The Pavlova Wars

The relationship between New Zealand and Australia is something like a sibling rivalry: each country jokes about the other but rely upon one another at the end of the day. Much of the rivalry comes from sports, although there are many disputes over the nationality of famous people and rock bands, and even the origins of some foods.

The most famous sporting incident that Kiwis will NEVER let the Aussies live down is The Underarm Bowling Incident which occurred on February 1, 1981 when New Zealand was playing Australia in the cricket World Series Cup in Melbourne, Australia. In order to prevent New Zealand from scoring to tie the match, the Australian bowler delivered the last ball underarm, along the ground. This action was technically legal, but seen as being against the spirit of the game.

The Underarm Bowling Incident of '81 continues to fan the flames of rivalry between Kiwis and Aussies. I've heard it argued about between my Kiwi and Aussie friends, especially after a few beers. New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key, recently said the Kiwis were ready to forgive Australia the underarm bowl, explaining that "we've certainly stopped the counseling sessions."

Another sporting rivalry is Phar Lap, a thoroughbred horse that was born in New Zealand and raced in Australia, winning two consecutive Melbourne Cups. Both countries claim him as their own.

The actor Russell Crowe is also claimed by both counties. Crowe was born in New Zealand and his family moved to Australia when he was 4 but he did not become an Australian citizen until 2006. Kiwis were recently annoyed when Australia put Crowe on a series of postage stamps recognizing great actors and actresses of Australia.

Actor Sam Neil is disputed across the Tasman Sea. Neil was born in Ireland to a Kiwi father and English mother, grew up in New Zealand, lives in Sydney Australia, and runs Two Paddocks Winery in New Zealand. Figure that one out.

In fact, many Kiwis move to Australia and the large continent is often referred to by Kiwis as the "brain drain." Former New Zealand prime minister, Robert Muldoon, once famously quipped that "New Zealanders who emigrate to Australia raise the IQ of both countries."

The rivalry rages on in the kitchen as well. Both countries claim to have been the inventors of Pavlova, a baked meringue dessert topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit and named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, who visited both countries in the 1920s. Although, recent evidence from a Kiwi food historian suggests that the Kiwis did indeed develop a recipe for Pavlova first....

New Zealanders and Australians also argue about the origins of the Lamington, a sponge cake coated in chocolate icing and dried coconut. I'm still not sure why any country would want to claim this bland dessert as their own.

And then there are the sheep jokes. I won't go into detail about them, but I'm sure you can imagine....

If your interested in making a truly Antipodean dessert, here is a simple recipe for the perfect Pavlova:

*Preheat an oven to 150C (300F).

*Whisk five egg whites into stiff peaks, adding 225g caster sugar and a pinch of salt.

*Fold in two teaspoons of cornflour and one teaspoon of vinegar. Then spoon the mixture on to a baking sheet, or into a lined cake tin.

*Cook for 45-60 minutes.

*Whip 275ml of double cream with a teaspoon of Kirsch. When the pavlova is cool, top with the cream, soft fruit (such as raspberries, strawberries, kiwi fruit, or passionfruit), sugar and serve.