Sunday 21st April 2024

morning glow

​Hello friends and family
The weather has returned to our normal sunny awesomeness and after the rain, the tree planting has begun.
On Monday morning I picked up Monica, our new American volunteer from Palmerston and joy of joys, she eats a normal diet. She checked out the point in the morning and in the afternoon, we planted the first 10 Akeake trees. On Tuesday, after doing the rounds in the morning, we went to the Bluffs to check on the Whale. It was just a pile of bones – interesting bones, none the less. 

The spine of the Beaked Whale

​Wednesday was the day to take the scenic route to Oamaru – up the Kakanui river valley to the Elephant Rocks, down to the Waitaki river, which was magnificent and then to Oamaru.

Who is checking who out?

​While Monica got the gear she needed for her upcoming tramp of the Routeburn Track, I got my ‘flu and COVID jabs. The Chemist in Oamaru did them both with no fuss and that was great. We carried on to check out the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony and caught up with Henry and his penguin news. We had lunch at the Boulders on the way home and Monica cooked dinner.

A puddle of feathers - someone moulted here.

​The team came out on Thursday, and we did the monitoring rounds, finding Mrs 160 with a minor flipper injury but underweight so she came into care. We are doing a blitz on the traps at the moment and catching feral cats, rats and ferrets. Some traps have 4 different lures in them! In the afternoon we planted 12 Mountain Akeakes at the Bluffs. 

So magnificent after the moult

​On Friday, Monica joined Bronwyn for a swim, and we all met at the Tavern for a meal of Blue Cod. Delicious! Yesterday was a wonderful day because Mrs 20 has come home. She is 3 weeks late to moult, but she is so welcome anyway. This leaves us with two missing females and one that we have no real evidence of, except feathers,
I took Monica to Trotters gorge to find unicorn food in the afternoon. It was a great walk and enjoyed by us both.

Easter Orchid

Have a great week!
Rosalie