It got me thinking ....

6.45 am and the sun's still rising ....

Sad things happen .... it’s been a week of watching the drama with the Pilot Whales at the top of South Island.  99 whales beached themselves on Monday ... as I write this only 17 have managed to refloat themselves at high tide but their lot is still uncertain ..... they could beach themselves elsewhere.  The other 82 have died or been shot by DOC ... DOC took that step as the whales were showing significant signs of deterioration from the constant beaching and the stress.  What makes these magnificent creatures do something like this ... what drives them to effectively commit suicide?

The glow and reflections as the sun's rays hit my city.

It struck me when I first arrived in NZ that one of the things I’d miss most about SA, apart from friends and family of course, was the diversity of bird and animal life.  In SA, the bird population is huge and, living where we did, we were exposed to a wide variety of bird species .... raptors and hornbills being my favourites. 

I love the Hamerkops too .... and the herons ... but they like fish too much and I wasn’t prepared to share my Koi with them.  We had a grudging respect for one another and I satisfied their appetite by ensuring there were always Tilapia, an indigenous fish, in the pond too. Fortunately my Koi were rather large ... the Tilapia were a much more manageable size for the herons and hamerkops to catch. 

NZ has birds too .... but nowhere near the variety that SA does ... and it’s taken me a while to adjust to this.  When I first bought an NZ bird guide I was shocked at how thin it was compared to the bird guides we had in SA.  NZ didn’t have a policy of protecting indigent birds for a very long time and by the time they implemented one, it was too late ... many bird species had become extinct.  I’m delighted that they now take their bird conservation more seriously and that regulations are in place, particularly on beaches, to protect the breeding grounds of some of the less abundant beach dwellers.  

High tide allows for leaping of rocks to retrieve balls!!

Yes ... it impacts sometimes on my freedom to walk my hound but I fully understand and appreciate the necessity of some of these cordoned-off areas.

It’s the same with wildlife .... in SA there’s an abundance and variety of wildlife that’s indigent to SA .... both living wild, and protected in Game Reserves.  Here in NZ, there’s little in the way of wildlife ... the only indigent land mammals are bats!  The other land mammals that inhabit these islands were all introduced from other countries .... rats, stoats, weasels, ferretts, possums etc.  With no natural predators of their own they’ve flourished and wreaked havoc on the bird population ... hence NZ’s strict regulations regarding importation of animals.  

Despite this, I’ve had sightings of animals I might never have seen in SA.  I can remember in my first year here seeing Orcas in the bay ... it was an absolute treat!  Right here, in my bay, were a pod of orcas that were clearly visible from the beach ... I’d only been here a few months and I was blown away by how huge and magnificent they were. 

In October last year I chanced upon a Sea Lion on Ladies Bay ... it was so unusual to see one there and especially an endangered one ... the Hookers Sea Lion is on the red list.  Sadly, despite these marvelous sightings I see far more dead birds, penguins, eels ... and the occasional sea lion ... on my rambles than I would like.  Following the story of the Pilot Whales this week has reminded me of how fragile life really is ... and especially in the animal world.

Julia has treats ... look at Indy lifting his paw!

On a more positive note I’ve been collecting signatures this week for a petition that the Dog Friends are submitting to Council for more “hound friendly” beach access.  They’re asking for the restrictive times to be lifted on the 1st March instead of the 31st March.  I’ve had to ask people to fill in forms and sign them ... it takes a few minutes to do as council requires each consenting adult to provide their full name and address.  

I’m thrilled at the response I’ve had from my fellow  “humans with hounds” though ... everyone I’ve approached with forms to sign has been only too happy to help.  It’s a marvelous way to meet people ... they’re all been delighted that I’m being so pro-active and the question many of them ask is why a girl with a South African/British accent is getting so involved.

It got me thinking .... why am I getting involved?  I’m getting involved for the same reason Julia and I approached our Market Organiser about the Market ... because it makes a difference to me and to the community and those who live here.  This, St. Heliers Bay, is MY community .... if I don’t do my bit to stand up and fight for what I believe in, then I don’t have the right to complain.  

For the next few weeks my rambles will be longer as I find more “humans with hounds” to sign my forms ... submissions close at the end of February ....  I intend to have found at least a hundred people, if not more, to sign my forms by then ... I wonder if I can get the GOM to sign one ......

Please Mom .... can I have some more??