Sunday, January 25, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Subantarctic
Subantarctic
upon reflection
above reproach
from any direction
while it remains wild, remains
unchanged.
Experience shared, observations paired, exchanged
encounters eclipse expectations,
relentless, continuous, sea effects,
natural processes. No permit required
here it is done right,
climate assisted
balance in decline
Subantarctic
no waste
everything taste
good to something
sometime
.................... Tim Grant, 1996.
Tim Grant was my boatman on my last research trip to the Auckland Is. in 1996. Tim, I, David Barker and his dog "Bob" -a german short-haired pointer with a nose you wont believe - were on our 2nd trip to investigate breeding biology and habitat selection by Auckland Is. teal, a task to assist planning for the eventual return of Campbell Island teal to a rehabilitated Campbell Island. We spent time on Adams Island, directly opposite the mollymawk colony we visited in Carnley Harbour, and then on Rose Island and Enderby Island (which we visited) in Port Ross at the north end of Auckland Islands. We were transported to the islands and home again by Heritage Expeditions on a sister ship to the one we travelled on, and Rodney Russ, Aaron's father, was the expedition leader. The home journey was via Campbell Island and on the long final leg , Tim penned the above poem for an onboard poetry-writing competition. He won !
Tim would prefer to be a full-time surfie....and these few lines penned about Enderby Is. betray that interest...and maybe yours too.....
Enderby, where you wanna be
butterfields edge tundra sward
escorted through by defensive dotterels
weather beaten markers automated met station
oddity to the tikitiboo landscape
as is my presence
not so obtrusive, I hope.
Passing through to Derry Castle Reef
to sit with those who died
when their ship came to grief,
today,
Bighorn Bay, slight onshore
swell 2m, breaking left, fast section, steep,
bulls lie in wait
ocean green on a clear day crew would have seen
their destiny not knowing their fate
rescue did come, but for fifteen
too late
We spent most of our time on Adams Is. including a couple of days directly opposite the mollymawk colonies and viewing the surge around Monument Island in the Victoria Passage from a slightly different perspective to you.......but it looked just the same. No place for a boat, yet 142 years ago 3 desperate men went through, to somehow make Stewart Island 5 days later and eventually ensure the rescue of their 2 colleagues left behind. Island of the lost by Joan Druett (http://www.amazon.com/Island-Lost-Shipwrecked-Edge-World/dp/1565124081) can give you a perspective on that.....as can one of Tim's verses from his poem "Adams" composed on the island
Vertical rises ledges with nests
sea swept landscapes, sooty slides the current
sickles the coast, slabulated stacks
stationary pinnacles duel tidal ocean wash
cross the tops of Carnley calm
where serenity prevails
wind wisps smudge the resting ocean
land lies still.
upon reflection
above reproach
from any direction
while it remains wild, remains
unchanged.
Experience shared, observations paired, exchanged
encounters eclipse expectations,
relentless, continuous, sea effects,
natural processes. No permit required
here it is done right,
climate assisted
balance in decline
Subantarctic
no waste
everything taste
good to something
sometime
.................... Tim Grant, 1996.
Tim Grant was my boatman on my last research trip to the Auckland Is. in 1996. Tim, I, David Barker and his dog "Bob" -a german short-haired pointer with a nose you wont believe - were on our 2nd trip to investigate breeding biology and habitat selection by Auckland Is. teal, a task to assist planning for the eventual return of Campbell Island teal to a rehabilitated Campbell Island. We spent time on Adams Island, directly opposite the mollymawk colony we visited in Carnley Harbour, and then on Rose Island and Enderby Island (which we visited) in Port Ross at the north end of Auckland Islands. We were transported to the islands and home again by Heritage Expeditions on a sister ship to the one we travelled on, and Rodney Russ, Aaron's father, was the expedition leader. The home journey was via Campbell Island and on the long final leg , Tim penned the above poem for an onboard poetry-writing competition. He won !
Tim would prefer to be a full-time surfie....and these few lines penned about Enderby Is. betray that interest...and maybe yours too.....
Enderby, where you wanna be
butterfields edge tundra sward
escorted through by defensive dotterels
weather beaten markers automated met station
oddity to the tikitiboo landscape
as is my presence
not so obtrusive, I hope.
Passing through to Derry Castle Reef
to sit with those who died
when their ship came to grief,
today,
Bighorn Bay, slight onshore
swell 2m, breaking left, fast section, steep,
bulls lie in wait
ocean green on a clear day crew would have seen
their destiny not knowing their fate
rescue did come, but for fifteen
too late
We spent most of our time on Adams Is. including a couple of days directly opposite the mollymawk colonies and viewing the surge around Monument Island in the Victoria Passage from a slightly different perspective to you.......but it looked just the same. No place for a boat, yet 142 years ago 3 desperate men went through, to somehow make Stewart Island 5 days later and eventually ensure the rescue of their 2 colleagues left behind. Island of the lost by Joan Druett (http://www.amazon.com/Island-Lost-Shipwrecked-Edge-World/dp/1565124081) can give you a perspective on that.....as can one of Tim's verses from his poem "Adams" composed on the island
Vertical rises ledges with nests
sea swept landscapes, sooty slides the current
sickles the coast, slabulated stacks
stationary pinnacles duel tidal ocean wash
cross the tops of Carnley calm
where serenity prevails
wind wisps smudge the resting ocean
land lies still.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Photo upload!
Hello!! After 3 hours of work uploading photos five at a time (VUW PCs freak out when you try to run online applications), I have backed up a bunch of my photos on Google. Keep in mind these are up for storage purposes; there are repeats where I couldn't decide between photos, and lots of pictures of the same places. Also, I divided it into two albums for no reason in particular. Feel free to glance through!! Here are the links.
http://picasaweb.google.com/robyn.palmgren/NewZealandAlbum?authkey=eLblBCrQ1x8&feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/robyn.palmgren/NewZealand2?authkey=NLkYwNiLXhk&feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/robyn.palmgren/NewZealandAlbum?authkey=eLblBCrQ1x8&feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/robyn.palmgren/NewZealand2?authkey=NLkYwNiLXhk&feat=directlink
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
This morning (Sunday, Jan 11 in NZ, Saturday, Jan 10th in N. America) we disembarked after our week-long cruise to subantarctic islands. That was a huge adventure and a new experience for just about everyone. I ddn't really believe what I'd heard about the after effects of ocean travel, but I'm believing it all now--we got off the boat hours ago and my world is rocking and rolling still.
We went with Heritage Expeditions, an NZ-based outfit. They did a great job making the trip comfortable (more good food) and are very strong on the natural history of the islands, so it was perfect for our group. We visited Campbell Island, Auckland Islands, including Enderby, and then visited the Snares Islands by Zodiac tour (no landing allowed). We saw many albatross species, two penguin species, Hooker's sea lions (many adventures in fact with sea lions lurking in the tussock as we hiked around), NZ fur seals, petrels, snipes, gulls, terns, cormorants, and many subantarctic plant species.
No one escaped the boat voyage without at least a tinge of nausea, and some had more than a tinge, but after the first two days most everyone was functioning and showing up for meals. Apparently the swell was fairly moderate, with the highest being about 5 meters. The South Ocean can get much rougher, with swells as high as 15 meters on a fairly routine day, so we were very fortunate. Even on the day or so with 5-meter swells most passengers were avoiding the dining room and just keeping to their bunks.
We did some very challenging hikes, one of them straight up a mountain with no real trail to speak of and lots and lots of mud and deep holes. It was more like scrabbling and climbing than hiking. But at the top we got to rest at the most amazing ridge and watch two species of albatross flying over the cliffs and sitting on their nests. And the weather was warm and sunny, the kind of day that apparently only happens in the subantarctic a few days out of the year. Look at the slideshow for photos.
The next day was just as warm and sunny as we explored another amazing island in the Auckland group, Enderby Island. The landscape is incredible and incredibly varied. The hike went from shrubby "forest" to dramatic cliffs to pastoral green peat covered with tough little mat-like plants, to eroded-rock pools, to beach, to tussock, and back to dense rata "forest" (the forest is incredibly dense but it's only about 4 feet high). Along the way we had to dodge crabby sea lions, sometimes only just spotting them before stepping on them!
Tomorrw we're off to Arthur's Pass and the Wiilderness Lodge (supposed to be quite luxurious). The pace of the trip has been quite hectic and will continue that way for another few days, but late next week we settle in Wellington for at least a few weeks.
--Valeurie
We went with Heritage Expeditions, an NZ-based outfit. They did a great job making the trip comfortable (more good food) and are very strong on the natural history of the islands, so it was perfect for our group. We visited Campbell Island, Auckland Islands, including Enderby, and then visited the Snares Islands by Zodiac tour (no landing allowed). We saw many albatross species, two penguin species, Hooker's sea lions (many adventures in fact with sea lions lurking in the tussock as we hiked around), NZ fur seals, petrels, snipes, gulls, terns, cormorants, and many subantarctic plant species.
No one escaped the boat voyage without at least a tinge of nausea, and some had more than a tinge, but after the first two days most everyone was functioning and showing up for meals. Apparently the swell was fairly moderate, with the highest being about 5 meters. The South Ocean can get much rougher, with swells as high as 15 meters on a fairly routine day, so we were very fortunate. Even on the day or so with 5-meter swells most passengers were avoiding the dining room and just keeping to their bunks.
We did some very challenging hikes, one of them straight up a mountain with no real trail to speak of and lots and lots of mud and deep holes. It was more like scrabbling and climbing than hiking. But at the top we got to rest at the most amazing ridge and watch two species of albatross flying over the cliffs and sitting on their nests. And the weather was warm and sunny, the kind of day that apparently only happens in the subantarctic a few days out of the year. Look at the slideshow for photos.
The next day was just as warm and sunny as we explored another amazing island in the Auckland group, Enderby Island. The landscape is incredible and incredibly varied. The hike went from shrubby "forest" to dramatic cliffs to pastoral green peat covered with tough little mat-like plants, to eroded-rock pools, to beach, to tussock, and back to dense rata "forest" (the forest is incredibly dense but it's only about 4 feet high). Along the way we had to dodge crabby sea lions, sometimes only just spotting them before stepping on them!
Tomorrw we're off to Arthur's Pass and the Wiilderness Lodge (supposed to be quite luxurious). The pace of the trip has been quite hectic and will continue that way for another few days, but late next week we settle in Wellington for at least a few weeks.
--Valeurie
Saturday, January 3, 2009
First Days
Today is Sunday, January 4th, although for those reading this in North America, it will still be Saturday, January 3rd.
Everyone arrived in NZ on Jan 2nd, and after a night in Christchurch and getting reorganized, we flew to Invercargill at the far end of the South Island. At the moment we 're waiting for a bus to take us to the ship Spirit of Enderby and will embark on our Subantarctic Island Expedition a bit later today.
We have been joined by a team of expert guides and faculty from Victoria University to teach us about the plants and animals we will see on the islands. From the preview we got at the Southland Museum yesterday, we're expecting to have an amazing trip.
Most of us are preparing for the voyage with precautionary sea-sickness medications. Much of the conversation at the morning meal centered on various side effects experienced so far, from dry mouth to dizziness. Let's hope the medications stave off the worst of the sea-sickness.
--Valeurie
Everyone arrived in NZ on Jan 2nd, and after a night in Christchurch and getting reorganized, we flew to Invercargill at the far end of the South Island. At the moment we 're waiting for a bus to take us to the ship Spirit of Enderby and will embark on our Subantarctic Island Expedition a bit later today.
We have been joined by a team of expert guides and faculty from Victoria University to teach us about the plants and animals we will see on the islands. From the preview we got at the Southland Museum yesterday, we're expecting to have an amazing trip.
Most of us are preparing for the voyage with precautionary sea-sickness medications. Much of the conversation at the morning meal centered on various side effects experienced so far, from dry mouth to dizziness. Let's hope the medications stave off the worst of the sea-sickness.
--Valeurie
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