Octopus mania

14/07/2010 10:11:00 a.m.

Not bad for a mollusc: but are octopi really oracles?

OCTOPUS mania in Wellington has been fuelled by that German based oracle “Paul the Octopus”, which chose the FIFA World Cup winner.
Paul the Octopus became an oracle after correctly predicting all seven of Germany’s world cup matches, and Spain’s win against the Netherlands.
Never has the Island Bay Marine Education Centre been so inundated with octopus interest, says discovery programme manager Julian Hodge.
“We had a huge open day last Sunday; around 480 people came. The octopus mania kicked off a few months ago with footage from the ‘octopus stole my camera guy’,” says Hodge.
Earlier this year an octopus stole Wellington man Victor Huang’s underwater camera while he was diving off the coast of Wellington. Huang recovered his camera after pursuing the critter for a few minutes.
Octopus feeding time is the centre’s most popular attraction, because of the show their long-time resident lady-octopus puts on.
“She sees us coming with food and gets really excited, she changes from a camouflage mottle rock to bright red colour – they do this when they are excited or alarmed,” says Hodge. “She is very curious, and even worked out how to put her tentacles into the neighbouring tank to grab a crayfish and rip its legs off for a snack.”
Although they are crafty creatures, Hodge doesn’t believe in “Paul the Octopus”.
“There is no basis for him being a soothsayer, but octopuses do respond to different colours and shapes, like the colour red. They are perceptive, I don’t think they reason, but they can problem solve.”
The marine centre now has a new eight-legged addition, and is holding a naming competition.
The “big guy” came off an Island Bay crayfish boat two weeks ago, where he did hundreds of dollars worth of damage to the catch, and is the largest octopus the centre has had.
For the first tri-nations test they put South African and Kiwi flags in the octopus tank, but rigged the outcome by adding a crab claw to the Kiwi flag.
“We didn’t want to disappoint,” laughs Hodge.
Octopus Naming Day, Island Bay Marine Education Centre, July 18

Cover Story

Best of Wellington 2011

Fringe Festival

Briefs

Plane direction
A new training academy will open in June to help fill a shortage of qualified air traffic controllers in the Middle East and Asia. Global-ATS, a privately owned UK-based academy, will operate from the Wellington School of Business and Government campus. The academy will open with three staff, up to 10 air traffic control students and 70 associated safety management course participants.
Here comes the sun
WELLINGTON city council is one of several New Zealand councils signing up for Solar Promise, a campaign launched last July by the Nelson Environment Centre. The scheme aims to take away barriers to using solar energy and make the technology more affordable. City Council is working with the Regional Council to develop a targeted rate for solar hot water systems, as well as setting up an online map to indicate levels of solar radiation across the city.
Parsons stays put
JULIAN Parsons says his bookstore Parsons Books and Music isn’t going anywhere, despite news that brother Roger’s Auckland Parsons store is closing its doors. Parsons opened in 1958 on Lambton Quay and is still on the same site today.
Bikes allowed
Bikes will soon be allowed on trains on the Johnsonville line at all times following a review by the Greater Wellington Regional Council. Councillor Daran Ponter says that the introduction of the new Matangi units on the line, scheduled for mid-March 2012, means that there will be greater capacity than currently provided by the English Electric units.
Carter clean and green
TEAM members at Carter Observatory have been recognised as keen greenies. Carter has won a Qualmark Enviro-Bronze Award for high standards in environmental practices including energy efficiency, waste management and water conservation. More than 700 businesses carry the Enviro Award mark.
Bowling for a market
MORE than 25 stalls will be waiting behind the fence at the 100 year old Hataitai Bowling Club at the suburb’s Community Market on Saturday. The stalls include sweet treats, produce, books and vintage clothing. The market runs the first Saturday of each month.
Hataitai Community Market, Bowling Club, 9am-1pm, February 4.
Iconic tour
THE second largest wooden building in the world graces Lambton Quay near the Cenotaph and it’s now open on Saturdays for free tours. The colonial-style Government Building features a Kauri-clad interior and cast iron fireplaces.
Government Building Open Day tours, 11am and 2pm, Saturdays, until March 31.
Get arty
FOR those who would like to progress from finger-painting, artist Stephanie Woodman is running classes to teach drawing and painting in a range of styles and mediums. Sessions include acrylic painting techniques, glazing, watercolour and abstract, and there are special classes for teenagers and kids.
Stephanie Woodman art classes, Toi Poneke, Feb 7 – April 5.
Wheels are turning
WELLINGTON Regional Council’s Daran Ponter and Paul Bruce are to present the Bus Review, a proposal for a major shakeup of bus services in the city. It’s also a chance for the public to discuss their ideas and issues.
Bus Review, Crossways Community Centre, 7.30pm, February 7.
Violinist awarded
CONGRATULATIONS to violinist Minsi Yang, recently awarded The Elman Poole Music scholarship.
The scholarship is an annual award for up and coming New Zealand instrumentalists to train with the London orchestra, Southbank Sinfonia.
Yang gained her music degree from Victoria University, before heading to Auckland to study for her Masters degree.
Leap into song
LOCAL songwriters will this month participate in February Album Writing Month, an international songwriting event that usually challenges participants to write a song every two days for the whole month. But it’s a leap year this year, so songwriters have to write 14 and a half songs in 29 days, the ‘half song’ being a collaboration with another writer. At least 12 Wellington songwriters have signed up to take part. ‘Fawmers’ will post audio recordings of their songs on http://fawm.org
Coastal tunes
THE Tora Coast in the Wairarapa will this Waitangi weekend host a music festival celebrating good food and good sounds. TORA!TORA!TORA! features Imon Starr aka Olmecha the Relic, Jon McLeary and The Spines, Louis Baker, Vanessa Stacey and Conor McCabe. This is the third time the festival will take place.

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