Islands have always been special cases for ecologists who love to see how plants and animals change over landscapes Our whirlwind tour of the North Island has allowed us to see some of these ecological transitions quickly enough that you can appreciate the wonder that early European explorers must have felt when they found these islands and the challenges that must have occupied the first Maoris as they transitioned from tropical islands to the more temperate Aotearoa.
We've traveled from the far, subtropical Northland, where the ancient forests were once dominated by giant Kauri trees to the hobbit-filled Waikato and Kings Country in the central North Island, the agriculture and grazing heartland of the country to the vocanic plateau of the central North Island. The video above shows some of the ecology and family fun on the trip.
On Tuesday we laced up our boots and went tracking. This allowed us to see some of New Zealand’s compressed transitions up close. We hiked the Tongariro Crossing, a 12-mile track that starts in subalpine tussock grasslands, transitions into boulder fields and alpine plants in the saddle between two volcanoes (Tongariro and Ngauruhoe—Mt. Doom), back down through grassland, shrubland, and finally into temperate totora/tree fern forests. Unfortunately, the Lonely Planet last year identified this hike as one of the top 10 day hikes in the world. It had been raining the prior three days, so we were joined on our hike by thousands of European hikers. Our day was perfect—cool, sunny, not too breezy and the kids lead out. Coulter helped carry water for Sophie and Eliza when their shoulders were sore from carrying backpacks. Martha kept enthusiasm levels high. Sharman and I helped the kids as we slid and tumbled our way down the steep scree slope on the back side of the saddle. We saw lava tubes, steam plumes coming out of the soil, aqua and emerald lakes dyed by the heavy metals and sulfur in the volcanic landscape. As we walked through the last three miles of forest, my energies were flagging but Sophie came back and skipped next to me to show me how young legs feel. Martha and Eliza would stop and give everyone encouragement. It was a wonderful day.
In the coming days we will transition to the South Island, arrive at our home in Dunedin and the kids will return to the daily responsibilities of school and I’ll begin my new research projects at the University of Otago. Our transition to New Zealand has been such a blessing. There is a kindness and love that we have felt here from New Zealanders (see Sharman’s earlier post). While we miss our family and friends back home, the move has been eased by the tameness of this island nation and the magnificence of the landscapes through which we have moved.
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