Be the Difference eNewsletter # 11 December 2009
This year Be the Difference has exhorted you to spring into action, desex your cat, make your home more sustainable, wipe out weeds and become more water efficient. Isn’t it time you had some fun? As the weather situation improves why not head out and see what you’ve been protecting all year?
Saved the earth? Get out and check it out
Wellington is a region of hidden treasures, jewel-like native fish, forest giants and giant insects. They’re all there, waiting for you to seek them out. Our rivers, lakes and wetlands are home to 22 species of native fish, our hills and valleys resound with bird calls, some of them far from tuneful.
This is the season to dust of the boots, bus ticket or bike and head out. You may still need the car when it comes to treasure hunting though and this newsletter gives you some hints about what to look for and where.
Ever seen a pool of seal pups and their babysitters? You’ll need to head for the South Wairarapa coast. Fancy the route less travelled? East Harbour Regional Park is the place for you. Book a guided Sunday walk among mighty rimu and rata if you prefer company.
The outdoors is generally quite hospitable at this time of year but if you burn easily in the sun try seeking some nocturnal treasures such as fish and giant weta. Staying overnight on Matiu Somes Island is the best way to see weta, they munch on the grass there. Fish are even easier to see.
Remember to check the bathing water quality in our rivers and streams before you go swimming. Usually the water is great but sometimes after rain yucky stuff gets washed off the roads and footpaths into the water.
Active transport
Roll on casual January. Shorts and open necked shirts at work, balmy weather. Perfect for using a more active form of transport to get to around. Skateboarding takes energy, but not much more than walking and gets you places quicker. According to NZ research the health benefits of skateboarding are about $2.86 per km.
Long favoured by the under 20s as a cheap, instant form of transport, skateboarding also has commuter potential. You can skate either end of a public transport commute or replace the car, bus or train entirely. Check out this video of skating to work in London. Looks easy? It’s probably best to swot up on the road user rules first though. And keep safe, wrist guards protect those vulnerable scaphoid bones and if you’re hitting the road a helmet is recommended.
Birds of East Harbour Regional Park
If you are reasonably fit, prefer the route less travelled and want to see more of the region’s forest birds then this walk has your name on it. Follow the Kereru track from behind the Days Bay Pavilion in East Harbour Regional Park and watch for the sign that says “Eastbourne & Mackenzie Road, route only”. It is clearly marked with orange disks.
Birds you may see or hear include kereru, whitehead, tui, bellbird, kakariki, tomtit, grey warbler, rifleman and falcon. Walk quietly and stop often to look and listen. And don’t forget to log on before hand and familiarise yourself with the birdcalls.
Summer seals and geology
Seal photo courtesy Joe Hansen, DOC
The south Wairarapa coast is an excellent place to look at seals and in the summer you can see pups too. Drive carefully because the seals sometimes even lie on the road. Once you get to Cape Palliser look for the sacred pool, also known as Kupe's Well. This is a large rock pool where pups learn to swim and while away the hours while mum hits the seal cafes of Cook Strait.
When the reek of seal dung overwhelms you, retreat to the Putangirua Pinnacles for a little geology. This place has fossils galore, but not for the taking. Some of the best fossils can be seen on the beach below the Pinnacles after a good southerly storm.
Check the tide tables before you leave home and get directions to Cape Palliser on Google Maps.
What is Greater Wellington doing?
Greater Wellington’s Great Outdoors Programme just keeps on getting better. This summer there are more than 60 events between December 27 and April 1. Everything from tramping to Maori medicine, keeping a pony to learning fly fishing. Most of these tried and true events are free, the rest have a modest charge.
Sweet summer journey competition
This summer plan a trip using the cycling and walking journey planner to one of the region’s top destinations, tell us what makes that trip special, and WIN! Prizes include vouchers, free entry to the participating destinations and more. How do you enter? Go to Journey Planner, design a trip and send it in using the feedback form. In your entry, write a couple of sentences about the highlights of your trip.
Did you know?
Have you ever tried to hold a koaro? They’re a very wriggly fish that manage to get right to the top of streams past waterfalls and other barriers. They do most of their climbing when they are young and returning from the sea where they go for several months just after they hatch. Some have travelled more than 120 km up the Ruamahanga River.
You can see koaro in Otari Wilton's Bush , but you’ll need a good torch and a friend in case you fall. Find your way to the Troup picnic area and cross the bridge to the west. Follow the path for about 20m and then look in the pools of the small tributary stream to the right. Koaro are brown with a pattern of golden blotches that gleam in the torchlight. They will hide from the light so you will have to sneak up on them.