Before man arrived on these islands, there were massive trees and birds, and little else. Apparently the land was more heard than seen on approaching. With man came rats, possums, and other predators. We also cut down a LOT of trees. Result...more silence, less song. On places such as Tiritiri island, (less than an hour by ferry from Auckland's central business district) DOC, the Department of Conservation, along with volunteers, have replanted, got rid of predators, and reintroduced native birds.
Felicity and I visited on one of those sparkly sun-kissed days when the islands and bays around Auckland can only delight. When we give back to nature, she certainly gives back in abundance. To sit in the bush surrounded by the joyous calls of bellbirds defies description. A similar experience in slightly more luscious and dense bush was to be had two days later on another DOC reserve, the Tawharanui Peninsula, near Warkworth, just north of Auckland.
We may not have the spectacular scenery of South Island but we sure got plenty of gems near by.
A brief explanation of the current pictures on flickr.
New Zealand lost its passenger railway system a while ago. Steam enthusiasts would have been delighted to see that on this last Sunday the simple carriages,which still transport passengers once a day on the remaining line between Auckland and Wellington, (taking most of the day to do so), were being pulled by a magnificent steam engine rather than the usual diesel. Although a good train service throughout the country would be wonderful, I cannot help hoping that , as it rapidly catches up the pace and style of the other so-called developed countries, New Zealand will still be able to keep a few such eccentric images as this one.
Earlier on Sunday morning, I was at one of my favourite places in Hamilton, the weekly farmers market, doing one of my favourite things, which is to buy fresh produce grown or baked within a few kilometres of here and mostly picked or made the day before. The people who sell it are really engaged with what they sell, and they really engage with the people who buy it , and it tastes good too! What more could a human body ask for, other than perhaps to be able to pick it direct from one's own land.
The reason for travelling to Auckland on Sunday was to meet Felicity, staying with us for a month and getting to know a bit of NZ. She got the first real rain we have had for months, but on her birthday today the sun shone and we were back on the beach and in the sea. What a treat!