Kahurangi - Central Otago - Westland

A delayed Christmas break to three favourite places involving hutbagging, catching jewelled geckos for translocation, searching for ancestors' gravestones in west coast cemeteries and an epic wedding squeezed in between.

Boulder Lake (the hut is that tiny white speck on the far side of the lake, to the left) from Brown Cow Ridge

Adelaide Tarn Hut

Anatoki Forks Hut

Coprosma spp. and snowberries

Jewelled Gecko, Naultinus gemmeus

Old Woman Hut, Kopuwai Range

One of a dozen fords that stopped Little Blue and I from further adventuring. At least they make good camping spots.

Track to Rod Donald Hut, Banks Peninsula.

Korimako

Okarito

Ludovico Martini's resting spot, Stafford Cemetery, Arahura

Parininihi / Maunga Taranaki

This two-week-old chick is one of the first kokako to hatch in Taranaki in over 30 years, after birds were released in Parininihi from predator-free Tiritiri Matangi earlier this year. As a bonus it's one of a clutch of three, which is the largest possible for kokako, and it's even more unusual for all three to hatch successfully. 

Unfortunately their mum Mere is a terrible builder of nests and Dave had to wire her lopsided attempt to its tree, to avoid it falling out under the weight of a rapidly growing family.

On a high, we completed the monotonous 24km Pouakai circuit a day early, drove to Dawson Falls and wandered the hour in to Waingongoro Hut for the night. It's an excellent trail through a dense and eerie kamahi/fern forest over clear streams, with a view of the maunga from the hut deck. Sometimes the best ones are the short ones.

Holly Hut, Pouakai circuit

A beautiful day on the Pouakai circuit. Bulbinella spp (?), ubiquitous across the tops

On to Waingongoro Hut, past the highest swingbridge in the Park

Looking West from Waingongoro Hut

Conservation Week at Pureora village

Well, what a Conservation Week... I'm looking forward to DoC being able to return to its primary purpose of protecting our unique animals, plants and wild spaces - not only to the extent that they bring tourism dollars here, but in recognition that these things actually help to define us. 

Dave and I also gained our canopy access certificates, so we're qualified to climb forest giants like these 20 metre rimu and tawa on the Waipapa forest loop.... nesting season here we come!