Morepork Morepork The morepork ("Ninox novaeseelandiae"), also called the ruru or Tasmanian spotted owl, is a small brown owl found throughout New Zealand and Tasmania. Described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788, it was for many years considered to be the same species as the southern boobook of mainland Australia until 1999. Its name is derived from its two-tone call. Four subspecies of the morepork are recognized, one of which is extinct and another that exists only as a hybrid population. The bird has almost 20 alternative common names, including mopoke and boobook — many of these names are onomatopoeic, as
1977 Australasian Individual Speedway Championship 1977 Australasian Individual Speedway Championship The 1977 Australasian Individual Speedway Championship was the second annual Australasian Final for Motorcycle speedway riders from Australia and New Zealand as part of the qualification for the 1977 Speedway World Championship. The Final took place at the Sydney Showground. Four time World Champion Ivan Mauger was the winner after defeating Phil Crump and defending Australasian Champion John Boulger in a runoff after all three riders finished on 14 points. Billy Sanders finished fourth to get the last qualifying spot in the 1977 Intercontinental Final to be held at the White City Stadium in London,