On the Flora and Fauna of New Zealand

One of the most striking and characteristic elements of New Zealand, and a topic I have not spoken enough of, is the multitude of unique plant and animal species that have evolved here.

As an isolated island in the vast Pacific Ocean, New Zealand has, unsurprisingly, developed some very interesting species of flora and fauna. On a given day, the native bush is reminiscent of Crichton's prehistoric dinosaur park, complete with stilt-legged mini dinosaurs and enormous ferns.

New Zealand was an undisturbed pocket of isolation until around 800 years ago, when the Maori arrived from distant Polynesian islands.Until that point, the only mammals to reach its shores were those that could fly (bats) or swim (seals). For this reason, many of the birds evolved to be flightless - like the endemic Kiwi - and, since they never had to deal with large predators, they themselves filled the evolutionary niche usually filled by mammals.

Take, for instance, the now-extinct Moa, a tall, flightless bird, reckoned to have exceeded 12 feet tall and 500 pounds - one hell of an ostrich. And, since Nature never lets that much meat go to waste, these enormous emus were, in turn, hunted by a species of enormous eagle, now also extinct, which was the largest eagle known to have existed.

Haast Eagle hunting Moas

This all changed with the arrival of humans in the 1300s. The Maori could feed families on the Moa, and in pursuit of them, they burned hillsides and drove them over cliffs, much as Indigenous North Americans hunted buffalo. However, the Moa was not a resilient species, and when Abel Tasman "discovered" New Zealand 300 years later, only their enormous bones remained.

Today, while most of the country has been cultivated for farmland or pasture, pockets of native bush can be seen in parks and protected areas.

In the native bush, ferns rule. New Zealand has more than one hundred species of native fern - most famously, the tree fern, which can grow to be twenty feet tall, and the silver fern, an iconic symbol of New Zealand nationality.

Fern frond

Tree ferns from below

But New Zealand has other iconic flora as well. For example, the Pohutukawa, or Christmas Tree, blooms with red flowers in summer (just in time for Christmas, in the southern hemisphere). Unfortunately, this tree is under threat from introduced species. Recently, the New Zealand Department of Conservation has begun a program to eradicate the Australian Possum, a species that was originally introduced for its fur, but has since devastated the Pohutukawa. Now the little guys are being trapped and hunted, in the hope of eliminating their entire population from New Zealand. I can't help but feel sorry for them.

Christmas flower

Australian possum

When John and I hiked the Cape Reinga Track, we found a type of flowering bush helpful. We didn't know it then, but this was New Zealand flax, another endemic species. It grows almost anywhere, but especially near beaches; it was used by the Maori to weave baskets and clothing. We used it differently: the tough flowering stalks are often seven feet tall, and make marvelously light, sturdy walking sticks.

Another plant that I noticed growing in abundance, and one that you will probably recognize: the Toetoe, which has been exported as an exotic, to grow in gardens all over the world.

Throughout my time here, I have grown to recognize and appreciate the diverse bird life. I am not a bird watcher at home, but it's hard to ignore them in New Zealand. When Captain Cook first landed to explore New Zealand, he said that he'd heard the racket of birdsong from the open ocean, long before he even saw land.

Well, me too, Cook. My first morning in New Zealand, before I even opened my eyes, I knew that I was no longer in Canada. I awoke to an alien birdsong that reminded me of a lush jungle - a loud, hollow, diverse and haunting song. I believed that the bird was some kind of introduced species - a blackbird, thrush, finch, or magpie. No so. I didn't realize it then, but I was hearing the iconic song of a unique honeyeater, the Tui.

Tuis are like starlings (another introduced species), in that they imbed songs from their surroundings. They have actually picked up their diverse and complex vocal displays from other birds, especially the Bellbird, a little green thing that's also endemic here, and suits its name in shape and sound.

Bellbird in Clianthus plant

Tui in Kowhai tree

Birds like these, which sip nectar, thrive in New Zealand because of the abundant flowering plants that grow wild in the native bush. There are wild fuchsias, pink and blue hebes, yellow trumpet flowers, red monocots, climbing daisies, and flowering legumes, to name a few. Combined with the careful hand of humans, New Zealand in the springtime is really something to see. In the North Island, Calla Lilies are weeds, and they erupt under palm trees like a commercial for cocoa butter. There are flowering orchards humming with honeybees, rose gardens on picket fences, and lemon trees that seem to bear fruit all year.

But we were speaking of birds.

My favourite is the endemic Pukeko, which reminds me of a dinosaur - its long legs seem reptilian, and it's got monstrous chicken feet and a big, red beak. Here is the mischief-maker of Maori legend, but he seems harmless to me. Pukeko forage in packs, like little raptors, white tails flicking with every regal step. Takeoffs and landings are always awkward, though, and I spent months believing them incapable of flight.

I also adore the cheerful, bouncy Fantail, which tends to follow people through the forest, supposedly as an omen of good luck, but actually to snap up the delicious insects we stir up. A Fantail's charm can't be captured in a picture, because it's all in the way it moves: as if its long tail threatens to unbalance it, and it needs to constantly hop around and readjust itself in the most curious way just to stay afloat.

Since it's so close to the Antarctic, New Zealand is home to several species of penguin, including the smallest penguin in the world, the Blue Penguin, and the rarest, the Yellow-eyed Penguin. I only saw Blue Penguins at the zoo, but here is my photo of a Yellow-eyed Penguin we saw nesting on the southernmost beach in New Zealand.

New Zealand is also home to the famous Royal Albatross, which, I am disappointed to say, I have never seen yet. Since reading the epic poem The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, I have longed to see this enormous and near-mythical bird for myself.

(Well, I suppose there's still time.)

We did see a Gannet colony at Cape Kidnapper's, which was almost, well, who am I kidding, not nearly so good. We have also seen Keas (frighteningly intelligent mountain parrots), Wekas (delicious-looking wood hens), Kererus (hilariously clumsy bush pigeons), and Wetas (grasshoppers of freakish size).

Gannets at Cape Kidnapper's

Kea at Milford Sound

too bad it's endangered

Giant Weta

Clumsy pigeon

Finally, this past weekend I saw a Kiwi. With all of the amazing, colourful, and interesting birds New Zealand has to offer, they chose to select the nocturnal, flightless, blind, and dowdy Kiwi as their national animal. I suppose they looked around and chose the one bird that wasn't beautiful or charming as a declaration of spirit.

The Kiwi wouldn't last one day in the Canadian forest, but I guess since Moas are extinct, they went with the next best thing.

A Stroke of Luck

Lately, I have had the most amazing luck.

A few weeks ago, we were out of work, and out of plans. We spent our time scouring the internet for an opportunity, for a direction; and, one day, we happened to see an interesting post on backpackerboard.com. It was written by the owner of a beach resort on Tongatapu, the largest island in the archipelago kingdom of Tonga.

This man had an offer for backpackers in New Zealand and throughout the South Pacific: fly to Tonga, and stay for free at his resort in exchange for a few hours of work each day. He would even throw in breakfast.

John seemed skeptical but, on a whim, I decided to write this man a note, asking for more information. Feeling a bit intrigued, we also checked the cost of a flight to Tonga: about $200. Interesting.

The next day, somewhat to our surprise, the resort owner wrote us a cheerful and candid letter about the business he was starting up and his need for casual workers in exchange for accommodation. He explained that he would generally need gardening done, but possibly cleaning, cooking or reception work, too. He offered us a double room and breakfast, as well as free internet, free laundry, and use of the kitchens, bicycles, and snorkeling gear in exchange for four hours of work each morning, with Sundays off.

Excited but unsure, we put that plan on a back burner and let it simmer.

John and I spent the next few weeks saying our goodbyes to the South Island, and then traveling north to Wellington to look for work.

My spirits rose as I spent time with my cousins, but in Wellington my mood returned. The weather turned cold, and I began to long for the safety and comfort of home: my friends and family, the coming Spring, and the work that I enjoyed at the book store. Homesickness washed over me. In Wellington I felt isolated and lonely, bored and listless. I wanted to go home, and it was a near thing, too: I seriously considered changing my flight and coming home early.

But certain people dissuaded me: Paul, my friend and travel agent; my mother and my sister; my cousin Donelle; a few friends and, most strongly, John. I want to thank those of you that offered me support in those weeks that I felt homesick and lost. You told me that homesickness passes, and that living through these experiences would make me stronger. You said that my situation was sure to change - that adventures lay ahead for me. And you were right.

I scored a temporary catering job, which kept me busy for a couple of days and made me feel that, at last, I was contributing towards a goal. I love to work hard, and scrubbing pots and floors in that dirty kitchen was chicken soup for my soul.

Walking through the city in the crisp Autumn sunshine, I felt reborn.

I began to feel that my luck was changing.

That weekend, John placed a call to Tonga. He spoke with the resort owner for about ten minutes; and the next day, he typed his Visa number into a web site and bought our plane tickets. May 16 - from Auckland to the Kingdom of Tonga, returning on June 6 - three weeks. All told, with taxes and fees, the return-flight tickets cost us $350 each. Not bad.

But how would we get to Auckland?

Once again, backpackerboard came in handy. It was through that web site that we discovered Transfercar - a sort of free car rental scheme. See, car rental companies constantly need their cars relocated, and they love to have backpackers (or anyone) relocate their cars for them. In exchange for a free car and insurance, we pay for the petrol and drive the car from one city to another.

In a stroke of luck, I found that a car did need to be moved from Wellington to Auckland. I applied; and when I checked it the next day, I found that I had actually won the bid!

Free car! My luck was definitely on the rise.

Over the next few days, I received five phone calls from potential employers requesting interviews. It may be too late, but it still improved my self-esteem.

John and I spent our last Saturday night in Wellington "on the town". We visited the most famous clubs in the city, including Alice, where we drank brandy cocktails out of teapots in a Mad-Hatter theme park. We laughed together and had lively conversation, and never had to wait in line. At three, we headed home to watch cartoons.

The next day was bright and sunny, so we caught the bus to the zoo, where we got 50% off - for taking the bus. Ha. We wandered around taking pictures of the lions, tigers, giraffes, monkeys, and bears. As we went from enclosure to enclosure, it seemed that the zookeeper went with us to feed the animals, so we got an up-close experience of enormous lions crunching bones, giraffes regarding us through kohl-camel eyelashes, and chimpanzees feeding their babes and munching fruit.

On our way home, we stopped to get some supplies: Jeannine is having a birthday party on Friday, our last night here, and it's an Under-water theme costume party. I'm going as a crab (or lobster - it doesn't really matter) and John is going as a puffer fish.

We stayed up until midnight last night, up to our elbows in paper-mache.

The party is five days away, and the following morning, we'll be picking up our rental car and traveling north.

I hope that this coming Friday the 13th doesn't change my luck - but then, considering that I'll be spending the next three weeks on a remote Pacific island, I don't see how it could get any better.