Lasting Impressions: New Zealand

Part two of the trip. 26 days, over 1.000 km traveled.

I started in Wellington, visiting Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. Second best wildlife experience I have ever had, only behind the Great Barrier Reef. So many wonderful birds here, and in the rest of new Zealand. These guys, the Tui, are common everywhere. But I never tire of them. The lasting impressions of Karori will have to remain mental images: seeing the Saddleback and Stitchbird (Hihi) a few feet from each other, at the same time, for the first time. I won't get over it; and I knew at that point I had to be over 1.200 species.
My next stop was Nelson Lakes. The rain the first day was not an omen. It cleared beautifully. In spite of not being used to carrying a full pack all day, I thoroughly enjoyed my time. In spite of the failed route find. The first of the two images above is where I was on New Year's Eve. Waking up to that scene can be summed in one word: wow (I couldn't see it well the night before because of low cloud cover). And above, the area around Angelus Lakes reminded me why all this hiking is worth it.
From Nelson to Stewart Island, I had stops on the way. Yeah, the glaciers were cool. And the scenery in Queenstown was incredible. But during that entire 8 day stretch or so, with all the low clouds, the fog, the rain, and the crowds. The one thing that I always loved was seeing the South Island Robin during my day walks in the forest. By sheer personality, it will stick in my mind.

And on Stewart Island? This is what I will remember:
Water and mud. And the sheer joy of it all. It all comes down to proper gear. You stay dry, you stay happy. And happy I was. I encountered wonderful people. Saw fantastic scenery. Relaxed. Enjoyed the solitude. And smiled. A lot.

On Ulva Island, I found a large, flightless, cheeky bird. The Weka. Not as colorful as some, but when they poke at your feet looking for bugs or whatever, you forget that. And realize not all animals have an innate fear of man.


Which brings us to the final impression. The Hoiho, of course.

As I said in a previous post. Wow. I knew I was a long way from home when saw this guy walking out of the ocean. That experience, for as much as I have seen in New York, California, Florida, Arizona, Texas, Maine, Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, and Australia, is unmatched. I have been struck dumb from seeing a bird very few times. This was one of those times.

Lasting Impressions: Australia

Four months, two countries, 80+ new species of birds, lots of new friends. The following are the images that will stick in my mind for years to come.Before the project began, I had about five free days in Brisbane with members of the work crew. We rented a car one day to head up to parts outside the "ten block radius" some of us had been stuck in. During one of the trips, we got to see perhaps the most colorful bird I have ever seen, the Rainbow Lorikeet, in spades. This was taken at Thunderbird Park.

Well, while in Brisbane, me and the gang did various things. Our last night before the project, we all went out for our last "real" meal, knowing we had only a two burner stove for 8 person meals. This picture was taken that night, heading back to the hostel.

Two months at the field site produced a lot of images. It isn't hard to decide on those that will be my strongest impressions. First, of course, would be the large quantity of gear we would carry on our routes. Day pack plus battery on the A-Frame. Later we would add a bird blind to the mix, as well.
Daily, I would walk to each of my four bowers twice, more or less along a straight line route. I doubled back a lot. I covered 10 miles every day, 5 miles on Friday, our half day. Every morning, on the way to bower 45, I would encounter Kangaroos. I never got tired of their unique pose. And once they got used to me, they would just stand, chew, and stare. Seeing joeys of all ages with their moms will stick with me forever.
Finally, the view I had every day, at the end of the day, after finishing my route. When I walked down this hill, I would always pause and reflect on how lucky I was to be there. In spite of the 40 degree heat (= 100 F). The intense sun. The long days. The sometimes boring blind stints. The paralysis ticks. The flies. The same routine every day. Some people pay to experience this; I had someone pay me. This is definitely NOT your typical work place. And knowing when I got to the bottom, a hot meal and friendly faces and perhaps a refreshing creek dip were waiting.

As a short side note, the one day that really sticks in my mind was the first time we did our fully scheduled activities. It turns out I had equipment problems that day. Normally, when I would walk down this hill, it would be around four in the afternoon. As a result of needing to repair equipment, combined with measuring one bower, and mapping another, I was not walking down this hill until around 7 pm, very close to full darkness, meaning my work day was nearly 14 hours long.


Yet, I was smiling.


Of course, being a bird watcher, at least one bird had to leave a lasting impression. In spite of all the time watching the Satin Bowerbirds, the numerous parrots and cockatoos and magpies, this guy, the Superb Fairy Wren, will stick in my mind. For it's friendly personality, vivid colors, and constant cheeriness. One couldn't have a bad day when you saw one of these a few feet away.

Endings and Beginnings

Well, I never did get the last post up before I left Kiwi Land. I have been done traveling for about two and half weeks, so I figured it was about time I caught up, and put some of the much awaited pictures up of various things.

Kiwi land treated me well, and at times (such as during my tramp through Nelson Lake Lakes National Park, above) I felt very relaxed. During all my trips I learn something new, and have something to return for. For New Zealand, of course, it is to find that ever elusive Kiwi bird. And as much as I enjoyed the trip, I think next time I won't try to travel quite so far.

By far the highlight of the trip was tour with Elm Wildlife to see the penguins, albatrosses, and fur seals. Getting up close to the sea lions was a bonus. For all the adventures I have been on, seeing that penguin walk up the beach right in front of us was beyond words. And seeing a sea lion so close, without any barriers, about 10 feet away. Incredible. And the effortless flying of the Albatrosses as well was awesome.

So, the last day, there was no way I could top that. So, I did what any other person would have done: go find out how beer was made, and then sample the end product. Yep, it was Speight's Brewery tour time! It was only about a 200 meter walk from the hostel entrance, so I figured what the hey.

God bless those egyptians! Inventing beer so long ago (yeah, we got a history lesson of beer as well!)


So, after the history lesson, it was through the brewery. Our guide led us through all the different steps, and ingredients used. As well as giving us some interesting trivia. Such as, why certain beers (namely, mass produced ones, especially in the US) give you such bad hangovers. What hops are related to (hemp or marijuana). How you can use hops to help cure insomnia (put some in the pillowcase). Oh, and why Guinness from a tap tastes different wherever you go (it's the water).


After the tour, we were taken to the brew room, where we had to test the beers for quality. And also, at the same time, learn how different a beer will taste when it is only a couple of days old. Finally, I learned I still don't like really fruity beer (they had their apricot seasonal ale for the summer on tap), and I don't like the low carb beers.

So, from here, it was time to have my last nights of my trip. I went out to eat for dinner in New Zealand, then sat and relaxed and watched a movie. I returned to Brisbane for a night, collected my luggage, repacked everything, and then tried to relax. Brisbane felt kind of funny, actually. When I had arrived in October, and during the few days before I left for New Zealand after the project was done, I always had friends around to hang with. It almost felt lonely that night without anyone around. But thankfully, I didn't have a lot of time to dwell on that, met some wonderful people when I went out to eat, and then returned home.

And I miss the warm weather already! As much as I enjoy winter and the snow, my body got very used to 8 months of summer. The best and worst thing about now though, has to be...

...where will I go from here?

I already have a few applications out to potential guiding opportunities. The hardest part is the waiting game. I haven't decided yet what my cutoff date is to get a job. I have a few field jobs I can apply to that I expect I would easily be able to get. Since I have decided guiding is my future, however, I want to hold off on that as long as possible. So, we shall see.

In the meantime, get outside! Explore! When you have a decision between catching a re-run and watching a bird in the backyard, always choose the bird. Even if it is "just a cardinal."