The Kiwi, one of three found naturally in this country: Kiwi, the person: an easygoing, friendly creature, always willing to help out or to indulge in idle conversation. Kiwi the fruit: a sweet furry fruit which grows on vines, although there is some debate as to whether the female kiwi fruit has fur or not. Kiwi, the bird: Completely out of context in this postcard. Is a nocturnal bird which I viewed in the Whakarewarewa Arts and Crafts center. Its environment there consisted of loose damp dirt (not lawn!) for which its long snout was ideal for poking through the loose humus in search of food. The one I saw was much larger, so this one must be a juvenile. In appearance looks remarkably like an Echidna, the spiny marsupial (?) of Australia. Its physique seems suited for nothing but poking about in soft soil: it can't fly, cant run fast, has poor eyesight, and only comes out at night. It is somewhat ironic that the New Zealanders have adopted this bird as an emblem. Oh well, despite its shyness, it's probably a very friendly bird with a preference for furry food.