From Drought to Flooding Rain

     A few years ago, the south coast of NSW was in drought. For the past year plus it has been very wet. We have been through a wet summer followed by a wet autumn, winter and now spring. Melbourne in Victoria is presently somewhat worse off  than the south coast of NSW when it comes to flooding but the south coast of NSW isn't far behind. 

    In parks throughout the Wollongong area there has been the growth of various forms of fungus that thrives on damp conditions. 

     In the summer of 2019, I was in New Zealand for a week and there the people were experiencing drought conditions. Nowadays New Zealanders too are wondering when the rain that was once so vital will ever stop. Some rain definitely welcome but there is a limit to what is needed and what is good for the country, any country.

     On the 24th of October, 2022, on the south coast of NSW, Australia, there is a Masked Plover that appears to be enjoying the downpour. Good luck to him I say! 

     The rain appears to be relentless. Will it continue in NSW to Christmas? There are forecasters who say that it will do so. Not all winged creatures are happy about the continued wet. Here is a magpie who would no doubt appreciate it if it would stop raining for a while. 

    

 
  

New Zealand robin

                     The Way-Out Wild West

                       by Lyn McConchie

     This is a collection of stories by Lyn McConchie dealing with the West in the USA not as it was but as Lyn has imagined it to have been. 

     Here there is some steam punk, a touch of the supernatural and more than hints of outer space activity on Earth. 

     The cover is a perfect illustration of what one might expect to come across inside these tales. Yes there are life and death moments. Yes there are mechanical horses. Yes time does play its role in a particular story and yes there is a woman within with extraordinary powers. 

     The stories may be fanciful but they are grounded in Lyn's own knowledge of farming her New Zealand property as well as her travels to the USA and also Mexico.  Lyn knows about horsemanship and has cattle, hens, geese and a cat on her land. She has quite a collection of books including novels from around the world. She also has an extensive understanding of weapons including firearms she can put to great use in her writing. 

      Of the stories the one that I liked most was Harry's Bad Man. It touched upon life and death matters. It was about a strange pack of near humans with their own unique sense of justice.  

      There was The Looking-Glass Girl in which I re-discover that, in the past, inheritance was not always divided up evenly between men and women. The women tended to get less or nothing at all because it was once viewed that a woman would be provided for by her husband and so would require less. I admit this was the thought of my own grandmother when she made out her will. I am glad times have changed. 

          There was Before All This Modern Stuff in which an evil man, sick of the present, journey's back in time only to face his past misdeeds head on. 

           Firedancer is about a gifted woman who is considered by some to be a witch and by others a potential saviour. 

           All considered, a brilliant collection.    

 

KAPITI ISLAND  NEW ZEALAND 

Of all the places I ventured to last year while in New Zealand Kapiti Island remains special. Half the island is owned by the government and the other half is private. A great deal of effort had been taken to remove non-native species so that the natives have a chance to thrive. Elsewhere, natives have had to contend with rats and other introduced vermin. 

It is a short boat ride from the north mainland to the island. You can stay overnight and, if you do, there is the chance of getting to see local kiwis out and about.

There are kiwi mounds found on the walks but you will only see the kiwis in action at night. One of the strangest things about these creatures is they are a bird with a bellybutton. 

Here we have a New Zealand robin. They are insect eaters. 

Gulls can be found on the island. 

Shags are a common sight, especially near the water.

The island attracts bird lovers who don't mind sharing their lunch with the natives.

One of the locals decided to try my orange juice. 

There are set times when day trippers return to the mainland.

               AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND 

     Last February's trip to New Zealand made for a great holiday. It was the first time I had been out of Australia in decades. The people there were friendly and I was hoping to go back  in 2022 but, unfortunately, there is this pandemic in the way of doing so. New Zealanders haven't been as badly hit by as Australians and I don't blame them at all for keeping it that way. Meanwhile I have my memories of that time away and also a fistful of pics you might enjoy. I know there will come a time when we will again be able to venture overseas. 

     Like Sydney, the city of Auckland is a mixture of old and new. This needle is a place of gambling and also fine dining. Personally, I don't care for games of chance.

     In Auckland there are signs that New Zealand, like Australia, is connected to the greater British Empire.

     There are such lion's heads in Sydney. This one was found in Auckland.

     The water in Auckland's harbour is surprisingly green. From this harbour it is possible to take day trips to nearby islands.

There are terns on some of the outlying islands.

There is also art to be found on some of the outlying islands.

     Like Sydney, the city of Auckland has birdlife that originally came from elsewhere such as this blackbird.

     The museum at Auckland has many treasures of the past and touches upon the history of New Zealand in a profound way. 

      It should be noted that if you really want to have a good time in Auckland and you are over fifty then don't stay at a backpacker's hotel. 

                      Auckland, New Zealand

Like Sydney, Australia, Auckland in New Zealand is a city with connections, in terms of architecture, to the greater British Empire and so a shared past with Australia. 

 

There are marvellous buildings that do take us back in time. 

Some of these these structures have a haunting appeal.

  There are also more modern buildings including the famous needle. 

The water in the bay is an eerie green.

  There are islands not far from Auckland worth exploring for the wildlife alone.

  

One warning about Auckland. If you are over fifty do not get accommodations in a backpackers establishment. You will not sleep well and so will not be in great shape during the day to fully enjoy your stay and all that this city has to offer. 

 

 

                             Kapiti Island, New Zealand

                                        This island is just off the main north island 

                                          and is the place to go if you have an 

                                           interest in New Zealand wildlife. 

                                          You get to Kapiti via a small boat. 

                                           It takes all of twenty minutes and is not

                                           what I would call a rough trip.   

               There are kiwi nests but don't expect to see a wild kiwi during the day. 

                   They come out at night.                                                       

                                                     

                                           This is a common North Island robin. 

This is one of the most famous and popular of New Zealand bird life, a Tui. 

                                     This is what the New Zealanders call a Pied Shag. 

                     Lunch on the island is for bird lovers only since, during lunch, 

                     you are likely to have native inquisitive Kakas join you for the meal. 

While I was there on the island last February a Kaka decided to try my orange juice. 

Legend has it this New Zealand Pigeon can get drunk on berries and fall off its perch.  

                                          Here is a Weka, a rather fast moving, shy bird.

                           

                                      You come to Kapiti via boat and you leave the same way.

                                       If you stay the night, however, you might get to see 

                                                   some kiwis on the move. 

                        About Lyn McConchie 

Lyn McConchie’s Another Fire: He’s seventeen, the world is dying around him, while half the country lies between him and his surviving family. He has a good dog, a child, a dying farmer, and decent ranchers to help him – against him are vicious bikers, the greedy, the foolish and the evil. But Jason is learning every step of the way.

   Lyn McConchie, a New Zealand writer with over thirty books under her belt,  has recently come out with Another Fire. It will see publication this year and, when it is out, I think it will be well worth the read. Lyn, in recent times, has become famous for her various takes on the fictional lives of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.