trip down the island

21 May '09 2:10 pm

We have just returned from another visit to family in Wellington,the capital city,missing the snow and ice in the central north island by a couple of days.
Some pictures for you.
I was thrilled to visit the Karori wildlife sancturary-Wellington(you can google it)
A vermin-proof fence has been set around it and native NZ bush flourishes without the devastation of possums and deer.We watched the Kakas feeding-it is extremely rare to see this bird,and many other rare native birds are safe from predators here.

23 May '09 7:07 am

Again you make me want to explore NZ, Dixie! I couldn't help thinking: surely it is not very PC to keep rabbits as pets in a country devastated by imported animals?? And even if Wetas ARE native - is that something to be proud of ?? Shocked

And the vermin-proof fenced-off area: what size is it? And was it a major mission to get rid of vermin inside the fence? Does much of this sort of thing happen in NZ?

We are so lucky in SA to have very little experience of disastrous exotics, mostly they are merely troublesome. And few are animals, most are plants.

Applause

Oh - and PS: nice to hear from you again Wink

27 May '09 5:09 am

Hi Dixie,

Looks like you had a grand time. Your photos remind me a lot of Vancouver Island and the upper coast of B.C., all mountainous and dense bush.

I'm glad you beat out the snow, now hunker down for the winter and keep warm. Time to get to those crafty things you are so good at. Wink

Christopher

27 May '09 8:34 am

Your family lives in a beautiful part of the city. I haven't been to the Karori sanctuary since it reopened but it looks great. I hear nothing but nice things about it.

Yes Jack, our Wetas are formidable looking things. They are peaceful, nocturnal, and generally harmless but I show them a great deal of respect when I stumble upon them in the garden! Pet rabbits are common here even though vast areas of the South Island are laid to waste by wild rabbits. Each year at Easter the Great Easter Bunny Hunt takes place where teams of hunters shoot thousands of rabbits over two days. Every year the numbers are much the same... the odd escaping pet rabbit is a drop in the ocean.

4 Jun '09 2:36 am

Great photos. I've never seen such a wonderful dam building (or whatever the correct term is). Ours are utilitarian concrete.

trip down the island

trip down the island

natives and nots

Home from the Hills