Reporter's Diary (Press, 25 July 1977)

A recent story recounted an unexpected encounter with cheetah cubs during World War II by soldiers from the Long Range Desert Group (L.R.D.G.) in North Africa. While seeking refuge in a cave, the soldiers discovered four cheetah cubs, likely orphans. They quickly departed to avoid confrontation with the mother cheetah. The cubs were taken to the L.R.D.G. headquarters at an oasis and initially fed army milk powder, but only one survived. Upon switching their diet to fresh gazelle meat shot by the soldiers, the remaining cub thrived. When the soldiers returned for re-equipment after their six-month tour, the surviving cheetah was taken to the Cairo Zoo. In another notable event, Hector, a long-serving parrot and mascot of Farmers’ store in Auckland, passed away in his sleep at the age of 131. He had been a fixture in the store for 44 years and famously greeted children with the word "Hello." Hector often toured New Zealand, delighting thousands, and significant birthday celebrations occurred when he turned 100. Following his death, the store planned a memorial sale in his honour, aligning with what the community believed he would have wanted. Additionally, on Friday evening, a new programme titled “The Adventure World of Sir Edmund Hillary” aired on TV1, which stirred memories for a former R.N.Z.A.F. officer in Christchurch. The officer had previously taught navigation to Hillary during World War II. Although he had discarded the assessment card he received during the course, he later regretted it, especially after Hillary became renowned for climbing Mount Everest in May 1953, while his card had described him as “simply a plodder.” In political news, G. A. Chapman, president of the National Party, addressed the party’s conference in Dunedin, critiquing the Labour Party’s embrace of socialism. He stated that regardless of its specific label—be it democratic, national, or socialist unity—such socialism implies control over critical economic sectors. He chose the labels intentionally, pointing out the historical connotations associated with them. The Christchurch International Film Festival chose “A Bigger Splash,” a documentary about the British painter David Hockney, for its opening during “Gay Pride Week.” The film, noted for its colourful imagery and frank exploration of homosexuality, received acclaim and has won multiple festival awards. Finally, a notable incident involving Chief Kaiser Matanzima, leader of the Transkei, highlighted the colour-bar laws in South Africa. Matanzima and his bodyguards entered a "whites-only" restaurant and demanded service, ultimately being served after a brief confrontation. The situation attracted a crowd of onlookers, reflecting the tensions surrounding apartheid-era restrictions. In a lighter note, a court appearance was marked by an amusing case where a witness misidentified a reporter as the assailant in an assault case, underscoring the sometimes chaotic nature of courtroom testimonies.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand