Hamilton Zoo

As I sit writing this, it rains outside. In the past two and a half weeks we have had 359 mm's, that's more than the yearly rainfall where we lived in Australia.

One of the preliminary postings I was going t o make on this blog was a brief introduction to Hamilton Zoo so all and sundry can see the environment I have been working in. Almost a year after arriving here, I have remembered this and so in a lame attempt to create ‘the bigger picture’ here is a short introduction to Hamilton Zoo. I have used a few figures of comparison to Adelaide and Monarto Zoos, for those who know or work there can use these as a comparison to augment the impression.Hamilton Zoo is a moderately new zoo. Started in 1969 (the year I was born) it was originally a game farm where birds such as pheasants were bred for release for hunting. Not a very pleasant beginning to the story. There were also numerous other bird displays as the owners were avid bird keepers. Eventually a few exotic mammals come in to the collection and there you have it, a Zoo. The Hamilton City Council stepped in during the 70’s to prop it up financially and when the Zoo faced financial ruin, the Council took it on board completely, rejuvenated it and has run it ever since. Now it is 25 hectares in size (Adelaide Zoo (AZ) 8 hectares, Monarto Zoo 1000+ hectares), holds approximately 450 animals (AZ 1800, MZ 400) of 95 species (AZ 200, MZ 40+). Unlike Adelaide Zoo though, the collection is not filled with little critters like fish or invertebrates or small birds, but larger species of mammals as well as numerous birds, especially waterfowl and parrots. It is just outside the city set among thickets of native and exotic vegetation on low undulating hills, peppered with lakes, stream and waterfalls. The zoo is involved heavily in native New Zealand conservation programs as well as being highly regarded for its success in breeding White Rhinoceros. The zoo is about to expand in size by about another 10 hectares, with the land already fenced off and ready to be developed. This area will become the new African section with the addition of Lions, amongst others. There will also be safari tent accommodation and educational facilities. One of the best things about Hamilton Zoo is the size of the enclosures. Nothing is being kept in tiny cages for the ease of the viewing public. The African section at the moment is a large field, which from different locations you can see herds of Zebras, Giraffe, Blackbuck, and Nilgai mixing with Ostriches and Guinea Fowl as they would naturally. There is walkthrough aviary which is the largest in the southern hemisphere and a series of lakes which are home to numerous waterfowl in a natural environment.

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. (Albert Einstein)

Following on to my previos post taking the piss out of New Zealand, here is an add with a similar angle about Australia.

"Where the bloody hell are ya?"

For any Aussies who remeber the "Where the bloody hell are ya?" Australian Tourism campaign, with Lara Bingle, here is the New Zealand version. No offence to anyone, just a giggle.

Me? Snowboard??

Here I am, roaring down the slopes of Mt Ruapehu. The person that falls over in about half way through, is not me. I am the one zooming past in the orange jacket. Anyone else impressed? Or just me....?

Water restrictions? What a strange and foreign concept. Growing up in rural Australia, water was always seen as finite resource and restriction were commonplace. It is now at point where it is no longer a question of whether there are restrictions in place or not, but at what level the restrictions are. Furthermore, the restrictions are no longer seen as a temporary state but a permanent part of life – all year round. Farmers can no longer to ever expect to get 100% of their water allocations, summer watering hours are enforced as harsh as speeding fines or other minor criminal offences, and green lush lawns are frowned upon even in public spaces. This is what I left behind in Australia, this new cancer firmly chiselled in to the Australian psyche.

Leaving Australia in November last year, we flew over vast plains of dry, brown grass and dust. Nothing too unusual for the south of the continent at the end of spring though. Arriving in New Zealand, we drifted over great swathes of dark green grass, not a patch of bear earth to be seen anywhere. Brown was not a colour clearly visible in the New Zealand landscape. Instead, it is a palate of shades of green, surrounded and mottled by various hues of blue. These were the colours which assaulted my eyes in every direction I looked. Even in the height of summer, everything was green and lush helped along by summer storms between the long fine runs of sunny days. Come winter, it turned colder and then the skies delivered the real reason behind this perpetual greenness. The rain tumbled down, filling all the creeks and rivers and creating other temporary ones. The fields became marshes and soil remained sodden. The opposite of water restrictions and preservation were methods to drain the land as quickly as the rain falls. Channels and drains criss cross the landscape to allow the water to remove itself and its inconveniences with it.

So, water restrictions? Still pretty much unheard of in this part of the world. We clean with water blasting machines, not brooms, we have shower heads that deliver enough water to fill the Sydney Harbour in seconds and everyone has dishwashers, swimming pools, and washes their cars and driveways with hoses. Just one of the many minor differences that remind us that even though a form of English is spoken over here, we are not in Australia anymore.

Be great in act, as you have been in thought. (Shakespeare 1564-1616)