Local wetland

 Parts of our big local park, Queen Elizabeth Park, have been farmed and degraded over the years. But the works have begun to revitalise its more natural environment - wetlands and native plants on sand dunes. Cycle trails through the park now go past some new swampy areas.

Looking a bit Scottish here, but no bogs to suck you under. There's an Australasian harrier hawk in there somewhere, on the ground scaring the little birds. Saw black swans, Canada geese, larks ascending and descending, Australian eastern rosellas, silvereyes, misc ducks etc. Nice to see and hear the chorus as you cycle through.

Planter boxes

They are rather large. The big one is up and filled and planted. Rusting artistically on schedule. There's a mix of Mish faves in there: shrubby things and natives and grasses, around the crab apple tree. They'll probably be some culling later if they all grow and take off.

On the other side of the steps is the designer's mock up of a potential water feature: a smaller Corten box with two bowls and water falling from one into the other. First mock up today so that won't be what happens.

We have several bird baths around. It would be good to incorporate bird bathing into a water feature. Everyone needs a challenge. Blackbird enjoying the winter sun today.

Sue and Grace flew up from Blenheim for a couple of days, on a shocking day but they did the short flight in a calm window and only bounced in the last few minutes.

In the city we accidently caught the last day of the David Jones department store experiment. DJs had aimed for the 'most beautiful store in the world'. But it was an expensive store that didn't work on Wellington's golden mile ($5000 handbags and racks of XS clothing also mega bucks and not designed for our climate, who could have known that stock wouldn't sell well?) David Jones lasted about six years and this was their last day. A big empty store is a sad thing. Grace and Sue got some good quality gear.

Fig story in March

The neighbour's fig tree is in full fruit. We didn't net it this year as a bossy tui took up residence (on a particular branch) a couple of months ago AND didn't eat the figs and kept all other birds away!

Several days ago the tui left the scene and the silvereyes moved in en masse. Had to act quickly!

Most were too high for me to pick, and the tree arcs over the big veg boxes so using a ladder was too tricky - enter the John Reid extendable flower picker. Couldn't get close enough to pick an individual fig without crushing it so had to take branch chunks. The tree grows like crazy so I knew that wouldn't matter. Got about 33 delicious figs in mint condition. 

Result:

Bird counting day

 An annual bird count that anyone can do. Over a set few days in June you pick one hour and go somewhere and count birds.

We set ourselves up the yard on a lovely sunny winter morning and saw the usual suspects: sparrows, blackbirds, silver eyes, gulls, tui, fantails, starlings. The week before we had our first visit from a small flock of Australian eastern rosellas. Blown over the Tasman Sea, like other Australian birds, they're reasonably common in some parts of the country.

Beach walks

Walking to Paekakariki for a coffee. It's a 7km walk, on the sand all the way to that group of houses in the distance. Came back on the train and then the bus, which stops at our door. Jumped on the train forgetting that we still have a mask requirement for public transport - things have been so normal. 

(And then last week a Sydney visitor came for the weekend and bought the virus to Wellington, so we're suddenly reminded it's still all on and carry your masks.)

It's about 400mt to the beach from our place; down the road and then down a path (Bert's Way). Had an onlooker this afternoon as we headed down the path, so we engaged and admired. A handsome chook. 

And the photo I was taking when Mish photographed me.

And onto the beach on a rainy cool late afternoon. Lots of people darting out to walk their dogs between showers. It's been raining for days.

Evening beach walk in the rain

 Not only did it rain, which is nice as we are pretty dry here, we had two days of thunder and lightning. That is unusual. We get maybe one of those events a year.

The lightning was out at sea. Water and air temperature still lovely.

Decided fish and chips was a great idea. Mish is buying while I'm across the road at Paraparaumu Beach shops, looking at the island.

8 days in a campervan top of the South Island

 Took the ferry to Picton on a lovely day last week.

Heading out of Wellington harbour.

Sue and Phil collected us for a picnic at the wharf and dropped us to the caravan park where we  picked up a Merc Sprinter campervan. Quick lesson in important things like black water and grey water and water and gas, and off we went to Nelson for our first night. Mid-sized van but a bit squeezy in the middle around the kitchen and loo/shower alley way. Nelson to Takaka along Golden Bay, then south inland to Pohara Beach, through the Lewis Pass, Hanmer Springs, Kaikoura, and back to Picton.

About half way through, getting messy. But sourdough bread was excellent. This is the squeezy alley; one person at a time.

Mixed results for a campervan experiment. A few probs with how the van worked, and didn't work. Lovely to drive, comfortably to sleep in. We free camped one night; moved it at 11.30 in the rain with a bit of drama when we thought we might be too close to the river. We weren't. 

Roads lovely and not crowded, and no worries about tired tourists coming towards us on the wrong side of the road - no tourists in the country. Parks not crowded but still lots of NZers out and about playing tourist.

Pohara Beach, Golden Bay. Camped beside the beach, nice. Sea freezing though.

Mish on the walkway to Te Waikoropupu Springs, place of crystal clear water and swooping fantails. It rained most of the week on and off, and this day the rain obscured the view. Still pretty. Last here 20 years ago and now there's a boardwalk and viewing area over the springs.

Curious weka looking in the campervan.

Culverden, on the road to Kaikoura. Nice spring blush on the willows in a park. Even though they're a weed, like the zillions of wattles on the hills, all lovely and yellow weedy.

Green paddocks and cows and low cloud. Typical view on this trip.

Hanmer Springs and a  hot water boost in the rain. Got the seniors rate, yay!

In the sulfur pool, mmm. Snow on mountains in the distance.

Leaving Hanmer, one way in, one way out. They're working on this bridge.

Mt Lyford on the road from Hanmer Springs to Kaikoura.

And looking in the other direction.

Coffee stop. Lots of lambs about, and big beautiful rhododendrons and magnolias in full flower.

Last stop Kaikoura. On the beach looking at the mountains through cloud.

One night in Zealandia

Had  a terrific night walk in eco sanctuary Zealandia this week. Mild night and it rained for about 15 minutes mid walk, which was actually lovely. Go the gear! We had a small group of four, with one guide and a spotter. Last time we did a night walk we were in a group of about 10 with a group in front and a group behind and saw nix.

 This time....!

Three little spotted kiwi, quietly poking around leaf litter and no bothered by us with our red torches. There's about 1500 of this kiwi species in NZ, so brilliant to see three.

Also: big old tuatara lizard, weta, nesting pied shags, frogs, takahe (once thought extinct, now population about 1000), two pateke ducks (also rare) poking in the mud on the path after the rain, and glow worms all over. Heard kaka and morepoke and learnt the owl (boobock in Australia) has two calls, the onomatopoeic one and the hunting call. Heard both.

Lovely walk. No pics, twas dark.

Another wet weekend

Fogged in again.

Made two trips to the green waste this weekend, the RAV full of weeds and clippings and Mish projects. We go across town with the green waste and it's close to the beach, so offloaded today and had a stroll around the coast.

Lots of interesting geology at the bottom of the island. Fractured rock from eons ago, red rocks, and landslips from the last big earthquake here, our 8.1 three years ago. Slip sliding away. Flax flowers coming out in front, tui food.



Not cold and we were sort of protected from a gusty northerly. Had a paddle as the sea is warming up, so Mish didn't have blue hands in the shot below. A colour inversion shot with a small paua shell.


 

Trying to photograph birds in the birdbath and tui feeding in the flax by the kitchen, so am experimenting with an app and camera outside on a tripod. No luck so far. Patience.

Blackbird having a bathe in one of our birdbaths, a glass piece from a telegraph pole.

Rather damp weekend

Pottering around. Went for a drizzly walk in Zealandia which was nice. Cool, but not as cold as mid winter should be.

North Island robin and then a kaka parrot. 

Sound effects of other birds and rain plonking onto the umbrella.

It's suddenly turned rather chilly

Had a walk on Petone Beach on the way home and strolled out on the pier. That's a few white fronted terns preening, late afternoon light on the city behind them.




And looking the other way to the western hills of the harbour.

Winter, windows, shed & cockatiel

A few things have been happening in Wellington.

Shed's done!
That's #3, with a bit of shelving to go in and fine tuning. It's nice and big and dry and fits that corner nicely.

This is the long view past the front door. Am straightening a hose. Will get some deck stain onto the whole deck area one fine day soon to make it cohesive.



And across the winter veg garden (with some sad spinach, spring onions, struggling peas, and the ever perky broad beans). The whole yard is looking like a tip at the moment, half done projects all over, from Carol's driftwood paling fence on the street to stacked timber  bits EVERYWHERE and the compost we are about to move at the bottom of the yard.

And windows are in too.

New uPVC french doors being installed (unplasticised poly vinyl chloride) which sounds horrible I know, (says Mish), but which has many benefits over aluminium and looks good. The original painted timber frame (architrave) stays put and the new window or door joinery is securely screwed into the opening.

Adrian (always singing to The Breeze radio station) has taken out our old timber window. See the corner of the new window on left.

The new frames are in. Double glass panel only takes about 8 minutes to install into each frame. Super quick :)

 All new double glazed UPVC you beaut windows. They look great and we have a warmer house and a slightly quieter one too. No more air and rain leaks, yippee!



Meanwhile, outside.
We bought some wattles to fill a space and they are about to flower. Here's Mish putting them in, just...so. With a bit of river rock and mulch landscaping and a new timber retaining wall and bay to hold 'em. Go you yellow things.




Today was lovely, warm and calm. Not spring yet but it is coming. Some blossoms around too, at work in the river valley, not up here on the windy exposed heights.

Had a walk on the waterfront tonight and dinner at the old yacht club right beside a marina. Then another walk and realised it is a full moon. Here's the best I could do with the point and shoot, looking across one of the marinas to Mt Victoria, Freyberg Pool the  blue smudgey lights on the left and St Gerards up the hill.




And, the cockatiel.
Mish heard chirping - it was sitting outside and very happy to come inside. Made itself right at home for about a week, Scoffing our tamari almonds and sitting on our shoulders.

Very sociable bird - Mish made a driftwood perch which it loved.  Couldn't track the owner but we found a kid with an aviary nearby so bye bye birdie.

We were just talking about this photo - it's a moment in time. When we nursed a bird, the last days of the old windows, and Sean's potboilers that he gave us when he came to work on the shed.

Beach walk on the way home

Lovely afternoon. I drive along Petone Beach every day and often stop for a wander after work.

Lots of starfish washed up today. And the black backed gulls eating them - gulp, straight down the gullet. Lots of little crabs upended too, but the gulls not going for them.


 

Black backed gull with large brown 'baby', and a weeny red billed gull, foraging.



At kitchen table now with cup of tea and radio.
Sun blazing in and autumn warm.
Time to put feet up.

More pics from Kapiti Island

Judy and Carolski on the trail

North Island robin that flits right up to you and says 'I'm here!'

Lovely tea tree looking very bonsai-ish

Kapiti Island day trip

Mish and Judy on Kapiti looking north east to the mainland.

Day trip to a local bird sanctuary, Kapiti Island, last Friday. Nice day. It's about a 25 minute boat ride over, then we sauntered about half way up, the main hill, had a picnic watching hihi at a feeder, then came down and loitered on the beach for a bit. Saw a few birds - kereru (our chunky wood pigeons), robins, weka, kakariki, hihi, tui of course.

Here's a windblown weka at the beach, foraging for a snack.

Back of a paua shell.

Stopped at Paekakariki for a coffee on the way home, then took Jude into the bustling Friday night food market in Cuba Street, and dessert (by demand) at Floridita's. City full of half full uni students; so easy to spot the first years: not enough clothes and too much sass.

Packed Judy off on the Saturday morning ferry to Picton and her latest South Island adventure across the top of the island.