1 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Part Time Genius, the production of I Heart 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: Radio Guess What Will? What's that Mango? So you're never 3 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: gonna believe this, but I finally found a new Zealand 4 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: bird that's even more endearing than the Kiwi. I actually 5 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 1: feel weird saying this, but I know I need to 6 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: congratulate you, because I'm pretty sure this has been a 7 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: dream of yours for a while now, So so congrats, 8 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: thank you. I mean, some days I doubted it was 9 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,319 Speaker 1: even possible, but this week I read about these big 10 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: green parrots that lived there, called kias, and they are 11 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 1: so mischievous and so clever that I just had to 12 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 1: give them the top spot because I know it's a 13 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: controversial pick, but I like to keep things spicy. You're 14 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: saying this is actually controversial, Yeah, So I'm like Kiwi's 15 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: Kaas aren't universally adored. They are kind of these one 16 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: and a half foot tall mischief makers, and they will 17 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: steal laces from boots or strip the rubber off your 18 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: windshield wipers. But the wildest prank I've heard is that 19 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: ki has actually dragged traffic cones into the middle of 20 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: the road and leave them there. And some researchers believe 21 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: this is an intentional act, like it's a crafty way 22 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: to get drivers to slow down enough that the parents 23 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: can beg for food. Wow. I mean that is kind 24 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 1: of a kneetrich. It also does down a little bit dangerous. 25 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: I wonder how many of these get hit. Yeah, I 26 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: mean it's become a real problem. But the good news 27 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 1: is that there's this conservation team in New Zealand that's 28 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: been testing this ingenious way to keep the kias distracted. 29 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 1: They've installed all these little parrot gyms by the roadside, 30 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,400 Speaker 1: and so it kind of looks like a miniature jungle 31 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: gym with swings and spinning toys and little ladders. I 32 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: guess I kind of feel like everything you've said to 33 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:45,559 Speaker 1: this point may not actually be true, but I'm gonna 34 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 1: go with it. So are are these you call them gyms? 35 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: Are these gyms actually helping? Yeah? They are so far 36 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: fewer birds are messing with traffic cones and the roads 37 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: are a whole lot safer. But you know, these parrot 38 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: gyms aren't the only out of the box solution that 39 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: news Lin's come up with over the past few years. 40 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: From state approved wizards to car driving dogs. The country 41 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,359 Speaker 1: has plenty of eccentricities to go around, so for today's show, 42 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: I thought we could dive into some of that. A 43 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 1: their podcast listeners, Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will 44 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: Pearson and it's always I'm joined by my good friend 45 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:40,959 Speaker 1: mangesh Ticketer on the other side of the soundproof glass, 46 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: just sipping his way through what he claims is a 47 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: hokey pokey milkshake. That's what That's what he says. At 48 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: least that is our friend and producer Lull. So I 49 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:52,079 Speaker 1: don't know what a hokey pokey milkshake is. You dip 50 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: one finger in, you dip one figure out, I guess. 51 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 1: So any anytime anyone says hokey pokey, it reminds me 52 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: of that shirt we made at Metal Flass. Oh that 53 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: was I was trying to remember that. It said hokey 54 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: pokey anonymous. Is that right? Yeah? And and and the 55 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: tagline was a place to turn yourself Around, which I 56 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:10,799 Speaker 1: kind of loved. I actually saw someone in that shirt 57 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 1: this year, which which amazed. Let's keep the focus on 58 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: Lull here the way he likes it. What exactly is 59 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: a hokey pokey milkshake. Yeah, so I've I've I've pulled 60 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:22,839 Speaker 1: it up here. So hokey pokey is I guess what 61 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: we'd call honeycomb toffee. You know that we always call 62 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: things honeycomb toffee. But it's like this light, crunchy candy 63 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: made from brown sugar and corn syrup. And apparently everyone 64 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: in New Zealand fell in love with the flavor way 65 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: back in the nineteen forties and they have been obsessed 66 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: with it ever since, especially when it takes the form 67 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: of milkshake. So now I see why he just seems 68 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: so happy over there. I mean, it's a great nickname. 69 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: I also really like the cup he's drinking from. I 70 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: I wish listeners could see it. It's a white cup 71 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: with a red and blue cartoon giraffe on the side, 72 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: and in big red letters it says the longest drink 73 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: in town. I mean, if you're gonna toll how big 74 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: your beverages. It feels so much cooler than like a 75 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 1: big goal. Yeah, a long drink. Yeah. Actually I looked 76 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,119 Speaker 1: this up to and the longest drink in the world 77 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 1: cup is actually pretty iconic. So this design debut in 78 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: the nineteen sixties and for the next several decades, it 79 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: was featured on just about every paper milkshake cup in 80 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: the country. He became synonymous with summertime in New Zealand, 81 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: and thanks in large part to that widespread nostalgia, the 82 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: longest drink in the world is still served up at 83 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 1: New Zealand ice cream parlors today. Also, just because I 84 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: kind of fell in love with the lingo this week, 85 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 1: I have to mention that if you're inspired to bring 86 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: ice cream or cold milk to work, just like LOL 87 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: did today, a cooler in New Zealand is called a 88 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: chili bin. I kind of like that. I like that. 89 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:50,280 Speaker 1: So where do you want to start today? All right, well, 90 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:53,280 Speaker 1: how about we start with the country's name? Like this 91 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: is something that's always confused me, because if the country 92 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: is New Zealand, that kind of implies that there is 93 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: an old Zealand out there, right, so maybe just or 94 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: just Zealand. I guess I was curious about this. I 95 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: guess I hadn't really thought about that, Like, is there 96 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 1: a Zealand in in Europe or somewhere there actually is? 97 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: The original Zealand is all the way over in the 98 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: far west of the Netherlands and just like with the 99 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 1: names of early American cities and states, it goes back 100 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 1: to the era of European exploration, and in New Zealand's case, 101 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,919 Speaker 1: it goes back to a Dutch explorer named Able Tasman, 102 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 1: the namesake of Tasmania. So in sixteen forty two, Tasman 103 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: was off exploring the southern Pacific Ocean. This was on 104 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: behalf of the Dutch East India Company, and it was 105 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:39,919 Speaker 1: on that voyage that he stumbled upon the territories that 106 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: we now know as Tonga, Fiji and New Zealand. So 107 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: when Tasman got home, he told his fellow navigators what 108 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: he'd found, and pretty soon the islands were added to 109 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: the charts of their day. So as for the name, 110 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: Dutch map makers were already calling Australia New Holland at 111 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: the time, so they just decided to keep this convention 112 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 1: going and name Tasman's territory New Zealand, after a coastal 113 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: province in the southwest region of the Netherlands. So British 114 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: colonists later settled on the island about a hundred years later, 115 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,719 Speaker 1: but by then the Dutch name was so established that 116 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 1: they just decided to keep it and just anglicize the 117 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: spelling of it. Do we know why the Dutch named 118 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 1: it Zealand in the first place, Like, was there something 119 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: about New Zealand that reminded them of this old Zealand? Yeah, 120 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: I guess it was the geography. I mean, apparently the 121 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 1: province in the Netherlands is made up of a bunch 122 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 1: of little islands and peninsulas with rivers crossing through them. 123 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: And because of that that yet it really is I've 124 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:35,720 Speaker 1: actually never been you've been there before, the New Zealand, 125 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: I haven't. I haven't either, And so because of that, 126 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: the Dutch called the region Zealand, which translates as sea Land. 127 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,359 Speaker 1: So it's maybe not the most creative name in the world, 128 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: but certainly a fitting one for the area. Well, since 129 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 1: you brought up geography and Matt Makers, I I think 130 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,160 Speaker 1: it's time we addressed the fact that a lot of 131 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: modern match don't include New Zealand and the country is 132 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 1: just straight up missing, with nothing more than ocean where 133 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,599 Speaker 1: it's a cluster of six d us islands should be. Actually, 134 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: I had heard about this. I mean, this is a 135 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: pretty widespread error though, right it is. Yeah, there's actually 136 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 1: an entire maps without New Zealand sub credit, where users 137 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 1: have cataloged hundreds of examples of places that use bad maps, 138 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 1: including video games, magazines, textbooks, hotels, restaurants, ikea, even uh 139 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: for for instance, you know that giant rotating globe that 140 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 1: sits in front of Universal Studios that is missing news. 141 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: Also the map on the risk board missing New Zealand. 142 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: There are even some international airports that have maps without 143 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: New Zealand hung in their terminals, even though they offer 144 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: flights straight to New Zealand. Wow, I mean a country that, 145 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: according to their maps doesn't exist. It gets to it 146 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 1: gets to a point where people just feel like they 147 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: should just keep going with it just to be jerks 148 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: about it. Yeah, and I'm sure it's some sort of 149 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: existential problem for New Zealanders, but it's pretty funny how 150 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: far this goes. So Like, there's a world map in 151 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: front of the United Nations office in Geneva, and apparently 152 00:07:57,560 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: New Zealand isn't on that, despite the country being a 153 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: founding member. And if all that wasn't bad enough, New 154 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 1: Zealand actually uses these maps themselves. Gave point me to this, 155 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 1: but it's on their four or four error page for 156 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: its official government website, and it shows a world map 157 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 1: that doesn't include its own country, which is intentional. Actually, 158 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: I just pulled this up and it's pretty funny. It 159 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:20,679 Speaker 1: has this four or four map and says something is missing, 160 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 1: and you know, it's cute that they've got this sense 161 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: of humor about it. But why does this phenomenon of 162 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: cutting New Zealand off maps keep happening. I mean, they're 163 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 1: definitely smaller places in the world. Yeah, I mean it's 164 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: mostly because of that Mercater projection, which is the one 165 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,559 Speaker 1: that most world maps are based on, and as you 166 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: might expect, it has a serious old World bias. This 167 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 1: map places Europe and the dead center often while poor 168 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 1: New Zealand is shoved way down in the bottom right 169 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:47,440 Speaker 1: hand corner and there's all is. It's kind of an 170 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 1: awkward placement, and it's easy to crop, and if a 171 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: designer isn't careful, they might try to turn some of 172 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: the Pacific Ocean from the image and wind up blopping 173 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: off an entire country in the process. But you know, 174 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 1: judging by the number of places that that these apps 175 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: have turned up, it's apparently something that happens all the time. 176 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: But New Zealand just kind of taken and stride. Actually, 177 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: there's this Kiwi comedian re star Be, and this is 178 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: how he puts it. We are quite a fiddly looking 179 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: shaped country, a bit like a half eaten land chop. 180 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: Perhaps people are just leaving us off, thinking we're a mistake. 181 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: That's such a great line. It's funny what you said 182 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: about European bias, because I guess you could use a 183 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: projection of a Mercator map that places New Zealand at 184 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: the center and it wouldn't be any more inaccurate. That's true, 185 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: and in fact, many maps in New Zealand classrooms actually 186 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,199 Speaker 1: do that. They place Middle Earth in the actual middle 187 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 1: of the Earth. I mean, it's hard to argue with 188 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: the logic on that one. But well, here's another thing 189 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 1: I read this week and wanted to talk about. So 190 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 1: this was in two thousand and sixteen, New Zealand spent 191 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:48,439 Speaker 1: over seventeen million U S dollars on a contest to 192 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 1: redesign its national flag, and then the country voted to 193 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: just keep the flag they already had. I guess it 194 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: turned out to be not such a bad flag, so 195 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: that it's seventeen million dollars. That's crazy. I know, it 196 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: kind of makes me want to see the other designs, like, 197 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 1: do you know how bad they were? So well? I mean, 198 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 1: the contest was open to the public and over ten 199 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:12,680 Speaker 1: thousand people submitted designs, many of which were actually pretty 200 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 1: elegant and well designed. I mean, there's some really pretty 201 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 1: ones on there, but yeah, there were also some really 202 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 1: horrible ones. One of my favorites is this blue and 203 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 1: red one here. It's it's got this very cruelly drawn 204 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: sheep on the blue half because New Zealand has a 205 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:29,679 Speaker 1: lot of those, obviously, and then on the red half 206 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: there's an equally crudely drawn ice cream cone. So just 207 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 1: you know, two things they like to think about. I mean, 208 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: I bet I can guess what flavor that it is. Oh, 209 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:41,959 Speaker 1: I know you can. It's rum raisin. No, I'm kidding, 210 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 1: it's it's it's a it's hokey pokey, of course. And 211 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: the artist even included little flex of the candy in 212 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:50,280 Speaker 1: their drawing to make that as clear as possible. Can 213 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 1: you imagine if that the cand the new flag like 214 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: they cleaned up, the design would be the most beloved 215 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:56,319 Speaker 1: flag in the world. I think, you know, it does. 216 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: I mean it feels like because they're able to sort 217 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 1: of laugh at their situation, they might have on with 218 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 1: something like that. But there was actually another one that 219 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: has a black flag with a silver fern, which is 220 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,160 Speaker 1: one of the country's national symbols, which is elegant enough, 221 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 1: but the real highlight is it's got this Kiwi bird 222 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 1: on the other side and it's blasting this green laser 223 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 1: beam from its eyes. So it's probably not the most 224 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: scientifically accurate flag in the world, but you know, it's 225 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:24,559 Speaker 1: pretty interesting. It might be the most badass though. I 226 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: can see why New Zealand kind of decided to stick 227 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,960 Speaker 1: with their old flag. Why was there like such a 228 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: push to change it in the first place. Well, I 229 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 1: don't know how familiar you are with the real New 230 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 1: Zealand flag. Very actually a lot of carbon San Diego. 231 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:41,680 Speaker 1: That's right. Well as a refresher for anybody who's listening. 232 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 1: It's basically a blue flag with a Union Jack symbol 233 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:48,319 Speaker 1: and the top left hand corner and four red stars 234 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:52,000 Speaker 1: on the body representing the Southern Cross constellation. So the 235 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 1: original design is a hundred years older. So and for 236 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:58,079 Speaker 1: a long time now people have debated whether it was 237 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,320 Speaker 1: appropriate to have a British symbol on the New Zealand flag, 238 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: you know, since it's a sovereign country but technically still 239 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 1: part of the British Commonwealth. So, I mean, the other 240 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 1: thing that's always struck me is odd is is like 241 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 1: how close the flag actually looks to Australia's flag. Yeah, 242 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,120 Speaker 1: that was one of the other main contentions, that the 243 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 1: flag is too derivative and not really representative of New Zealand. 244 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:22,440 Speaker 1: But despite all these complaints, when the issue was finally 245 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: put to a national vote, of New Zealanders voted to 246 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:29,520 Speaker 1: keep the original flag versus forty three percent who voted 247 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 1: for the new firm design. And the reason for that 248 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:35,320 Speaker 1: upset is pretty interesting. According to interviews conducted by The Guardian, 249 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: many New Zealanders voted against the new flags simply because 250 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 1: they'd grown disillusioned with how costly the campaign was. Dollars 251 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:46,560 Speaker 1: is a lot of money, yeah, and you know they 252 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:48,840 Speaker 1: didn't want the country to spend more money on top 253 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 1: of that to produce tens of thousands of new flags 254 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: to replace all the old ones. So anyway, well, now 255 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:56,079 Speaker 1: that we've gotten the lay of the land, let's zoom 256 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: in a little bit closer and talk about the finer 257 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 1: details that make New Zealand such a special place. But 258 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: before we get to that, let's take a quick break. 259 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 1: You're listening to part Time Genius and we're talking about 260 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 1: some of New Zealand's strangest claims to fame. All right, Mago, 261 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: the wheel is yours. So where do you want to 262 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:27,440 Speaker 1: go first? So I really like that fact about where 263 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:29,680 Speaker 1: the new and New Zealand's name comes from. But there's 264 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 1: actually a hill on the North Island of New Zealand 265 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:34,439 Speaker 1: with an even better story behind its name. It's this 266 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: thousand foot hill. It's named after Tomatea, who's a legendary 267 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,800 Speaker 1: explorer from New Zealand's Maori culture, part of their mythical 268 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 1: culture there and Tomatea is said to have been one 269 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:46,600 Speaker 1: of the first ever to step foot on New Zealand, 270 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 1: long long before any European columnists came along. And the 271 00:13:50,679 --> 00:13:53,080 Speaker 1: sound of the hill is where he supposedly played the 272 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 1: nose flute for his beloved The nose flute Is that 273 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: what I think it is? Yeah, it's exactly where sounds 274 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:02,719 Speaker 1: like it's It's a flute you play by exhaling through 275 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 1: your nose. Wow. You know, I know how we like 276 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:07,640 Speaker 1: to give tips to our listeners, So I feel good 277 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: about this one. Like if you ever need to charm 278 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 1: someone with a private nose flute concert, then Tomata Hill 279 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: is that that's the place to go. It seems like 280 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:17,560 Speaker 1: here's the thing. It's not actually called Tomata Hill. The 281 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: Maori people wanted to really celebrate tomatas exploits and not 282 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 1: sounding short, so they named the hill using an entire 283 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: sense and roughly translated, it's an eighty five character name. 284 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 1: It means the summit where tomatea, the man with the 285 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 1: big knees, the slider clyber of mountains, the lance wallower 286 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 1: who traveled about played his nose flute to his loved one, 287 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: and the name means all of that, Like wouldn't you 288 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: love to be known as the man with the big knees? 289 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 1: Like that? I feel like that's great. But it's such 290 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 1: such a great title. I do feel like you bury 291 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 1: the lead here? What what is this eight five character name? 292 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 1: How do you say it? So I'm gonna apologize a 293 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: little because my my Maori is a little rusty, But 294 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: this is how it goes. Tama to Waka Tongua Hanga Cara, 295 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 1: Tomma t I am butchering this right. It goes thin. 296 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 1: It's so long, Paru, it goes you should stop. And 297 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 1: I'm really not trying to be disrespectful, but it is 298 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: amazing and it makes for a very, very long street sign. 299 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:32,440 Speaker 1: It's actually the longest place name in the world according 300 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 1: to Guinness. The wildest part, though, is that there's actually 301 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: an unofficial version of the name that adds an extra 302 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 1: twenty characters worth of details. So, according to Atlas Obscure, 303 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 1: the extended version translates as the Hill of the Nose 304 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 1: flute playing by Tomateo, who was blown hither from afar 305 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: how to split penis, raised his knees climbing mountains, fell 306 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: on the earth and encircle the land to his beloved 307 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 1: and wore You ask that one part is a reference 308 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 1: to basically what's in our version of a circumcision? Oh 309 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 1: got it? Yeah, I was was kind of curious. Well, 310 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 1: for any geography nerds who find themselves in New Zealand, 311 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: another can't miss landmark on your list should be the 312 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:14,640 Speaker 1: slightly more plainly named Baldwin Street. So it's located in 313 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 1: the city of Dunedin and Baldwin Street is one of 314 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,160 Speaker 1: the steepest streets in the world. It only runs about 315 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: which is less than a fourth of a mile, but 316 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: for every three horizontal meters there is a rise of 317 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:30,880 Speaker 1: one meter. So the result is that it takes ten 318 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 1: minutes or more to basically climb up this relatively short street. 319 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: It's pretty crazy. What I want to know is why 320 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: would anyone put a street though to begin with? It 321 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 1: seems like if the land is that steep, it would 322 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 1: be easier to just kind of plan around it, right, Yeah, 323 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: I mean that's true, and I'm sure that's exactly what 324 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 1: the city planner would have done had he actually looked 325 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: at the land he was planning for. Instead that the 326 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: city was planned by these London based designers who never 327 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,520 Speaker 1: bothered to see the topography in person. They just laid 328 00:16:57,520 --> 00:16:59,600 Speaker 1: out a grid system on top of a flat map 329 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:02,520 Speaker 1: and called it a day, I guess, and that oversight 330 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 1: resulted in a number of these incredibly steep streets, with 331 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: Baldwin being the most extreme of them. Wait, so are 332 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:12,359 Speaker 1: there houses on Baldwin? There actually our houses, and the 333 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:15,120 Speaker 1: cool thing is they are all built into this hill 334 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: at an angle. It's worth taking a look at it. 335 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 1: So if you walk down or up Baldwin Street, you'll 336 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: pass a row of these severely slanted houses. I just 337 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 1: put it up. This is insane. It's like you're living 338 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 1: in like one of those old V eight commercials. It's amazing. 339 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:33,000 Speaker 1: It does feel like it would be a dream for Instagrammers, 340 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,440 Speaker 1: but probably a huge pain in the neck for residents. 341 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,919 Speaker 1: But you know what, we've talked about a couple of 342 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 1: special places that New Zealanders can boast about. But why 343 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:45,120 Speaker 1: don't we talk about one of their exceptional citizens next? Alright, 344 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:47,080 Speaker 1: so so who would it be? Let me let me guess. 345 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 1: Is it one of the Flight of the Concordes? No? 346 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:51,720 Speaker 1: I mean that's a good guess. But but this guy's 347 00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 1: birth name is Ian Brackenbury Channel. But today people around 348 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 1: the world know him simply as the Wizard. And he 349 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 1: is the Wizard, mind you, not not a wizard, because 350 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 1: not only does he have the driver's license to prove it, 351 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 1: he also has the backing of New Zealand's government back 352 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 1: in the country's Prime Minister and made Channel the world's 353 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:15,440 Speaker 1: first and still only state appointed wizard. I have so 354 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 1: many questions about this, but I guess the first one 355 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: is how exactly one gets appointed the official Wizard of 356 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 1: New Zealand. I think it starts with a wardrobe. But 357 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:28,879 Speaker 1: but New Zealand's Wizard has a pretty impressive resident. He 358 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: was born in London in nineteen two and later served 359 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:35,199 Speaker 1: as a navigator in the Royal Air Force. In nineteen 360 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 1: sixty three, he earned a double b a in psychology 361 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:41,560 Speaker 1: and sociology and began teaching in the Middle East in Australia. 362 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,000 Speaker 1: And given his dual fields of study as a teacher, 363 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:48,720 Speaker 1: Channel was especially interested in experimental teaching and social reform techniques. 364 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 1: But as for his wizarding career, that started to take 365 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 1: off in the mid seventies, and and that's when Channel 366 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,879 Speaker 1: began appearing throughout New Zealand as a public speaker. He 367 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 1: would dress in a long black robe and a wizard's hat, 368 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:03,520 Speaker 1: and of course he carried his staff. And then you'd 369 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 1: go to Cathedral Square in christ Church and you climb 370 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 1: up on a ladder and share his views on all 371 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:11,720 Speaker 1: sorts of topics with passes by, no matter how taboo 372 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:14,879 Speaker 1: the subject. So public officials initially tried to have a 373 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:17,359 Speaker 1: banned from the premises, but eventually they gave up, and 374 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 1: the Wizard kind of became this weird cultural institution slash 375 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 1: tourist attraction. Alright, So to to sum this up, you 376 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 1: had a decorated British veteran turned Australian school teacher who 377 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:31,400 Speaker 1: made his way to New Zealand, began dressing as a wizard, 378 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 1: lost his mind and began scaring people in the streets. 379 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: That I had that right, yeah, I mean everything except 380 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: lost his mind part. Like the Wizard was and is eccentric, 381 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: but he still has a firm grip on his mind. 382 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: His body, though, was donated to the National Gallery of Victoria, 383 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:50,680 Speaker 1: which officially recognizes it as a living work of art. 384 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,639 Speaker 1: Of course they did. I mean, nothing about this surprises 385 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 1: me at this point. But all right, so he's harassing 386 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: people on this ladder and then what well from there, 387 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 1: the city of christ You're kind of fell under his spell. 388 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,879 Speaker 1: He got super popular. In fact, the director of the 389 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 1: Robert McDougal Art Gallery and christ Church actually contacted the 390 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 1: National Gallery of Victoria and they arranged to have the 391 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:14,400 Speaker 1: living work of Art title transferred to christ Church. You're 392 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 1: kidding me, no, it's this is all real and the 393 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:20,359 Speaker 1: Wizard's fame only grew from there, so in he was 394 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:23,679 Speaker 1: appointed to be the official arch Wizard of Canterbury and 395 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:25,960 Speaker 1: then ten years after that he was appointed Wizard of 396 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,920 Speaker 1: New Zealand by Prime Minister Mike Moore. And remind me 397 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:32,159 Speaker 1: again what a state appointed wizard actually does. Yeah, it's 398 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:35,160 Speaker 1: a good question. So this is the official proclamation that 399 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:38,920 Speaker 1: that that was declared at the time. Quote, the first 400 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: Wizard of New Zealand is entitled to where the appropriate 401 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:46,199 Speaker 1: regalia and required to carry out the duties of national Wizard, 402 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,879 Speaker 1: namely to protect the government, to bless new enterprises, cast 403 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 1: out evil spites, upset fanatics, cheer up the population, and 404 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: most importantly, design and promote a new and improved universe 405 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:00,080 Speaker 1: which puts New Zealand on top of the world with 406 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 1: physically and metaphysically. So now that the truth comes out, 407 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: you forget Middle Earth. They actually want to be on 408 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:09,480 Speaker 1: top of it. I think is the the issue here, right, Yeah, 409 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 1: So so I'm rooting for them and for the Wizard, 410 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 1: and I don't think I'm alone in that either. The 411 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: Wizard retired from his active duties back in two thousand five, 412 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 1: but he still speaks publicly on occasion and to this day, 413 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:23,680 Speaker 1: he remains a beloved bigger in christ Church. In fact, 414 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: there's one quick story that really shows how big a 415 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: role the Wizard has played in the community there. This 416 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: is back when the christ Church City Council hosted a 417 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: whole week of activities to celebrate his twenty first year 418 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:37,040 Speaker 1: as the local Wizard. So if festivities began with the 419 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 1: Wizard hovering above a rugby match in a helicopter, and 420 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 1: and he was chanting a spell the whole time, which 421 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:45,639 Speaker 1: supposedly helped the home team win the game. But it 422 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,919 Speaker 1: concluded with him hatching from a giant egg inside the 423 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 1: city's art gallery. So he hadged from an egg. Yeah, 424 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 1: this is years before Lady Gaga did. But you know, 425 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 1: to to complete the process, everyone in attendance had to 426 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: chant the correct hum while he was hatching. Alright, I 427 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:07,160 Speaker 1: feel like this is the perfect place for an ad break. 428 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: We'll be back with more stories in just a minute. 429 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: Welcome back to part time genius. All right, Mango. So 430 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 1: New Zealanders have a reputation for being some of the 431 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:31,240 Speaker 1: friendliest and really most cheerful people in the world. I 432 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 1: think most of the stories we've talked about today kind 433 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: of attest to that in one way or another. But 434 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:38,840 Speaker 1: the people there do have a somber side just like 435 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 1: anybody else, and a growing number of Kiwi's have taken 436 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: up a new pastime to help fill their more reflective moments, 437 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:49,960 Speaker 1: and that's actually building their own coffins. That's unusual. What 438 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:51,520 Speaker 1: what why is that? Well, it's a trend that's been 439 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:53,639 Speaker 1: going on for about a decade now, and it started 440 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:55,919 Speaker 1: back in two thousand and ten when the Kiwi Coffin 441 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:59,200 Speaker 1: Club was formed in the town of Rota Rua. I 442 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 1: don't know if I'm prenny oouncing that right, but according 443 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:03,920 Speaker 1: to its mission statement, the club is meant to provide 444 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 1: quote an environment in which issues of death and loss 445 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:11,400 Speaker 1: can be raised, addressed, understood and accepted through discussions, support 446 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 1: and the activity of painting and lining your own coffins. 447 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:16,480 Speaker 1: I mean, I guess you can see how that could 448 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 1: be cathartic or or maybe even sobering in a way. Yeah, 449 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,120 Speaker 1: And I guess it's a you know, it's filling a need. 450 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,000 Speaker 1: Since the first one in two thousand ten, coffin clubs 451 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: have actually sprung up all across New Zealand, with some 452 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:30,160 Speaker 1: of the bigger ones boasting more than two hundred members 453 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,679 Speaker 1: and counting. In fact, most members view the actual coffin 454 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: building as a way to celebrate their lives and showcase 455 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 1: their personalities. So are these coffins themed? Sometimes they are? Yeah, 456 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:42,560 Speaker 1: I mean it really depends on what the builder wants. 457 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 1: Some people build playing wooden coffins, others go a little 458 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:47,879 Speaker 1: bit more elaborate. So, for instance, I saw one that 459 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 1: had a hand painted nature seen on the exterior and 460 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:54,240 Speaker 1: another that had a collage of Elvis photos. And it 461 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 1: it turns out there really no rules for d I 462 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: y coffin building. Uh, I'm sure it is, or if 463 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:04,600 Speaker 1: it's not, they can use it if they want. But 464 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:07,960 Speaker 1: it's a pretty upbeat way to embrace death. And the 465 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,880 Speaker 1: meetings are kind of this three part blend, like it's 466 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 1: a woodworking class, it's a therapy group, it's a social 467 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:18,280 Speaker 1: mixer and as one club treasurer John Russell told The Atlantic, 468 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: we had a TV crew come to film one of 469 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:22,359 Speaker 1: our meetings thinking it would be formal, but they were 470 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:24,879 Speaker 1: astonished to see that we chat about everything but death 471 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:27,479 Speaker 1: and dying. It's a really great atmosphere. And has this 472 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:29,720 Speaker 1: expanded to other countries or is it just kind of 473 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:31,760 Speaker 1: stayed local to New Zealand. You know, I was actually 474 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 1: wondering the same thing. And in that same story, The 475 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 1: Atlantic reports that Coffin clubs have since launched in Australia 476 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:40,320 Speaker 1: and the UK, and yes, even here in the US. 477 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:43,680 Speaker 1: The first one opened earlier this year in Cleveland, Ohio. 478 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:46,240 Speaker 1: So heads up to our listeners. There is a waiting 479 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 1: list for the club right now. So if you're on 480 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 1: a tight schedule, you might want to think about just 481 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:53,479 Speaker 1: starting up your own chapter. That is kind of kind 482 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:55,760 Speaker 1: of amazing. I don't want to end the show on 483 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:58,800 Speaker 1: build your own coffin themes. So so I'm gonna tell 484 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:01,960 Speaker 1: you about the time New Zealand taught some dogs to 485 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 1: drive a car. Oh well, and so successfully did this. Yeah, 486 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 1: so this happened back into that and twelve when New 487 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 1: Zealand's spc A realized that not enough people who are 488 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: adopting their dogs. So the organization came up with a 489 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 1: very sane and very sensible solution. They were going to 490 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,119 Speaker 1: teach a couple of their dogs how to drive a car. 491 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,760 Speaker 1: And and I guess for some reason, this seemed to 492 00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:25,119 Speaker 1: make them more appealing. According to the group's Facebook page, quote. 493 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:27,879 Speaker 1: Our dogs maybe a motley bunch, but they're all smart 494 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:30,040 Speaker 1: and they're all lovable, so please don't write them off. 495 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 1: Adopt them. If we can teach one to drive, we 496 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: think you'll do just fine. So so how did they 497 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: do this? The plan for the stunt was to have 498 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:40,600 Speaker 1: the dogs drive a modified Mini along a racetrack while 499 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:43,120 Speaker 1: sitting on their haunches in the driver's seat. So they 500 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:46,160 Speaker 1: customized the brake, pedal and a clutch. For some reason, 501 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 1: they didn't teach them to go automatic. They they taught 502 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:51,880 Speaker 1: them to shift gears, but they made it long enough 503 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,040 Speaker 1: for for the dogs to actually reach them. So the 504 00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:56,959 Speaker 1: dogs went through five weeks of indoor training where they 505 00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:00,200 Speaker 1: were encouraged to touch and move replica break pedals and 506 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 1: and gear sticks and and steering wheels. And then once 507 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:05,520 Speaker 1: the dogs had mastered the driving position and how to steer, 508 00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 1: they moved on to these little goat cars. And after 509 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:09,920 Speaker 1: a few weeks of that, the pups were ready to 510 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:13,919 Speaker 1: hit the road. Um So in December, one warm December 511 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:17,479 Speaker 1: day in New Zealand, they these two dogs took to 512 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 1: the racetrack and the first dog to make history was 513 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 1: one named Porter. He was a ten month old Beardy 514 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:27,720 Speaker 1: Cross and he drove this mini straight and then and 515 00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: then around a turn. And then Monty followed him. He 516 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: was an eighteen month old Schnauser Cross and he completed 517 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 1: the same course. And and to their credit, both dogs 518 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 1: were wearing seatbelts. I'm curious that did this stunt work? 519 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:43,240 Speaker 1: Like did the dogs find homes? Yeah? So, as you 520 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:46,239 Speaker 1: might imagine that spc A and Auckland was swamped with 521 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:49,159 Speaker 1: calls from people who wanted to adopt these two amazing dogs. 522 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 1: In the end, they actually decided to give the pups 523 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: to the trainer who had spent these two months training 524 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 1: them to drive the cars. But Porter and Monty stunt 525 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:01,160 Speaker 1: was broadcast live online and and helped drive up adoption 526 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:03,680 Speaker 1: rates kind of around the world. And in fact, the 527 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:05,960 Speaker 1: campaign was so popular in New Zealand that a year 528 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:09,440 Speaker 1: later the spc A launched a follow up where every 529 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:12,040 Speaker 1: dog adopted was given its own card to drive home in. 530 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:14,639 Speaker 1: But this time, like it was it was kind of 531 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:18,359 Speaker 1: a crate. It was a real car, and and this 532 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 1: box opened up into sort of a cozy dog bed. 533 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:24,919 Speaker 1: I feel like that's more my dog speed. But all right, 534 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:26,720 Speaker 1: well you were right, mego that was a nice way 535 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:29,120 Speaker 1: for for us to close out the show, although we're 536 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: not quite done yet because like a map without New Zealand, 537 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:45,280 Speaker 1: our show isn't complete without a fiddly shaped factoph Alright, So, 538 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:48,199 Speaker 1: like I mentioned earlier, I've been really digging Kiwi slang 539 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:50,439 Speaker 1: this week, and so here's another word you can expect 540 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:54,560 Speaker 1: me to slip into our conversation soon. Jandals. That's the 541 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:57,200 Speaker 1: New Zealand word for flip flops and it was coined 542 00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:59,960 Speaker 1: by a Kiwi businessman who was inspired by the footwear 543 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:02,680 Speaker 1: he saw on a trip to Japan. So soon after 544 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:05,000 Speaker 1: he and his son started making their own version of 545 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:08,120 Speaker 1: the rubber slip ons in their own garage in New Zealand, 546 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:10,399 Speaker 1: and as a way to pay homage to the culture 547 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 1: that inspired it all, they named their product Jandals, which 548 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:17,680 Speaker 1: is sort of like a portmanteau of the words Japanese 549 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:20,800 Speaker 1: and sandals. So you know the kids show Power Rangers, 550 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:30,159 Speaker 1: right of course, Power Rangers. I can explain it to you. O. Um. So, 551 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 1: so you know the show was massively popular. It was 552 00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:36,440 Speaker 1: It was filmed with this like existing footage in Japan 553 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:39,080 Speaker 1: and then and then new characters in California and other places. 554 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 1: But but you know, the the show was a massive 555 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,320 Speaker 1: success and it got imported all around the world, but 556 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 1: not to New Zealand. The show was actually banned there 557 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 1: for being too violent and and this was true even 558 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:52,920 Speaker 1: after production for the show shifted to New Zealand in 559 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 1: the late nineties. More than a dozen seasons with the 560 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 1: long running show were filmed there over the years, but 561 00:28:57,600 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 1: kids in New Zealand didn't get to see any of 562 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 1: it it until the band was lifted in two Wow, 563 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 1: thank goodness was lifted. Well, you've probably heard all the 564 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: rumors about all the crazy laws that New Zealand supposedly has, 565 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:14,600 Speaker 1: like the one that prohibits quote malicious bell ringing. Unfortunately, 566 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:16,520 Speaker 1: while that was really a law in New Zealand at 567 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:19,600 Speaker 1: one point, it is no longer on the books. In fact, 568 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:22,280 Speaker 1: the country has been pretty good about updating its laws 569 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 1: and doing away with weird, outdated stuff. But there is 570 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 1: at least one exception though. According to the New Zealand Herald, 571 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 1: it is still against the law to say no questions 572 00:29:32,680 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 1: asked when advertising a reward for missing property. So if 573 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:38,560 Speaker 1: your dog drives off with the car one day, you 574 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,480 Speaker 1: can't post a flyer asking them for their return, no 575 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: questions asked. If you do, you could actually be slammed 576 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:47,440 Speaker 1: with a fine of up to two hundred dollars. Here's 577 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 1: a nice feel good story from a few years back. 578 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:53,360 Speaker 1: In two thousand sixty, New Zealanders banded together and bought 579 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:56,520 Speaker 1: the country a brand new public beach. And when the 580 00:29:57,600 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 1: stretch of sand went up for sale earlier that year, 581 00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:04,080 Speaker 1: two brothers in law, Adam Gardner and Dwayne Major, decided 582 00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 1: to launch a crowdfunding campaign to try and keep the 583 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 1: beach from falling into private ownership. So during the campaign, 584 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: individuals and corporations like pitched in to help buy the park. 585 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: The New Zealand government even got into action. They threw 586 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: in two thousand dollars US dollars to the effort, and 587 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 1: in the end, the donors raised about one point seven 588 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:24,640 Speaker 1: million dollars, which was enough to buy the beach from 589 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:27,480 Speaker 1: the original owner, and today the beaches run as part 590 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 1: of the able Tasman National Park, where it's free and 591 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:33,200 Speaker 1: open to the public. Yeah, it's definitely a feel good story. 592 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: But I actually think I can top this story because 593 00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:38,400 Speaker 1: one thing I learned this week is that New Zealand 594 00:30:38,440 --> 00:30:41,360 Speaker 1: is home to the first of its kind, a nationwide 595 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:45,320 Speaker 1: Secret Santa Gift exchange. So this program started on Twitter 596 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 1: back in two thousand and ten, when one New Zealand 597 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:51,720 Speaker 1: users suggested that anyone interested should connect through the site 598 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: and then dig through the post of their assigned person 599 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 1: in order to sniff out clues about the kind of 600 00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:00,720 Speaker 1: gift that they might like. The first couple gift exchanges 601 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 1: proved so popular with the public that in two thousand thirteen, 602 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 1: New Zealand's postal service actually signed on as the official sponsor. 603 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 1: So the program continued in the years since, even adding 604 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:15,000 Speaker 1: a physical warehouse to help deal with all the packages. 605 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:18,440 Speaker 1: Now thousands of kiwis take part each year, and it's 606 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:21,200 Speaker 1: all for the sake of making a stranger's holiday just 607 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:23,960 Speaker 1: a little bit brighter. Oh I really like that, and 608 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:25,960 Speaker 1: and I think it is better than My Beach Story. 609 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 1: And it's also seasonal, which is right, which is great. 610 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:32,320 Speaker 1: So so congratulations, I think you get the trophy. All right, Well, 611 00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 1: that's gonna do it for today's Part Time Genius for myself, Mango, Gabe, 612 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 1: and Lowell. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back 613 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:55,400 Speaker 1: soon with another episode. Part Time Genius is a production 614 00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:58,160 Speaker 1: of i heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, 615 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:00,600 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, apple Pie Podcast, or 616 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:09,280 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows m HM