Poor Cow

Driving along with Mom and Granny, Brynn’s ever-active eyes spotted what appeared to be a fallen cow in one of the roadside paddocks in Ngatiawa Road. We followed up the sighting with a quick trip back to the site to investigate from closer up.

It was certainly a cow, lying on its side in a mud-pool. A cow certainly in extreme distress, by the looks of things virtually motionless and probably beyond help.

(Above): The white cow with black markings lies between the tufts of grass in a virtual bog, quite obviously quite weak, and unable to move. Not a nice sight.

(Above): A close-up of the stricken animal.

Being unsure of the location of the owner of the creature, we posted an urgent notice on the Google-Reikorangi-Group to alert all subscribers in the valley, with someone possibly being able to assist and alert the owner as soon as possible.

A River Runs Through It

Robert Redford and Brad Pitt were in the Rocky Mountains in the early 1990’s, and now in 2014, we’re in the Tararua mountain range, Reikorangi valley with the Ngatiawa arm of the Waikanae River, to be more precise.

After the heavy rains at the end of April, we went for a short stroll up Ngatiawa Road (west) to see what that part of the valley holds for early autumn.

This arm of the Waikanae is joined lower down by other streams to eventually flow into the Tasman as the Waikanae River proper. The level of water rose relatively for a couple of days after the heavy showers, but has since subsided into its babbling brook nature once more. Here we are standing on the (single-lane) Kents Road traffic bridge.

(Above): Shane’s property borders along the left bank of the river and includes the bridge area. Here Shane’s Billy sports the latest style in goats-wear (in their favourite colour)….

 
(Above) … while Shane’s Milly walks in the udder… sorry, other, direction. By the way, does this outfit make my bum look big? Billy and Milly are names I use purely for ease of reference – not even sure whether Shane indulges in this naming-thing…

Ngatiawa Road is a “No Exit” country road (called a “Cul-de-sac” in some countries). On this dead-end arm of the road, we encountered this newly fallen tree – quite a large specimen, but causing no damage or harm to traffic or life and limb – just like nature intended in the days of Adam and Eve and their kids… and goats… if they had.

 
(Above): Compared to a couple of months ago, the verges and adjoining vegetation have very little in the way of floral displays. We spotted quite a few of these which resemble Chinkerichee flowers, but the plant structure is different. Maybe something like “may-bells” – maybe a reader can help? Anyway, pretty and clean.

 
All along the verge embankment next to the roadside streams, toadstools and mushrooms of various sizes and descriptions can be found…

Whilst I wasn’t too sure about this toadstool/mushroom argument, I did some reading up on the subject. I still haven’t changed my mind and can confirm: Don’t listen to old-wives-tales or family rules: What remains important about toadstools and mushrooms are the following facts:

• They are the same and no scientific distinction exists between them.
• They cannot be defined by shape, color, or appearance, since there is no standard differentiation between them.
• Mushrooms aren’t fungi with caps and stems while toadstools lack caps and stems.
• Fungi are not defined by level of toxicity: anything classed as either may be nontoxic, mildly toxic, hallucinogenic or extremely poisonous.
• People should never consume anything classed as toadstool or mushroom without having it first examined by a professional mushroom hunter.

(Above): Not only does a River Run Through It , but there are many little streams which run all over the shop. This one trickles road-side for hundreds of metres, until it takes a sharp right turn and heads for the river. If you stop to listen, besides the birds here and there, the gentle babbling of the shallow water over the small pebbles is all the breaks the silence of the clear fresh air…

(Above): Although Mayday was cloudless, the air was still quite crisp and a light jumper not out of place. Here, near the end of the road, the girls took time-out to sit in the warm sunshine and to soak up the sounds of the birds and the river in the distance, for a while before setting off back home.

(Above): To their left, Ngatiawa Road with the lush green kaleidoscope of vegetation overhead and all around – a voyage of discovery for a budding botanist, and (Below) rolling green mountains into the distance.

Prickly (Pair) Trio

The Chartwell watchdog Benjamin Labrador is surely one of the most prolific scouts to sniff out and bring home hedgehogs whenever he can. If you have ever tried to pick up one of these little critters, you will know how difficult it is, and how painful the pricks in your fingers can be.

Nevertheless, last night Bennie lived up to his name as a dedicated scout. Just after supper, as the family was settling down to watch the TV news, Sophie alerted us with one of her famous yelps that something was up. We went to look, and there was Bennie with a cute little very-much-alive hedgehog. Time for incarceration in the green laundry bucket. Bennie was awarded his regular “Good Boy” pat on the head, and everyone settled back to see the news, which had been placed on pause.

Everyone, except Benjamin.

Ten minutes later, Sophie alerted the household once more. No prizes for guessing. However, this time the hedgehog was a late hedgehog, with blood and a bit of guts all over the shop, so to speak. Bennie’s mouth was also not quite perfect. The ex-hedgehog was placed in the red laundry bucket. This coincidence had nothing to do with green=oK and red= dead , it simply worked out that way. Another “Good Boy” pat for Bennie, and finally we looked forward to seeing what the news had to offer.

Everyone, except, yes… Benjamin.

Half an hour later, with most of the news (including all the adverts) having been digested, Sophie sounded her final alert. A third still-living hedgehog was proudly displayed by Olympic-potential hedgehog hunter Benjamin Labrador.

Should number 3 be imprisoned in the green bucket or the red? It turned out that the red bucket was closest, so the newcomer ended up with Dead Dannie. Somehow, I don’t think that hedgehogs think that deeply, he simply accepted the local hospitality with the grace which befits any well-educated rodent.

This morning, I loaded the two buckets, with their three stinky inmates, into the back of the car and set off for St Andrew’s Presbyterian. After a few minutes I arrive. At my back is a signboard showing Reikorangi Road and Ngatiawa Road in opposite directions. To my left is the red roofed church of St Andrew. Our hedgehogs (well two of them) lay curled up like balls of grey knitting for a few moments, and then  scurried away to freedom of the bank of blue agapanthus flowers.

(Above): The trio of Bennie’s haul lie waiting on the grass opposite St Andrew’s, before heading for the hills.

The long and winding (Ngatiawa) Road

I try to follow the golden rule of remembering to carry a camera when strolling along in nature the road. When we went on a short stroll along Ngatiawa Road (east) this morning, I took it along, only to find that I’ve already photographed most of the noteworthy scenes.

Then I spotted the remains of the tree with which Richard the Woodcutter had almost blocked off Kents Road traffic: The photo does not do the height from which it fell any justice at all -  the top of that ridge is a good five/six storeys above the road. You don’t want to be standing here when he fells one of these pine giants! The ‘arrows’ sign has nothing to do with the tree-slide – it indicates the one-way narrow bridge over the river up ahead.

 

I looked around for more ordinary scenes, with these results:

Hi from Billy at the Ngatiawa/Kents T-junction

Lots of pretty weeds, seeds and wild flowers to be seen along the verge.

The winding road…

Mr Arachna designed his new home with one nice rectangular window. Then he got bored and made a whole bunch of funky odd-shaped ones.

The sun filtering through the trees at this peaceful scene with a wooden paddock gate.

The canopy above the road ahead creates a complete roof: ideal shelter if you get caught in an unexpected rain-shower.

St Andrew’s

St Andrew’s Church and Hall ( Te Whare Karakia me te Horo o Saint Andrew)

On our way to Wellington this morning, we quickly popped in at St Andrew’s. I checked a bit of the past history: Between 1892 and 1893 Reikorangi was surveyed and the ‘Church Acre’ was laid out to include a school, town hall, church, churchyard and a store. The land was donated by the Parata family. With a growing population and only a rough track to reach Waikanae (then known as Parata Village), the need for a church became urgent. In 1959 a vestry and chancel were added. The church’s bell, from the wreck of the Devon in Wellington harbour in 1913, still calls the people of the valley to worship.

Just a few kilometres from us is the tiny Anglican church of St Andrew at the confluence of Reikorangi Road, Ngatiawa Road and Akatarawa Road in the Reikorangi valley area.

On the far side of the tiny church lies a steep downhill with a series of well-kept gardens.

The flag of St….. no guessing there!

Down below on the ground this mosaic tile laid in the walkway … more of the same.

Morepork and other friends

Last week, we went for a mini-hike walk northwards along Terrace Road (see the green route on the map above). This week, it was the south’s turn to put up with us along Ngatiawa Road (red route on the map), tracking the Waikanae River.

Our first port of all was Mike’s place on the opposite side of Kents Road, bordering the river. Brynn is friends with Mike’s daughters Poppy and Katherine, with all their farmyard chickens and ducks and other livestock.

 
Free-range organic are we, says Mr Rooster. Poppy (dark blue shirt) and Katherine (the younger) show Brynn around the chicken range.

Part of Mike’s approximately two dozen flock of sheep grazing near their house. The pines in the background border the river.

Hello Mor-Pork. Quite at home in his large pig-pen.

In the paddock adjoining Morepork’s quarters…

And a small flock of Alpacas rest in the shade.

After seeing all Mike’s gardens and animals, it was off down Kents Road towards the one-way bridge over the Waikanae River.

At this time of the year, the volume of water coming past is not all that great. I’ll check again in the middle of winter for comparison.

This upper reach of the Waikanae River is along Ngatiawa Road East in the direction behind Jeanette.

Uphill along Ngatiawa Road we go…

Growing in the wild along the roadside…

Time-out for a bit of joking, too…

Off the road and onto the Kapakapanui hiking trail. It goes across private property, with clear markers as to where you may go, with easy access across fences where needed.

We finally reach the river. Time-out on a suitable rock in the shade. The day was pleasantly warm, until late afternoon. Brynn eyed the water for a while…

 
Come Dad, let’s take a look across the other side – the hiking track continues up there…