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Charles Cotton was New Zealand's foremost advocate for geomorphology. His publications were recognised nationally and internationally, informing educational curricula and captivating the wider public. His approach to landform study was strongly influenced by The Geographical Cycle espoused by William Morris Davis of Harvard University. For the first half of the 20th century, The Cycle constituted the dominant paradigm of landform studies, but it was ultimately severely criticised and abandoned as unrealistic. While Cotton lost credence among some academics for his reluctance to abandon The Cycle, his elegantly illustrated written work made a lasting contribution to many branches of earth science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University research in coastal geomorphology, processes and management has made a major contribution to the fundamental understanding of coastal systems in New Zealand over the past 43 years. This article examines the growth in university-based coastal research since 1964 and discusses the geographical pattern and themes of this research. Data indicate a significant geographical concentration of research effort and focus on a narrow range of research themes. Underlying reasons for these characteristics of New Zealand coastal research are explored and challenges facing university based research are discussed. Such challenges can be overcome through a more coordinated research effort to realize the huge potential to undertake coastal science of national relevance and international significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the value of fieldwork compared with desk-based teaching using student questionnaire and focus group approaches applied to two contrasting field trips in the Geography programme at Massey University. Student views on the relative value of an 8-day residential alpine physical geography field trip to Fox Glacier and a day's ‘tour’ of Manawatu fluvial and coastal landforms indicated in both instances that the fieldwork was highly valued. The value of fieldwork lies particularly in providing students with a better sense of real-world environments and processes, an enhanced understanding of their subject and affords opportunities for social interaction that cannot be duplicated in class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]