Cycling to Makara Hill and Back.

The Takarau Gorge is well known to Wellington cyclists but care needs to be taken

Good land for sheep

Spring is definitely in the air. I decided to bike the rural route behind Wellington from Johnsonville to Makara Hill and back. It is narrow and windy with rolling hills. Traffic is mostly light and has an understanding  of the road's difficulties. Every so often you will meet some one whose ability is being tested, or more likely they are testing their ability, so it pays to be wary and keep left at all times.
I wound down the hilly road which after a while followed the Makara River. I worked on keeping my speed up but it was hard on such a beautiful day not to let my thoughts wander and my cycling meander. Through the Takarau Gorge, I went. There were an abundance of pukeko wandering alongside the river. They flicked their white tails at me if I stopped to photograph them and would shift away a little. I passed a couple of ducks swimming in a muddy puddle.

Pukeko are abundant in the Takarau Gorge

A pukeko by the Makara River

As I passed the Makara Beach Road and headed now mainly uphill I noticed my riding become an effort. Sluggish, not swift. My front tyre was definitely soggy. I got off, removed the tyre and checked for a puncture. I dislike changing tyres so I pumped it up first to see it I could find the damage.Much to my satisfaction it stayed blown up. I presumed it must have been a leaky valve. I ground up Makara Hill then turned and whizzed down.
To make up the miles I did a couple of detours. One was out to Makara Beach, a wonderfully exposed and wild place. The little village nestles into the hills to avoid the winds and wishes to stay the way it is. The people who live here do not want sophistication. Their life is being intruded upon by wind farms but as they are situated on hills further away they have not upset the place too much.

The rugged Makara Beach

In summer, Makara is great for snorkelling and fishing

The wind farm behind Makara Village

My second deviation was up Ohariu Valley Road to where another wind farm is being created. It is a roller coaster road giving a great downhill experience on the way back as the speed built up on the down-hills takes you over the next rise.
With the sun on my back I continued back to Johnsonville and home happy with my ride and the fact my tyre stayed inflated. Animals were out enjoying the spring day. Lambing has started. The land is not of the best quality so no dairy cows out here which is a nice change. The river is degraded somewhat as animals have access to it and break down the banks.
 I will check for glass chips embedded in the tyre surface plus faulty valves before I head out again.

Horses enjoying the spring weather.

Radiata Pine have been planted on the hills

A lovely valley and river though it is a shame the banks of the Makara are degraded by animal access

Wellington on a shaky plate

                        



Since the earthquake a month ago things had been slowly settling down. It was not to continue however and on Friday it hotted up once more.
I was in Zealandia having run and cycled around the harbour in the morning. Not many had turned up for my walk and talk, in fact only one, a young Chilean on a working holiday. We had a relaxing walk around and I could alter my talk to suit her questions. She commented on the similarity of the temperate rainforests of the two countries.
I left her near the top dam and headed back to where the robin talk was about to happen as we have a new member of the 'Robineers' and I had promised to support her first effort. The weather was pleasant and we had a nice group of interested visitors. Mr Unbanded of Gentle Beech Hairpin Bend showed up on queue, ate four meal worms then cached. All went well at the Suspension Bridge and we retraced our steps to find OG-KM of Lake Road. As we approached the hairpin again there was a sudden noise of leaves chattering. The noise built to a roar as though a tornado had got amongst the trees and was attempting to pull the leaves off. Then the ground swayed and we became unsteady on our feet as the earthquake tremor built up then died away. We knew it was a big one but as the valley does not have good cell phone coverage we could not check. We had our radios on however and we could hear the Duty Ops guy checking that all was OK.

We continued on with the robin display. There were regular aftershocks but no one seemed too perturbed. The birds certainly showed no unusual behaviour. They were as noisy as always. We met up with the Chilean who said she was very used to earthquakes. She had just come down from the top dam and was sitting in a sheltered spot below it. As the valley had been created by the Wellington fault and the dam is built across it I am not sure she chose the safest place to be.

Once the display was over I headed out of the valley intending to go into Wellington to do my grocery shopping for the week. Turning on the car radio I realised that this had indeed been a big shake and Wellington had decided to shut early for the day. Trains and buses had stopped as a precaution so people had to make their own way out as best as they could. As I arrived at the turn off I decided to change my plans. Traffic was crawling out of the city. Heading in would not be a smart move and supermarkets are dangerous places in earthquakes. I turned left and edged home in one long queue. Though there had been little damage and no one injured people were unnerved and had called it a day. The high rise buildings in Wellington are constructed to move with earthquakes. If you are working high up the swaying motion is exacerbated which can bring on nausea. After it settled, everyone who could left as there would certainly be after shocks. It was a 6.5 situated at the top of the South Island, on land in a place called Seddon. Many houses suffered damage there with one collapsing, but no one was injured.

I got home and listened to the news. I went on line and discovered from Alfie Kaka's facebook page that the Sirocco Tours in Zealandia were going ahead as planned. Wellington had decided to 'keep calm and carry on' as the saying goes.
As I was leading a couple of the tours, I boned up on earthquake procedure and later on in the evening headed back in. We took keys with us in case we might have to exit from emergency gates. We gave the 'drop, cover, hold' drill though outside there is nothing much to crawl under so we would have to hold on to each other. There had been another pretty big shake at 5.30pm so we knew more could come. Also the big quake had caused other fault lines stress which had triggered smaller earthquakes as well. New Zealand was living up to its name as the 'Shaky Isles'.
It is 'Wellington on a Plate' season at present and the dining experience put forward at Zealandia was 'Kakapo and Kai'. People were eating at the cafe before heading out to visit Sirocco. Everyone pretty much turned up and had started to relax once more. Sirocco was his genial self, happy to have a stream of visitors to entertain him. None of the continuing aftershocks were big enough to be felt in the valley. The kiwi called and seemed extra loud. The rain that was threatened did not appear.
Still, I was glad when everyone was safely out of the valley and I could head home once more.
As I sat having fish and chips and talked to family there would be a little shudder now and then just to remind us about our tenuous existence on the planet.

Here is a little more about Kakapo and Kai. It has been very successful and is booked out for this season.

There are three special elements to this unique experience at Zealandia’s eco-sanctuary and Rata Cafe.

First, come face to face with the charismatic and famous Sirocco, an endangered kakapo with attitude. Second, enjoy a short bush tour to find traditional Maori ingredients in the wild. Third, come back and savour a delicious two-course meal inspired by the natural kai of Tane’s forest. This includes a glass of carboNZero matched wine, or non-alcoholic mocktail.

The evening will be hosted by one of Zealandia’s entertaining expert guides. Choose from two sittings: dinner followed by tour, or tour followed by dinner. Maximum 28 people per group.

A Taste of Tane’s Forest

To Start:

Kawakawa pesto with crut.

Main Event:

Horopito smoked fish with roasted kūmara and Māori potatoes served with a salad of water cress, baby rocket and native greens rareke, pirita and ti kouka, with a manuka honey dressing.

Vegetarian option: Risotto of roasted kūmara, Māori potatoes and kawakawa, served with a salad of water cress, baby rocket and native greens rareke, pirita and ti kouka, with a manuka honey dressing.

Followed by:

Native flaxseed and manuka honey cheese cake served with a horopito and lemon truffle, kawakawa wafer leaves and a shot of homemade kawakawa tea on the side.

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Please Note: All prices are per person unless otherwise stated. Bookings are essential.

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Dragon Boating on Henley Lake

Henley Lake

We decided to have a weekend in the Wairarapa to re-associate ourselves with the noble sport of dragon boating and to give our new coach a chance to see what he has taken on.
The trip over the Rimutakas was done in misty rain. Despite all the recent road improvements it it still a difficult hill to negotiate as it is narrow, windy and steep. The windy can mean twisty and it can mean strong winds which have the ability to close the road to motor cycles and high vehicles. People regularly go over the side and are killed or injured. Sometimes it takes a while to find them. It is not a road to be taken lightly.

The Rimutaka Hill Road

Muldoon's corner used to be one of the sharpest, but recently it has been smoothed out a little

Once we were safely over we had lunch then travelled on to  Henley Lake at Masterton, the body of water we were to practise on. It is a picturesque place with abundant swans, ducks, scaup and other water-loving bird life. Unfortunately what the birds do in the water is not so picturesque. It pays to paddle with your mouth shut. Over summer an algal bloom develops and the lake is closed.

Paradise Ducks and others enjoying the lake

Henley Lake is man-made

We went out with the Masterton Women's team for a practice. And rusty we proved to be. We swapped our normal paddling sides which made us more awkward and round and round the lake we went.
It was a great place for one of our paddlers to practise sweeping. Round and round the lake we went in a haphazard zigzag. The coach was on the front of the boat photographing our style or lack of it until he found himself caught up in an overhanging tree. Sweeping, or steering a dragon boat is no easy thing!

We had a couple of races with the Wairarapa team. Each time we were left in their wake. It all seemed very hard work.

We over-nighted in Masterton then headed back to Henley Lake in the morning for more of the same. We paddled in rotation and with a faster rate. Our novice sweep took us on a tiki tour by some islands but after a while began to gain some control. We loosened up, relaxed and began to find our rhythm. We upped our pace and went for it.

We were in for sore muscles for the rest of the week, but devils for punishment, we plan to return. During the winter it is easier and cheaper to head over the hill for a bit of fun in the duck pond than to use the boats on Wellington Harbour where we always have to have a chase boat for safety.

Sirocco the Superstar

                                 

Sirocco the night parrot has been at Zealandia for a month now and enjoying his contact with people immensely. I have taken about eight tours so and it has been a real pleasure to take people to see the green superstar. He is really funny in the way he reacts to his visitors. At first he can pretend he is not interested and once hid his head in his feed trough showing nothing but his tail feathers. He can never keep it up though. He is always drawn to his audience and likes to get up close to the perspex and have a good look, especially if children are present. Everything is on his terms. He spends the day in a large outside area sleeping, but once he wakes he waits by the viewing area door so that he can go on show and amuse his fans. People are always surprised by his size. He is a big bird by all accounts and can fluff his feathers to make himself look bigger. His face shows his intelligence as he interacts with the crowd and his keeper and you never know what he has in mind. Such a cool animal! No wonder he was voted the most loved endangered species in the world. His feathers are utterly gorgeous and mimic fern patterns. He is butter yellow around his face and under his wings. Stephen Fry said he looked distinctly old fashioned with his Victorian whiskers and it is an apt description. Most visitors are in awe of him and have loved the opportunity to see such a rare bird (there are only 124 left) in close proximity.
He is our official spokesbird for conservation. 



This is his facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/siroccokakapo
And here is his twitter account: https://twitter.com/Spokesbird
A fun clip to watch: Sirocco arrives at Zealandia

So far all my tours have been in good weather considering it is winter, but this week is looking damper. I am doing two tours and am very much looking forward to escorting visitors to see him again. There is an added bonus of hearing kiwi call as we walk up the valley which is also a new experience for many people. As their cries pierce the night visitors get a real thrill. I explain they were once as rare as kakapo as they have all descended from just seven birds. They have done very well in Zealandia and we now have around 150. Breeding season is under way now so hopefully they will have another good season.

The little spotted kiwi  or kiwi pukupuku

Here is a clip of a Zealandia little spotted kiwi emerging from its burrow.
Kiwi pukupuku emerges from burrow

Lots of good Sirocco and Zealandia photos on Flickr:                http://www.flickr.com/photos/zealandia/6044864336/lightbox/

                                       Sirocco getting up high to view his guests for the evening

                   

                   

From the Skyline to Karori Cemetery.

Looking down on Wellington from the Skyline Track

The day dawned still and clear. I am down to do a half iron-man in December so set off to do some stamina work. I had done a duathlon in the weekend and the legs felt heavy still, so I planned my run to be long but leisurely with lots of stops and walking if I felt like it.

The wind-blasted gorse clad hill top above my suburb

Getting up on the hills above Wellington is always exhilarating and worth the slog up through the bush to get to the Skyline Track. Though calm in the valley  it was certainly not calm upon the tops. The winds were chill and whistling, reminding me that winter was not over yet. In fact it is never over in Wellington. The seasons never separate out completely and you can often have four seasons in one day. With that in mind I had a small backpack with a polyprop or thermal inside.
I looked down on the city and thought how fragile it is and how earthquakes and storms had beset it in the last couple of months. When doing the running course of the duathlon on the South coast we had had to zigzag at times as the footpath between Scorching Bay and Seatoun had been undermined and even washed away in places. It was hard to believe as that morning in particular was as warm and benign as a summer's day causing people who had been expecting winter to strip off as they ran. The cycling course looped past the Chocolate Fish Cafe three times where more sensible people were spending their Sunday morning lounging on bean bags in the morning winter sun while watching their kids play about on the ride-on toys provided. I found it difficult to keep my head down and stick to the business in hand as I cycled.  I was easily distracted by the scenes I was passing and found my my mind drifting off and my speed slowing as a consequence.

Along the Skyline Tack I stopped to observe people working on the pylons carrying electricity from the South Island. There is a cable on the sea floor bringing electricity from hydro power stations in the south to the north. There were three men high up on a pylon and I thought what a chilly wind-blasted time they must be having so high up.

The three orange blobs are men working on the pylons in high winds.

Since the wind was blasting from the north, I ran south and dropped down to the track just above Wilton Otari Bush which was more sheltered. I enjoy the changes of terrain from rugged farm land to regenerating native forest to a pine plantation. Once under the pines all sound becomes muted and the ground becomes soft and springy due to layers of dry pine needles which is very pleasant after being buffeted by winds higher up.

Clearing up from the storm continues

Karori Cemetery is one of the largest and oldest in Wellington

Several areas are now fenced off after the storm

I popped out at Karori Cemetery to find the storm had wreaked havoc amongst the trees sheltering the graves. Tape was up to prevent people accessing more dangerous areas and I could hear the whine of chain saws and mulchers as the clean up continued.  I ran along the main path then took a side track into Otari Wilton and followed the path along the Kaiwharawhara. Volunteer groups have planted twenty five thousand trees along its banks and catchment and the environs is starting to look good.

The Kaiwharwhara Catchment surrounding Wellington.

As I headed home the clouds rolled in hiding the range I had recently been traversing. The weather gave me the spur to get up the last hill before the rains came down.

                     

The Spring has Sprung

Wellington has had a mild winter. Well, it has if you disregard two wild storms and a largish earthquake or two. My daffodils are out and the birds in Zealandia are getting frisky.


A pair of pied shags or karuhiruhi have set up a nest very close to the steps down to the pontoon. There were a few arguments about which twig should go where before settling down to marital harmony. No eggs yet but they are to be found sitting together in their nest preening and caring for each other. It is the first time a nest has been built on this tree which has been cut down and left to create perches above the lake. Lets hope they don't mind their proximity to people and go on to lay eggs and raise their chicks where everyone can see.

Karuhiruhi nesting

Hopefully eggs will be laid and chicks reared within sight of visitors

The happy couple preening

The first kaka eggs have been laid and next week I will be visiting the the sites I am to monitor which will be exciting as we observe the arrival of this year's offspring.

kaka eggs just laid in a nest box in Zealandia. Photo by Judy Miller

About this time each year we are visited by eastern rosellas. They come to feed on the buds of our flowering cherry. They are Australian cage birds which have escaped and thrived. They are far more colourful than the New Zealand natives and are perhaps a bit of a threat to our kakariki as they share the same niches but I enjoy their yearly visit to the garden. They look like large budgerigars. The tui though do not have any time for them and try to chase them out with wing shaking aggression, often with success.

An eastern rosella on our flowering cherry

At this time of year seals appear around the harbour resting and sunning themselves.This one has been on the rocks in front of Frank Kitts Park close to Wellington's business and shopping centre. So far it has not gone for a wander on the main street but every so often they do venture a little inland. They certainly help with Wellington City's desire to brand itself as an 'eco-city'.

A seal blending in with the rocks on Wellington's foreshore

Sirocco, one of the rarest and most famous birds on the planet, makes an appearance.

Last week Sirocco the kakapo left his home on Maud Island where he lives in splendid isloation and has come to visit Zealandia for a month.
His enclosure has been revamped in preparation and the fairy lights to guide people along the path are in place.
He is a remarkable, if slightly confused bird. His antics have made him a You Tube star and he and his 123 relatives (there are only 124 in existence)  have just been voted the most favourite species on the planet.

For a long time it was thought that kakapo (parrot of the night) were doomed for extinction as only males had found to still exist in Fiordland. Then a new population was found on Stewart Island among which were females. They were so threatened by extinction they were all shifted to Codfish Island away from mammalian predators.
It is hard to imagine, but before the arrival of man and his mammals, birds ruled New Zealand. Kakapo roamed  freely at night in great numbers. They are green, nocturnal and flightless so it must have been a wonderful sight as they waddled about like animated soft cuddly toys. The noise during the breeding season would have been also overwhelming. The males build bowls or leks, then boom and ching all night to attract females. What a different sort of world it must have been.

Sirocco, son of Zephyr, contracted a chest infection as a chick. He was removed from the nest and hand reared. As a result he bonded to humans. He loves humans and eschews his fellow kakapo. At sixteen he is reaching adulthood. He will live to a eighty or so as these birds are long livers. Scientists have discovered his sperm is not of great quality and as he prefers humans to kakapo he has been given a new role in life. He is an advocacy bird which means he travels around like a rock star to various venues where people can interact with him and learn about conservation and the importance of protecting the habitat of vulnerable animals such as him.

His popularity status increased due to a television programme 'Last Chance to See.' Brits Stephen Fry and Mark Cawadine came to film Sirocco. As they set up to film him, Sirocco came beetling out of the bush, took one look at Mark who was wearing a fetching green jersey at the time and decided he was the perfect partner for him. He climbed on to the top of his back and began mating vigorously and with joy. Stephen Fry fell about with laughter and made a few ribald comments. The whole episode was filmed and ended up on You Tube for the whole world to see. It remains an extremely popular clip and Sirocco received world wide acclaim.

Sirocco getting amorous 

                                             

At Zealandia the public will be protected by perspex so there will be no incidences of encounters getting too intense. He will have an open air enclosure during the day where he can sleep, and an inside enclosure for when he is on show at night. As it is not the breeding season he is just happy to be around people and will not be looking for conquests. He likes people to talk to him and the more the interaction the more animated and happy he becomes.





Kakapo are still extremely endangered. For the last two seasons the boys have built leks and have boomed and chinged their hearts out. The females have said no. They will only breed if the fruiting of the rimu trees is going to provide enough food for them to raise chicks and for the last two years the fruiting has been poor. They are waiting for a mast season when the fruiting will be more than usual Artificial feeding has not done the trick and they don't want to interfere to much as extra feeding may cause more males to be born when they desperately need more females.

So lets hope this year will be the one and we get a new generation of little mainly female kakapo born to enhance this amazing species.

 

Link:

Shagged by rare parrot