Weathering The Tourist Drive

Inside the lodge with Hugh at Hinewai

Map of The Banks Peninsula and the Tourist Drive

We love having a weather forcast that lets us know how many layers we need for the day!

After a good night at the lodge at Hinewai, we bid a fond farewell to Hugh and headed off along the Tourist Drive of the Banks Peninsula. 

Enjoying the view despite the wind?

We got to experience a full range of weather from cold southerlies to warm sun as we took in sometimes hidden and sometimes brilliant views from the top of the crater rim out to the Pacific and interior bays.

Checking out the wakas (boats) at the Maori Museum

First stop Okains Bay to see the Maori and Colonial Museum with an impressive collection of Maori and Colonial artifacts.

Beach at Okains Bay

Then on to the Okains Bay beach where we had lunch out of the elements in a cave along the hills.
And, out into sun to explore a little of the bay before returning to the cars just in time for the next band of wind and rain.

Along the way we got to see beautiful hobbity-looking hills, sheep, cows and rainbows.

Just at the end of the Tourist Drive we took a short hike in some cold rain but protected by forest so we could see the giant Totara tree.  The Department of Conservation says, "This massive tree may be 2,000 years old and measures 8.5 m around its trunk."  And we thought the 600-year old Totara at Hinewai was big and old!

We then warmed up with a cuppa during our tea break back at the cafe at Little River before heading back to the Uni.

Fun Trip All!  - Dr. Hos and Meryl

The Last Backpackers meet a Fool and a Dreamer

When we reached Hinewai Reserve in the morning after leaving the town of Akaroa in the morning from Bon Accord (the place we stayed the night before which we were the last backpackers to ever stay there as the building is changing over to an information center), we were met with a frigid southerly wind coming up from the Antarctic. Only a few minutes later, we received a strong contrast to the wind with the warm and friendly greeting of Hugh Wilson, the esteemed botanist who, with the financial support of Christchurch businessman Maurice White, created Hinewai, so named after the water maiden from Maori lore, Hinewai. 

Group photo with Hugh Wilson (left of pole)

After meeting Hugh Wilson to discuss our plans for the day, he went off to guide a group of high school children around Hinewai while we went on a several hour hike down the West Track from the summit almost to the sea of Hinewai. Although we were all quite tired by the end, we had certainly learned more about the flora and fauna of the region and saw incredible sights in the landscape.

Invasive spiky european gorse

Native vegetation growing through the gorse (yellow)

600 year old Totara tree, a rare remnant of primary forest

After taking in the sights, we then took in some lunch, and then headed to see Tricia and Paul, who help Hugh's work to preserve Hinewai’s treasured biodiversity. Tricia explained to us about the Kākāriki, a New Zealand parakeet who she and her partner, Paul keeps for educational and recreational purposes in the hopes of one day being able to release them into the wild (the habitat isn’t suitable yet in Hinewai or most of new Zealand for parakeets because of predatory mammals). We also got to see an Akaroa tree weta, an insect that fills the ecological role of a mouse in New Zealand. Paul then told us about his job of trapping and killing invasive mammalian predators (stoats, ferrets, hares, etc.) as humanely as possible so they can no longer graze down much of the native vegetation within Hinewai. 

1. A hungry kākāriki (New Zealand Parakeet) awaits food (it was fed)

Tree weta

Lexie (left) holds a tree weta that Jàmm (right) gave her

Paul (orange) explains his job to the group as Tricia (right of Paul) and others listen in

We finished off the day with Hugh Wilson joining us for the evening, which was fantastic. His charismatic storytelling about everything from Captain Cook to Maori lore to the creation of Hinewai Preserve was inspirational to us all. He told us the story of how it didn’t seem so inspirational to farmers at the time of the creation of Hinewai preserve (1987) when farmers called him “a fool and a dreamer” for wanting to leave the highly invasive, pesky gorse alone so that it could act as a nursery by which native vegetation could grow through it. Over time, even the most skeptical of farmers couldn’t deny the evidence that Hugh was right, as we saw in an earlier photo in this blog of natives growing through gorse: gorse acted as a shade cover for natives, which would then shade out the gorse, killing it. Having Hugh Wilson with us was a treat, one which will surely be remembered long after our time spent with him.

Hugh Wilson tells stories to the group

I apologize for the late posting, as the blog system has had technical difficulties and didn't display my post. At any rate, next up after Hinewai was the Tourist Drive yesterday, and Riccarton Farmer's Market, botanical gardens, and a rugby match, which Mary will blog about. 
-Chris

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Stay tuned.  This is a placeholder for the Hinewai blog.  It will not be posted until Friday when return as there will be no internet connectivity.

A Jaunt Around The Volcano

We are out and about for the next three days on our first road trip.  We got an early start on the day so that we could take in as many sights as possible from Lincoln to Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula which is an extinct volcano.  On the map we came from the area called Tai Tapu, and made the following stops along the way...

Views of the Southern Alps across Lake Ellesmere (New Zealand's third largest lake).

Looking for semi precious stones at Birdlings Flat, an all rock beach on the Kaitorete Spit between Lake Ellesmere and the Pacific.

Tea time at Little River and some time to snoop in the art gallery and craft shops there.

View from The Hilltop overlooking Akaroa.

We bought some yummy fresh cheese at Barry's Bay cheese shop and then ate lunch and explored the Onawe Spit (cool lava rocks!),

Then we headed over to Akaroa where we learned about the reintroduction of Tui birds to the Banks Peninsula and got to see some right as we got out of the van in a neightborhood where the residents are known to look after them with many nectar feeders.  We also saw three large Wood Pigeons (pictured here), and several Bellbirds.

After taking in the overview of harbor, we had some free time to snoop about the French-settled town of Akaroa before getting settled in at the backpackers.

Tomorrow we are off to Hinewai for a hike! Cheers, Dr. Hos and Meryl

Restoration and Oration

Location of today's restoration efforts

After getting to sleep in a bit, the class took the Gator Waka to a covenant of the 
Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust (BPCT). The drive entailed some narrow 
winding gravel roads up the steep hillside, accompanied by some gorgeous views 
before arriving at the gates of Tirowaikare, the site of today’s restoration project.

Bauer, our gatekeeper

Sophie of BPCT gave us background on what the trust does and the major threats to native bush. Covenants are a partnership between BPCT and the landowner to preserve and restore ecologically significant land. After the fires in the region, only 1% of native forest cover remained, which is now back up to 13%.

Shot of the class and Sophie (far right) 

Most of the work is carried about by the landowner, as BPCT is a relatively small organization and restoration can be time consuming; in order to help with this, volunteers for weeding bees are always appreciated. 

A bee spotted during the weeding bee

Our job today was to locate, hand saw, and apply herbicide to nonnative plants found in the bush; the main focus was barberry, but we were also on the lookout for boxthorn, hawthorn, and spindle tree. We made a significant dent, but there is always more to be done.

Barberry after stems were sawed off and the remaining stumps treated

Introduced mammals such as mustelids, possums, rats, and feral cats are an issue for biodiversity throughout the country. In this region browsing mammals such as goats and deer consume native plants in the bush understorey; deer are often able to jump deer fences meant to exclude them from these areas. 

Small mammal trap or deterring device spotted while doing restoration work (photo cred: Joe)

Venue for the Tuesday Club

We finished up restoration work around 3pm and headed to The Store for a quick tea time before driving to Smash Palace in Christchurch. Smash Palace serves burgers and brews, along with hosting the Tuesday Club, which holds political discussions and presentations for community members to attend and participate in discourse. The original plan was to attend the presentation regarding the growing dairy industry and its effects on nitrate levels and water quality, but this took place last Tuesday before we arrived.

Presentation by David Meates of Canterbury District Health Board

Today’s speaker was David Meates, the Chief Executive Officer of Canterbury District Health Board. His focus was on the overall health and mental health of the province after the various traumas that have occurred in the past decade, from the earthquake in 2011 to the terror attack on mosques earlier this year. This was a great opportunity to see how a different system of government works and we heard some interesting statistics on Christchurch’s changing demographics, how sectors of the population are still experiencing health effects from the stress of these events, and more.

Seeing the amount of barberry controlled today was very satisfying, Smash Palace was delicious, and Tuesday Club was extremely informative. Tomorrow we’re off to Hinewai for 3 days. -Lexie

One Hundred Photos

When I was a young teen,  I remember getting my first "instamatic" camera. it took Kodak 110 film that came in an unusual thin horizontal canister that loaded into the camera and let you take 12 to 24 pictures depending on which size canister you purchased.  You could also purchase a three pack of flash bulbs that each allowed you to take 4 flash photos.  It was thrilling and agony to take pictures, being very choosy with what images you might freeze in time and over a long period of time or on a special occasion you might take the entire roll. One would bring the canister to a camera shop or have to send them off in the mail and wait at least a week to get photos back.

I still have the photos with my loving family headless, photos that turned out all black, photos that turned out all right, and enough that capture the precious moments of the time.

Years later, I remember going to a lecture by Gainesville, Florida photographer, John Moran, in which he mentioned that he usually had to take 100 photos to get that "one" photo that was a prize and really captured what you might be after.

These days, digital photography, and especially, with your cell phone, has changed everything.  Case in point, we had a fun filled day out today (see the great blog by Sheamus for July 1, 2019), and between the hours of 11:30 and 5pm, I was surprised (and not) that I managed to take a mere 170 photos on my phone.  Some were to help me remember information like names and "faces" of plants, and some were for the student slideshow, and others were just for me (e.g., the texture of some tree bark or the architectural details of an old building), but 170 photos! 

We will each probably take almost a thousand pictures during our five week adventure together in New Zealand, and I for one, am excited to see the "ones" in a hundred that attempt to capture the essence of our experiences here and how this adventure looks through the eyes of the beholders.  I hope that you enjoy each blog by each of our students that shows these views from their pictures as well as their words, and that we all enjoy the journey each captures.  - Meryl

A Lecture with Dr. Meurk, Riccarton Bush, and Downtown Christchurch? Oh My!

Started off our day with a lecture Dr. Meurk at the Landcare Research facility. Covered topics on the unique biota of New Zealand and how community efforts have been made to protect native species.

After getting an early start, we arrived at the Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research facility where Dr. Colin Meurk lectured on the species and ecology of New Zealand. He showed us many of the native species and gave us an overview of the reasons that many have struggled to survive in an environment touched by humans and the exotic species they have introduced to the islands. Among these are the tuatara, a reptile that has a lifespan of up to 120 years, the now extinct moa, a large ostrich-like bird driven to extinction by human hunting, and the iconic kiwi which has been threatened by predation that had not been present in the once predator free New Zealand.

Dr. Meurk describes how predator-proof fencing functions outside of Riccarton Bush. 

Dr. Meurk described the physical properties of many native species while we walked through Riccarton Bush.

After stopping for a lunch of meat pies and a salad sandwich, we headed into downtown Christchurch where Dr. Meurk showed us the various species that have been able to survive in the rubble of the buildings damaged by an earthquake two years ago. This "Greening the Rubble" project was designed mainly to cheer up an urban population reeling from the quake. The central business district piqued our interest with its strange crossing walk noises and the remarkable level of  incorporation of the native species such as lancewood and lemonwood into the built environment. 

Street art in Downtown Christchurch. Despite the stress and disruption of the urban environment, many herbaceous species have found success. 

Looking down on the wooden staircases of the Turanga Central Library downtown.

Before leaving the city center, we passed the partially destroyed cathedral, another victim of the earthquake. We then visited the public Turanga Public Library. The top floor there offered excellent views of the city center in the foreground with the mountains in the distance. We ended our time in the city center by visiting the "Cardboard Cathedral", whose foundations are formed from reinforced cardboard and featured a tribute to the victims of the earthquake. All told it was an excellent day and we are looking forward to our restoration tomorrow. - Sheamus

Said view.

 The ruined side of the cathedral, now an excellent perch for the city's many birds.

 The view from inside the "Cardboard Cathedral."