F is for Fotography

I know the spelling is wrong, but it did seem like a good match.  A little over a year ago I bought a big camera with two lenses and no idea how to use them.  I had always wanted to get in to photography but found the cost debilitating and so just admired great photography from afar and dreamed of what I would do if I had a better camera.  A few short courses later, and hundreds of hours of reading later, I finally feel that I am getting a feel for taking good photos.  I have been experimenting with exposures, getting in to night photography, and have bought an array of lens filters and other accessories.  I now find myself looking at objects and landscapes as potential photos and trying to work out what settings and lenses would be best to capture it all.  I love it.  

E is for Extinct

The most notable aspect of New Zealand for me is the silence of the forests.  Where once a myriad of bird life coexisted to fill every ecological niche in New Zealand’s varied habitats, only a few remain.  Many of the native species have become extinct since humans arrived here 900 years ago.  What native species persist are largely outnumbered and displaced by introduced pests such as sparrows and starlings.  Gone are the largest eagles ever known with a wing span of 3 meters and weighing up to 15 kilograms.  Gone are the eleven species of flightless moa, ranging from small chicken size to nearly 4 metres tall.  In fact New Zealand has lost over 47% of its bird species since humans arrived.  Given that there were no mammals in NZ prior to this apart from a few species of small bats and coastal sea lions, this is still almost half of all terrestrial vertebrates that existed around 1400 AD when it is thought the first wave of humans arrived.  The damage has been done through overhunting, land clearing, swamp draining and feral animals. The few remote areas which have remained less affected give glimpses of what may once have been an aural symphony of music filling the now silent theatres.

D is for Delightful dogs

Another animal one I’m afraid.  When we were originally only coming over here for one year we were planning to be leaving our 2 dogs behind in Australia in the care of others.  Upon deciding to stay longer we opted to bring them over to join us.  An expensive undertaking of about $4000, but one we didn’t ever consider not choosing to do.  As a result we have been able to enjoy our days off with walks around the countryside and runs along the beautiful Raglan beaches with Renner and Flinders in tow.  It has been great having this part of our ‘family’ life continued in our adopted country and they have loved it too.  Being a water loving dog, Renner has relished in all of the streams and puddles that the wetter climate over here produces.  Being surrounded by farmland and livestock has kept Flinders busy watching and trying to ‘round up’ all the neighbouring cows. Delight in the simple pleasures is what D represents for me.

C is for Chimps

Chimps have been a big part of my life in New Zealand.  From day one over here I have been involved in the chimp troop and some days I felt I was one of them myself.  Many hours, if not months!, have been thinking, worrying, feeding, cleaning, training and playing with my little hairy friends.  Some days have been joyful, others mentally challenging and a few even ending in tears.  Lots of fights and screaming, banging and bashing, mind games and politics all definitely has a sanity tax for those who work with chimpanzees.  These extra grey hairs in my beard can account for that.

B is for Black sand beaches

The North Islands beaches along most of the western coastline are remarkably different than those along the east.  Many of the rivers that drain the volcanic North Island flow out west, taking with them the dark coloured eroded sediments from past volcanic eruptions.  These sediments are very fine, almost dust like, and so get carried along the coastline by the currents and waves to form long glistening beaches.  On closer scrutiny, the ‘black’ colouring is from the moisture in the sand as the particles themselves are more of a grey colour.  The different sized particles are slightly different shades of grey and as a wave recedes, a rainbow of these shades is left behind in amazing patterns of art.