peter facinelli: Communing with Nature

Summer is pretty much over here in New Zealand. However, today was an exception - and we took advantage of it!

I took a ferry out to Motuihe Island in the gulf off the coast of Auckland (you can Google it) with my parents and a bunch of family friends. I've been out there once before, and jumped at the chance to go back. The island used to be a training ground in WWII and has also been a POW camp, a quarantine centre etc.

Now, there is a project going to replant the island with vegetation to enable a new population of native birds to live there safely. The island is pest-free and is becoming a sanctuary for rare and endangered birds, including our national icon:

Little spotted kiwi

It came up on twitter this week that quite a few people aren't aware that New Zealanders being known as 'kiwis' has nothing to do with the small furry fruit, but actually is because of the small, endangered, nocturnal, flightless birds. @vampthenewblack and I are campaigning to teach you all more, so you can stop picturing us as brown and green furry, slightly tart fruit...

These are called kiwifruit here in NZ. NOT kiwi!

There were 30 little spotted kiwi released onto Motuihe Island over the last few years and they're breeding, which is fantastic. I've never seen one in person, but I would absolutely love the opportunity one day.

Motuihe Island

So, our job today was tree planting. I don't have pics of the actual planting (I was a little busy) but suffice it to say it was hard work but very rewarding. Until I hit my head on a low lying branch. It still hurts, and I have a mark on my forehead ala Harry Potter. Not quite as cool though.

I took lots of pics today to ~~show off~~ share the beauty of the island with you. This is very typical of New Zealand bush (let me clarify, you call it a forest or woods, we call it the bush. Snigger all you like) all over the country. Tourism New Zealand should be paying me for this, sheesh!