Contents

COVER : The Russian space station Mir (now defunct), photographed above Golden Bay in 1996 from an approaching spacecraft.
CONTENTS - Features :
FIELDS OF GOLD [Tussock throws a swirling cloak of bronze over much of the high country, but while farmers are keen for their sheep to keep grazing the plant, conservation groups and recreational users want to see more tussock land protected in the conservation estate];
DIRT TRACK GLADIATORS [It’s not a sport that dominates the headlines, and the prize money wouldn’t pay for a tank of gas, but thousands of people flock to speedway race tracks to watch the dirt tack gladiators do battle];
FROM SPACE [New Zealand looks just as splendid from 400km up on the International Space Station as it does from ground level, and things we never notice - such as the colour of coastal waters - become wondrous];
THE PEOPLE’S NATIONAL PARK [Why are farmers queuing up to place voluntary restrictive covenants over some of their most appealing land - covenants that will stop the land from ever being subdivided, developed or even farmed?];
THE PLIGHT OF THE HUMBLE BEE [The varroa mite has wiped out almost all untreated honeybee hives in the North Island, but beekeepers remain in good heart];
CONTENTS - Departments :
LETTERS; VIEWPOINT [turning up the heat]; GEONEWS [Earthquake in Fiordland]; BOOKS [Te Whanua Moana, Island Magic, Lord of the Rings Location Guide]; ON THE ROCKS [Moeraki boulders]; AT THE MUSEUM [Wings in Wellington]; WEATHER [Paekakariki’s deluge]; COMING UP [What’s in store];