Show with David Letterman', delivering the 'Top Ten' list. Key is also New Zealand's Minsiter for Tourism, so he wasted no opportunity to promote our fanastic country!
TOP 10
John Key's top 10 list on the David Letterman Late Show:
1. Unlike most of the world, we still like Americans.
2. We drive on the left side of the road, like the British and Lindsay Lohan.
3. 70 per cent of our energy is generated through renewable hydro power look, these don't all have to be jokes.
4. Visit in the next 30 days, I'll pick you up at the airport.
5. Get the whanau together, stay in a bach, crack open the chilly bin and slap on your jandals.
6. Down there Leno's on at 9 o'clock.
7. It's like England without the attitude.
8. Only a convenient 20-hour flight away.
9. We have the loosest slot machines in the Pacific rim.
10. The Auckland airport now has a Cinnabon (a chain store specialising in sweet Danish pastries).
Click here to view John Key on The Late Show with David Letterman
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The bicycle was invented by Germany’s Barn von Drias in 1817. The 'Draisienne' was a steerable bicycle that was almost completely made of wood, it had no pedals and riders propelled it by pushing their feet against the ground. It went at a speed of 15km/hr and in 1842 it was equipped with solid rubber tires.
Several years later Kirkpatrick MacMillan (a Scottish blacksmith) designed the MacMillan velocipede, the first bike to be ridden without touching your feet to the ground.
In 1869 the Reynolds' of Great Britain released the 'ordinary-drive Phantom'. It was an epoch-making development with its light-weight metal frame, first wheels to ever use a double-spoke construction, solid rubber tires nailed to wooden wheels, and other innovations.
Haven't things come along way to what we use now!
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