Pacific Challenge New Zealand & Australia Pre-trip Information
for January-March 2008 Program
This is updated throughout the year, so please check in regularly.

Updates>>

Questions? Phone Crockett in Eugene, OR on 1800 655 3513, or 541-343-4124.

Program price for Jan-Mar 2008 program is $6950.
Check you have the new packet with the correct price. If not, please print the Jan-March 2008 program information packet and use this for all payments and paperwork.

Fitness: You’ll enjoy the trip a whole lot more if you’re feeling good. You don’t need to be a triathlete to enjoy the trip but the fitter you are the more energy you’ll have to make the most of everything. We suggest you do both aerobic & endurance exercise a few times each week until your departure (walking, running, dancing, hiking, biking, skiing, snowshoeing etc).

Group Allocations

Group allocations will be finalized 30 November and an email confirming your group will be sent to you. Please do not email requesting your group allocation before this date, as allocations are not finalized prior to this.

View Group Allocations list here >> coming

Air Tickets & Ticket Changes

PC1 Flights E-ticket: coming
PC2 Flights E-ticket: coming
PC3 Flights E-ticket: coming
PC4 Flights E-ticket: coming

If you need to phone Air New Zealand in the US before departure to discuss your seating or make a meal request (eg. if you want a vegetarian meal), phone 1 800 262 1234.

Air tickets will be issued as E-tickets. They will be emailed to you in early January. You will need to print your ticket and carry it with you, and keep the original document in your email account for future reference. Once tickets are emailed to you, they are your responsibility.

Airtickets are valid for 12 months, so you may extend your time downunder or elsewhere, for up to 10 months after program conclusion.

Date changes to your return date can be made after you commence travel, subject to seat availability. Date changes must be arranged by you through the airline, and will incur a fee of approx $125. There are Air New Zealand offices in most towns we visit in New Zealand, and you can also make changes by phone in New Zealand or Australia.
View contact info for Air NZ Travel Centres

A stop-over in Fiji may be possible (we are still waiting to hear from Air New Zealand about this). If so, it will be subject to seat availability, and must be arranged by you through Air NZ, after you have commenced travel, and will incur a fee of approx $150 (routing change) plus $125 (date change). So a date and routing change (to stopover in Fiji) will cost you approximately $275.
Read about Fiji flight options here

Pacific Challenge does not arrange or cover the cost of date and/or routing changes to your ticket. These are your responsibility. For further information, please refer to flight and ticket information in the current itinerary packet.

Flight Details >> coming

PC1: Depart Jan 12; return Mar
PC2: Depart Jan 15; return Mar
PC3: Depart Jan 18; return Mar
PC4: Depart Jan 21; return Mar

Note: Shows standard return dates as tickets will be issued. For extensions and Fiji stopovers, refer 'Air tickets & Ticket Changes' above.

Los Angeles Rendezvous >> coming

View a map of Los Angeles Airport

View/print Los Angeles rendezvous information >>> please carry with you when you travel

Extension & Travel Tips

Read through suggestions from past participants for what to do at the end of your program.

Read the Fiji Consular Information Sheet from the US Department of state.

Read the Fiji Public Announcement from the US Department of State.

Pre-trip Meetings >> coming

Pre-trip meetings will be held in Eugene, Oregon and Winona, Minnesota through October and November. These cover everything from credit options, to cultural tips, gear to take, and trip extensions. They are not obligatory, however it'd be great to meet you all ~ you can chat with your traveling buddies/leaders, and have any questions answered.

Winona, MN - Meeting Schedule: (Questions regarding WSU meetings & attendance, contact: dave@pacificchallenge.org)

Eugene, OR - Meeting Schedule: (Questions regarding UO meetings & attendance, contact: crockett@pacificchallenge.org)

Further weekly meetings at UO to be confirmed. For details, contact Crockett Roberts, 541-343-4124.

Class Enrollment - direct link to WSU class overview

>>>If you're still trying to decide whether to take classes or not, read through the Credit options to view all credit offerings available on the program.

Dive Certification Opportunities

Are you in Oregon? Interested in getting scuba dive certified before the program? Link to Oregon Dive Cert opportunity.

For those living near Winona and interested in becoming a certified PADI Open Water diver, please read on...

If you're not near Winona, you can also do your PADI certification while on Keppel Island at the end of the trip - if you're interested in doing this, contact Crockett Roberts.

From Crockett:
" The course is broken down into three modules: Theory; Pool/Confined Water Skills; and four Open Water Dives. Anyone wishing to do the course can complete the Theory and Confined Water modules in Winona (October/November), then finish the course with four Open Water Dives on Keppel Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The advantage of this is that participants are not wasting time on Keppel Island in a "classroom", and it works out cheaper than doing it in the US.

The cost of the Academic and Confined water modules is $US 200, payable on the first night. Cash or check only. Includes: All text books and log books; Dive tables; All gear supplied (wetsuits etc.); Tuition in heated pool; Expert instruction from PADI instructor."

The cost of the 4 Open Water Dives is approx US$30.

Total Cost: Approx $320 (and of course you get to complete your dives in warm tropical waters surrounded by spectacular coral and fish."

Keeping In Touch email, phonecalls, maildrops

The easiest way to keep in touch with family and friends back home is by email, mail, or by making phone calls home. It is not easy for you to receive phone calls. There are good cheap phone cards available in NZ and Australia for making calls home (call cost approx 10 cents US per minute), so don't bring US phonecards with you.

We have 3 maildrop locations throughout the trip where you can receive mail.
Print/view the list of maildrops >> coming

Gear Tips

1. Make sure you have a copy of the gear list in the information packet in hand when you start packing.

2. Make sure you thoroughly read through the gear tips we've compiled to supplement the gear list.

Buying or Hiring Gear for the trip
An outfitter in Winona, Redtail, has come up with a great gear package for participants. Anyone in the country can utilize it, so check it out, or get in touch with them.

Tents and Stoves background
It is too expensive for Pacific Challenge to purchase and then maintain 40-50 tents and 20 stoves that would only get used between Jan – March each year. Your trip leaders are also too busy to go around and check that tents are dried properly, packed well, and in working order after each nights camping. This is why we ask participants to bring their own – we know that you’ll look after your own tent and stove better than we could. Prior to the trip, your trip leaders or interns will email all of you to find out who is definitely bringing a tent or stove. We aim to get enough tents per trip to sleep the group and enough stoves to have one between 3-4 people. If you think you might like some time to yourself on the trip definitely consider bringing your own tent.

Travel Insurance

We highly recommend all participants have a comprehensive medical or travel insurance policy to cover you for the duration of the New Zealand Australia program. The main reason for this is to cover you in the unlikely event that you need medical treatment.

If you are taking credit through Winona State University, you will have travel insurance arranged for you (that you pay for), as part of the enrollment requirements. If you have questions about the WSU credit travel insurance, please contact Dr Lorene Olson, lolson@winona.edu.

The first important aspect of your insurance cover is the amount of cover you have for medical treatment. Make sure you are covered for accidents and illness.

What's the difference between health/medical insurance and travel insurance?
A travel insurance policy will cover you for more than just medical treatment. Most travel insurance policies should cover you for loss/damage of baggage; trip cancellation/curtailment (eg. A family member dies while you're away and you want to fly home); personal liability (eg. in case you accidentally set fire to your room); and legal assistance.

You can purchase travel insurance from most travel agents, and some insurance brokers. It's worth shopping around well before you buy one (the price should be around $200-$250 for 2 months). When deciding among different policies, the important things to consider are:

• Level of cover for the things discussed above:
  Medical cover
  Medical repatriation
  Loss of baggage
• Personal liability
• Premium (how much it costs for 2 months)
• Emergency contact - do they offer 24 hour emergency assistance, and provide you with a 24 hour assistance phone number in the states?
• Excess (this is how much you have to pay if you make a claim - some policies offer an excess buyout, others can require you to pay the first $50-$250 of any claim)

Remember, for pre-existing medical conditions you will need to disclose these to your insurer, and check whether or not they will cover you for these.

The majority of past participants have purchased travel insurance from either:
STA
Travel Guard International

You could also check out www.insuremytrip.com ~ they offer a comparison of different companies policies, plus FAQ's about travel insurance.

Books about New Zealand fiction & non-fiction
**Includes Scotty's star scale for recommendations**

The Bone People****
Kerri Hulme
Booker prize winning novel about a reclusive woman and her gradual involvement in the lives of a young boy and his father. Not the easiest of reads but a beautiful book once you get into it.

The Matriach***
The Dream Swimmer***
The Whale Rider***
All by Witi Ihimaera – NZ’s most well known Maori author

Once Were Warriors***
Alan Duff
Explosive novel about a dysfunctional Maori family – pulls no punches. Made into a well known movie of the same name.

Shadows on the Wind***
David Lewis
Well known New Zealand solo yachtsman’s autobiography. Inspiring reading if interested in sailing or adventure.

Nothing Venture Nothing Win***
Sir Edmund Hillary
Early autobiography from the first person to climb Mt Everest and the most well known New Zealander – his face is on the $5 bill. This book is out of print but is usually available from second hand book stores throughout NZ.

View from the Summit****
Sir Edmund Hillary
The first man to set foot on the summit of Everest writes an updated autobiography with honesty and insight. A worthwhile read to discover the rich life Hillary has led.

The best of Owen Marshalls short stories*****
Owen Marshall
Possibly New Zealands best short story writer. Engaging stories of real New Zealanders in the same vein as the famous American short story writer Raymond Carver.

Redemption Songs - A Life of Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki
Judith Binney
Winner of the 1996 New Zealand Books Awards. A complicated book about a complicated person. Te Kooti, an important figure in NZ history, was something of a 19th century Maori version of Martin Luther King. He struggled against unjust land confiscation and illegal land purchase through guerilla warfare and negotiation. Ask a New Zealander who Te Kooti was and most would be unable to answer. Hopefully this book will change that.

Season of the Jew
Maurice Shadbolt
“The novel is based on historical events in New Zealand, a Maori rebellion inspired by the Old Testament. The rebellion's leader casts himself as a latter day Moses bringing down righteous destruction on the English Caananites. The novel's protagonist, a retired English officer, turned landscape painter, finds himself a leader of the defense forces arrayed against the rebellion, despite feeling more empathy for the rebels than his European allies.
A complex, literate novel with unforgettable characters, beautifully etched descriptions, and a suspenseful story-line”.

Flight of the Albatross
Deborah Savage
I’ve not heard of this book but the review sounded interesting – kinda teen fiction I guess.
“In addition to presenting one of this season's most breathless accounts of first love, Savage's book chronicles the continuing clash of old Maori custom with current New Zealand culture. New Yorker Sarah decides to spend a conciliatory summer with her mother, a respected scientist living in New Zealand, but finds herself constantly left alone and regrets her decision from the moment she arrives. Committing herself to her flute-playing (as her mother has committed herself to science to the exclusion of family and everything else) is all Sarah wants. But her very first meeting with a Maori boy, Mako, promises a special friendship; their lives become inadvertently and irrevocably entwined with that of an old mystical woman who recognizes the roles they are to play in fulfilling a prophesy. Whether readers go along with the spiritual aspects of this story doesn't matter; the power of Savage's writing--of landscapes, people, lives and desires--builds steadily from the first page, picking up speed as it moves toward a terrific denouement. Various plot threads swirl effortlessly through the narrative, and when the story closes on an appropriately wistful note, readers will wish for the chance to meet Sarah and Mako again”.

Sole Survivor
Derek Hansen
A good dose of Kiwi flavored escapism.
“When Rosie Trethewey -- disillusioned doctor turned market researcher -- unexpectedly inherits a shack on the remote northern tip of New Zealand's Great Barrier Island, she decides it's time to begin a new life. She arrives at her new home to find she has two neighbors sharing the wilderness. One is Red O'Hara, traumatized by horrific wartime experiences working on the Burma railway as a P.O.W. of the Japanese. The other is Angus McLeod, a retired policeman, who has fled from a society he sees as soft and contemptible. Both are, in different ways, survivors.

Rosie's sudden appearance panics Red and Angus. Both of them fear she will disrupt their neatly ordered lives. And they're right. Tough, smart, and practical, Rosie soon turns the lives of Red and Angus upside down, reawakening in Red feelings he has been repressing for years, and in Angus, feelings he has hardly ever acknowledged.

As Red, Angus, and Rosie work out their relationship -- and as Red and Rosie gradually come to grips with the fact that they may just possibly love each other -- an unexpected threat draws them closer together: the depredations of a big Japanese trawler threaten to destroy their food supply and their environment. As they go to sea in a desperate attempt to prevent the rape of their island paradise, this extraordinary novel of survival and love moves toward a blazing finale that will remind many readers of The African Queen”.

A Brief History of the Future - Citizenship of the Millennium
Mike Moore
One time New Zealand left wing Prime minister, more recently heading the World Trade Organisation advances the doctrine of independence through interdependence, arguing that the interests and independence of sovereign states are best safeguarded and promoted through international agreements, treaties and institutions.
“The challenges facing every country - security, stability, economic growth, social and environmental progress - all need international solutions. No single nation can even run a tax system without the co-operation of others. The book argues that for the sake of our survival we must build respect and trust in international institutions and the rule of law so we can conduct our affairs and resolve our differences peacefully. It promotes the view that we must evolve a new level of citizenship both locally and internationally for the new millennium”.

From the Edge of the Sky
Maurice Shadbolt
“Compelling and revealing, From the Edge of the Sky continues the often hectic and sometimes poignant tale of the life and times of New Zealand's most distinguished storyteller. As lively as his novels, this new memoir teems with the often improbable New Zealanders who have coloured Shadbolt's life as a writer: his forebears, friends, neighbours, relatives, children, lovers and wives, and unruly fellow authors”.

Books about Australia | fiction & non-fiction
**Includes Scotty's star scale for recommendations**

Dirt Music*****
Tim Winton
Excellent page turner of a novel set in Western Australia.

Songlines****
Bruce Chatwin
Fascinating insight into aboriginal culture by traveling writer Bruce Chatwin.

The True History of the Kelly Gang*****
Peter Carey
Booker Prize winning novel. Recreation of the life of Australia’s most famous outlaw.

In a Sunburned Country***
Bill Bryson
Veteran travel writer Bill Bryson’s at times hilarious take on Australia.

Oscar and Lucinda***
Peter Carey
Another Booker prize winning novel about early Australian settlers.

Cloudstreet****
Tim Winton
Excellent novel about an unusual Perth family. I loved this book.

The Fatal Shore****
Robert Hughs
The definitive history of Australia’s convict settlement.

Any of Bryce Courtney's novels set in Australia:
The Potatoe Factory, Tomo & Hawk, April Fool

The Future Eaters*****
Tim Flannery
An Ecological History of the Australian Lands and People...
“With a sweeping gesture, Flannery dispels one of modern mythology's most cherished ideals. The image of the "Noble Savage," living intimately and in harmony with his surroundings is demolished by the evidence. Instead, Flannery shows how the intrusions of humans into previously unoccupied lands led to mass slaughters and the extinctions of countless species. His study covers the vast territories of the South Pacific - continents, large islands and archipeligoes - examining geology, weather and climate, flora and fauna. After completing this book, you will have a new view of our ancestors and how humanity has viewed nature.
Although Australia's evolutionary path was unique, the lessons derived from studying events there may be applied globally, according to Flannery. Adaptation is an ongoing process, whether for "wildlife" or "civilized" humanity. Change forces that process. He aknowledges that in recent times change is more rapid and intrusive. We need to understand what impact those changes have and what, if any, adaptations are taking place. This book thus becomes and educational tool to help protect our own future”.

Tracks****
Robyn Davidson
A Woman's Solo Trek Across 1,700 Miles of Australian Outback. An amazing adventure story of one woman’s journey by camel across the Australian deserts from Alice Springs to the ocean.

Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence
by Doris Pilkington, Nugi Garimara
True story of young aboriginal girls taken from their family to be raised in an oppressive orphanage. The girls ran away and walked 1000 miles home across Australias inhospitable Western Deserts. Recently made into a feature film. It’s a strong condemnation of Australia’s past racist policies.

A Secret Country: The Hidden Australia****
by John Pilger
A fascinating book...
“A desanitized view of Australia from a veteran Australian journalist, ranging from its founding as a penal colony in 1788 to the machinations of the Old Mates,''the powerful dullards'' who threaten the nation's hard-won status as a working-class society of equals. More than 160,000 came to Australia in chains, a practice continuing into the 1880's. Later generations tried to suppress their heritage, so Pilger had to do considerable work to unearth his great-great-grandmother, a pregnant 16-year-old Irish girl when she came over on one of the female slave ships. Such women were passed out first to officers, then to non-commissioned officers, then privates, and lastly such ex-convict settlers as seemed respectable. Yet the offspring of convicts were more brutal still to Aborigines, taking them as slaves quite as in the American South. Aborigines were seen as animals; even into the 1950's babies were taken away at birth and adopted; full rights are still not accorded these people. Meanwhile, Australia, with its whites-only immigration policy, remained aloof from its Asian neighbors. When the UK's influence waned, the US stepped in, most notably with the use of Australian conscripts in the Vietnam War. According to Pilger, the CIA actually undertook a sort of coup by poisoning the chances for reelection of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam through its influences with powerful Governor General John Kerr. One of the most extraordinary portraits here is of Kerr, a boilermakers's son and rabid conservative whose weakness was booze; he lost his job when he made a drunken pass at the Queen. A brooding, often angry book. Pilger sees hope for this nation of battlers in the example of New Zealand, a superficially similar country that noisily rejected the US nuclear umbrella and has turned fully ten percent of its land into a national park. A startling look, then, at a country quite different from, and hauntingly similar to, the US.

Australia : True Stories of Life Down Under (Travelers' Tales)
Larry Habegger

The Dig Tree: The Story of Bravery/Insanity/the Race to Discover Australia's Wild Frontier
Sarah P. Murgatroyd
“Sarah Murgatroyd does a terrific job of assembling a compelling story of a doomed expedition across Australia. She carefully pulls together pieces from diaries, old news accounts, and official records, and even throws in insights into human and camel physiology when necessary. The story moves along with interesting characters and sometimes heartbreaking events. Importantly, Murgatroyd grounds everything in historical research, giving her account valuable credibility”.

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
Thomas Keneally
From the author of ‘Schindlers list’...
“One would hope a book written about race relations thirty years ago would be irrelevant and possibly dated today. Unfortunately, Keneally's stunning indictment of turn-of-the-century racism, in this case that of Anglo settlers towards Australia's native aborigines, remains vibrant and powerful, even after these many years.
The basic story is not unique. Half aborigine and half Anglo, Jimmie Blacksmith grows up in aborigine culture. Because he is light-skinned, however, he is able to obtain jobs on white landholdings more readily than other aborigines, and there he is exposed to Anglo culture--with all its stated, good intentions, but its sometimes patronizing attitudes and selfish goals. After being worked hard and cheated from his earnings repeatedly, Jimmie snaps, visiting on his former employers the kind of fatal "justice" which has so often been dealt to the aborigines. As vigilantes and police join forces to apprehend Jimmie, we see all the conflicting attitudes toward life and justice which undermine the creation of a unified, fair society.

The throbbing drumbeat of Jimmie's chants and Keneally's insistent narrative pace combine with our revulsion toward Jimmie's actions, to catch us up in the emotions of both the pursuers and the pursued. Our understanding of Jimmie and our empathy with him make us long for his redemption at the same time that we are anxious for justice to take place. Keneally's resolution is brilliant, fittingly combining the best elements of both of Jimmie's worlds. This is a wonderful novel which deals with a complex and sensitive subject without polemics or convenient, easy solutions, and it's as relevant today as it was when it was written”.

My Brilliant Career
Miles Franklin
“This book is a bit like a grown-up Little House in the Prairie but set in 19th century outback Australia rather than the Wild West of the US. This is a story of a young, spirited woman who rebels against convention and the desire of her relatives that she marry the wealthy, and (it has to be said) highly desirable, local squatter (swoon! swoon!). Unlike Laura Ingalls, Sybilla chooses the road less travelled and refuses to marry. She follows her dreams instead. What makes this book so remarkable is that it was written 100 years ago yet the voice of the narrator is so fresh. The book is funny and inspiring. I first read it when I was a teenager and my love for it has never diminished. If you cannot read the novel, try to see the film with Judy Davis and Sam Neill which brings the book wonderfully to life. The movie is as much of an Australian classic as the book”.

A River Town
Thomas Keneally
“Australian Keneally draws on his immigrant heritage in this turn-of-the-century story of Tim Shea, an Irish storekeeper struggling with his own and society's demons to make a life for his family in New South Wales. Deaths frame the novel: Tim is haunted by the image of a nameless young woman, dead from an abortion, whose severed head is trotted around in a jar by the local constable in an effort to identify her; and after attending to a farmer killed in a gory buggy accident, Tim feels obliged to support the farmer's elder child, Lucy. First regarded as a hero for his quick action after the cart accident, then excoriated publicly for his anti-Boer War sentiments, Tim fears losing his business. A final quarantine after exposure to the black plague ends Tim's tribulations. The Irish/Australian dialect is difficult at first, and the narrative sometimes seems flat despite the often melodramatic events. Nevertheless, this book, which teems with themes from race and class discrimination to the wages of sin, has the flavor of a 19th-century novel, and Keneally may catch the historical saga market with it”.

The Explorers: Stories of Discovery and Adventure from the Australian Frontier
Tim F. Flannery (Editor)
Like the exploration of the USA, Australia had it’s own share of Lewis and Clark style epic journeys many of them ending in death. Flannery has assembled an interesting collection of journal entries and first hand accounts.

Movies about, or made in, New Zealand

The Whale Rider***** (2003)
Nikki Caro
Based on a novel of the same name by respected Maori author Whiti Ihimaera who in turn based the book on an East Coast Maori legend, this is the contemporary story of the attempt by a 12-year-old, Pai (Castle-Hughes), to become a Whale Rider, a tribal distinction and position traditionally reserved for males only. Pai is the only living child of the son of her tribe's chief, after her mother and brother die in a horrible accident, with her father fleeing New Zealand altogether. It is a belief of the Whangara people that their entire culture descends from a single ancestor a thousand years ago, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized in the ocean by riding back home on the back of a whale. Ever since, Whangara chiefs (aka the first-born male sons of the previous chief) have been Whale Riders. and so young Pai wants to bring life back into her family by fulfilling her destiny and community, regardless of her gender, to ultimately become the tribal chief as well as Whale Rider.
AGF People's Choice Award (2002 Toronto International Film Festival); World Cinema Audience Award (2003 Sundance Film Festival); Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature (tie) (2003 San Francisco International Film Festival)

Lord of the Rings***** (2001-2003)
Peter Jackson
Biggest gamble by a movie studio must go to New Line for backing relatively unknown New Zealand Director Peter Jackson and his proposal to turn The Lord of the Rings trilogy into film. Not just one film either but 3 filmed at once. It was the largest sum of money ever spent on a movie and filmed entirely in New Zealand.

Once Were Warriors*** (1995)
Lee Tamahori
The story of a Maori family in urban Auckland, New Zealand, trying to make ends meet and coping with the overbearing presence of the family's father.
Once Were Warriors is not light fare. It is a painful and very effective tale about the destructive power of abuse, rape, alcoholism, and violence in general that easily transcends its New Zealand origin. The title refers to the fact that the Maori were once a race of fierce fighters, born with the rage of their ancestors deep in their souls. The story tells us what has become of the centuries of rage, leaving the audience with a warning about what may be happening in your country, in your town, in your home.
New Zealand Film & Television Awards: Best Film, Best Director; Best Screenplay; Best Actor; Best Supporting Actor; Best Film Score; Best Editing; Best Juvenile Performance. Durban International Film Festival:
Best Film; Montreal Film Festival: Best Film; Best Actress; Most Popular Film
Ecumenical Jury Award. Venice Film Festival: Anica-Flash Best First Film Award. Hawaii Film Festival: Special Jury Award. Fantasporto Film Festival (Portugal): Best Actress. Rotterdam Film Festival: Best Film; Special Jury Award. Santa Barbara Film Festival: Bruce Corwin Award for Artistic Excellence

The Piano*** (1993)
Jane Campion
This controversially erotic film from New Zealand established screenwriter-director Jane Campion as a universally recognized talent. Holly Hunter stars as Ada, a mute 19th-century woman sent to New Zealand in an arranged marriage with a patriarchal landowner (Sam Neill). She brings along her daughter, Flora (Anna Paquin), and tries to also bring her beloved piano, much to the consternation of her new husband, who abandons the piano on a beach. Artistically and emotionally frustrated, Ada finds herself experiencing an erotic awakening when Baines (Harvey Keitel), an illiterate settler covered with Maori tattoos, rescues her piano, buys it from her husband, then strikes a strange bargain with Ada that gradually leads to her sexual awakening--and to an explosive confrontation.

Jaw-droppingly beautfiul with its purple and green palette of untamed New Zealand scenery, THE PIANO is both a ravishing love story and a psychosexual fairy tale on a par with WUTHERING HEIGHTS and JANE EYRE. Featuring a haunting piano score by Michael Nyman and brilliant performances, THE PIANO is a masterpiece, considered one of the best films of the 1990s.
Academy Awards: Best Actress; Best supporting actress; best screenplay. Cannes: Palm d’Or; Best actress.

Heavenly Creatures*** (1994)
Peter Jackson
HEAVENLY CREATURES represented a departure of sorts for horror director Peter Jackson and was the first film to earn him widespread critical acclaim. Jackson both co-wrote and co-produced the picture, which is based on an actual 1954 murder case. The two protagonists, New Zealand schoolgirls Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme, first meet when Juliet (Kate Winslet in her silver-screen debut) is introduced to Pauline’s class as a new student. Pauline (Melanie Lynskey), an introvert who feels misunderstood by her family and peers, is instantly smitten with the sophisticated and self-confident newcomer, and the girls become best friends.
Eventually, Pauline and Juliet begin spending more and more time together, withdrawing into a magical land of their own invention--Borovnia, a fairy-tale kingdom populated by lifesize clay figures. The girls’ distraught families fear that the friendship is becoming unhealthy, and Juliet’s parents decide to end things by sending their daughter away. Faced with their impending separation, the girls decide nothing will tear them apart, leading to an unexpectedly grisly denouement made even more unnerving by the ignorance of their own delusion. A harrowing story of misdirected adolescent creativity, Jackson's HEAVENLY CREATURES is chillingly unforgettable.
Academy Awards: Best Screenplay

The Last Samuari (December 2003)
Edward Zwick
Set in Japan during the 1870s but filmed entirely in New Zealand, The Last Samurai tells the story of Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise), an American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country's first army in the art of modern warfare. As the government attempts to eradicate the ancient Samurai warrior class in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly affected by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the center of a struggle between two eras and two worlds, with only his own sense of honor to guide him.

The Vertical Limit (2000)
Martin Cambell
A terrible film, don’t believe it! However principal photography for VERTICAL LIMIT was in New Zealand. The locations used in New Zealand locations were in the mountainous regions around Mt. Cook and Queenstown. According to producer Lloyd Phillips, "In the Mt. Cook region we found locations which have a precarious high-altitude look."

Sleeping Dogs*** (1977)
Roger Donaldson
Set in the future under a totalitarian government, Smith (Sam Neill) is an apathetic loner who is mistakenly identified as a radical terrorist. He escapes from custody and is forced to join a group of revolutionary guerrillas in order to prove his innocence. An exciting political thriller, this was the first film made in New Zealand to be released in the U.S.

Holy Smoke** (1999)
Jane Campion
In this wildly inventive film from director Jane Campion (THE PIANO), Kate Winslet stars as Ruth, a headstrong Australian woman determined to get back to India in time to join a group marriage to her guru. Her family, hoping to break the cult leader's psychic grip on Ruth, hires P.J. (Harvey Keitel), a macho American deprogramming expert teetering on the brink of a nervous breakdown. A no-holds-barred battle of the psyches, cultures, and sexes ensues as P.J. and Ruth fight, connive, and eventually fall into bed together in what becomes a mutual search for individual truth. The strong performances of the two stars, a hilariously offbeat script (cowritten by Campion and her sister, Anna), and a wealth of delicious, texture-enhancing flourishes (including some surreal bits of computer animation, Pam Grier's work in a small role as P.J.'s partner, and a wild opening sequence set to Neil Diamond's "Holly Holy") combine to make HOLY SMOKE! a weird, winning blend of goofy comedy and hallucinatory mysticism.

The Navigator (1988)
Vincent Ward
Vincent Ward's metaphoric tale of sibling relations, AIDS and modern problems in general follows the quest of a group of medieval British villagers. Desiring an explanation of a prophetic dream, the group of miners descends into the deep recesses of Cambrian hills. They emerge in modern day Wellington, New Zealand and set about on a search for that city's cathedral spire -- as seen in the dream. During their journey they encounter local dwellers and treat every commonplace modern occurrence as an obstacle of mythic proportions.

Famous NZ Directors...
Lee Tamahori: Die Another Day – James Bond (2002); Along came a spider (2001); The Edge (1997).
Vincent Ward: What Dreams May Come (1998); Map of the Human Heart (1993); Alien 3 (1992).
Roger Donaldson: The Recruit (2003); Thirteen Days (2000); Dante’s Peak (1997); The Getaway (1994); White Sands (1992); Cadillac Man (1990); No Way Out (1987).

Movies about, or made in, Australia

Ned Kelly (2003) US release 2004
Gregor Jordan
Stars: Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, Naomi Watts
In the late 19th century, Edward 'Ned' Kelly, the son of Irish immigrants, became the world's most wanted man, with an unprecedented bounty on his head. Such was the establishment's fear of Ned, the government of the time passed a special law that granted ordinary citizens the right to kill the outlaw on sight without fear of any legal repercussions. Ned Kelly, the movie, charts the turbulent life of Ned (Heath Ledger) as he progresses from part-time horse thief to full-time enemy of the state and folk hero.
Ned Kelly is the fascinating story of an extraordinary man in extraordinary circumstances. With its copious amounts of action, adventure, drama, and romance, it's also a great movie experience.

Rabbit Proof Fence*** (released 2002)
Philip Noyce
Set in Australia in 1931, RABBIT-PROOF FENCE tells the story of a government policy that required "half-caste" children (whose mothers were Aboriginal and whose fathers were white) to be taken from their homes by the authorities to be trained to work as servants. Based on the true story of Molly Craig, Philip Noyce's film of small gestures and few words follows the odyssey of three young girls who escaped from the government's training facility and, using the country's long stretches of rabbit-proof fences as their guide, walked 1500 miles to get back home.
Told squarely from Molly's point of view, RABBIT-PROOF FENCE also highlights the Australian government's treatment of Aboriginies by A.O. Neville (Kenneth Branagh), the legal guardian of the country's indigenous people. His plan to "breed out" the Aboriginal blood of the half-castes is marked by a cool calculation and moral blindness that stands out in sharp contrast to Molly's spiritual and intuitive relationship to the people and places she encounters on her journey.

The Dish****(2001)
Rob Sitch
In July 1969, the eyes of the world were on the Apollo 11 moon landing--but the world would have watched blank television screens if not for the hard work of a group of Australians manning the Parkes Radio Telescope, one of the largest dishes in the world. In THE DISH, a dramatization of the events surrounding the telecast or the space mission, Cliff Buxton (Sam Neill) and Al Burnett (Patrick Warburton) try to hold their crew together through calamities and crises ranging from dangerously high winds to a sudden power failure that cuts off contact with the distant astronauts, forcing the team to impersonate Neil Armstrong for the benefit of the visiting American ambassador. While the crew frantically prepares for the big moment, relaying the footage to televisions across the world, the people of Parkes celebrate their part in this momentous historical event. One of the most critically and commercially successful films ever to come out of Australia, THE DISH is a rousing, feel-good movie that succeeds both because of its perfectly formed characters and because of a heartwarming tone that illustrates that working for a common goal is the highest calling in life.

The Castle*** (1997)
Rob Sitch
Hilarious Australian comedy. The Kerrigan family of Cooloroo, Australia live in a modest house. Never mind that it's built on a toxic landfill- adjacent to the constant hum of high-power lines- and sits on the landing path of a nearby airport. For the happy-go-lucky Kerrigans consider their home as their castle!

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert*** (1994)
Stephan Elliot
Starring: Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce
Three cabaret drag queens trek across Australia's outback in an unreliable bus christened Priscilla in this highly acclaimed comedy. When they break down in the middle of nowhere, the colorful trio does what they do best--they put on a show!
Academy Award: Best Costume Design.

Muriel's Wedding*** (1995)
P.J Hogan
Muriel (Toni Collette) is a young misfit adrift in a small Australian town called Porpoise Spit. She loves attending weddings just to witness two people starting new lives -- although it seems likely that Muriel herself will never have one. Finally, however, she gets fed up with being an onlooker and decides to take some action: she accepts a blank check from her mother that's supposed to start her off on a career selling makeup, and cashes it in for her parents' life savings.
Flush with mad money, she goes on a tropical vacation and then hightails it to Sydney to avoid the shame of possible jail time. There, Muriel renews her acquaintance with the vivacious Rhonda, who introduces her to new possibilities and adventures. But Muriel still lacks one important thing: a husband. How far will she go to get one?

Lantana*** (2001)
Ray Lawrence
Ray Lawrence's LANTANA is an intelligent, well-written, well-acted film that is much more than just another cop thriller. Anthony LaPaglia stars as Leon, a Sydney police detective who is cheating on his wife, Sonja (Kerry Armstrong), with a married woman from their dance class (Rachael Blake), even though he still loves his wife. There's something missing from his life, but he's not sure what. His relationship with his son is strained, and even his partner, Claudia (Leah Purcell), knows something is wrong. But as his affair heats up and a murder mystery that seems to involve all of the people in his life begins to consume his attentions, he is forced to reexamine his future both as a family man and a cop.
LANTANA won seven Australian Film Institute Awards

Strictly Ballroom*** (1992)
Baz Luhrmann
Scott Hastings is an ambitious, athletic dancer eager to break with the Australian Dance Federation's stodgy traditions and choreograph his own steps for the upcoming Ballroom Dancing Championship. Scott's mother Shirley, his prissy partner Liz and coach Les are up in arms over his brash attitude towards ballroom conventions. Angry at Scott's new passionate refusal to follow the rules, Liz quits, leaving him without a partner. When Fran, a klutzy beginner, approaches him, Scott doesn't believe she can make the grade. But once Fran and her family introduce Scott to the vivacious Spanish rhythms and sharply sensuous moves that are part of their culture, he realizes this is the very outlet he's needed for his talents. Together, Fran and Scott boldly challenge the Federation's provincial attitudes, making everyone green with envy.

Shine**** (1996)
Scott Hicks
Shine tells the dramatic story of Australian musical prodigy, David Helfgott. Helfgott shone as a pianist from an early age and was intensely nurtured and guided by his musically-frustrated father, a Holocaust survivor.
Told in flashback, the film chronicles how this relationship traumatises the young, socially awkward boy until he has a mental breakdown while studying in London. The second half of the film follows Helfgott's slow recovery in Australia and his eventual comeback under the care of his wife and other supporters.
Nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning the Oscar for Best Actor (Geoffery Rush)

Gallipoli*** (1981)
Peter Weir
Stars Mel Gibson. Required viewing for high school students in NZ
"Gallipoli" relates the events surrounding the ill-fated World War I battle, in which Australian and New Zealand troops set out to capture Istanbul. But mistakes made by upper-echelon military commanders led to disaster -- in which the army grunts suffered the most. The film, however, focuses not only on epic clashes, but on the friendships that developed between the soldiers on the field.

My Brilliant Career (1979)
Gillian Armstrong
Turn-of-the century romantic drama about Sybylla Melvyn, a young woman determined to assert her identity and independence. She foregoes love, the attentions of Harry Beecham, and the life of luxury he offers, and endures a stint as governess for the squalid McSwats in order to pursue her goal to be a writer.
(Judy Davis, Sam Neil – played at Cannes)

Famous Australian Directors...
Baz Luhrmann: Alexander the Great (2004); Moulin Rouge (2001); Romeo and Juliet (1996)
Scott Hicks: Hearts in Atlantis (2001); Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)
Peter Weir: The Truman Show (1998); Fearless (1993); Dead Poets Society (1989); Witness (1985)
Gillian Armstrong: Charlotte Grey (2001); Oscar and Lucinda (1997); Little Women (1994); The last Days of Chez Nous (1992)