Another day or three

Where oh where do the days disappear? The answer is ….along with the weeks, they just slip on by, it’s already nearly the end of January. What have we been up to? Well, not a lot really, busy here in camp with lots of people coming and going, luckily the dickheads are not so prevalent with more and more lovely families in camp. Of course the family atmosphere will change slightly in a couple of weeks when school starts up again after the long summer break.

Garry came to visit for a couple of days, it was lovely to have him here where the conversation flows, problems of the world are solved, and a few laughs are had. Oh and Garry also solved another of our problems, the problem with Roys fishing reel. After their repair job that Roy and Garry sorted at the end of last year as there was an issue with the handle spinning around when it wasn’t supposed to.

Two minds are better than one!

After taking the reel to pieces and checking that the thingamajig was connecting with the whatsitsname and making a few tweaks whilst holding their mouths in the right position, it’s now running perfectly, exactly as it is supposed to work.

Antony has been up most weekends to visit and last weekend his mate Andrew came along to stay as well. Andrew went off with Roy on his evening rounds for a bit of entertainment.

Who are those two high vis vest wearing blokes?

It’s a Roy and Andrew!

It was great having Antony and Andrew here, we played cards (five crowns), board games (Sequence and a new game for us called Ticket to ride) and caught up on their news. Andrew is patiently waiting for all his visas etc to come through so he can join his partner in Chile where Katia is a Doctor. It’s been nearly 12 months of waiting so far, Covid has a lot to answer for!

Another day Bruce came down on his day off to mow the grass around the bus, it’s now looking very tidy.

One man went to mow…

…went to mow

Manicured lawn around the van

And just for a change of scenery, once a week I am going up to the Rangers office to help out a little by looking through the camera cards for pests (and errant birds). There are over 50 cameras set up all around the park, some are near bait stations in the bush where the motion activated cameras take a photo of activity. I have to say that most activity is wind blown grasses, snails and spiders and lots of birds activating the cameras. There is the odd sneaky mouse that flashes on past the camera and some human activity as well.

I can sit in front of a computer screen with my headphones on whilst listening to a book and go through the hundreds, no thousands, of photos each week. It saves the Rangers from hours of screen time and enables them to do other things that require their attention. Anything that I’m not sure of or want them to check, I just note the card/photo/date/time and they check it over with an expert eye. And yes, I have found a few interesting things including kiwi who has gone walkabout!!

Kerikeri and another fix

You know that they say bad luck comes in threes? Well, the next event on the breakdown/repair list was the oven. Yes, my new, as in just a few months old, oven had spat the dummy, after going perfectly well for a while, it decided to stop igniting and stay lit. The grill and the top elements worked perfectly, and even though we had been sitting still for a couple of weeks, it just stopped working. After a bit of a fiddle and holding the ignitor switch on etc it would go and work perfectly for a day or two, then stop again. Then it stopped completely. Grrrrr.

We rang and booked it in at Northland RV in Kerikeri for it to be looked at, under warranty of course, but we had a few days to wait until it could be attended to so we took the opportunity to have a look around and to catch up with friends and family. Glen & Carol came for a visit one day as they were staying at Matauri Bay, after a catch up at our van we arranged to meet up later for lunch in town.

Another day Roy went to see his cousin Stuart whilst I attended to some domestic chores. We did the usual sightseeing around the town which included a trip to see the Stone Store.

Historic Kerikeri Stone Store, viewed from across the river

We were parked at the NZMCA park in Kerikeri which was quite a busy place with a constant stream of people coming and going.

The view from our front window

The day came for the van to be delivered to the RV centre, Mark said it would be 2 to 3 hours so we took the opportunity to go for a tiki tour. For our overseas readers, a tiki tour is New Zealand term and defined as;

1. a sight-seeing journey with no particular destination in mind.

2. taking the scenic route to a destination.

3. to wander aimlessly.

Our first destination was to Aroha Island, an Island eco sanctuary which is home to free range kiwis, of the bird variety, plus lots of other bird life and we understood that the sanctuary had a nice camping area. Oh are we pleased we went to check it out in the car as access into the island for us would have been marginal with a narrow access road and causeway lined with lots of trees and bush.

Location map of Aroha Ialand

However, we were warmly greeted by the managers and went for a walk around the island, it really is a lovely place with excellent facilities and would be a great place to stay.

At the end of the island looking out across the inlet

We can recommend a stay here, but check for yourself first to see if you can get your rig in safely.

After a long chat with the managers, we left there and drove out to Opito Bay.

Opito Bay

It is obviously a popular place to moor a boat and suspect it could be very busy over the summer months with lots of holiday homes and a nice beach.

We were just heading back into Kerikeri when Mark from Northland RV called to say we were good to go with the oven all fixed. Apparently the ignitor and thermocouple needed adjustment which he had done, we tested it and it all worked, hooray. We can highly recommend Mark at Northland RV for his excellent work and friendly nature. We went back to the Kerikeri NZMCA park for the night as we were planning to leave the following morning heading to Uretiti for a couple of weeks.

However, was this going to be the end of our woes? or were we going to have a third mishap? Stay tuned for the next instalment!

Busy fingers

It hasn’t all been relaxing in the sunshine, waiting for the Covid alert levels to go down, I have kept my hands busy. A little bit of knitting has been done, once I managed to get some supplies of course, but my bigger project has been to start making an advent calendar for Callum.

I first made this particular advent calendar 32years ago for my two and have subsequently made quite a number of them. It comprises of a wall hanging with a Christmas Tree adorned with 24 buttons on which to hang little stuffed felt figures with 24 numbered pockets underneath the tree to hold all the Christmas themed ornaments.

However, to backtrack a little, of course all my handcraft materials and patterns are packed away in storage so I’ve had to start my collections of materials again. But where would I be able to find the pattern? I remembered giving it to a friend when we first moved to Auckland in the late 1980’s, on the off chance that Debbie still had the pattern I contacted her. Well, what do you know, she did have the pattern, so she emailed it to me. It’s looking very faded and dated, I think the copy that I gave Debbie was a copy, of a copy, of a copy!

I got the pattern off her last year before we went to the UK. I printed off the patterns and laminated them, spent hours cutting out all the little patterns ready to trace around them, then promptly put them away thinking I will do them next winter.

I was also given a selection of embroidery threads by my sister Sue as well as a few beads, ribbons and sequins that I would need to finish off the work.

Well, we all know what happened in between, don’t we? Yes, I got sick!! Then the whole world got sick. Over the last few weeks, since I’ve been able to get some supplies in, I’ve managed to get started making the little ornaments.

Most of the ones I have made are included in the pattern, but I have made a few patterns of my own such as the robins, the wreath, and the teddy.

A full set plus a couple spare

Each ornament takes me about an hour to make for the easier ones and probably 2 hours for the more complicated ones. I know I’m mad, but hey, it keeps my hands busy,

Then I got thinking, dangerous I know, and thought of a few more to add to the list, some of which I’ve made, but I have more ideas!!!

I made a penguin, fox and owl to start with and the head is brimming with lots more christmassy ideas…

Three more that need their hangers attached

Then I went off on a tangent.

What about a Kiwiana set?

I have to make sure that Callum knows that he’s half kiwi, but can I think of 24 kiwi things to make?……I started making a list, and the list grew, and grew, and grew some more. Some ideas were just too difficult to make so got instantly rejected (sorry Dave Dobbyn and Split Enz….tooo hard!!!) but at the last count I have 55 items on the list, and I’m sure there will be a few more added over the next few days, whether they get made or not is a different story.

A start on some of the easier options!

For those who can not pick what I’ve made, on the left is a red band gumboot/wellington boot, and a pavlova with cream and Kiwifruit on top. On the right from the top down is Tui, Kiwi and a Fantail.

It’s difficult to see from the photo but they are all three dimensional, sewn together with tiny stitches, embellished, then stuffed.

Firstly, I have had to make the patterns, I’ve already drafted up a dozen more ready to make, ensuring that they are no more than 3 inches tall. Of course I now need more supplies as I’ve run out.

Watch this space for the full kiwiana set, I’m sure that they will also make lovely decorations on the xmas tree, Alex. You’re welcome 😘.

Tracking cards

Firstly, thank you to Marilyn (NB Waka Huia) for asking the very good question….what are tracking cards?

To give a bit of background information, Shakespear Park is a pest free sanctuary at the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsular.

Map of the Park

Together with New Zealand Defence Force land to the north, most of the Park lies within the Shakespear Open Sanctuary. Although Okoromai Bay and Army Bay are situated within the park realm they are not within the sanctuary.

A 1.7km pest/predator-proof fence (completed March 2011) goes across the peninsular and protects the park’s wildlife which includes resident invertebrates and lizards, along with birds migrating from nearby Tiritiri island sanctuary and many reintroduced species.  

Poison airdrops were conducted in July 2011 to eradicate mammalian pests and the park reopened to the public three months later, pest free.

Access to the park for visitors is by road, through the pest proof fence with automated gates opening for vehicles and cyclists with pedestrian access through a side gate.

Entrance gates

To ensure that the park is kept free of pests and predators such as possums, cats, dogs, ferrets, rats and the like, extensive monitoring takes place. This is done with a variety means by the way of traps, cameras, lures, and tracking cards.

Tracking cards are basically inked cards which are set into small tunnels with some form of enticement or lure (usually peanut butter with rabbit meat used in every 4th or 5th card) so that when an animal or insect walks across the card, it’s footprints are left behind. Many places use these cards to check on biodiversity and range of animals within their area but at Shakespear they are mainly used to monitor pests.

The front of the card

The card opened up showing the ink pad with some peanut butter in the middle

The cards are set out once a month then collected the following week for analysis, and with over 200 cards being set out in the park you can imagine it is a mammoth job which is done with the aid of a myriad of volunteers. Each volunteer is responsible for a particular line of cards with the Rangers doing the Navy land and any other lines that need to be done.

How do they know where the tunnels are placed? If you have been into the park you will have noticed bits of coloured tape tied to trees or fences. Orange and blue tape is used and these denote either a tracking tunnel or a trap.

Tape fluttering in the breeze

Once collected, they are read and species identified by their footprints, then any pests can be targeted in the specific area that they were detected. The following are examples of some of the tracking cards:

Hedgehog footprints, and yes, they are a pest, they raid nests and eat eggs.

Skink footprint and tail print

rat prints

Possum prints

Frog prints

Weta (NZ native insect)

Gecko

Skink, mice, birds and cockroaches

Of course not all prints are of pests and from the last set of prints you will see that you really have to know what you are looking for to sort out what is what.

The Rangers are ably assisted by a great group of dedicated volunteers who not only ensure the Sanctuary is thriving for flora and fauna with an on-site tree nursery as well as monitoring of the many birds that thrive here, but also a safe environment for people to visit as it is also a working farm and open to the public for all sorts of recreational activities from picnicking to windsurfing, swimming, fishing, mountain biking and walking as well as a place for people to camp. We really enjoy being part of the great group of friendly volunteers on the park.

I hope that goes someway to explaining what tracking cards are and the reason why I was driving the ATV from the start to finish of some of the lines last week whilst Bruce put out the cards. The volunteers have a well deserved break over the Christmas/New Year period so I was doing my bit to help out.

Welcome

It’s with much love that we welcome into the family Callum Jacob Denny, born on the 11 June 2019 weighing in at 9lbs 8oz.

Callum just a few hours old.

Alex and Ian returned from the local hospital just a few hours after he was born where he was quickly settled into his new surroundings.

Callum chillaxing

And just so that he knows where he’s from

Kiwi clothing

It’s hard to believe where Alex hid him, he must have been tightly curled up, as the day before we went out strawberry picking.

Roy, Alex and Ian in the strawberry patch

Out and about a couple of days after he was born, Roy and I went into a Hamley’s Store (a children’s toy shop), where we had a look at this

It’s never too early to start with LEGO, right?

We are sure that when recommended for ages 2+ means 2 days plus doesn’t it?

And following his parents in more ways than one

Thumb sucking must be hereditary

We have now left them to have time to themselves to do a bit of exploring but will be back in a week or two.

Kiwi release

It’s 3.39am and as I lie here awake (yet again), I am listening to the call of a male Little Spotted Kiwi here at Shakespear Park. How do I know it’s a male? Because I used Mr Google to look up the call of the little spotted kiwi and listened to the male and female calls with my headphones on, then removing the headphones to listen to the call, then headphones back on again to confirm it was exactly what I was hearing.

Last weekend another 20 kiwi were released into the park and again we were invited along to witness the event, however this time we were to have a little bit of involvement. And this time last year we were fortunate enough to be invited to the release of 20 kiwi into the Shakespear Open Sanctuary it was a very special and moving event which you can read about here.

The crowds gathered; invited guests, representatives of iwi, Navy, SOSSI, council and interested groups were present. Earlier we had assisted putting up the marquees and setting out the chairs as well as helping with the portioning of all the afternoon tea cakes and slices to accompany a cuppa later in the afternoon. We arrived to watch the ceremony and took our place at the back of the crowd.

However, we were not there for long before being asked if we would like to participate in the event by carrying out the kiwi in their boxes and then return them to their handlers. Of course we jumped at the chance to be part of this special event.

That meant that I was unable to take many photos so the only ones I have are ones that others have taken.

that’s Roy at the back of the procession (I’m on the other side of him) with Pat & Sue just in front of us.

These kiwi are the little spotted kiwi, there are not many of them on mainland New Zealand with half of theses kiwi coming from Kapiti Island near Wellington and the rest from Tiritiri Matangi Island just off Auckland.

The kiwi were welcomed onto the site by dignitaries

Speeches were made, Karakia sung, before we had to pick up our charges and return them to their quiet zone where a few of them were introduced to the crowds by their handlers.

our charges…Waikawhia and Hugh or better known by their monitored tracking numbers 53 and 63.

Ginny, one of the volunteer trained handlers, getting up close to a kiwi.

Kiwi were later quietly released around the park where they will hopefully breed and flourish. I look forward to many more nighttime calls.

Little Spotted Kiwi

Last Saturday, the little Spotted Kiwi were returned to Shakespear Park.  These are the first Little Spotted Kiwi to be brought back to the greater Auckland Region, the second group to have a habitat on mainland New Zealand and are the second rarest Kiwi so it was with great ceremony that they were delivered to the Park.  Roy and I were privileged to be invited to view the proceedings and it was good timing as we had returned to Auckland for a few appointments the previous couple of days and were staying at our second “home” with my brother Steve & sister-in-law Leslie before heading back to the van at Uretiti. But back to the main event.

According to Wikipedia the little spotted kiwi or little grey kiwi, Apteryx owenii, is a small species of kiwi that in pre-European times occurred in both main islands of New Zealand. Around 1900, a population was trans-located to Kapiti Island for conservation purposes. Little spotted kiwis are the smallest species of kiwi, at about 0.9 to 1.9 kg (2.0–4.2 lb), about the size of a bantam. After they were released on Kapiti Island, they were also moved to Red Mercury Island, Hen Island, Tiritiri Matangi Island, and Long Island in the Queen Charlotte Sound. In 2000, about 20 little spotted kiwis were released into Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. This was the first time since about 1900 that little spotted kiwis could be found on the mainland of New Zealand. Now they have a second Mainland home ie. Shakespear Regional Park.

 The Kiwi were delivered to the ceremony site by selected personnel with the kiwi transported in specially made boxes which had been lovingly made by SOSSI (Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society Incorporated) volunteers over the previous few months. 

Kiwi being delivered in their special carry boxes

The Kiwi and guests were welcomed by local iwi with a powhiri.

Iwi representative delivering welcome speech. 

Then came the welcoming speeches from various dignitaries inlcuding Auckland mayor Phil Goff

SOSSI chairman Peter Jackson

 NZ Defence Force representative

The Defence Force, namely the Navy, share some of the headland and fence line with the Park and work together with park staff  in enhancing the area.

Unfortunately I missed taking a picture of the very moving and powerful powhiri and karakia given by the Kapiti Island iwi representatives as I was too busy listening.   And why were Kapiti Island Iwi present?  The 10 female birds being introduced were from Kapiti Island just off the Wellington Coast, and the 10 male Kiwi were from Tiritiri Matangi Island which is an island in the Hauraki Gulf just 3kms offshore from Shakespear.  The mixing of the birds ensures there will be genetic diversity in future offspring.

After all of the speeches the birds were returned to their shelter.  We were then told that a few of the birds would be brought out for us to be able to see close up, whilst ensuring they would be carefully handled we were asked to be very quiet so as not to frighten the nocturnal creatures.  We had presumed that the birds would be brought out in the boxes as we knew that perspex lids had also been made for the boxes.  

What a pleasant surprise we had when we saw that the birds were being carefully brought out by handlers, cradling them in their arms like they would a newborn baby.

Each bird had a handler, a volunteer umbrella holder and a Ranger to bring them out to see us.

This bird was brought out by Ginnie.  Ginnie is the organiser for the Junior Ranger programme run at the Park which we are very involved with over the summer months. 

The Kiwi were released into their new habitat later in the afternoon, away from the glare of onlookers.   We look forward to hearing their calls in the night next time we return.