Life After 2009

Well it's been a loooong long time since I updated this!

My time in Kaikoura with the robins is sadly over. I completed 2 months there, spent a couple of weeks in Christchurch sorting data and packing up and shifted to Auckland to be with Goose.

The last couple of weeks of Kaikoura were definitely the best, possibly not in terms of amount of work done, but definitely socially. The bird nerds + seal + whale people all got on just too damned well, resulting in going out every second night and generally always ending back up at the Strawberry Tree. All in all I loved every aspect of my time there and miss everyone (including my robins) immensely.

After returning to Christchurch, writing a final report for my scholarship, packing up my flat and making the big move to Auckland it was time to find a job. I had applied to so many through trademe and other job websites and do you know how many interviews I got? TWO. TWO!! Anyway, long story short, I didn't get the job at Bivouac (thank shit for that) so began pounding hte pavement down dominion road. One business needed a waitress immediately, so I started the next day. I lasted about 4 hours before I decided that hospitality work was in the past for me. I hated it! Luckily on my second day of work there I received a call from Te Ngahere informing me I had got a job as an Ecological Restoration Team Member (Conservation Worker). This is a fancy way of saying human weed killer. That was fine by me! I didn't really care about the physically hard work to come, as long as I was outside doing something, anything to do with conservation, this was a LOT better than working in a goddam cafe. So I broke the news to the owners who kept me on for a half day after that before letting me go. I felt terrible for dicking them around, but they were good about it and it earnt me and extra $150 to get me through the financial crisis!

So I started work for Te Ngahere about 2 weeks ago and so far I'm really liking it. It's hard physical work and it does require that I'm away from home for 2 weeks out of the month, but I'm just glad to be outside and earning some cash. The company supplied me with probably over $1000 worth of gear and they pay well for the weeks I'm away.

Just this last week I was on Rangitoto Island controlling mothplant, mile-a-minute and maurandia (sp?). It's such an incredible place, and whilst it's a bit suffocating spending 24 hours a day with the same people and it can be a tad boring at times, I had a blast.

We are given DOC trucks to use (brand new 2009 hiluxes!) whilst on the island. The top right photo is on the boat on the way back to Auckland. Bottom left, the view of rangitoto in the evening from Motutapu summit. Bottom right, Stu getting ready to tackle a massive mothplant infestation on Motutapu Island.

I have hockey trials today, so that should be cool/terrifying!

And that's about me, over and out.

Best. Job. Ever.

So I've now been here at the Edward Percival University of Canterbury Field Station (what a mouthful) for a full two weeks and I'm loving it! I actually get paid to wander through the bush everyday and watch birds. Dream job.Over the last two weeks I've learnt to catch and band birds, and extract their preen waxes for lab analyses and experiments, and Jim (supervisor) will be returning at the end of the week to teach us 'mist netting' as another way to catch birds.

The work is going relatively well so far, although it's proving to be much more challenging than I first anticipated. This being said, I still haven't even started the main experiments yet!

In other news, Goose is currently starting his first day at a new job! He was offered this job in Auckland for a company called 'At Height', who are contracted out to clean or maintain tall buildings. He drove to Kaikoura on Thursday, stayed the night and came out into the field with me the next

morning. We then had lunch, napped and he left for Picton that afternoon. It was amazing to see him as I miss him heaps. Hopefully though, this means I'll be moving back up north after the scholarship is over and will get to be a whole lot closer to my family again (and all the fruit that stunning island has falling off it's trees!!).

For now though, I'm just trying to concentrate on this work. That's not being made easy by the absolutely shit forecast (for a whole week) here though!

I'm super anxious about results too (4 days away) and then excited to be able to go back to Christchurch (never thought I'd say that ...) and see my parents and graduate! Yay! After that, it's only a week or two until xmas, and probably the end of my work here, and Goose will be back for a whole 3 weeks!! Cannot wait to hang out with my man again ... properly!

So to conclude: rain go away, results be good, graduation be sunny and christmas be amazing.

What to do ... what to do.

So after the elation of having all this newfound free time, I'm now absolutely bored out of my mind. After the last exam, I got a few things done, took some time to watch movies etc, and went to Geraldine for a week. This was ok, but I sort of feel a bit trapped at Goose's parent's place sometimes. Towards the end of last week, we got out of the house and went tramping up Forest Creek (South Canterbury). We walked in Friday morning, and after 7 hours in the amazingweather, found a good place to camp. That night we went for a wee mish up behind our campsite and Goose took a shot at a tahr, but we think he spazzed hardcore and threw himself off the cliff. The next day we woke up bright and early to go on a day mission, but I got about 50m and my achilles decided it wasn't going to co-operate, so Goose went by himself. That night he missioned up this ridiculous scree face and finally shot one. The next day we packed up and left early. It only took us 4 1/2 hours to get out, but it was a loooong 4 1/2 hours in the hot sun! Overall it was a good weekend out and about and really woke me up to the fact that I need to get fit!

So came back to Christchurch and realised my WOF had run out, so took my car up the road to get the check. Turned out I needed $550-600 to replace the shocks and get my WOF!! After stressing for hours and ringing around every shock mechanic in the phone book, Goose called and told me he'd do it for me! Lifesaver! So now it will only cost me $300 + gas to geraldine + a lifetime of him guilt-tripping me into scratching his back.

To top this post off, this morning I went and saw Jim (my scholarship supervisor) and I finally found out I'm off to Kaikoura on Monday next week! Yay! Let the research begin! I do still have to entertain myself for the rest of the week somehow ... but I'm not going to complain about having nothing to do anymore, I bet I'll be wishing I was back here when I'm out in the bush everyday. Things are looking up! Fingers crossed this shock replacement goes well ......

Student life is over!

I had my last exam today! It was the best feeling in the whole wide world. Ever.

Seriously though, that last morning of study was the longest morning of my life. I had to keep stopping myself from thinking about the joy I would be thinking at 5.30pm, and about all the things I was totally free to do the next day.

The exam went a bit better than I expected it to, a couple of the questions were really easy, and I think the one's that weren't super easy, I dealt with them as best I could with the amount of study I had done. I guess we'll just have to wait until December 4th to find out exactly how well I handled it!

It only hit me the amount of freedom I have after I finished watching shortland street and didn't have to go rushing straight back to the library or worry what lecture I was up to in the study plan. So I got pizza, took Matty to the supermarket, laid around, gave my room the best damned clean it's ever had and listened to music. I've missed my music sooo much since study began!

Tomorrow the plan is to sleep in! Well for a bit anyway, then I'm going to try and get into hornby to this shop that apparently has a bunch of Metallica t-shirts, so I'm hoping I'll find some girls stuff in there, cos they only seem to make them for guys! Grrr. Then do some retail therapy, get a frozen yoghurt or two, do some research on my beloved robins and pack to go to Geraldine and see my Goosey! It's been WAY too long since I've seen that guy.

On another note, I have four ducks living at Goose's parents place. They're not even a year old, and two of them are sitting on nests already! I don't believe any of them will actually hatch ducklings as they're all different species, but it's so cool to see my wee duckies all grown up and being parents! I get to see them tomorrow too, can't wait!

Time to sort out my desk, then I think I might have a wee squiz at some robin papers, then a trashy mag, THEN start my new book, Tandia by Bryce Courtenay, and then maybe I'll get some shuteye. Maybe. :)

Back up, back up. Introduction.

Oh hey! I thought since I started off my very first blog with a bitching rant, that I'd better introduce myself, and I thought one of the most amazing moments of my life might just give you some idea of the kind of person I am and what I love the most. Plus pictures are way more fun than words.

This is my boyfriend, Goose, and I holding two Okarito brown kiwis, which we are about to release into the wild after they were captive reared in 2006. Such a special thing to be able to have been involved with.

I study biological sciences at at uni in Christchurch, New Zealand and I have discovered in my last semester here, that this is definitely what I want to be doing for the

rest of my life. I've primarily focussed on the zoology side of bio, and love love love animal behaviour and physiology. Ecology is ok, but it gets a tad wriggly and boring for me.

Anywho, to start off my lifetime of working with birds (touch wood), I've just been given a summer scholarship to do some research on New Zealand's 'South Island robin' (right) up in a wee seaside town called Kaikoura. It will start in about two weeks and I couldn't be more excited, nervous and intimidated as fuck, but definitely excited.

After the scholarship, Goose and I are hoping to get jobs in the SAME town and FINALLY be able to live together again after having done long distance for the three years that I've been at university. Then, once the $$$$$$ have been saved, it's off to Canada for our big OE. So if anyone ever reads this .... and if that person has been to or comes from Canada and knows of the best sights to see, tramps to do and places to hang, I sure would love to hear from you.

I really need to get cracking on this study (I hate freshwater ecology), I've been procrastinating all night.

Note: the scales of the photos are the same. It's a giant people eating bird. I'm risking my life to research this ferocious, enormous passerine for a measly $5000.

Points for sarcasm? No?

Way too relaxed ...

Hey yo! My first blog. Mint.

So my first exam is in 4 days, and my study habits have NOT kicked into gear yet at all. Usually I have the fear by now and am working my ass off, but the fear hasn't hit me and the drive is just not there. Now all I'm freaking out about is not having the fear! Fuuuuck.

Abby just left the flat yesterday to go to Nigeria. To be honest, I don't really care that much, except for wishing it was her moron sister leaving rather than her. Although in reality, both would be better. I can't wait to pack up and move into the field station at Kaikoura. Christchurch is shit. This flat is shit. And Science is AWESOME, haha.

Jim Briskie (supervisor for summer scholarship) is waaay to relaxed for my liking though. He doesn't seem to want to start organising anything yet, but I'm a very 'organised ahead of time' sort of person. I guess I just have to live by his rules, I am just a lowly undergrad after all. I am relieved to have met Mailee and so will already know one of the people I will be living with up there. It's all a bit intimidating really!

Well this had to be kept short and sweet, so now I must away, to the library, where hopefully I will have a MUCH better day of study!! It's well needed.

This is such a great way to vent. Love it!