A few days ago I was at Piha Beach (very cool surf beach on Auckland's west coast - black sand with indigo purple stripes - good rock climbing) and saw a plaque there which really struck me as stupid.

This plaque is set into a large rock at the base of Lion Rock. Lion Rock is the dominant feature of Piha. It is a giant peak (shaped almost exactly like a reclining lion looking out to sea) which divides the beach into two halves. Very big, very steep, very good view from the top but I couldn't move my legs properly for two days afterwards. Anyway. What I'm getting at is, this is a large, major geographical feature.

The plaque at the bottom says something like, "LION ROCK, PIHA. Presented to the citizens of Auckland in 18whatever by whoever, to commemorate somethingorother."

OK, I *know* it means the guy who owned the land donated it as a public park. It still cracked me up. I just can't help picturing them wheeling Lion Rock in on the world's biggest nineteenth-century forklift for the official presentation. "A little to the left...down a bit at your end...oh yes, that looks MUCH better here than it did in my guest bedroom."

Brunnen-"laughed all the way up to the top. In between wheezing"G