Alex Hallatt 5/10/19 Alex Hallatt 5/10/19

New Zealand Garden Diary: The South Island Robin

New Zealand South Island Robin: Click to see options for using the image

The South Island Robin is one of my favourite birds. You don't see it very often in Lyttelton, because there are too many predators (cats, dogs, rats and stoats) and not enough bush to hide in. I have seen them quite often when out tramping in native forest, but it was a delight to encounter one at my friend’s place on the West Coast.

Alex Hallatt 5/9/19 Alex Hallatt 5/9/19

Living in New Zealand: Cycling From the Sea to the City Along the Avon, Christchurch

We now have a bike rack for Gertie, so headed over to North Beach, Brighton to do the Avon Trail, which follows the River Avon through the Red Zone and into the city.

Click to see options for using the image

I was a bit jealous of the paddleboarders

Click to see the interactive map on the Christchurch City Council website

We still don’t know what is happening to the Red Zone. It has been 8 years since the earthquakes and the only sign of the demolished houses now is the exotic shrubs and the disappearing driveways.

This is part of the “munted” Medway bridge that was twisted in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake

Christchurch has become a much better place to cycle post-earthquake and the city is really starting to come alive again as the last of the big buildings are being demolished and rebuilt.

It took us about an hour and a quarter to cycle into the city. We were going to get the bus back out, but we enjoyed the ride so much we cycled back along the river instead.

Alex Hallatt 5/8/19 Alex Hallatt 5/8/19

Living in New Zealand: The Kleptomaniac Weka

Wekas are birds I have only seen when tramping or on the West Coast. They are about the size of a chicken and can be just as damaging to a vegetable garden, so I guess it is lucky we don't have them in Lyttelton.

Alex Hallatt 5/6/19 Alex Hallatt 5/6/19

Living in New Zealand: Nature Reclaims Things Quickly on the West Coast

Helping out at my friend’s place on the West Coast, I was reminded how rampant nature is over there. The mild, wet climate means things grow even faster in a country where the intense sunlight means things grow like crazy. The native bush is full of tree ferns and nikau palms and the temperate rainforest is ready to move in once buildings are left vacant.