New Zealand Herald

Newspapers tell an awful lot about a place. For instance, the national paper of New Zealand (the Herald), is full of interesting insights this morning. Rugby, and specifically the progress of the All Blacks national team, is of prime importance, with coverage taking up 6 full pages of the 36 page paper, including the front headline. That's actually about half the information content of the paper, since most other pages are some 80% advertisements.

But Kiwis apparently have other passions beyond Rugby- page 3 is an article on the potentially devistating effects that fungus could have on the palm trees on main street in downtown Auckland. That's followed up on page 6 with a separate article concerning the same tree species' vulnerability to fungus in the suburbs. Fungus on palm trees is clearly a big issue here. There's also a full page devoted to "green issues" above and beyond the looming fungus disaster.

Other fantastic tidbits include the successful cultivation of vanilla beans for the first time in the country, and the fact that the government is giving away free good quality clay, on a "shovel it yourself basis," in order to clear ground for a new rail line. Imagine that- free clay, and all you have to do is backbreakingly dig it out of the ground. These people are a little strange. Oddly, there's not one mention of sheep in the whole paper, despite their fluffy ranks outnumbering the humans 4 to 1 on these islands.

And then there's the classifieds, perhaps the most delightful section of any newspaper. Apparently in New Zealand, if you wish to say, renew your liquor license, or apply to become a real estate agent, or any number of other things, you must advertise a public hearing on the matter in the national paper. Furthermore, there's a full page of "death notices." In a country of 4 million people, 60 obituaries each day amounts to almost 75% of the expected daily mortality rate. And the announcements aren't automatic either- you have to specifically inform the paper and pay for the notice.

I wonder what it says about New Zealand that 3 out of 4 deaths are announced daily at a national level, but not one marriage?