Kia ora

Peter Jackson said it first "thanks to the Government of NZ"

Each time I write this Newsletter I vow that the next edition will be issued during the season. This being the summer newsletter I have left it to the last possible day - 29 February. And the stimulus has been the Oscars and Peter Jackson's acknowledgement to the world that thanks are due to (amongst many others) the Government of New Zealand. The government dared to lend financial support to the film industry - and look at the results. The same government has been criticised recently for spending $10 million dollars on purchasing Birchwood Station in the headwaters of the Ahiriri River in the Mackenzie Country. Look out for another announcement closer to our place in the months ahead. This Government is spending some of our surpluses on purchasing land for conservation. They still have much to do, especially as more high country land passes into the conservation estate via the tenure review programme. But they have made a good start and we need to acknowledge this. The money they invested in the film industry has resulted in world-wide publicity for the nation with a flow-on benefit to tourism. Money spent in conservation will also have a flow-on benefit to the nation. It will help some of our threatened wildlife to have a better chance of survival.

Such expenditure by the state is hardly what the architects of the economic miracle of the 80's and 90's would have advocated. But where would the Lord of the Rings trilogy have been if they had still been calling the shots?

There, I've said it.  Feel better now I have got that off my chest. Read on.

Summer Highlights

Bird Survey – I joined a survey conducted by DoC of the Australasian Crested Grebe. It was the first time since 1980 that a nation-wide survey of this threatened species had been carried out. The preliminary results: 287 adults, 70 juveniles, 3 chicks,  (estimate) 15 adults on nests, making a total of 375. The last survey found 250 birds so a significant improvement, although still a threatened species. 99 birds were counted on Lake Heron.

Mohua (Yellowhead) – 3 birds seen in the Lower Hawdon Valley, 31 December 2003.

Kaki (Black Stilt) – A lone bird seen (and photographed) on Nursery Lake, a kettle hole lake in the Hakatere terminal moraine on the road to Lake Clearwater. Great thrill - my first sighting in the wild of this, the world's rarest wading bird.

Titipounamu (Rifleman) - a pair seen in the small patch of regenerating bush near our lodge. Another real thrill - the first sighting on our property in 30 years. Bird  numbers are increasing on the property - at present korimako (Bellbird), tauhou (Silvereye) and Welcome Swallow are all common as well as many introduced species.

Dawn chorus - a very pleasant experience during our first Akaroa Idyll 8-day programme was to be wakened each morning by a natural alarm clock - the dawn chorus, strongly led by korimako (at 5.15 am though)

Tussock & Beech News

Extension to concession - We are pleased that the Department of Conservation has approved an extension to our concession to selected parts of the Korowai - Torlesse Tussocklands Park and Arthurs Pass National Park. We will be able to look at alpine plants in flower in November and December in both of these parks. We also will be able to visit the Hawdon Valley in Arthurs Pass NP and observe native forest birds, including the rare and very endangered Yellowhead. I visited the valley in late December and saw three Yellowhead as well as photographing male and female titipounamu (Rifleman) entering and leaving a nest through a hole in a beech tree trunk.

Summer weather - Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get. This has been summer at Staveley. In December - January we experienced a drought and extremely high temperatures - up to 40º C. February, which is usually dry, was wet and cool - 13 rain days, snow on the mountains and minimum temperatures in single digits.

Akaroa Idyll - A very successful first 8-day programme in January. Highlights included: a day at Hinewai Reserve and the chance to meet High Wilson; the roadside colony of the rare Banks Peninsula Celmisia (Celmisia mackaui); an orca playing near us in the lighthouse bay; the Okains Bay museum. 

Lost World of Erewhon - Highlights included: Ranunculus crithmifolius in flower; entertainment by kea; small crested grebe chicks carried on the parent's backs; chicks of banded dotterels; the mountain stone weta; male and female flowers of  Clematis marata

Discovery Channel - We hosted a film crew from Discovery Channel in late January thanks to the good work of Christchurch Canterbury Marketing. They shot copious footage in the bush, around the Lodge and Cottage and at Mt Sunday (LOTR site for Edoras). Watch out for Warren in the 2005 Oscars!

Natural History News

Mountain stone weta – The LOTR has made famous one of our ancient insects - the weta (Weta Workshop). This ancient group of insects were probably part of the fauna of Gondwana. One interesting species is the mountain stone weta which can be found under rocks on Mt Somers & Mt Hutt. Unlike most alpine insects which use a form of antifreeze to overcome damage to their tissue from "icing up", the mountain stone weta freezes solid. When spring comes and temperatures warm up, it thaws and wanders off.

Bellbird / Korimako – This wild melody was infinitely superior to anything that we had ever heard of the same kind; it seemed to be like small bells most exquisitely tuned.*

* Captain James Cook on first hearing a Bellbird.

Our local honeyeater which has made its presence heard in the bush this summer, at Akaroa and also around the Lodge and Cottage. It must have experienced competition this summer for honey dew from the introduced German wasp. The female bird is smaller than the male & a duller olive-brown with a bluish gloss on the forehead and crown, a reddish-brown tinged eye and a narrow white strip across the cheek from the bill. The male is rather handsome with olive-green plumage, glossy purple head, red eye and slightly curved bill. The wing and tail are a dark bluish-black with a line of yellow feathers near the angle of the closed wing.                  

From the Kitchen

Avocado & bacon muffins - For 12 large muffins

(as enjoyed at morning tea on ecotours)

• 3 rashers bacon
• 1 Tbsp sugar                        
• 75g butter                             
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 egg                                      
• 1 cup grated tasty cheese
• 1 cup milk                            
• 4 spring onions, chopped  
• 2 cups flour                          
• 1 avocado
• 4 tsp baking powder           
• about 1 Tbsp lemon juice 
• ½ tsp salt                              

Chop the bacon finely and cook in a frypan or under the grill until crisp. Keep the bacon drippings.

Melt the butter, add the egg, milk, and bacon drippings, and beat to combine.

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients. Add the grated cheese,  chopped spring onions, and the avocado which has been cut in 1cm cubes & sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning. Pour all the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients with the bacon.

Stir only to dampen the dry ingredients, since overmixing makes the muffins tough and peaked (tops of muffins should be rounded).

Using 2 spoons ½ fill the well-sprayed (preferably deep) muffin tins, & bake in pre-heated oven at 200ºC for about 10 minutes, or until the muffins spring back when pressed lightly.

Warren & Marita                  

Ki Kite Ano