week 23 (ducking)

---

MON - back in Tawharanui this week with Jenny to help her track her Pateke ducks for her masters 😊 was great fun!! got there at about 1pm, the people who were meant to show me how to use the telem' wern't there so i got to go with Dan (he had a CVNZ team up there) across the country to a West Coast beach called Muriwai as he got a call earlier that day about a Leatherback Turtle that had been washed up (he's the only person in NZ that studies sea turtles) and he had to go check it out. So zoomed across there after dumping everything in the vol hole, go there about 2hrs later, beautiful massive black beach, empty apart from a people carrier which had got stuck in the sand - another beach upon which you can drive, treat it like a road and all. There were horse and traps down there too whcih was pretty cool. Got a lift along the beach from the guy who found the turtle as it was 10km up the beach. Dan had already got to work when we got there, massive leatherback, about 1.5/2m long, looked fake and felt fake - Dan asked me and one of the others to measure it's shell for him. Such an amazing creature, I felt so bad for it, Dan reckons that within our life time they will be extinct and already several populations of them have been wiped out. Such a sad situation with them as the people who collect and eat their eggs - therefore endangering them - are near starvation themselves and take the eggs because they have no other food to feed their families. After cutting her head off for inspection when he got home, Dan was then persuaded to take a section of shell off to sex her. Was disgusting with all the blood gushing out and the guts falling out, but very interesting, I had to stay and watch - at a distance - I was one of the only ones left as Dylan (guy who found her) had already taken alot of the team back. Turned out to be a female. So glad I got to go with them and see it, once in a lifetime opportunity and truly amazing. I remember seeing a leatherback when we were in cyprus from the top of a cliff and that was impressive, but seeing one so close and touching it, words dont give it justice. Got fish n chips on the way back as it was getting really late - too late to cook. Eventually got back to the vol hole at about 8pm or later, Jenny was there :D bless her, she wrote off her car on fri and therefore had to spend her birthday in hospital. Still a bit of an emotional wreck after the weekend and losing dearest Mavis her car. Chatted with her for a while then bedtime.

TUES - Got to sleep until 8am today as we were out ducking at 9, good thing Jenny doesnt like early mornings :D We (me, Jenny and 3 of CVNZ team - Dave (new 5 monther), Kat and Brecht) went up to ecology bush, saw tons of the Pateke and then started to track them with the telemetry gear. Drove up to the top of the hill on the mule - stunning views from up there, it never ceases to amaze me and make me smile! Jenny's so lucky to be doing her masters here!!! Back to the house for lunch - best sarnie ever!! Out again, went miles, up all the hills and even out of the park to find some of the ducks that wern't picking up properly on the telem because they were so far off. Found that 2 of them were out of the park and in a bit of forestry area where there was the tiniest pond, back out tonight to go catch them and bring them back in the park. Team this week i well young, all between 18 and 20! Never ha dthat before, there's normally more older ones. They all went to the beach after work, I stayed in the house with Dan and Jenny, knackered and they were way too lively for how tired I was!! Had a good long chat with Jenny and Dan though so all was good 😊 Went to the beach for about an hour when they were cooking, staying out of the way and wanted some alone time. Miss Adam, Karl and Kate 😞 Relaxed after food with Jenny on the sofa before going out to catch the ducks and played shithead - card game - with the others. Off out at about 9.30pm, me, Jenny, Dan, Dave and Brecht. So many stars out!!! Was beautiful :D Go tto try on some nightvision goggles!!!!!!!!!!! They were awesome!! I've always wanted to try them on :D yay! Was fun in the dark wandering around witht the gear trying to find the ducks which were right infornt of us but we just couldn't see them!! Their tactic when frightened or disturbed is to lye down! No wonder they're critically endangered! Dave caught the ducks - use a massive butterfly net to get them. Caught 3 of 4 we wanted to get, removed the transmitter from one of them - one of last years ducks - and boxed the other 2 runaways for release in the morning - this years ducks, Jenny's trying to keep them inside the park as it's safer for them. Got back at about 2am, ate some food then beeed!

WEDS - Up at 6.30am to release the 2 ducks we kept form last night, only Dave came out with me and Jenny. Beautiful sunrise over the lagoon 😊 Went up to the dam and released them 😊 Jenny let me release one and Dave release one and named them after us :D even though both ducks were male... Really beautiful ducks and soo soft! Back to the hole for breakfast then out tracking wiht Ceara (another 5 monther), Lisa and Joe. Finished by lunch time as all but 4 ducks were around. Went to the beach after lunch with Jenny and Megan - was a student ranger there now is just bumming around helping others witht their bird studies, what I'm doing this week really. Went swimming with Megan then lay on the beach with Jenny 😊 Back to the house by about 4. I went to Jones' Bay and came back, cooked then left for the talks in Matakana by 7.30 with Dan, Megan, Brecht and Joe. Talks were from various people who were carrying out research in Tawharanui - hence Jenny talking about her Pateke. Very interesting, didn't realise so much was going on in Tawh. Back to the vol hole by 11ish then went out ducking with Jenny at about 12 to check if Dave and Lisa were still in th epark and to have aquick run through of the others. Was fun just me and Jenny zooming along in the mule 😊 All the ducks but 4 were there so all was good :D On the way to the dam we saw a possum! Soooo bad as it was IN the park! We tried to run it over then find it to kill it but oculdn't, Jenny texted Matt - top ranger - to tell him of the break in then we went on to duck. They've already caught 3 possums in the park but that was at the northern end an dnear the fence, this one was right in the middle of the park, really bad news.

THURS - Got to sleep unitl 8.30 today :D yay, but so tired when I woke up 😞 Ducking with Amelie, Brecht and Kat. All the ducks were there bar one whcih we havn't been able to find all week so we finished by 11.30! Nice duckies :D I went out planting with the team, I really wnated to, I wasn't liked much for it though as Brecht, Amelie and Kat wouldn't have had to have gone back to work if I hadn't wanted to..oops. Oh well, they got the plants done super quick because I and the others were there, meant they got to finish work early and go to the beach. After the planting, me, Jenny and Megan went to the ebach whilst the team made traps haha! Lay in the sun for about an hour then went swimming, waves were big and fun 😊 Wandered along the beach to try and find the team as they werre meant to be coming down. Found them, I went back in the water with the lads, Dan, Ceara and Tasha for a while then lay in the sun to dry off a bit and got a lift back to the house with Dan - Jenny went earlier. Chatted for ages with Jenny and Dan about random shiz when we got back, waiting for a shower. After food, me, Jenny and Brecht went out on the possum hunt looking for the one we saw last night. They had guns!! Heard 2 kiwis :D but saw and shot no possums sadly. Shattered.

FRI - Up with the rest of them at 8 for a walk through ecology bush, checked for the ducks at the same time - all but 2 were there 😊 They packed up and left, took Jenny with as she had to go to Warkworth to pick up Megans car - she lent it to her for the weekend as Megan was on Little Barrier catching Kakariki. I leisurely packed my stuff and read outside whiclt waiting for Jenny. Stopped off in Omana on the way back to go to a British foodstore! They had Nairns Oatcakes and real Cadburys and Thorntons chocolate and Twiglets!!! Loads of other stuff which is also British :D So exciting but so bad for my purse, oh well 😊 Went to Massey uni for free internet then back to ACB 😞 Got a very chatty apparantly nice american room mate, Keith, tried ot get me to go out for drinks but I'm way tooo tired for that!

SAT - Turns out Keith's racist, great. Went to STA travel to sort out my flight to Australia. Chatted to Kate on the internet 😊 Train to Mt Albert to meet the others then into Mission Bay for the jazz and Blues Streets Fest. Got there and it was postponed til tomorrow - rain, got the bus back and went to Brooklyn Bar for food and drinks with Dave, Tasha, Brecht and Chloe - she knows my cousin!! Nice night, the girls went earlier and me, Dave and Brecht stayed on until about 12.

SUN - Starbucks for coffee and writing diary, read a bit too 😊 nice and relaxing. Met up with Dave and took him to Ballistic to see about a tattoo, Nigel came out and was like you're back again?! how are you? i go in there too much! Met up with Lisa, Ceara and Brecht for a goodbye drink to Lis ain Brooklyn then me and the lads went to Mission Bay for the Jazz fest 😊 Was awesome! Brilliant band on the beach 😊 so chilled just lying on the beahc and listening to them jam, I love NZ. Had a pint when we got back to Auckland then betime 😊

---