AKA Reporter. Journal of The Australian Koi Association Inc

Transcription

1 December 2011 January AKA Reporter Journal of The Australian Koi Association Inc

2 AUSTRALIAN KOI FARM 83 JERSEY ROAD, BRINGELLY NSW 2556 TEL: (02) FAX: (02) WEBSITE: A.K.F. Fisheries Lic. No. F A.B.N Breeding and selling pure Japanese Koi and pond & bio filtration construction for over 25 years Show Quality & Pond Quality Koi Pond Consultancy Pond Restoration Low Maintenance Mechanical & Bio Filters To Suit Any Pond Custom Made Filters Pre Fabricated Fiberglass Ponds Accredited Seller Of Oase Filters & Pumps Koi Food - High Protein Spirulina Enhanced Wholesale & Retail Fish and Food Air Pumps & Accessories Hoses & Fittings Filter Media - Japanese Mats & Bioballs Large Range Of Pumps U.V s To Suit Any Pond Size Medications & Other Pond Additives Open to The Public 7 Days

3 AKA Reporter December 2011 January 2012 Administrative Members and contact details 2 President s Report 3 Coming events for members Meeting Agendas 4 New Members 4 AKA Auction Dates 4 KSA Auction Dates 5 New website and Facebook page for AKA 7 AKA 2011 Young Koi Show 8 One off the bucket list Kate McGill 18 Koi Critique: Midorigoi-Kumonryu 28 Thank you to our advertisers... Australian Koi Farm Inside Front Cover Koi Keeper s Supplies 6 Australian Pet Supplies 27 AKA Members Supplies Inside back cover Aquarious Multifilter Back cover AKA Reporter is published by the Australian Koi Association Inc. ABN Advertising enquiries: Gordon Kilborn or Newsletter production All correspondence The Secretary, Australian Koi Association, 17 Westmore Drive, West Pennant Hills NSW Australian Koi Association Inc. Disclaimer The opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent those of the Australian Koi Association or its management. Nor does the Association accept responsibility for the claims made by advertisers or members in respect of any service or items offered for sale herein. Dec 2011 Jan

4 The Australian Koi Association Inc. Executive Officers President Ian Andrews Vice President Arthur Johnston (02) Secretary Carol Durrant (02) / Treasurer Bryce Hough (02) (Ph/Fax) / Public Officer John Rhodes (02) Committee Members Show Coordinator Paul Miglionico (02) / Show Support Group Shayne Murray (02) Graham Fameli Kevin Wong Martin Rocliffe Membership Officer Heinz Zimmermann (02) / (Subscriptions to 55 Orchard Road, Bass Hill, NSW 2197) Supply Officers Ron and Max Farrugia (02) / Auction Master Ken Cantrill (02) / Assistant Auction Master Shayne Murray (02) AKA Reporter Editor Ian Andrews Photography John Ling Editorial Kate McGill (02) Advertising/Distribution Gordon Kilborn (02) / Committee Support Panel Publicity Kevin Wong Alf Mizzi (02) Librarians Carol and David Durrant (02) / Catering George and Betty Ludbrook (02) Social Secretary Lee Nguyen Sizing and Assets John Rhodes (02) Webmaster and Facebook Martin Rocliffe Website Facebook Life Members Ethel Allen*; Jack Cohen*; Mary Cohen; Max Farrugia; Ron Farrugia; Gordon Kilborn; Yvonne Louis; Dorothy Miglionico; Paul Miglionico; Ken Newton; Dave Pogson*; Arthur Robinson; Alan Walter*; Barbara Walter; Harry Watson; Robert Wood*. *Deceased All correspondence Australian Koi Association 17 Westmore Drive, West Pennant Hills NSW AKA REPORTER

5 President s Report Firstly I would like to thank the Members for electing me as your President of the Australian Koi Association. I will make every effort during my term of office to strengthen and enhance the AKA. I would especially like to grow the participation rate in our major koi shows, as I feel this is a key component to attract new membership, who hopefully will become actively participating members as well. I must pay homage to our outgoing past President Paul Miglionico. Paul has done an incredible job over a great many years and through his efforts we can be very proud that the AKA is such a well-respected koi club both here and abroad. I guess I should formally introduce myself to the members who do not know me. I purchased my first koi in the early seventies, but it was not until I started to build a goldfish/koi pond in 2001 that I knew I needed to update my limited knowledge. Joining the AKA early in 2003, I have been very actively involved with the club from day one. I have prepared our AKA Reporter since December 2003, acted as Secretary and exhibited in all our koi shows since joining. I was heavily involved in the Koi Society of Australia, the Koi Society of Western Australia and AKA s joint submission to the Federal Government s Inquiry into Ornamental Fish in This joint submission was successful in maintaining the ability to legally keep koi in both NSW and WA, although it still did not achieve the promised uniform fish keeping status across Australia, as described in the Government s original proposal. AKA has given me the opportunity to make many wonderful friendships both here and overseas. I met my partner Kate McGill through koi. We both share a passion for koi appreciation. Kate as many of you will know, is a highly regarded ZNA and BKKS koi judge and author of Koi Appreciation the first step and many, many articles, which have been internationally published, as well as published in our AKA Reporter. Kate s articles have led me to pursue koi photography, which fortunately I have been able to practise at many international koi shows. My photos have supported Kate s articles. We both constructed our first proper koi pond (30,000 litres) three years ago and are always trying to improve the quality and condition of our koi collection. In my spare time (which is becoming even scarcer) I am an avid flyfisher for trout as well as a gardening enthusiast. The one facet of koi keeping that, to me, has had the greatest appeal has been actively showing our koi. Seeing your beloved koi in the show vats on show day is terrific. Showing provides the opportunity to appreciate the quality of all the exhibits on display and is the best way to really learn about the different traits of koi, to further enjoy this wonderful hobby. As well, this is where you form the greatest friendships. Hopefully, this edition of the AKA Reporter will be out in time to remind everyone, we will be holding our Annual Xmas Small Koi Show on Sunday 4th December at our club hall. This Show is open to all club members with Koi cms (size 1). Please supply own plastic tanks, airstones and airline for each tank. All entries will be taken on the day. Koi to be in containers by 9:30 am for Judging at 10:00 pm. Ron and Max Farrugia will act as our judges. Please note the bookings for the February Auction will be taken at the December meeting. Also our first monthly meeting in January falls on the SECOND Wednesday 11th January On behalf of all the Committee, I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful Yours in Koi, Ian Andrews Dec 2011 Jan

6 Coming events for members Meetings are held at the Scottish Hall, 4 Weigand Avenue, Bankstown on the first Wednesday of each month at 7.30 pm. December Meeting The December General Meeting of the Australian Koi Association Inc will be held at the Scottish Hall, 4 Weigand Avenue Bankstown on Wed 7 Dec 2011 at 7.30 pm. AGENDA 1. Welcome to new members and guests 2. Apologies 3. Confirmation of minutes of previous monthly general meeting held 2 November Raffle 5. Reports 6. General Business 7. Social night drinks and pizzas 8. Table Show Results 9. Raffle Draw January Meeting The January Meeting and Annual General Meeting of the Australian Koi Association Inc will be held at the Scottish Hall, 4 Weigand Avenue Bankstown, Wednesday 11 January 2013, 7.30 pm. Note that this is the second Wednesday of January! AGENDA 1. Welcome to new members and guests 2. Apologies 3. Confirmation of minutes of previous monthly general meeting held 7 December Raffle 5. Reports 4 6. General Business 7. Social Break 8. Table Show Results 9. Raffle Draw New members New members are always assured of a friendly welcome when attending the AKA s monthly meetings. Help and advice is available if required and our Supply Officers can provide you with koi food and accessories at favourable prices. Call our membership officer (see details on page 2) for more information or use the application form included in this magazine. Welcome to the following new members: Ron and Jenny Bailey Michael Burke Robert Gatt Michael Harper Helmut Haubenwallner Rene Smeetz Lawrence Wang AKA auction dates Held at Auburn Botanic Gardens (entry from Killeen Street, Auburn). Commencing at am. Quality fish at reasonable prices! Food and refreshments available. Fish food and other fish keeping supplies also available. Bankstown City NSW Chapter Zen Nippon Airinkai Sunday 11 December 2011 Sunday 5 February 2012 Sunday 15 April 2012 Sunday 17 June 2012 Sunday 5 August 2012 Sunday 7 October 2012 Sunday 9 December 2012 AKA REPORTER

7 News Facebook The AKA has started a Facebook page...go to Facebook and search for Australian Koi Association or direct to AustralianKoiAssociation. KSA auction dates 2012 Commencing am at Auburn Botanical Gardens: Sunday 15 January 2012 Sunday 11 March 2012 Sunday 27 May 2012 Sunday 1 July 2012 Sunday 26 August 2012 Sunday 23 September 2012 Sunday 25 November 2012 The sale of koi by members of the AKA can only take place between members of koi clubs and associations only, as per NSW Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries) guidelines. AKA Small Koi Show & Christmas Party Size 1 (10-20 cm) Sunday 4th December 2011 Scottish Hall Bankstown Start thinking about it! The AKA s 31st Annual Large Koi Show will be held on Sunday 1st April Put it in your diary and start to think about which koi you would like to enter! Dec 2011 Jan

8 New air pumps for sale The Club has available new Hi-Blow Air Pumps (made in Japan). Sizes 20 litre hour capacity ($215), 40 litre ($230), 60 litre ($240) & 80 litre ($270). Available at our meeting nights or through our Supply Officers. 6 AKA REPORTER

9 New website and Facebook page for AKA The AKA s Facebook page (you can view it at continues to attract followers. Take a look and like the page so that you get any snippets of news in between editions of AKA Reporter. We are putting the finishing touches on a new AKA website at It includes the same information as the old website but will also have show results and newsletters and other items of interest. Happy Christmas from the AKA We wish all our members and their families a happy, peaceful and safe Christmas and a very koi New Year! Dec 2011 Jan

10 AKA 2011 Young Koi Show Sunday 25th September 2011 Judges Gerard McDonald and Kazuyo McDonald MAJOR PRIZE WINNERS Grand Champion KinGinRin Koroma Size 3 Graham and Lee Fameli Reserve Champion Utsuri Size 3 Terry McNeil and Lex Rayment AKA Young Koi Show 2011 Best In Variety: Kohaku Size 3 Terry McNeil and Lex Rayment Sanke Size 2 Graham and Lee Fameli Showa Size 2 Kevin Wong Asagi Size 3 Graham and Lee Fameli Shusui Size 3 Heinz Zimmermann Bekko Size 3 Heinz Zimmermann Utsurimono Size 3 Terry McNeil and Lex Rayment Kawarimono Size 3 Terry McNeil and Lex Rayment Hikari Muji Size 3 Heinz Zimmermann Hikari Moyomono Size 3 Terry McNeil and Lex Rayment Hikari Utsurimono Size 2 Heinz Zimmermann Metallic Matsuba Size 3 Heinz Zimmermann Metallic Doitsu Size 3 Graham and Lee Fameli Non Metallic Doitsu Size 3 Ian Andrews and Kate McGill Koromo Size 3 Ron and Max Farrugia Tancho Size 3 Shayne and Mel Murray KinGinRin A Size 2 Boun Keokham KinGinRin B Size 3 John Rhodes Not even the Weather Gods could dampen spirits as AKA once again hosted its annual Young Koi Show for Size 2 and Size 3 koi on Sunday 25 September. This year we saw 152 beautiful koi entered across all 18 classifications. Under the expert eyes of Gerard and Kazuyo McDonald, the task of judging was completed well before lunch. This year, and possibly for the first time ever (before the judges had made any announcements), we saw a unanimous decision with all competitors singling out the same koi as their personal choice for Grand Champion - a truly wonderful Kinginrin Koromo bred and raised by Graham and Lee Fameli. The judges formally sealed the decision and another home grown Aussie koi was anointed GC. Well done to Graham and Lee, as well as all the other competitors and all the AKA team who worked hard on the day. 8 AKA REPORTER

11 AKA 2011 Young Koi Show Size 2 VARIETY 1 ST PLACE 2 ND PLACE 3 RD PLACE Kohaku John Ling John Ling Shayne & Mel Murr Sanke Graham & Lee Fameli I Andrews & K McGill Ron & Max Farrugia Showa Kevin Wong T. McNeil & L. Rayment I Andrews & K McGill Asagi Ron & Max Farrugia I Andrews & K McGill - Shusui Bekko Utsurimono I Andrews & K McGill T. McNeil & L. Rayment Graham & Lee Fameli Kawarimono Bradley Bradley T. McNeil & L. Rayment Bradley Bradley Hikari Muji Shayne & Mel Murray Ron & Max Farrugia Graham & Lee Fameli Hikari Moyomono John Rhodes - - Hikari Utsurimono Heinz Zimmermann I Andrews & K McGill T McNeil & L Rayment Metallic Matsuba T. McNeil & L. Rayment - - Metallic Doitsu G & B Ludbrook Fred & Rita Grech I Andrews & K McGill Non Metallic Doitsu Heinz Zimmermann I Andrews & K McGill G & B Ludbrook Koromo T. McNeil & L. Rayment I Andrews & K McGill T. McNeil & L. Rayment Tancho G & B Ludbrook John Ling - KinGinRin A Boun Keokham Graham & Lee Fameli I Andrews & K McGill KinGinRin B Heinz Zimmermann I Andrews & K McGill I Andrews & K McGill AKA Young Koi Show 2011 Graham Fameli with his Grand Champion KinGinRin Koromo. Dec 2011 Jan

12 AKA 2011 Young Koi Show Size 3 AKA Young Koi Show 2011 VARIETY 1 ST PLACE 2 ND PLACE 3 RD PLACE Kohaku T. McNeil & L. Heinz Zimmermann I Andrews & K McGill Rayment Sanke I Andrews & K McGill Ron & Max Farrugia T McNeil & L Rayment Showa Ron & Max Farrugia T McNeil & L Rayment John Rhodes Asagi Graham & Lee Fameli - - Shusui Heinz Zimmermann - - Bekko Heinz Zimmermann Ron & Max Farrugia I Andrews & K McGill Utsurimono T McNeil & L Rayment T McNeil & L Rayment G & B Ludbrook Kawarimono T McNeil & L Rayment T McNeil & L Rayment T McNeil & L Rayment Hikari Muji Heinz Zimmermann Heinz Zimmermann G & B Ludbrook Hikari Moyomono T McNeil & L. John Ling T McNeil & L. Rayment Rayment Hikari Utsurimono T McNeil & L Rayment T McNeil & L Rayment I Andrews & K McGill Metallic Matsuba Heinz Zimmermann - - Metallic Doitsu Graham & Lee Fameli T McNeil & L Rayment Fred & Rita Grech Non Metallic Doitsu I Andrews & K McGill Ron & Max Farrugia Fred & Rita Grech Koromo Ron & Max Farrugia I Andrews & K McGill Kevin Wong Tancho Shayne & Mel Murray - - KinGinRin A Boun Keokham Heinz Zimmermann John Ling KinGinRin B John Rhodes Fred & Rita Grech G & B Ludbrook Setting up on a cool, wet show day. 10 A bit of muscle makes short work of moving the vats. AKA REPORTER

13 AKA Young Koi Show 2011 Grand Champion trophy winner Graham Fameli (centre) with Judges Kazuyo Mc- Donald and Gerard McDonald. Dec 2011 Jan

14 AKA Young Koi Show 2011 AKA 2011 Young Koi Show Grand Champion KinGinRin Koromo Size 3 Graham and Lee Fameli Reserve Champion Utsuri Size 3 Terry McNeil & Lex Rayment 12 AKA REPORTER

15 Asagi Size 3 and BIV Graham and Lee Fameli Bekko Size 3 and BIV Heinz Zimmermann AKA Young Koi Show 2011 Hikari Utsuri Size 2 and BIV Heinz Zimmermann Hikarimoyo Size 3 and BIV T McNeil & L Rayment Dec 2011 Jan

16 AKA Young Koi Show 2011 Kawarimono Size 3 and BIV T McNeil & L Rayment KinGinRin A Size 2 Boun Keokham KinGinRin B Size 2 and BIV John Rhodes Kohaku Size 3 and BIV T McNeil & L Rayment 14 AKA REPORTER

17 Koromo Size 3 and BIV Ron & Max Farrugia Metallic Matsuba Size 3 and BIV Heinz Zimmermann AKA Young Koi Show 2011 Metallic Doitsu Size 3 and BIV Graham & Lee Fameli Non-metallic Doitsu Size 3 and BIV I Andrews & K McGill Dec 2011 Jan

18 AKA Young Koi Show 2011 Ogon Size 3 and BIV Heinz Zimmermann Sanke Size 2 and BIV Graham & Lee Fameli Showa Size 2 and BIV Kevin Wong Shusui Size 3 and BIV Heinz Zimmermann 16 AKA REPORTER

19 Tancho Size 3 and BIV Shayne & Mel Murray REMINDER for 2012 subscriptions Nichirin Magazine Utsuri Size 3, Reserve Champion and BIV T McNeil & L Rayment AKA Young Koi Show 2011 A reminder to all members that anyone wishing to renew their subscription ($100) to the Japanese koi magazine Nichirin should contact Bryce Hough on or Dec 2011 Jan

20 One off the bucket list Judging the 2011 Taiwan International Koi Show I first heard wonderful stories about the Taiwan show, with its thousands of excellent quality koi, upon meeting with South African judges Mike Harvey and Harry Beckx at the Dutch show in the 1990s. I determined then, all those years ago, that one-day I too, would judge in Taiwan! This year, I finally achieved my long-held ambition, following a surprise invitation in early September from Yuko Shirako of ZNA Head Office. Following some very necessary questions concerning Ian s welcome (the original invitation was for myself only), the details of our stay and whether we could actually afford to go, everything was finally arranged and we reached Taiwan on Wednesday evening September 28 th. Taiwan is immediately different from other Asian countries I have visited. No one seems to mind jostling anyone else and everyone talks at once with much gesticulation but no one appears to become offended. Take the airport for example. A show representative met us, ushering us into the chaos of people; baggage and transport vehicles at least triple parked outside the terminal and left us to wait for him to bring the car up. We would have been quite happy to walk to the car park, but apparently this is not the way things are done in Taiwan. We waited interestedly to see just how our guide was actually going to bring the car anywhere near us, gradually inching into what we thought might be a better position, as small spaces appeared in between the mass of traffic. Organisation was absolutely nil, an interesting experience with a happy ending. We were successfully extracted from the melee and duly delivered to a beautiful modern hotel in Keelung, a coastal town about 45 minutes drive away from the airport on an impressive, obviously quite new motorway. We were glad 18 The hotel foyer in Keelung. to get to our room, unpack, shower and literally fall into bed. It had been a long day. Thursday dawned bright and clear, a day off for us as the official reception for judges and other attending VIPs was not until 5pm. After breakfast, at which Ian sampled quite a few local unidentifiable delicacies with great relish while I cravenly stuck to tea and toast, we were very fortunate to meet Sarah Wu, the senior assistant hotel manager and a lovely lady who spoke perfect English. We explained to her that we didn t really want to go shopping in Taipei like every other tourist; we wanted to see something of the island instead. Sarah really came up trumps, directing us to take a taxi to the Gold Ecological Park at Jinguashi in the mountains. Sarah even told the taxi driver where to stop on the way to allow Ian to take photos! The thirteen tiered Taijin ore dressing relic and the golden waterfall (due to minerals in the water) are local landmarks. On reaching the park high in the AKA REPORTER

21 Top, a spectacular mountain view; bottom, school children visiting the Gold Ecological Park mountains we were surprised to discover just how many other people were there, on a Thursday. It was obviously a spot for school trips; hundreds of children of all ages were being taken around. Gold mining in the Jinguashi area achieved a massive output during the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese influence in the park being clearly visible, as it is elsewhere in Taiwan. We looked round a fascinating Japanese dormitory and bungalow used by high-level Japanese company employees Top, stairway at Jiufen; bottom, a huge bus on a narrow turn in Jiufen. when the mine was in full operation, as well as walking several miles around all the other historical mine buildings, one of which housed an enormous gold ingot. It was truly massive, weighing 250 kilograms. The second part of our day came about quite by accident. Just outside the park gates, we were looking at a map, wondering how to get back to Keelung (Sarah had suggested the local bus), when a friendly park official came up to us asking if we needed any help. Upon our explanation he said we really couldn t leave without seeing Jiufen, a village just over the next mountain. Jiufen has a must-see shopping Dec 2011 Jan

22 Top, a pearl scale goldfish; bottom, meeting the President. Top, shopping arcade at Jiufen; bottom, old Taiwanese buildings. arcade winding around the mountain, the different levels connected by a huge staircase. The official put us on the bus and other passengers made up our fare, for which we had insufficient coins, for a no-change system. We felt quite overwhelmed by such generous help. The bus trip was an experience in itself. The mountain roads are unbelievably narrow and the buses full sized. The driver was happily on his mobile, held in one hand, while steering the bus around hairpin bends with the other. We touched nothing, but how we escaped a crash I 20 have no idea. At one point it seemed absolutely certain that a motorcyclist would become a jam sandwich as he hurtled between our bus and one coming the other way. Ideas for James Bond stunts could have come from Taiwan! Jiufen proved an excellent recommendation with its beautiful mountain views and narrow, winding arcade stuffed with every imaginable shop including innumerable food stalls; each offering free tasting. You could have eaten lunch without paying anything, so keen are the vendors for you to try their wares. Ian, as usual, was far more adventurous than I, the smell of some of the offerings was diabolical! Even Ian however, drew the line on what looked exactly like pink jellyfish. We finished our afternoon in a 100-year old wooden built teahouse overlooking the valley where we enjoyed an initiation into the correct way to prepare a tea called Oriental Beauty before braving the local bus again for the trip back to Keelung. Koi took over from that point with an AKA REPORTER

23 Top, the show site; middle, all the judges and show officials at the aquarium expo; bottom, judging teams get to work. official reception dinner that evening at which we were delighted to meet many old koi friends as well as meeting new ones. I was very pleased to renew aquaintance with head judges Mr Sadayuki Suzuki and Mr Tomio Motoda from Japan with whom I have judged on several occasions in the past, as well as catching up with judges from Europe and all over Asia. It was truly an international team. The next three Best baby. days were fully organised, Friday and Saturday judging, Sunday an official tour of Northern Taiwan. Luckily, Friday s and Saturday s events were indoors, because a tropical typhoon meant unrelenting rain on both days. Judging outdoors would have been a nightmare. Friday began with a bus trip to a sister event, taking place that weekend, a huge Dec 2011 Jan

24 Left, selecting koi for the top awards; middle, the GC Kohaku; right, the first runner up Kohaku Second runner up Showa. Jumbo A Kohaku. aquarium Expo held in central Taipei. It was fascinating to see the new Taiwan in the process of building in the city with pristine, well-designed buildings replacing the soot and rust-stained, incredibly ugly old concrete blocks, probably dating back to the 1950s and 60s evident in surrounding areas. The aquarium show was great fun, I think most of us came away quite fancying an indoor fish Jumbo B Chagoi. tank as a sideline to the koi pond! The fish were really interesting and many aquarium layouts spectacular, it is years since I kept a small assortment of goldfish and guppies and times have moved on considerably with development of some very unusual varieties. This was a very important event in Taiwan, opened by no less than the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) himself, Mr Ma Ying-Jeou, whom I 22 AKA REPORTER

25 Small koi in bags for judging. A poorly shaped Tancho Kohaku. had the very great honour of briefly meeting. After lunch we headed back to Keelung, where the koi show venue was located. The final koi entry was1180 so it was fortunate that we had 30 judges, divided into 5 teams, because the awards list was formidable involving 20 size categories, best in each size, 12 Champion awards and best in each variety. Interestingly, the show committee decreed that best in each size would only involve Go-Sanke koi (Kohaku, Sanke and Showa). Unfortunately this was not included in the paperwork and caused at least a half-hour s voluble Chinese with much hand waving on Saturday morning when koi chosen for Best Baby by different judging teams involved non-go-sanke varieties! In the end, the judges won out and a beautiful 35cm Ai Goromo took the award. I digress however. After a briefing over tea, Friday afternoon was spent selecting the top awards only, Grand Champion, two runners up, a Jumbo (A) Go-Sanke and Jumbo (B) non-go Sanke to be selected from the 80cm, 85cm and over 85cm groups. The paperwork for these classes was excellent, including Gin Rin Matsukawabake. photographs of each koi. We were directed around the vats in our teams, but at this stage, everyone was expected to make their own short lists for consideration. The head judge in each team then submitted a list of seven koi, asking each team member for his or her suggestions. One of mine was rejected, a lovely Kohaku, but at 85cm, considered too small for Grand Champion! (She later took Best in Variety, to my great satisfaction). Seven koi, having gained the most votes from 30 judges, were then moved to individual vats placed close together and final selection was by ballot. Surprisingly, any damage visible on quite magnificent koi was taken very seriously. One Kohaku, high on my list because of her superb skin and excellent figure was completely ruled out from any top award because of relatively small, uninfected damage to two fins. I would have not penalised this koi so severely myself, but every show turns up some differences in judging style. Grand Champion, finally selected by majority vote, was a magnificent 92cm Konishi bred Kohaku. With a large majority Dec 2011 Jan

26 Judges on our special bus. Some of the water had a milky haze to it. of votes, this koi exhibited a superb figure and wonderful quality, displaying beautiful fukurin (a reticulated effect) over snowy white skin. Slight bruising to her nose and one fin were overlooked in this case. The first runner up was another Konishi Kohaku, this time 86cm, with a superb 87cm Isa bred Showa in third place. Jumbo A went to a 94cm Sakai Kohaku and Jumbo B to a 95cm Marusei (Saitaro Hirasawa) Chagoi. Sadly, the very best jumbo Chagoi at the show had a large piece missing out of its tail and an obvious infection at the site. This koi would have won hands down, had it not had this problem. It was one of the best Chagoi I have seen, incredibly clean skinned, with a perfect vignette, or reticulated effect, over all scale areas. The day concluded with a wonderful buffet meal in our hotel at which we were offered a bewildering range of different dishes to cater for every taste. Hospitality throughout the weekend was lavish and much appreciated by everyone. Although we could have partied 24 all night, with a full day s judging to follow next day, discretion was indicated and some of us at least decided on a relatively early night. Saturday dawned reluctantly through a completely grey curtain of steady rain. One important advantage the rain gave us, however, was that it kept the temperature down inside the hall. Having no air-conditioning, it had been oven-like the previous day when we arrived, due to Thursday s hot spell. Our first task that morning after the arrival briefing was to judge the smaller sizes of koi (up to 35cm), all held individually in the plastic bags pioneered in Japan which do not fog. These bags are not ideal as the curvature of the bag can distort the shape of a koi, but they do have the huge advantage of mimicking a Japanese style class. You can move koi close together, to judge them more easily. A distinct improvement would be if the bags were placed on low tables, because grovelling on the floor, which you have to do, to see the small koi, is very hard on the knees! My team, headed by Motoda san, was allocated the 35cm size category, out of which came the Koromo Best Baby, (previously discussed) much to our delight. My team only had a single small size to judge, immediately followed by 60cm, a huge class, 75cm male koi only and finishing with 80 and 85cm classes, easy since they had already been viewed once the previous day. Best in Size was selected by the individual judging team responsible for that size, at the conclusion of each category. Other major awards, for example Best in AKA REPORTER

27 Entry to the National Museum. Variety, were selected by judge ballot later in the day. The whole process was very efficient. Teams of stewards accompanied each judging team, directing us to each vat containing koi in our class, removing the cover and displaying the relevant koi photo. After examining all the entries, photos were spread out and we indicated the winners, generally selecting four or five Go-Sanke varieties, because after major awards are selected, other koi move-up the awards ladder; a common occurrence at many shows. There were some spectacular koi at this show although the overall level of quality was perhaps not quite as high as my expectations had led me to believe likely. There were also some very poor body shapes to be seen; including obviously bent fish Common at most shows outside Australia, Go-Sanke koi were the most popular varieties in Taiwan, the numbers of non Go-Sanke rather disappointingly small. I did find an incredibly beautiful Gin-Rin Matsukawabake and another of the satinfinish koi first seen at the Shinkokai in This time the variety appeared to be a Tancho Kujaku type, but it definitely was not a fully metallic koi. The shine was muted, but very attractive. An obvious comment could be that the metallic lustre was just poor quality, but this satin-finish looks quite different. We also saw a huge and very bright yellow koi, a Kigoi type, but without the red eyes usually seen for this variety. Not a single spot marked this koi, Top, the stone mushrooms; bottom, Ian and Kate at Yehliu. lovely to see. It easily took Best in Variety for Kawarimono. The day was a lot a fun although we must have walked many miles. The hall was enormous. We had two major problems to contend with at this show, firstly, in many vats the water was so turbid it looked white, probably due to ammonia locking chemicals, because the koi seemed none the worse for the state of the water. In some vats the koi we were judging were lifted (to expressions of great delight when a beauty was brought up from the murky depths), you couldn t see them at all. Secondly, the lighting was really inadequate Dec 2011 Jan

28 throughout the hall. To add to this dilemma, half way through the day the peripheral lights around one wall died completely! A miner s helmet with attached light would have been a wonderful accessory. We just laughed about it and got on with the job, as all koi judges do! Quite strangely on the Saturday, prize giving concluded the day. Almost no visitors were at the show at this time, so the audience was very thin of company. I understood that the show was open to the public on the Sunday, although I cannot confirm this, because Sunday saw all the judges and show officials off on a magical mystery tour of Northern Taiwan in our gaily-caparisoned, lilac painted bus. First time I have ever travelled in a bus sporting tassel-swaged curtains and pelmets, but very much the fashion in Taiwan. Our first stop was at the National Museum, particularly famous because it still houses all the incredible porcelain and jade sent to Taiwan from main-land China for safe-keeping in We marvelled at the incredible beauty of these artifacts, many hundreds, some over a thousand years old, but perfectly sculpted. Sobering to think that Chinese culture must have been way ahead of Western contemporaries at the time. Although the most famous must-see in the museum is a small, carved jade Chinese cabbage, Ian and I were more impressed with an incredible jade screen. Its intricacy of detail was almost unbelievable. It must have taken many years to complete. The museum also housed wonderful metal-ware, paintings and furniture, but time pressure prohibited close examination of everything. It was a huge place. We did manage to spend a short time in the museum shop and came away with our very own reproduction Ming vase! After a short stop for lunch we headed to the coast to visit another very famous Taiwan site, now Yehliu National Geopark. The sandstone rock in this area is unique in the world, in that its selective erosion by wind and sea has formed some very strange shapes, giant mushrooms, lattices and cones resembling a Flamingo s nest with a stone egg inside. It was a fascinating place; Ian and I would have enjoyed a lot more time there than we were allocated. The rain had stopped by this time and although the day was grey and windy it was pleasant to walk around. A party atmosphere was developing by this time and travelling to our last destination the bus became an impromptu Kareoke bar. One of the younger judges, Budi Widjaja from Indonesia, had a very fine voice and entertained us most of way home that evening after our stop at a street market similar to the one Ian and I had visited in Jiufen. This one however, was entirely foodoriented. Ian still couldn t quite bring himself to try the pink jellyfish look-alike (we were told it was a cake), but sampled quite a few other delicacies, including a drink prepared from a virulently acid green cactus-like plant. Actually it wasn t too bad, tasting strongly of added lime juice. I did enjoy some fruits resembling lychees and a custard tart, but I am ashamed to say that was the limit of my experimentation. I am not very brave when it comes to unidentifiable food. Our last evening meal back at the hotel was sad in a way. The end of every koi event is the same, saying goodbye is always hard and we had all enjoyed our time together. I can only hope at least some of us meet again in the next year or two. It remains for me to express very grateful thanks to the ZNA Taiwan District Chairman, Mr Kuo Chung-Yang and his team for the wonderful organisation and hospitality at this show. It was a very memorable event. Kate McGill 26 AKA REPORTER

29 Australian Pet Supplies Pty Ltd are manufacturers of top quality pellets and flake foods for ornamental fish. Top ingredients, listed below, provide for your fish all protein, minerals and vitamins to maintain healthy growing Koi fish. Products are all fully manufactured in Australia and are available from your supply officer. Our Goldfish and Tropical Pellets and Flakes contain the following ingredients in varying amounts: WHEAT FOLIC ACID RICE FLOUR RIBOFLAVIN (B2) SPIRULINA VITAMIN B12 FISH MEAL BIOTIN SOYA BEAN MEAL PYRIDOXINE B6 CHLORINE CHLORIDE KELP FLOUR COBALT TUNA OIL IODINE DRIED YEAST COPPER WHEATGERM IRON VITAMIN A MANGANOUS OXIDE VITAMIN B TOTAL ZINC VITAMIN E ETHOXYQUIN MENADIONE ANTI-TOX NICOTINIC ACID THIAMINE B1 CALCIUM B PANTOTHENATE COLOUR ASCORBIC ACID (especially developed for the aquaculture industry) Dec 2011 Jan

30 Koi Critique Midorigoi-Kumonryu? (Kawarigoi or Kawarimono) Midorigoi-Kumonryu (Me dough ree goy Ku mohn drue) Kawarigoi (something strange) holds some very interesting varieties; the largely black and white Karasugoi (Crow Koi group), Ochiba Shigure (autumn leaves on water), a range of singlecoloured, non-metallic koi, including the green Midorigoi and unusual cross bred koi, like the example featured this month. This 22cm baby koi was spotted at the recent KSA Future Champions show in Flower Power at Casula, an interesting event held essentially to discover the most promising young koi of the year. It was from an accidental mass pond spawning, kept out of interest for several reasons. Its shape and proportions are good, with growth potential suggested by the broad forehead, strong shoulders and peduncle (tail area). The scale lines are neat, always looked for on a doitsu koi, although scaling is fairly extensive on this example. What is really interesting is the colour of this koi, greenish yellow over the head, scale lines and fins, with dense black along both sides, between scale lines. I have never seen this combination of colours on a koi before, which suggest Midorigoi and Karasugoi. There is also a touch of metallic to the skin over the head and along the dorsal line. The owner had no idea which particular koi in his pond had spawned, so we will be unable to identify the parents. However, everyone at the show urged the owner to raise the koi, to discover if the colours remain true over time. It is fascinating to see something so different, a truly unique koi! Kate McGill 28 AKA REPORTER

31 Supplies available to AKA members Contact Ron and Max Farrugia for all supplies listed on (02) or Hours: Mon to Fri 8.00 am pm Sat and Sun 8.00 am am FOOD Flake-Tropical 1 kg $35.00 Flake 200 mg $8.00 Fry Food 1 kg $17.00 AKA Growth Food 5 kg $25.00 No.1 High Protein Crumble 1kg $17.00 No.2 High Protein Crumble 1kg $17.00 No.3 High Protein Crumble 1kg $17.00 Baby Koi Pellets 1kg $8.00 Pond Sticks 4 kg $35.00 AKA Premium Growth Food 5 kg $35.00 MEDICINE Malachite Green 20 gms $20.00 Methylene Blue 18 gms $20.00 Phenoxotol - fin and tail rot $20.00 Clean Fish CF 50 $35.00 Condy s Crystals 200 gms $20.00 Oil of Cloves 100 ml $20.00 AIR Air Stones small $1.00 Air Stones 50 mm $6.00 Air Tube per metre $2.00 Green plastic air tube Roll $50.00 PUMPS XF 171 Davey Pump P.O.A. 60 litre/min Air Compressor $ Aquarium Air Pump $25.00 SUBMERSIBLES King litres/hour $ King litres/hour $ King litres/hour $ King litres/hour $ WATER Sodium Thiosulphate 1 kg $15.00 Tri Start 250 ml $15.00 MISCELLANEOUS Large Plastic Bags $1.50 Carbonate hardness raising 2 kg $6.00 Clear Pond 200 mg $30.00 Slurpy Pump fitted for use $ Algae Fix 500 ml $25.00 Clear plastic Table Show tanks $20.00 NETS 6 Nets $ Nets $5.00 TEST KITS Ammonia Test Kit $20.00 ph Test Kit $20.00 Carbon Hardness Test Kit $20.00 Chlormon 1 litre $20.00 BOOKS Koi Appreciation...the first step By Kate McGill $75.00 (new supplies available 2009) KSA Koi Handbook $14.00 Please Note: Members orders for supplies for delivery at the monthly meetings are to be in the Tuesday prior to the meeting. Members ordering supplies for postal delivery should send money order or cheque payable to Australian Koi Association to 32 Hardy Ave, Riverwood Please ensure cost of return postage is included.

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