A view across Cook Stait

View from Lake Ferry, North Island of Aeotearoa/New Zealand, across Cook Strait to the Kaikoras in the South Island.

xxviii Hooked

some say the South Island

is a waka

the North Island is a fish

and the Cook Strait cable (I reckon)

is the only link between them.

p32

Star Waka by Robert Sullivan,

Auckland University Press,1999. ISBN 1 86940 213 8

In the NOTE at the begining of "Star Waka" Robert Sullivan said: "I wrote Star Waka with some threads to it: that each poem must have a star, a waka or the ocean. This sequence is like a waka, members of the crew change, the rhythm and the view changes - it is subject to the laws of nature......
For references to Maori mythology see Margaret Orbell's Encyclopedia of Maori Mythology. Other references are built into the text."

Action for this week: eat walnuts instead of fish!

Almost everytime I walk along Lake Ferry Beach I find myself angered by the fish which have obviously been thrown out of nets and discarded, left to die in clusters along the beach.

On a recent walk these were the fish I found.

The beautiful brown shark was still able to move and look at me but unfortunately it was too far gone. When I put it back in the water it just washed ashore.

The night before our visit there had been news of a company being prosecuted for common, but difficult to prove, mass dumping of fish.

The use of extremely long, fine gauge nets and huge banks of lights at night contribute to the huge losses of fish stock. Eating tinned fish is the other end of the chain.

I grew up in the Queen Charlotte Sounds, New Zealand, where we would feed groper as big as a person. These fish are well gone now; fished out.

Omega 3 is touted as the miracle food and we are told to get it from deep sea fish. Omega 3 is available in walnuts which you can get as an oil as well as the nut form.

Percy's Mart Glassware Display

I found this interesting display of glass preserving jars and bottles in Percy's Mart.

I was interested in these metal sprong ties which hold the glass lids on.

In this final picture there is another type of wire lid fastening and holder displayed.

Humdinger

excellent or remarkable person or thing

This interesting little red truck has been parked at the back of the car parts shop for a few days.
It has the marvellous home made look, it's boxy, low slung and is eye catching.

It is called Number 5; where are the other ones?

One of it's signs says "Specialing in Kiwi Fruit Spraying".

I love the name Humdinger and it has reminded me of a wonderful, remarkable set of Kiwi made connect-up blocks that are sturdy, colourful, and well made: Humdinger Blocks. Kids and parents love these and they are easy to store as they come in their own special box. They have rods and coloured balls with insert holes all made out of wood and make wonderful constructions.

In searching for their website (which apparently no longer works - they were in RD11, Hastings 06 877297) I have come across a story where Robin the manufacturer of Humdinger has had to move to China to manufacture his toy. It makes interesting and disappointing reading.

I love the sound of the word Hum-Dinger; and I found this story (click on the link) - it lends itself to storytelling! I can feel a story coming on.

Tinui

Tinui is a pleasant 40 km drive from Masterton on a good road which takes you past dairy and sheep farms, pine plantations, herb farms, home stays and a lime quarry. While an easy drive it is still be a rural drive and you are always likely to come across herds of cattle or sheep being moved. Surfers with cars loaded with surf boards often zip past on the way to Castlepoint, trucks and farm bikes loaded with dogs, and you often see cyclists loaded up with tents and packs. Castlepoint is approximately 15 kms past Tinui.




Tinui has been known for serious flooding and there are homes here which have had to move to higher ground, one has built a huge flood bank around it. The local archive has produced an interesting book "When the Rains Came" about the 1991 flood.


Tinui has a timber mill and a miniature horse stud.




Tinui has recently lost it's landmark pub where you could see chickens and pigs in the backyard. The front section has been moved out to Martinborough which is more popular with the city visitors as the area produces wine, is a pretty town with upmarket shops within an easier distance from Wellington.

The loss of the pub has had an interesting effect on Tinui as the imposing two storied building sat on the corner and created both a focal point and a boundary to the small village. In the last year the small dairy there also had to close. As the shop's building is owned by a community trust the locals have banded together and now run it on a roster system.





Next door is another shop which is used as a co-operative craft shop. It's a place to get very cheap and well made articles and I always purchase Rosa's Herb Farm delicious handmade pickles and chutneys.


Behind this quaint shop is an area that was once the town jail which has been turned into the public toilets.

Opposite the shops is a small but vibrant school.
























In the yard is a memorial bell, erected in 1976 to celebrate 100 years on the site.

Next door is the large Memorial Hall- often used by the school - and behind it a recently erected hockey turf and tennis court. The small playgroup here attracts families from the area and is vibrant with ideas and bright happy children. Plunket (a New Zealand child care organisation) use one of the towns houses for regular nurse visits.












This small community has a book group, they are starting a movie group and they are striving to keep their small community alive despite the losses of the local pub and shop. They support each other with child care, shared trips to town and fun times together.