Ex-Weta

Brynn stepped out of the dining-room onto the outside paving, and immediately let out a shrill shriek:

“Weta!”

The dogs, who were in close pursuit, immediately investigated the source of her concern, gave the ground a quick sniff, and then proceeded with their doggy business. The creature was quite evidently slightly squished, and quite evidently deceased. An ex-weta, if you will.

Brynn’s Ex-Weta: A Wellington Tree Weta.

Weta are from the families Anostostomatidae and Rhaphidophoridae, endemic to New Zealand. The English word is borrowed from the Maori language, where singular and plural have the same form. Weta are nocturnal and live in a variety of habitats including: pasture, shrub, forests, and caves. Weta excavate holes under stones, rotting logs, or in trees. They sometimes occupy pre-formed burrows. Many of the giant species now only survive on protected land, and many are endangered. The Giant Weta is the heaviest insect on earth.

Weta can bite with powerful mandibles. Tree weta bites are painful but not particularly common. Weta can inflict painful scratches, with the potential of infection, but their defence displays consist of looking large and spiky, and they will retreat if given a chance. Tree Weta arc their hind legs into the air in warning to foes, and then strike downwards, so the spines could scratch the eyes of a predator. Pegs or ridges at the base of the abdomen are struck by a patch of fine pegs at the base (inner surface) of the legs and this action makes a distinctive sound. These actions are also used in defence of a gallery by competing males.

Above: © Dr Paddy Ryan – Mahoenui Giant Weta

The Mahoenui Giant Weta, long considered extinct on the mainland, was rediscovered in a patch of King Country gorse in 1962. The Department of Conservation staff have established a new population of these on Mahurangi Island, off the Coromandel coast. Two hundred have been transferred there, and after four years they are showing signs of breeding.

Weta are mainly herbivorous in the wild, but are also known to eat insects. There are more than 70 species of Weta in New Zealand, 16 of which are at risk. They are one of the oldest species with fossils dating back to the Triassic period.

© Steve Reekie.

Tom Report

As we pass the middle of February, the days will now start shortening and the hours of valuable sunlight diminish. With this in mind, I conducted a quick inspection of the green tomatoes in the veggie patch.

XII, as he was named last time, is now a fully fledged “Red”. Perhaps there will be a little picking ceremony and (perhaps?) a few kind words to the rest of the gathered throng…

In the row just north of XII is a promising-looking plant, called, sequentially “V” not for Victory, but for numero cinque – as in what I would call “5.”  So-called “V” has a few fruits which seem to be on the verge of ripening:

Back at the greenhouse, things are warm and swinging, with the three hanging baskets bearing the small decorative jobs, being the most productive at this stage. Bianca sorted the fruits by size and set aside a bowl of smaller ones for use in salads, and prepared and cooked the rest in an onion/tomato/spice relish preserve base.

1,100 grams of Organic product with onions and other “secret” herbs and spices went into the pot, and out came…. a large jar and two smaller jars of yum! – Pure home-grown organic stuff with no artificial colourants or sugar added:

A Day-Trip to Hamburg

Today sees me watching Our Ship (with Our Stuff), the Hyundai Singapore as she leaves  Rotterdam-Maasvlakte  in The Netherlands and heads for Hamburg in Germany at a speed of 17.7 knots direction 76°. How much further North can she go?

About Hamburg? Interesting (not confirmed by me) stuff includes:

(1) "“Hummel, Hummel” greeting was originated from a Hamburger water carrier, Georg Daniel Christian Hummel, who during delivery always been accompanied by a bunch of children shouting his name. His successor Johann Wilhelm Benz has been treated in the same manner even so his last name was different. He is upset because of this and angrily answered “Mors, Mors” a short way from saying “Klei mi an’ Mors” which translated as “kiss my ass.” (Mors (North German slang) = ass). If you are in Hamburg and someone greets you with “Hummel Hummel”, you reply with “Mors Mors!”."

(2) John Lennon: “I was born in Liverpool but raised in Hamburg.”;  (3) Hamburg's official name is the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (German: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg);   (4) It has become a media and industrial centre, with factories such as Airbus, Blohm & Voss and Aurubis;  (5) The city takes its name from the first permanent building on the site, a castle ordered built by Emperor Charlemagne in 808 AD;            (6) Hamburg had several great fires, the most notable ones in 1284 and 1842; (7) During World War II Hamburg suffered a series of air raids, which killed 42,000 civilians;           (8) Hamburg surrendered without a fight to British Forces on May 3, 1945;  (9) On February 16, 1962 the North Sea flood of that year caused the Elbe to rise to an all-time high, inundating one-fifth of Hamburg and killing more than 300 people; (10) With an area of 755 sq km (292 sq mi), Hamburg's area is seven times that of Paris and twice that of London. The living space per person in Hamburg is an average of 30 square meters per person, thereby making Hamburg the city with the largest average living space in the world;  (11) A large number of rivers and canals are found meandering Hamburg, christening it with the name 'city of rivers'. Small adorable canals are found running all along the city like veins in a human body. Moreover, with over 2500 bridges, Hamburg is also known to have more bridges than Venice or Amsterdam.

Spur-winged Plovers

On a walk along Ngatiawa Road recently, the incessant chorus of ever-present Cicadas was suddenly interrupted by shrill shrieks. Two birds circled the adjacent field and landed in the goat grazing paddock. They were standing at quite a distance, but luckily, I was able to snap this picture, so as to be able to identify the creature in the bird book.

Considering the distinct facial appearance, we were able to make a positive ID. A Spur-winged Plover (Vanellus miles) of the Order Charadriiformes and Family Charadriidae 

The description of the bird reads: The spur-winged plover is a large stocky wader with pronounced yellow bill and wattles, and yellow eye ring. Black on the crown and hind neck becomes a black collar extending to sides of the breast. The rest of the head, neck and under parts are white, the mantle, back and coverts are uniform light grey-brown contrasting with a white rump. The black tail has a white base and thin white tip. The long legs are reddish brown. A long yellow spur protruding from the carpal area of each wing gives the species its name. The flight pattern of the spur-winged plover - shallow beats of broad rounded wings - is unlike any other New Zealand wader.

Voice: a shrill staccato rattle – often heard at night.

Come See Me

A question that people ask: “What is the cost of living in New Zealand like?”

Naturally, this will depend on the base country from which the questioner hails from, generally the UK and South Africa. And the answer given to each of such enquirers is radically different.

Quite likely, the UK costs are quite similar to NZ, but the South African costs and drastically lower. Naturally, the comparison is made without equating the relative salaries that one might earn for a similar job. That factor is not known for certain, until someone has worked in the respective countries at the particular job.

However, the question is not very valid, unless someone goes on holiday in the other country, then he has earned his holiday spend in his home currency and will foot his holiday bills in the “foreign” currency.

For the record, $1 is roughly £0.50 and $1 weighs in at R9.20-ish. Adding bank charges and the other extortion-fees, I simply work on R10 to the Dollar: My ten-times table is fairly accurate these days.

Anyway, back to the story:

Clayton has a garden trailer for carting this and that of a heavy nature around the property behind the ride-on mower-tractor, but the one wheel is a bit flat. Especially at the bottom, as Brynn would explain. So, we eventually removed the wheel yesterday, on the understanding that I would get it fixed during the week, in preparation for possible use next week-end.

This morning, I loaded the wheel and set off to 1 Elizabeth Street which is the building at the railway crossing at SH1 in Waikanae town:  Waikanae Tyre.

  

“Yep, we can fix that,” the fellow with the neat black tyre T-shirt, assured me, “Call back in, say, an hour or so.”

I had 60 minutes to kill: I drove down to Waikanae Beach, strolled along the wet sand looking for interesting bits of driftwood, and then spent about half an hour watching four old geezers at a game of petanque (some people call it “boule”) on a public court on Tutere Street, next to the Tennis court and Volley Ball court. How cool is that? Even a court-side telephone booth in case a geezers has a heart-attack!

So, what has all this to do with a high cost of living? Nothing really, except that it illustrates that taxpayers get some value for the taxes the pay.

When buying stuff in New Zealand, I try to estimate how much they will charge me – and I’m slowly becoming better at it. “How much would Mastertreads charge for this job?” I wonder. I’ve never owned a trailer, so I really don’t know.

Perhaps R60? That’s $6 – estimate $18, let’s call it $20?

60 minutes gone: I head back to Waikanae Tyre. The wheel is fixed, waiting for me. Fist class!

“There you go, mate.”

The South-African in me is a bit puzzled.

“How much do I owe?”

“No worries, mate. Next time you want to buy tyres, you come see us.”

My estimation of the New Zealand economy has gone up a number of notches.

All Tied Up in Rotterdam

Our Stuff on Our Ship, the Hyundai Singapore, is safely tied up and lying alongside in Rotterdam, preparing for the long trip towards the East. Probably one-third of the journey is now complete

Hear Ye, Hear Ye…

For some time, I’ve been wondering about adding sound to a post in a strategic and meaningful fashion. With the help of my family, I’ve uploaded a test file, as shown below. Turn up your speaker volume to 100% and then click the Play Button. This is a short clip of Cicada insects, recorded in the garden a few minutes ago. The sound on such a warm afternoon is truly overwhelming.

The loud and often shrill singing of cicadas – a sound synonymous with summer – makes them one of New Zealand's most familiar insects. Cicadas belong to the insect order Hemiptera, a group with piercing and sucking mouthparts. It also includes insects such as aphids, scales, plant hoppers and spittle bugs.

Cicadas have broad, blunt heads with prominent compound eyes, a tapering body, four large membranous wings and six small legs. They should not be confused with those other insect songsters, the grasshoppers, locusts and crickets, which may be identified by their large, jumping, hind legs.

Not Hitched Yet

The camera never lies. True. But people do, and the the photo of our ship the HS proves this point. Even though the ship appears to be leaving Cape Town, in reality she is lying just of the coast of The Netherlands near Rotterdam. This is an old photo.

Rotterdam is quite busy at the moment judging by the crowd of vessels lying around. As can be seen in the clip below, the HS (yellow inside the red parentheses) is lying at anchor and moving with the wind and tide (blue track lines). The crew will be sleeping in late while waiting for the All Clear sign from the port authorities. The important point is that the two week trip Cape Town to Rotterdam via Las Palmas is over, bar the shouting.  “Hello Rotterdam!”

Into the Channel

The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, located in the city of Rotterdam.  From 1962 until 2002 it was the world’s busiest port, now overtaken by first Singapore and then Shanghai. In 2011 Rotterdam was the world's fifth-largest port in terms of annual cargo tonnage. Covering 105 square kilometres, the port of Rotterdam now stretches over a distance of 40 kilometres.

And of what interest is the Port of Rotterdam to us? Well, Rotterdam is the next destination for HS Our Ship (The container vessel Hyundai Singapore, remember?) She is due in port this weekend 16th. Currently moving Northwards at 18 knots in the English Channel.

Agape + Anthos

Yesterday I made a mental note of my plan to test the state of my breathing skills and to try my hand at mowing some parts of the lawn. Naturally, this morning, we woke to a short but soaking shower, which put paid to the mowing plan.

When I put my gumboots on, the dogs rallied round expectantly as if I was planning to take them for a walk – not an easy job for single-handed control, if you know Benny and Sophie.

“Walk? Yes, please… we’re game, let’s go!” seemed to be their message.

“Oh, you don’t think… a walk in the garden? Ok, yes please… That’s good as well!”

So we went on a “walk” through the garden with camera in hand. Actually, I strolled very slowly, whilst my two Lab accomplices dashed hither and thither, as if hunting rabbits and other strange creatures under every bush and shrub and in every conceivable place. They seemed to enjoy this simple pleasure as much as they would have in the street, especially as there were no leashes involved.

With dull and dreary light, damp grass and trees, I wasn’t over-inspired to do much photography. I then took some “arty” pics, close-ups and abstracts.

(a) Agapanthus

Agapanthus, blue and white seems to be a regional flower, growing in everyone’s garden and also along the verges of most of the country roads. Apparently, the name Agapanthus is derived from scientific Greek agape=love and anthos=flower.

(b) Pines

(c) Up the Garden Path…

A number of “secret” pathways have been formed by the hounds in their travels through the undergrowth, generally running along the street fence to “chase” passing cars and walkers with their dogs.

(d) Flowers

(e) Grasses…

Just flash the inspector

The youth enjoy many benefits. They are agile, supple, physically fit and able to do all sorts of physical activities. They have smooth unwrinkled skin, toned muscles and strong bones. They lack experience (generally), although they mostly believe that they know everything. And even more.

The less-than-youth among us may have benefits of years of experience and (we think) good judgement and… well… the jury is out on that one.

My less-than-youth status has proven to offer at least one benefit – the New Zealand Supergold Card. On reaching the age of 65, any New Zealand resident can apply for the benefit.

The card gives you access to:

• discounts and offers from a wide range of businesses
• government funded free off-peak public transport concessions
• services and discounts from your local council.

The back of the card indicates whether you have entitlement to New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super), the Veteran’s Pension and/or Community Services Card. Mine is the NZ Super.

One of the obvious immediate benefits which I enjoy is the use of the train to Wellington (or any other station) free of charge. That’s a benefit of $10 or so each way.

Of course, not knowing anyone who has travelled under this benefit, you go to ask the rail ticket office lady how and where your “free” ticket can be arranged.

“No, no worries. You get on the train and when the inspector comes round, you simply flash your card at him!”

Once I’ve flashed using my Supergold Card, I’ll report back on the experience.

Gourmet Glutton

It sounds a little French. Or possibly Italian.

Actually it is Possum. Dirty rotten thieving destructive little Possum. Possum who arrives nocturnally, as you do when you’re a nocturnal creature, and proceeds to devour all the fresh young leaves on the tree on our lawn, leaving the little bare stems lying all over the grass below. This has resulted in a forlorn looking lawn tree.

A collection of two days’ worth of bare stems, courtesy of our Possum friend. We estimate the loss of leaves to be quite a few kilograms. Approximately.

Arrival of XII

I’ve never been able to grow anything much more than ugly toe-nails and a bad hair-style. Oh yes, and once a pathetic apology for a moustache. Besides that, I’ve been fairly inactive in the Growing Department.

You should therefore excuse my apparent excitement at the ripening of the larger tomatoes. I didn’t grow them, mind: Clayton is the grower and I have been assistant waterer over the past month. I like to think of myself as the Aquagent Extraordinaire.

But what about this XII stuff? Well, we agricultural farmers cultivate the soil simply because it is there: it is nothing personal, like someone raising little children and giving them each a name. I have simply named the tomatoes numerically, so to speak, and the name of the one twelfth in the row is XII. Actually XII is an abbreviation for Do-Decimus.

To-day Do-Decimus has become the first “outside” tomato to start maturing from a green dunce to a bright red fruitful personage. He is of the genus Tomatoyis Biggus, and has three similar sized siblings, two smaller ones and a real tiny little sister. Not that I’m trying to personify these plants, you understand. That would be silly.

At the same time in the greenhouse, I have noted that Inmate 2014-128 in Mamertino Carcere (the old Roman prison) has started to develop a distinct colour tone as well. I snapped a picture of him while the guards weren’t looking:

Berry Nice

Here is a shot of Brynn’s strawberries, which are surviving in a small planter box perched on the window ledge outside the living room. Consequently, no birds have been at it.

A Simple Morning Stroll

This morning, the sun was breaking through the dwindling cloud cover: ideal warm weather for strolling, without being unpleasantly sweaty. Today it was the turn of the up-route towards Terrace Road.

Fresh wild flowers, pink, violet, white, yellow ones, lace flowers, thistles and the rest litter the verges on both sides of the road against the multitude of shades of green leaves of the many trees. Sounds a bit soppy? A bit like Wordsworth?

Besides the flora, there was quite a bit of fauna. Well, probably not “classifiable fauna”, but animals, in the general sense of the word. Sheep, bulls, cows and a few goats and some others which like posing for the paparazzi, to wit: some spiders, a family of horses, and a couple of geese:

Spiders: I know that many readers may suffer from arachnophobia, so I have purposely not revealed the spider himself, simply one of the many neatly woven nests all along the roadside. Estimates are that approximately 8 billion spiderlets may be born shortly – beware the insect world – you’ll be on the menu!

Horses: In these rural areas, where the road vehicle traffic is reasonably sparse, property owners camp off sections of the extended verge where the width is sufficient, and use it for temporary grazing – this also cuts down on pavement maintenance. Here Mamma, Pappa and Bambino laze around in such an annexed area.

Geese: If you photograph birds, and you use an entry-level camera like me, then you’ll know about “snapping when you can”. Whether the shot is well-composed, or in focus or not, you have to press the shutter NOW, or else you will have absolutely nothing. As I have not seen any of these geese locally as yet, I grabbed the chance. High tension power lines got in the way. Tough.

Highland cattle: The stout critters were standing in the paddock down below, virtually out of view. Not wanting to trespass, I decided to rather photograph their owner’s property. A very serene and peaceful setting against the large plantations of pine on the Tararua range.

Olives: The trees in this Olive Grove are all growing within 200 litre metal drums. I can only guess that they were originally propagated in the drums (perhaps bottomless?) as saplings somewhere else, and then relocated as such (without the need of transplanting?). The orchard could have been used for grazing during the time that the saplings were still in the nursery stage?  Perhaps someone can enlighten me?

 
47: This has very little to do with the stroll: simply a custom-made mosaic sign indicating the entrance to the property at 47 Terrace Road. Made quite simply, yet tastefully and artistically, I like way they have used solid shiny round tiles for the numerals and have also omitted some tiles here and there to give a mirror-like see-through effect. I like it.

 
Berries and Pods: We’re in that season where the plants are starting to drop their seeds, or whatever they do to propagate and perpetuate their species. These are two growing along the road – I know not what their names might be…

Search Me!

I don’t look critically at my blogpage, except for spell-checking the new posts. This morning, I noticed that there was no search box – how negligent of me : my apologies, but I have now remedied the omission.

You can now type in any search word and be directed to articles containing that word. Here is an example of the search results for “Tyler”: