New Zealand

UC Irvine head women's basketball coach Molly Tuter recently announced the signing of four student-athletes to national letters of intent: Desiree Strings, Kim Barnes, Raquel Theus and Mary Has. Theus, daughter of former NBA player and the Sacramento Kings' new coach Reggie Theus, is a 6-2 forward. At Inglewood High School, she averaged 9.7 points, 7 rebounds and 3.8 steals as a senior. "Roq is an athlete. A little raw right now, but will be able to help us inside right away, especially on the defensive end," Tuter said.

Are you making vacation plans? Then again, why leave the glorious environs of Newport Beach — land of surf, sail and sun? If you have a hankering for far-flung adventure but prefer the armchair variety, the Newport Beach Public Library has the perfect remedy for you. Here is a small sampling of the can't-put-it-down variety of travel titles that, in some cases, will have you glad someone else did the traveling for you. "Adventure Divas:...

55, of Newport Beach, passed away suddenly on Sunday April 29, 2007. Beloved son of Gwen, and the late Teddy of New Zealand. Survived by his wife, Marie; daughters, Ashleigh and Brittany; and young son, Teddy. Also survived by his sisters, Julia (Rex), Lauree (Ken), and Briar (Michael); and his nieces and nephews. He was an energetic entrepreneur, with a gregarious personality and zest for life -an instant friend to all that met him. Visitation, Sun. May 6, 4-7pm, Pacific View Memorial Park (3500 Pacific View Dr, Corona del Mar)

Shopping at the new Flying Pram is like taking a shopping trip around the world for premiere baby gear and duds. The Flying Pram carries an incredible assortment of European apparel: toys from Israel, Germany and France; bouncers and high-chairs from Sweden; handmade stuffed animals from Kenya; and the new Mutsy Sport stroller from Netherlands. Premier apparel lines include Lucy Sykes and Marie Chantal from New York, Papo d'Anjo of Portugal, Rachel Rieley of London, and Trelise Cooper of New Zealand.

A 16-day tour of New Zealand brought together my husband, Ted, and I, our friends Ray and Jennifer Woolsey of Lake Forest, and Jack and Linda Seelhorst, formerly of Newport Beach who now live in Sisters, Ore. We flew into Auckland, and our first full day was spent with a Maori guide hiking the hills of Mt. Eden, learning about Maori history and the early days of New Zealand. We spent the next day on Waiheke Island, one of the many islands off the coast of Auckland, which we reached via the local ferry.

Even the deepest pockets can't buy an advantage in the Governor's Cup. Except for their names, the racing sailboats used in this year's Governor's Cup are exactly alike. All 12 custom-made boats are identical in design, have the same pristine white hull and have spent precisely the same number of hours on the water. Keeping the boats as similar as possible ensures that this race is all about skill. "They are very equal," said Balboa Yacht Club member Karin Buxton, whose 17-year-old son, Wade, is racing in the competition.

The Corona del Mar High girls' water polo A team won the bronze medal at the 2006 Panasonic Pan Pacific youth tournament in Auckland, New Zealand. Over the course of the five-day event, completed July 10, the CdM A team posted a 7-2 record. The girls lost an early-round game to eventual champion Marist Red, 5-1. Corona del Mar lost a 5-4 heartbreaker in the semifinals when its opponent scored the game-winner with no time left. Corona del Mar then won the bronze medal game, 8-4. The team has been training and playing against national and club teams in Australia and New Zealand since June 30. The Corona del Mar B team was sixth with a 2-5-1 record.

After many days of rain (and disappointed travelers), the weather has finally improved here in Naples. In fact it was quite hot today, so I kept to the old quarter where the narrow streets always seem to provide a good amount of shade. As usual, I had to say goodbye to a wonderful set of travelers this week and welcome in a new batch. Sometimes I hit a wall where I just can't work myself up for the meet-and-greet. I try to be friendly, but if I'm having a bad day, I have to paint the smile on and pretend to be interested.

A mound of contracts from book publishers occupies the kitchen table of Flory Van Beek's Newport Beach home, some still waiting to be signed. "I wish I was more organized with all of this stuff," she said. "I need a secretary." She might also need a press agent. Van Beek, who with her husband Felix founded Newport's Temple Isaiah, wrote a memoir titled "Flory: Survival in the Valley of Death," which tells the story of the kindness shown to her when she was a Jewish teenager hiding out in Holland during World War II. First published by Seven Locks Press of Santa Ana in 1998, the book gained recent attention from international publishers after Mel Gibson's production company decided to film it as a four-hour miniseries for ABC. In 2005, Van Beek said, television producer Daniel Sladek called with a proposal for turning her book into a miniseries.

Bill and Pat Manning Pat and Bill did the shot! If you're going to New Zealand, be sure to include the wild jet boat ride on the Shotover River in Queenstown. Both of us say it's a thrill of a lifetime, and you will get wet as well. A Disney ride, only for real. The driver of the high-powered, 12-passenger jet boat executed 360-degree turns through narrow gorges with lots of close calls but nary a scrape. We met quite by chance several months after our spouses, Allen and Kay, had passed away.