IP: Special mailing -- New Zealand Diary

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

On Tuesday 22 August 2000, GG and I left San Francisco for a vacation trip
to New Zealand -- well what started out as a vacation trip anyway. We
started by taking the United Shuttle from SFO to LAX. Guess what, just as
we were about to board the shuttle, the gate crew discovered that they did
not have any crew aboard the plane.  Why was I surprised. When we left IAD
for SFO, the starter motor on one of the engines failed and we waited three
hours for that to be replaced (we were kept well informed but chased out
of the Red Carpet club when we dared to suggest that there was no where
civilized to eat a snack while waiting for United). Well we finally got to
LAX and that evening boarded the United flight to Auckland. We taxied out
roughly on time and just as we got to the end of the runway, the Captain
discovered that the weight and balance of the plane was dangerously out of
limits ( the United ground people suggested he cure this problem by moving
the passengers to the front of the 747 for takeoff. The Captain declined
and back we went to the gate where in 15 minutes they unloaded and reloaded
some pods. It then took ONE hour for the United ground staff to recalculate
the paperwork (maybe they used Monroe calculators?).. We finally left three
hours late and had a  uneventful flight to Auckland.

We had arranged to stay at the Stamford Plaza in Auckland  --  one of the
best if not the best hotels I have ever stayed in. The service was
excellent, the suite magnificent and the Room Manager and Concierge 
wonderful. More on this latter.

I had had a violent allergy attack in the Bay area  and so the first days
in NZ were rather sneezy but still great. The City of Sails is a big
digestible city with lots to see and great eating places. The three notable
were Dragon Boat (Diem Sum), Cin Cin by the Ferry and  Kermadet --
magnificent fish by the America Cup Village.  We too the Ferry to a quaint
village that was out of time and friendly and fun. Auckland even for a big
, by NZ standards, city was friendly and neat.

BTW, even though it hurts the NZers, the exchange rates made our stay in NZ
a bargain. Prices were about equal numerically to those in the USA BUT were
in NZ $s worth about 42 cents so great meals were a bargain. In fact NZ is
a bargain!!!

I had told the IP list we would be in NZ and  guess what -- I was asked by
EDS NZ and Telecom NZ to give an informal talk in Auckland and while I was
down in Wellington with GG to do the same. Well things escalated out f hand
-- the story of my life  and I appeared on National TV and was interviewed
by the key IT publication. We, GG and I , were invited by the USA Embassy
for dinner. Attending was Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, Roderick Deane,
Chairman, Telecom NZ, Jillian Deane, Helen Anderson, Chief Scientific
Adviser, Ministry of Research, Science and Technology  George Newstrom,
President, Information Solutions, Asia Pacific, Robert Gray, Managing
Director, EDS NZ ,James Higgins, Director, Networking Edge  , James
O'Neill, Executive Director, Information Technology Association of NZ , Sid
Huff, Professor of Electronic Commerce, Victoria University  and Paul
Aceto, Economic Officer, U.S. Embassy, Wellington.

It was very very stimulating. The Ambassador was charming and sharp as was
Dr Deane (and the rest). The conversation ranged from the economic state of 
NZ to the
question of whether classical economic models work in the internet world.
One of the most stimulating dinners GG and I have had in a long time.

I met two other people of interest. One was Theresa Gattung ¯ the CEO of 
Telecom NZ -- a live
wire if I ever met one and the second was the Minister of Communications,
Hon Paul Swain. The conversation with the Minister focused on the 
forthcoming report on the telecommunications industry. NZ is now loosely 
regulated by a general mechanism that looks broadly at all industry. The 
suspicion is that the report to the Government will suggest a Regulator for 
communications be appointed. Strange that at a time that the USA is moving 
away from regulation ¯ slowly, places like NZ may be moving into possibly 
more regulation. Sounds like the old US trick of believing that Japan knew 
the future and planning to follow it while the Japanese were trying to 
follow the USA.

Some general remarks about NZ. It is a beautiful country with a friendly 
people. The population of NZ is 3 plus million.  We say only the northern 
island. Next time the southern one is in order. Auckland ¯ the city of 
sails,  is a big city and is like most big cities ¯ fun and on a wonderful 
bay ¯ remember that is where the America Cup is right now. Wellington is 
the national capital and right on a major fault line. It is hilly 
surrounding a bay. On can get houses with great views of the bay for next 
to nothing , by Silicon Valley standards, and still be 20 minutes from 
work.  The Te Papa museum is excellent with a great restaurant -- the ICAN. 
It is the national museum with great displays, and an excellent Mauri 
history section.

We took a tour from Auckand to Rotorua. That is the home of one of the 
sulfur spring resort areas and also the location of a village where the 
Mauri culture is viewable. The situation in NZ with the Mauri  reminds me 
strongly of the Hawaii situation with the Native Hawaiins and also the 
Native American Indian nations. Real complicated and with lots of emotion 
on all sides.

 From a technology standpoint, NZ is heavily into wireless and the internet 
is every where with free ISPs etc. Also crowded Cybercafes that seem to do 
very well. Love to understand why they are so successful in NZ compared 
with elsewhere.

NZ is searching for it's future. The main export products are commodities 
like wood, lamb, deer produce. There seems to be a point of view that says 
NZ can not compete in technology. I thing that is wrong. They have a well 
educated people with a stable government and a great climate. The thought 
of opening high tech boutique companies with people who love to live is 
such a wonderful climate seems feasible. In many ways NZ is like Finland. 
It is a rough hard path but of all the places I have visited it has a lot 
going for it. Now it needs the guts to try non standard paths. Remember 
those photons don't take long to go from NZ to Palo Alto.

GG and I look forward to a return visit soon.

Dave