Sunday 16th June 2024

after the rain

​Hello friends and family
I had a quiet start to the week and then the team came out on Tuesday, and we were visited by Amy and 3 of her friends. They are all conservation activists. 2 of them are observers on fishing boats and their trips to sea can range from a week in a 4 m fishing boat to 3 months in a large trawler. They spend a lot of time on the southern ocean and have stories to tell.

home time

​It was a mutual admiration celebration. They are having a month off, meandering around the South Island, sleeping in a camper and loving it. In the afternoon, they went to the Bluffs and planted trees and saw penguins!

It was so dry the finches were using the troughs for water

​On Thursday the team came out in the morning, and we braved the cold to check down the hill. I gave up after that and left the Okahau check to Robbie, Jan and Mark. I worked on our SOP for controlling pathogens and it is creating lively debate. In the evening the rain arrived, and we got 22mm overnight. This is enough to break the drought and bring life to all the tiny trees that we have planted over the last few months.

The seal pups escaping the weather

​Grey, cold, gloomy weather – it is enough to depress anyone. I am lucky because I have a visiting Bellbird in the Kowhai tree that sings a lot. What a buzz! On Thursday night we finally got rain – 22mm. This was followed by 12mm on Friday night – the drought is broken. Those 100s of trees that we have planted in the last 3 months have a chance to thrive.

rough seas roared

​Last night we got another 14mm of rain. I am inspired. I will spend the day potting up tiny trees.
Have a great week!
Rosalie