Alex Hallatt 2/18/20 Alex Hallatt 2/18/20

Living in New Zealand: Cruising Around the Harbour Seeing Hectors Dolphins and a Lot of Coal

Really enjoyed seeing Whakaraupo/Lyttelton Harbour from another perspective.

Hectors dolphins in Whakaraupo. Click to see options for using the image

New Zealand's dirty little secret: coal. Shipped via Lyttelton.

Alex Hallatt 2/17/20 Alex Hallatt 2/17/20

Arctic Circle Cartoon - Airfix Kits and Plastic in the Fossil Record

When I was a kid, Airfix branched out from their core business of plastic model kits to make airplanes to a variety of things to appeal to children. I made a T Rex. I thought I might have misremembered this, but a quick search shows you can still buy the kit I used (though Airfix have gone back to their core business).

I have a horrible feeling that the Tyrannosaurus rex I made is now in landfill. Like most of them.

Alex Hallatt 2/14/20 Alex Hallatt 2/14/20

Living in New Zealand: Quail Island Was a Place to End Your Days

I’m back from a week on Ōtamahua/Quail Island (as a volunteer DOC warden - see previous post) and enjoyed spending time drawing and writing, when I wasn’t doing warden things (checking for litter, greeting visitors and cleaning the loo!).

Click to see options for using the image

There is a lots of interesting history associated with the island, much of it tragic. Antarctic explorers trained their horses and dogs there for ill-fated expeditions to the Antarctic. And there was a leper colony, where at least two of the poor, isolated tenants ended their days on the island.

But by far the most tragic story is that of the two Ward brothers who came from Ireland with the hope of better life and were dead within months.

The Ward brother history is fascinating (the surviving brothers were very active in early Canterbury life and set up the Ward Brewery which made Canterbury Draught and other beers) and if you want to read more, you should head here:

https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/the-ghosts-of-quail-island/

http://www.peelingbackhistory.co.nz/686/

This was the view from the location of the Ward brothers’ homestead.

You can nearly see our house behind the ridge above the first oil tanks) from there. A sweet valley with a lovely view, but conditions in Lyttelton Harbour can change quickly.

I think the macrocarpas on the island post date the Wards.

Alex Hallatt 2/13/20 Alex Hallatt 2/13/20

Living in New Zealand: Stand Up Paddle Boarding Around Quail Island

Being an island, Ōtamahua is fun to stand up paddle around. But the wind. Even though I got up early and was down at the wharf by seven most days, it was still windy nearly all the time.

Quail Island wharf on a busy morning. Note riffle of water.

Oh well, it was fun to paddle down to King Billy Island and see all birds. Provided the tide wasn't out and I didn't have to walk across the mudflats.