Kiwi Release

For work yesterday I got to do something I never thought I would get to do, at least not without a lot of planning and groundwork to work out how to get my name on a list... and then the opportunity arose at work and I jumped at the chance (even said yup I'll come before I checked with my manager lol, though when I did ask her she said she had been waiting for me to ask as she knew I would be keen as).  What did I get to do you are wondering, well I got to help with a kiwi release 💜

It was so amazing and special, and very magical.  Altogether 13 kiwis were released, our group took 6 and the other group took 7.  We were on York Road Loop Track just out of Midhurst.  The Kiwis we released were all pretty well behaved, a couple were not impressed at having been stuck in boxes for so long but they calmed down quick enough and most went into their burrows perfectly happily.  One even fell asleep on Tane (the handler, him and Sue were the only two that got to touch the kiwi, which made perfect sense to me), which was rather sweet.  I didn't photograph many of them (only 2), as I wanted to experience it not behind the camera, but I did get a few photos as you can see below.  And I decided to film one of them being put into their burrow, that was the only one who decided that it wanted to escape and make a break for it.  Kinda happy I got that one on video as it was cool to see one running hehe.  

We carried them in pairs, one on each side of the box.  I was with my workmate Michelle and she sung our kiwi a waiata (song) as we walked which was also very special.  Turns out they are quite heavy, and when you pick it up with your dodgy shoulder it gets even harder quickly.  The other option was my dodgy hand and I thought overall the shoulder was the best bet out of the two lol.  We had to keep the box level and not let it brush the ground or the bush at all so there was a lot of concentration when we were walking with the kiwi.  It turned out that all kiwi released into the wild are at least 1.9kg (fighting weight) so when combined with a wooden box they are not light.

And how did this opportunity arise you might be wondering, well the Iwi does mahi (work) with one of the partners who do the releasing and our youth programme helps as well.  They helped with the release at Stratford Mountain House on Thursday and us kaimahi (workers) were invited to the Friday one as they know we are also keen to help and experience releasing kiwi.

The blue tag on the bottom right marks the burrow

Video of the one that hightailed it hehe

We been mountaining again

Missie, Smyly, me and Dof went for a wander this morning, not that you can tell from the pics but we promise we went.  Missie and Smyly just didn’t seem to be in the mood for photos during the walk. And Missie got bored waiting for Smyly and Dof to turn up so we filled in time taking some photos with Darth at the start else there prob wouldn’t be any pics at all haha.  Well except for Missie and her new friend The Kiwi, she seemed to get on quite well with him.

Judging by the long range weather forecast, which I know is generally completely unreliable but still, it might be the last wander we do up the hill for a while - seems like we are in for a wet next week or so, guess the Naki is sad I am leaving lol.  Not sure if I will miss my mountain all that much, I mean yes I love looking out the window and seeing it but when it comes to walking on it I am not so sure.  Seems to be getting steeper and the steep bits are lasting longer than they used to (no its not just cos I am old, am positive the mountain is the one changing lol).  The views are still pretty cool though, those I do like :)

Sunday Funday Part Three

This morning Spartz, Missie and I went for an explore.

Missie and I started doing the Stony River Walk but didn't complete it for a couple reasons.
1. It was not what we were expecting, it was mostly walking over farmland and we didn't feel that safe doing it by ourselves, and
2. My feet were soaking within a few minutes, even with semi waterproof tramping boots on.
We did still get some cool pics so we decided it wasn't a wasted effort.

Then I showed Missie the seat that I built and she was pretty proud of me for my efforts :) and before you ask, no I didn't install it I just built it in the workshop at work while the Hard Landscape dudes watched (apparently they don't normally get chicks building stuff in their workshop).

We also took Spartz to the beach, and he agreed with us that while the view is cool there is not much to do at a beach so its kinda overrated hehe.

We finished the morning off at the Tea House with Bridie, who we went and collected for coffee :)

Stony River Walk

This is the seat that Jill built... lol

 The beach, because we could :)

 

Sunday Fun-Day Part Two

So Bridie and I continued our fun day of exploring Taranaki this afternoon.  We were planning to do the Stony River Walkway but decided it was far far far far far far far too hot (Bridie, I imagine, would only have one or two far's in there though lol) so we are going to have a part three at some stage to finally get it done haha.

Instead we went to the Cape Egmont Lighthouse, pretty much just to take photos.  Sadly there was no mountain but there were some cows me and Missie had a chat to.  We then headed to Opunake to get ice creams and see the Cliff Top Garden which was a pretty cool garden :) had some lovely views as well.  It is part of a coastal walkway but far too hot to do the whole thing.

On the way home we visited Rahotu Cemetery, mostly cos we saw a sign saying cemetery and it was an afternoon of exploring so we thought why not.  It was a lovely small cemetery with some old as and some rather new burials.  We even found a Fleming for Bridie, haha no Millers though cos we don't come from round here.

Cape Egmont Lighthouse

 Opunake Beach and the Cliff Top Garden part of the walkway (plus a bridge hehe)

Rahotu Cemetery

Sunday Fun-Day

Wow look at that, two posts in one day.  Haha this is what you get when I have too much fun and end up posting after the fact :)

Sunday Bridie and I had an adventure day where we each planned half a day of something and the other didn't know what we were going to be doing, ok so we told each other on Saturday night but thats cos we wanted to.  Bridie's activity we did first, and it was kayaking.  Yup I know I don't like big lots of water and especially not really when it moves and I'm stuck on a floating piece of plastic but I did it and it was actually quite fun (lakes are different to sea if you are wondering, they are fine cos the water is generally still).  There were moments of small amounts of panic but seeing as Bridie is like a champion swimmer she was totally gonna save me if I went overboard and I woulda been sweet as, just a smidge more wet than if I stayed in the kayak.  But there was no overboarding so all is well.  We saw seals as well which was cool, even one in the water having a ball :)

My activity required it to be fine, which when we got out of the sea it stopped being so our adventure day is gonna have a part two at some stage, and you can all wait and wonder what it is we are going to do :p hehe

Some pics from kayaking to the Sugar Loaf Islands

I turned into a pirate when we got out...

...and used my pirate skills to lock Bridie up

Friday's tramp

Ok so you may think I'm way behind on my updating cos Friday was ages ago but in my defence its still technically the same weekend so I'm not really that slack :p And if you really care then stop reading my blog!

On Friday Doffy and I went for a wander on the mountain, I know it was on the mountain cos there were a ton of steps and it was ridiculous.  Dof really needs to start using is dad-veto-power when I have a dumb idea which I so often do, and its never till we are walking does he comment on how doing it the other direction would be easier or such like.  So yeah really its his fault we had all those steps to climb, not mine at all.  We parked Spartz at Kaiauai Carpark and then walked to Mangorei Road via Henry and Maude.  Henry is still a bit of a dick to be honest, you'd think in all this time he could have gone and got shorter or built himself an escalator or something, surely that is not too much to ask!  Was a pretty cool walk, if you discount the endless steps that is :)

Coming down Mangorei Track I am positive there was a sign at the bottom that told guys to remove their shirts, we passed so many topless guys it was actually a lil weird, and some of them really should not have been topless - you cannot un-see that.  But when they are old and all skin wrinkly and gross haha to them lol.

Anyhow here are some pics, am sure thats all you dudes read this for anyhow, not my awesome as chatter :( lol

Missie found my cookies...

...and looks so proud lol

Hard to see Missie and Smyly but they are there

Made it to the top of Henry Peak

And so did Doffy

Just appreciating the view from Henry

Still on Henry...

No wait made it to the tarns for a crocked photo

Dad on Pouakai Plateau