I work as a volunteer in Zealandia, an urban wildlife sanctuary in the heart of Wellington, the 'coolest little capital' in the world. Here you can follow some of the things that I do, such as nest monitoring, feeding and talking about one of the rarest birds in the world or showing visitors the wonders of this amazing little valley.
When not in Zealandia I spend a large part of my time enjoying the wonderful outdoor environment Wellington has to offer. Biking, running, roller -blading, swimming and dragon-boat racing are some of the pleasures to be had amongst the tree clad hills, the winding roads and the ever changing harbour.
Living in Te Upoko O te Ika (the Maori name for Wellington meaning The Head of the Fish) is never boring with its wild climate and rugged terrain. I hope you enjoy my blog as much as I will enjoy describing this amazing place and its animals to you.

Monday, 28 January 2013

On the Harbour

I got back to Wellington in time to get to dragon boat practice. My car recorded the outside temperature as 26' - hot for Wellington. The sky was azure and the sea a rippling deep green. The city itself seemed full - I suppose two cruise ships in port helped to give that perception, or is it already gearing up for next weekend when the 'Sevens' is in town, a time when the rugby around which it is based takes second place to the partying and costumes?
We had 22 team members arrive to fit in 20 places. One opted to be photographer and the other found a place in another boat. Once that was sorted we headed up the lagoon to pick up two other late-comers. People were lounged about outside the cafes having an after work drink in the warmth of the evening. Then out under the bridge and into the harbour we went.
Today was a stamina day which involved continuous paddling. Diamonds danced on the water as sunlight and sea met. We tried to perfect our stroke while keeping in time. The idea is to twist your body, reach out in front to catch the water, push the paddle down then pull your body upright. The paddle snaps out between your knee and hip, then away you go again. We seemed to have the harbour to ourselves tonight, the general population preferring to be on land bustling along the waterfront or watching from cafes and bars.
The boys jumping off the waterfront did not have to build up their courage to broach the depths tonight. The heat from the embers of the day encouraged them in and they were in no hurry to climb out, instead enjoying a lazy swim by the piles covered with green seaweed and tiny mussels.
We paddled up and down, encouraged by the coach as we went through the routine of 'reach' strokes and 'power' strokes and different combinations of paddlers. The rescue boat kept an eye on us as well as the other boats out practising but no one looked like capsizing tonight.
When our time was up we hauled the boat up the ramp then heard that another team needed our boat so we did not have to put it away.
Welcome news to finish another hard practice on a very pleasant night.

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