BubbleShare: Share photos - Play some Online Games.
Just after arriving at work one morning in late July (the 27th I think), several of my colleagues and I were told to 'stand by' as a report had just come in of a stranded Whale at Ruby Bay (about 15km from Motueka and 22km from Richmond).
One staff member (Gavin) was sent out ahead, to check out the sighting and report back. While others gathered up gear, (wetsuits, stretchers, cameras, buckets etc..) for a possible whale rescue. We knew that only relatively small whales were ever successfully rescued and that larger animal always died or had to be euthanised, so there was an air of both excitement and apprehension amongst the staff.
After about 20 minutes we heard that rather than the animal being a whale it was in fact a common dolphin (which despite their name are not actually that common!). Shortly after seven DOC staff headed off to the scene where they found a few locals, Gavin and a 10ft dolphin splashing around in 300mm of water. The dolphin had come into the large tidal bay and gone too far - grounding itself in the shallows. The tide was still coming in but would soon turn and the animal would be stranded high and dry if we couldn't get it out to deeper water soon!
We deployed the stretchers, with the intention of lifting the dolphin enough to turn it and get it to slightly deeper water so it could swim freely. Tasman Bay has huge areas of tidal sand flats with the tide retreating hundreds of meters.
With six of us in the water with it, and one steady hand on its pectoral fin, it was successfully guided out some 200m or so (still only about 3 ft deep), where it slowly, but surely, headed out into the bay. We monitored if for another hour or so while it stayed in the relatively shallow waters, until it disappeared from our sight. Then packed up, a short drive back to work, return the gear, hang up the wet suits and into the tea tearoom for a well deserved cup of coffee.
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Knuckle Hill
BubbleShare: Share photos - Craft Ideas
On Tuesday while in Collingwood we took advantage of the great weather and headed over to the west coast to climb Knuckle Hill in Kahurangi National Park.
This aptly named hill provides the only elevated viewpoint of Whanganui Inlet, a huge estuary declared a marine reserve and wildlife management reserve in 1994. For the first few kilometres Findlay wasn't too keen so we were very glad that we had visited the corner shop before we left Collingwood and stocked up on lollies!
From the car park, an old logging road climbed gently through regenerating forest and there were some great views over the west coast. From the top, right on the boundary of Kahurangi National Park, the views of the top of the South Island, particularly Farewell Spit and Whanganui Inlet were quite outstanding. We had a glorious sunny day and it was hard to believe it was the middle of winter.
On Tuesday while in Collingwood we took advantage of the great weather and headed over to the west coast to climb Knuckle Hill in Kahurangi National Park.
This aptly named hill provides the only elevated viewpoint of Whanganui Inlet, a huge estuary declared a marine reserve and wildlife management reserve in 1994. For the first few kilometres Findlay wasn't too keen so we were very glad that we had visited the corner shop before we left Collingwood and stocked up on lollies!
From the car park, an old logging road climbed gently through regenerating forest and there were some great views over the west coast. From the top, right on the boundary of Kahurangi National Park, the views of the top of the South Island, particularly Farewell Spit and Whanganui Inlet were quite outstanding. We had a glorious sunny day and it was hard to believe it was the middle of winter.
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Salisbury Falls
BubbleShare: Share photos - Find great Clip Art Images.
On the Wednesday of our winter holiday we went to Salisbury falls in the Aorere Valley. It was a beautiful secluded swimming spot which would be a great place to visit in the summer to go swimming and play under the falls on a hot NZ summer day. The boys had a great time skimming stones. The record was 10 skims - Niall was the champion!
On the Wednesday of our winter holiday we went to Salisbury falls in the Aorere Valley. It was a beautiful secluded swimming spot which would be a great place to visit in the summer to go swimming and play under the falls on a hot NZ summer day. The boys had a great time skimming stones. The record was 10 skims - Niall was the champion!
Monday, 21 July 2008
Collingwood
BubbleShare: Share photos - Play some Online Games.
For our winter holiday in July, Tom managed to book the DOC batch in Collingwood in Goldenbay. The Batch is just the most relaxing place to stay, but demand during school holidays is always high, so we were very pleased that we managed to have a full week there. It is right on the beach and it's great to get up in the morning and open the curtain to see the sun rise over the sea. Wikipedia states that Collingwood is "located in the hub of the Aorere Valley, in the western half of the Golden Bay area." The hub of Aorere Valley means that there is 1 pub and 1 local grocery shop! I think we saw the grand total of 8 people when we were there! (Although when we went to the pub to watch the rugby it certainly did seem to be "the hub" of the area!! There was least 25 people!) The Batch is set up very well with all the basics including wood etc for the fire. We were very cosy. We had a great week relaxing, walking, cycling, reading, playing scrabble. fishing, entertaining (Scott and Claire came for tea!), doing jigsaws, playing darts (darts board in the living room) and exploring places we hadn't been before.
The weather was great with only 1 wet day which allowed us to finsh the jigsaw! All in all a great wqinter break - can't wait to go again.
For our winter holiday in July, Tom managed to book the DOC batch in Collingwood in Goldenbay. The Batch is just the most relaxing place to stay, but demand during school holidays is always high, so we were very pleased that we managed to have a full week there. It is right on the beach and it's great to get up in the morning and open the curtain to see the sun rise over the sea. Wikipedia states that Collingwood is "located in the hub of the Aorere Valley, in the western half of the Golden Bay area." The hub of Aorere Valley means that there is 1 pub and 1 local grocery shop! I think we saw the grand total of 8 people when we were there! (Although when we went to the pub to watch the rugby it certainly did seem to be "the hub" of the area!! There was least 25 people!) The Batch is set up very well with all the basics including wood etc for the fire. We were very cosy. We had a great week relaxing, walking, cycling, reading, playing scrabble. fishing, entertaining (Scott and Claire came for tea!), doing jigsaws, playing darts (darts board in the living room) and exploring places we hadn't been before.
The weather was great with only 1 wet day which allowed us to finsh the jigsaw! All in all a great wqinter break - can't wait to go again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)