One Big Port?

Auckland Container Terminal

The Ports of Auckland Company has revived the idea of a merger between itself and the Port of Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty. It’s opening gambit came in a comment by Jens Madsen, its managing director, that a takeover by Auckland of Tauranga’s container business would improve New Zealand’s supply chain, permitting ports to engage in new investment in port infrastructure.

About half of New Zealand’s exports by value are shipped through the two ports authorities, with Tauranga gaining a slight edge in 2007 (24.9 percent). On the import side, Auckland handles almost 50 percent of merchandise entering New Zealand. Together, based on 2007 data, a combined Auckland-Tauranga ports company would handle almost 57 percent of all international trade.

Port consolidation is being driven by pressure on port companies from large shipping lines such as Maersk, to counter rising costs with increased productivity generated by operating hub ports in the two or three major ports. Maersk carries about 60 per cent of New Zealand's container trade. Fonterra, New Zealand’s dairy cooperative multinational, which exports the bulk of dairy produce is one of Maersk’s top ten global customers. Maersk has been rumoured to be seeking an ownership stake in New Zealand ports in recent years.

In the South Island, the Ports of Lyttelton and Otago have held negotiations in recent years on possible takeover or merger deals. These were seen as defensive moves to counter Maersk’s perceived intent to select either one or the other port as its South Island hub. Smaller ports in both major islands would either serve as feeder ports to the hub ports, or lose significant traffic.

While concerns are being raised in New Zealand over the impact of an Auckland-Tauranga ports merger or takeover on competition, there seems to be little discussion of the role of a foreign-owned shipping conglomerate pressuring New Zealand port companies to engage in anti-competitive practices with consequences for both exporters, importers, and ultimately the average citizen. This is unremarkable, perhaps, given the historical context in which the shipping conference lines that carried the bulk of New Zealand’s exports in the past century acted as a cartel in setting shipping rates. More of the same (cosy deal), you might say.

Lyttelton - Container Cranes in far distance, inter-island coastal shipping,
Pacifica's Spirit of Competition roll-on, roll-off vessel in foreground.

Olympics - Board Sailing Gold to NZ

Gold: 3 Silver: 1 Bronze: 5

Boardsailor Tom Ashley won New Zealand's 3rd gold at Beijing by finishing third in the final race but ahead of the main contenders on a "fickle" course as a result of the changeable wind conditions on the course throughout the competition.

Stupid Is as Stupid Does...

Here's one for the stupid file.

Ted Walker of Auckland, NZ's largest city, has enjoyed his morning run through Cornwall Park for 15 years. On July 26 he ran past a cow that had recently calved. She attacked him, knocking him to the ground, kicking & head-butting him. For his troubles she left Ted with a broken arm and bruising over his body.

"I was absolutely terrified and scared witless," he says. "I thought it was all over. I quite literally thought she was going to kill me."

Docile cows - because humans ate their babies...

The area has signs up to caution visitors to stay away from cows during the calving season. Ted claims he always stayed away from cows but this one was on his running path. He wants to warn everyone to stay away from cows with calves.

Damn, townies.

Listen up, people: NEVER, EVER GET BETWEEN OR NEAR A MOTHER AND HER YOUNG!!! And that goes for all species...

This writer learned the lesson well in his younger years when a cow showed him how good a high jumper he could be as he cleared the stockyard top railing with a good six inches to spare. But he blames his farmer boss for that episode. Always know where your escape hatch is!

Message to Ted: find somewhere else to run! Avoid a herd of calving cows. A bull is far tamer.

How townies - in New Zealand or elsewhere - have forgotten their rural past. Don't expect the livestock to make allowances for you. You have to make allowances for them - you're supposed to be smarter after all...

Willis Posts a Bronze in 1500m in Beijing

As if to remember Jack Lovelock's 1936 gold in the same event, Nick Willis wearing the black singlet & silver fern won a bronze in the 1500 metres at Beijing on Tuesday night.

New Zealand Medal Count 19 Aug.

Gold: 2 Silver: 1 Bronze: 5

Jack Lovelock – New Zealand’s First Olympic Gold

Jack Lovelock wins the 1500m at the Berlin Olympics, 1936

Jack (John Edward) Lovelock, 1910-1949, was New Zealand’s first athlete to win an Olympic gold medal.

At the 1936 Olympics, in front of a crowd of 120,000 and Adolf Hitler, Lovelock demonstrated his trademark ‘Lovelock kick’ to accelerate to the lead in the 1500m race with 300m to go. Carving out a 5m lead, the rest of the frontrunners were unable to catch him.

The race has come to be widely regarded as one of the greatest of races of the modern Olympics.

Lovelock’s time of 3:47.8 was a new world record, shattering that of 1904 and only being broken once since in 1960. Equivalent to a 4:04.8 mile, it showed that a sub 4 minute mile was possible.

Like many New Zealanders who find themselves propelled to fame, Lovelock showed a reticence in public, but in his diary of that day in 1936 he allowed himself a rare moment of ebullience: "It was undoubtedly the most beautifully executed race of my career, a true climax to 8 years of steady work, an artistic creation."

Lovelock brought a more scientific & psychological approach to training and competitive racing. For example, he kept detailed training and nutritional records and monitored his physiological condition. But this scientific approach did not curb or mask the fact that he clearly loved running.

He was to prove an inspiration to a lineage of New Zealand middle and long distance runners down through the twentieth century. Peter Snell, Murray Halberg and John Walker all went on to Olympic and Commonwealth Games successes.

Coupled with his athletic accomplishments, Lovelock had distinguished himself academically while growing up in New Zealand. A Rhodes Scholar, he studied medicine at Oxford University in the 1930s while also training for his athletic career.

Sadly, Lovelock’s life was short. Just days before his 40^th birthday he complained of dizziness while at work at the Manhattan Hospital for Special Surgery. On his way home he collapsed and fell under a New York subway train and was killed instantly.

New Zealand Olympic Medal Count

Gold: 2 Silver: 1 Bronze: 4

Bronzes added in the men's 4000m cycling pursuit and triathlon events.

New Zealand's Best Day Ever at the Olympics

New Zealand finally got on the medal table at the Beijing Olympics, posting it's best ever tally of medals on a single day at an Olympics with 2 golds, a silver, and a bronze.

The Evers-Swindell twins, Caroline and Georgina, won the gold in a photo-finish win by 0.01 seconds in the womens double sculls rowing race. Later in the day, Valerie Vili took the gold in the women's shot-put, New Zealand's first track & field gold medal since 1976. Vili, who likes to intimidate competitors with a strong first throw, threw her personal best shot of 20 m 56 cm on her first throw which effectively shut out her Belarussian opponents.

In a gritty, bloody-minded effort, Mahe Drysdale, having battled illness for over a week, won a bronze in the men's single sculls. Leading with 100 m to go, Drysdale noticeably weakened & was overtaken by his Norwegian and Czech competitors. He collapsed immediately upon finishing and had to be carried to the medal ceremony after being given medical treatment.

New Zealand's silver medal was won by cyclist Hayden Roulston in the 4000m individual pursuit. Two years ago he was warned that he should quit cycling because of a heart condition, but made a comeback after he adopted the Japanese healing technique of reiki.

Rowing, cycling, and shot put are sports in which New Zealand has traditionally shown strength at the Olympics. A small country of just over 4 million, New Zealand is obviously a small player on the Olympics stage but it clearly has its moments sometimes way beyond what might be expected of a small nation and its athletes.