Surprise Field Trip

Here's today's drama: I don't know how to remove the highligher from this text. I suppose it'll all just have to look REALLY important. Granted, it is my writing, so I suppose it is.

Mondays, as you may have figured out, are fieldtrip days for Field Bio. They're really great, I have found. Especially, when you're told where your going. That helps one to determine if one should wear shoes with backs, bring a snack, or even snag their tourist camera and bird guide. However, in the name of surprises, it is fair that we weren't told. I do like surprises.

Dr. J was allowed to drive us in a UC bus. That alone was an adventure. First, there was quite a bit of drama in figuring out how to disengage the parking break, along with the fact that Dr. J was driving a big van in a country where they drive on the wrong side of the road (and I don't think I'm being unfair with that statement). Even as we got on the bus, the only thing he would tell us is that we were going back toward Akoroa, but he wouldn't tell us where. I suppose it was just a bit more build-up than was appropriate, but I most certainly wasn't disappointed.

At last, we arrived to see all the glorious 70 square miles of Lake Ellesmere--New Zealand's largest lake. Where we saw bunches of black swans, some rails (including pukekos), a hand full of comoronts, some plovers, and maybe even a tern or two. The original plan at our first stop was to wander a bit and have a lecture. Unfortunately, we ran over a hornet's nest which, due to their unhappy rioting outside the van, made it rather unsafe to leave the safety of our metal box. We discussed Algae bloom issues within the lake, that the Department of Conservation here digs to ensure that ocean water enters in order to remove said blooms, that the lake is brackish anyhow, and that it is a major source for eels. There seem to be Maori/Pakeha drama similar to Wisconsin's sturgeon drama, too. We also learned that New Zealand's three largest cities are basically in danger of being destroyed at any second (well, geological seconds). Auckland is near many active-ish volcanoes, Wellington sits on a fault, kind of like LA, and Christchurch could be nailed by a tsunami OR be destroyed by flooding from mountain melt off--almost like New Orleans...so if you come to New Zealand, watch out for that.

Our next stop was at a beach; though deemed unsafe for swimming due to waves, and, probably some sort of radioactive runoff, it said nothing about dipping one's toes in. Lisa and I did this, and were a bit caught off guard when the ocean suddenly rose to above our knees when a wave rolled in. Not at all in an unpleasant way, of course. We spent probably near to half an hour wandering around the flat, round stone beach.

We also stopped at some dunes, near the "spit," where there was another oppurtunity to mess around in the water. We took a pause to learn about plants.

Afterwards we took about a half-hour hike at the Okuti Scenic Reserve where we saw lots of Totara, Kahikitea, and tree ferns, among other native plants. No beeches though, we weren't high enough for them. We also heard a lot of different birds, but had trouble identifying them. Dr. J is convinced that there were Tui afoot, but I am less sure.