Kiwis and Kangaroos

Today’s activities took us to East Harbor

Park just across the bay from Lower Hutt. Our stated objective was to check and re-bait a line of possum and rat traps throughout the park. The catch was that our designated line was located in the valley between the two mountain ranges so we would have to hike over the first ridge in order to get to our traps. After two hours of steep climbing up and down we arrived at a small picnic area to lunch. Post-meal we split into three teams, Red Hedgehog, Green Gorilla, and Pink Panther and took off armed with notebooks, poison and walkie-talkies. The line of traps was connected by a marked trail, though not one that was well maintained. Thus our hike was more of a bush walk than a proper tramping experience.

The Fern Forest

Winding along the creek bottom the flora in this area is amazing; monstrous fern trees, huge Kiara pines and an assortment of smaller palm-like plants. All of which give the area a pre-historic feel to it. Since food is quite plentiful this time of year, barely any of the rat poison had been touched and up until the last two traps, there were no signs of possum activity. The second to last trap, however, yielded a catch; a large possum killed in the strangling trap mounted to the tree. It was the first catch in over three months of monitoring. (Note: other groups monitor during the weeks we don’t so it is possible that someone had recently recorded a catch.) After the long hike along our possum line, we had to once again climb up and down the ridge to get back to the van. A few of the non-hikers in the group

The Prize Catch

were noticeably suffering at this point. All told, nearly 7 hours of hiking.

On the way home, Toby dropped me off at the Queensgate mall to mail my Christmas presents home and to pick up a gift for the secret Santa swap at Thursday’s GVN Christmas Party. Climbing the hill back to the volunteer house has never felt so difficult.

What I Learned Today: Do not under any circumstances try to mail anything home from overseas. It is not so much the cost, which is certainly high enough, but the sheer amount of paperwork that is required to mail a package through U.S. customs which makes the endeavor truly excruciating. Not only are you required to name and value each item in the box, but also give its country of manufacture and its intended use. Seriously, how the fuck should I know where they made a plastic snow globe with a Kiwibird in the middle. My guess would be China, but if I’m wrong, will they confiscate it? Also, how could one possible speculate at the intended use of Christmas gifts? As the purchaser I would hope the receiver cherishes the gift and carries it around as a talisman for all of eternity, but the realist in me supposes that it will just end up in some miscellaneous drawer with the incomplete decks of cards, random paper clips and rubber bands, and photos from middle school. On top of it all, I didn’t know my own local New Zealand phone number or address so I had to make it up, though with an educated guess. Oh, that and I failed to mention the coins that I am sending home, all 80 cents worth. I give my package a 40% chance of actually making it home for Christmas.