Going on a Kiwi hunt ...

Ahhh, 'home' again in Australia - after getting up at 3:00am for an incredibly early flight. Tired, but satisfied that the trip was far from a disaster. Being that I single handidly planned it - it was totally on me if there was a disaster - a bad hotel, bad place to go see, what ever - I was prepared to take responsibility, so I breathed a sigh of relief on the plane - DONE.

I have to admit - before this trip to New Zealand I was unbelievably 'all things stupid' about the country. I am embarrassed to admit that right up until we were on the plane going there and I was looking at a map, I thought that it was off the west coast of Australia! Go look at a map ... no wonder we took heavy coats when it was burning hot in Brisbane - it was freezing!

It was the hardest trip I have ever planned since there were so many things to do and they said the drive times were deceptive being all one lane winding roads you didn't know what the traffic was like. We, I feel were lucky and my drive times were generous.

On the second morning, we drove out of the town we flew into: Christchurch and sitting in a meadow, I SWEAR, was a kiwi pecking at the ground. I casually said 'Kiwi' and we drove on by.

After a while everyone asked why I didn't insist we stop and I said I was assuming we would be seeing grundles of them and it was just one in a field ...

So - from that moment on - me, Mom and Dad were on 'Kiwi Patrol' trying to spot a Kiwi. About the fourth day (with no luck) Gary told me I was hallucinating ... on the sixth day (still no luck) I was convinced, also, that I was.

Monday - day seven of our adventure was going to be Mt Cook, Lake Tekapo with the Church of the Good Shepard in the foreground and anything else Dad and I deemed photographicable (ok, mainly what I deemed photographicable - since Dad can photograph anything and make it look cool). Since it was drizzling and the clouds had descended, we arrived back in Christchurch early.

When I checked in to the same hotel that we had stayed in the first night of our journey, I saw the super friendly manager and asked him about the Kiwi. He THEN tells us that they are A) Nocturnal and B) an Endangered Species. I spent literally HOURS looking for Kiwi! All I can say to myself is: IDIOT!

So ... we decided to go to a Wildlife Preserve that he told us about since it had Kiwi. I called and they said you could take photographs of the Kiwi, just with no flash. Cool. Off we load into the car and to the Preserve about 15 minutes away. We head straight to the Kiwi house. They had told us it was night for them and they were active. We were excited. Entered the Kiwi house and it was PITCH BLACK. Seriously - you had to stand still a moment for your eyes to adjust. Walked a little further and all of a sudden in the darkness you hear some snuffling and scurrying about, looking, looking and then -THERE! A kiwi - running wildly poking its long beak in the dirt!

I had seen a Kiwi with my own eyes. It was too dark for photos and they had said it was video monitored and that they took the camera thing seriously. My Mom and Dad were behind us since my Dad tends to take more photos then I, and when they came in, I don't think my Mom ever actually saw the Kiwi it was so dark. My dad tried a few shots - but it was basically useless. All of a sudden I saw his pre-flash strobe and quickly told him about the video monitoring and he said 'Ooops'. This is the guy who got a perfect shot of the Sistine Chapel when there (no photography allowed - Ok, I tried too, naughty, naughty us, but my sneaky shot didn't turn out so well).

We finished the Wildlife Preserve (another post for another day) and piled back in the car. My Dad was reviewing his photos on his camera when he said "Lori, they didn't catch me getting this photo" and handed me his camera:

I was so mad! Of, course - not for the right reason: it was against the rules, but that he had a shot! Well ... until he told me he was pulling my leg and it was one of the stuffed ones in the display area. I was NOT AMUSED.

But there you go - our photo of the elusive Kiwi!