Today we would be measuring carbon and salt-marsh species in Whangapoua (Wh in Maori is Ph). We headed to a white sand beach: pristine and beautiful. From the beach one group laid out a 500m transect (tape measure) through the salt-marshes and into the mangroves. We took it in turns to leapfrog down the transect, laying out a plot, and recording the two dominant species along with an estimation of their cover.
The work was fairly tedious because there were only a few species present, and getting a look at ground level involved much squishing. The carbon measuring (which groups did in turns) at every plot was much more interesting! Luitgard (lecturer) stuck a device over the soil which records the influx of carbon, R stuck a thermometer in the ground, I took the GPS, and S made notes.
The mangrove forest was really fun: squelchy and muddy and smelly, a great end to the data-collection / work part of the trip. It was time to head back to the beach. We had waves to catch! We all "tog"ged up and ran into the sea and spent about an hour swimming and playing in the waves - it was lovely. After dinner (potato curry) we got dressed up and went to the pub. There we played pool, darts, spoke random languages, and had a really great evening. In the bus on the way home we serenaded Sandra and George with "Teenage Dirtbag" and unloaded to head to the jetty to see the bioluminescence of the water.
Due to Y and I being particularly keen, we got onto the jetty just as the boat owner was heading home. Not knowing he wasn't one of our group, I accosted him about not climbing in other people's property. He turned around and I apologised profusely, and he offered to take myself and Y on a boat ride to see the bioluminescence more clearly. The wake of the boat glowed silver, and the sides and into the lake were all silver: it was really stunning. Back on the jetty, a group of us hung out and star-gazed, finding the southern cross amongst other things.
The next day we started the drive back to the ferry terminal, but stopped off en-route to go to the hot springs. On the path to the water, we saw a Morepork - New Zealand's last surviving owl - and it was so sleepy and looking at us, blinking, clearly not happy to have been disturbed! At the spring we were warned not to put our heads under-water as we could contract amoebal meningitis and die. With that message ringing in our ears, we plunged into the pools and carefully had a relaxing time.
Back on the road we stopped off for ice-cream and petrol and then back to the ferry. I had a good old nap for the first couple of hours, but was awoken by a very powerful smell of chips. Heading downstairs I enquired as to whether or not they had any, to be told I must be hallucinating! Later on people started getting beer, so I headed downstairs to get one for myself, to have the following conversation with the barman:
- Are you from Newcastle?
- erm... no...
(random guy: isn't that quite insulting?)
- where are you from?
- london
- south london?
- the insults just keep coming!
We spent the last hour on the front deck chatting and watching Auckland grow bigger as the sun set. We docked, said our goodbyes, and G came to meet me at the ferry terminal.
All in all: a bloody good trip!
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