The Empire strikes back
Martin Doyle
I’ve never swum across Cook Strait.
I’m amazed anyone has yet in the past 50 years, about 80 women and men have clawed their way across those 26 kilometres of choppy water. What would drive you to do it? Even more mind-blowing is the feat of that Emperor penguin Christine Wilton found up at Peka Peka last week.To get there, it had swum 6,000 kilometres from Antarctica (without a support crew). With grit like that, I don’t know why it was eating sand. If I’d swum 6000 km non-stop, I’d rather eat roadkill than sand.
I often think that we humans are ‘off-course’ ourselves the way we are destroying the habitat we (and other animals) depend on for our survival. However, how could you not be inspired by the humanity shown by Wellingtonians on the beach, in the ambulance, and round the operating table at the Zoo as the vets battled all weekend to save the bird’s life. What blew me away was the empirical practicality of locals, cancelling cocktail parties and dropping off bags of ice-cubes to add to the piles needed to keep the portly emperor alive. More impressive again was the team’s openness about what they were doing and why, and the 50/50 odds of success. Plus, letting several dozen locals (of all ages) observe the unfolding medical drama.
Was this penguin really lost? Isn’t it at least possible it wanted to come to Wellington? With its swish ‘jacket’, poncy strut, and rubber neck, I wonder if it’s actually an entrant in this year’s World of WearableArt awards show.
But, my, what a change of attitude towards our fellow-residents on Planet Earth. Just think of the whales, the largest creatures ever to have lived: after hundreds of thousands of years of breeding and birthing in New Zealand waters, they were then harpooned and butchered in such numbers they disappeared from our shores. Why did we hunt them? Mainly to provide lamp-oil and candle wax to the northern hemisphere [There was money in it at one time].
So this week’s news that the southern right whales are coming home once more is fantastic. We in Wellington have noticed whales swimming in the harbour in recent years (as they no doubt did for eons), so the latest development proves there is hope. Wellington can once more function as an Olympic pool and birthing suite for the world’s greatest mammal.
In much the same way, at a time when human visitor numbers to New Zealand are down, Wellington has seen an extraordinary 12 per cent jump in tourism. Many of them are coming from Australia, which is almost inconceivable. Why would an otherwise healthy, sane Ocker having lotion gently massaged into their wrinkled back under a banana tree in Queensland want to throw all that away to fight the bitter cold and predatory parking wardens of Wellington...?!! If you see one, treat them with respect and keep your dog on a lead.
I’m amazed anyone has yet in the past 50 years, about 80 women and men have clawed their way across those 26 kilometres of choppy water. What would drive you to do it? Even more mind-blowing is the feat of that Emperor penguin Christine Wilton found up at Peka Peka last week.To get there, it had swum 6,000 kilometres from Antarctica (without a support crew). With grit like that, I don’t know why it was eating sand. If I’d swum 6000 km non-stop, I’d rather eat roadkill than sand.
I often think that we humans are ‘off-course’ ourselves the way we are destroying the habitat we (and other animals) depend on for our survival. However, how could you not be inspired by the humanity shown by Wellingtonians on the beach, in the ambulance, and round the operating table at the Zoo as the vets battled all weekend to save the bird’s life. What blew me away was the empirical practicality of locals, cancelling cocktail parties and dropping off bags of ice-cubes to add to the piles needed to keep the portly emperor alive. More impressive again was the team’s openness about what they were doing and why, and the 50/50 odds of success. Plus, letting several dozen locals (of all ages) observe the unfolding medical drama.
Was this penguin really lost? Isn’t it at least possible it wanted to come to Wellington? With its swish ‘jacket’, poncy strut, and rubber neck, I wonder if it’s actually an entrant in this year’s World of WearableArt awards show.
But, my, what a change of attitude towards our fellow-residents on Planet Earth. Just think of the whales, the largest creatures ever to have lived: after hundreds of thousands of years of breeding and birthing in New Zealand waters, they were then harpooned and butchered in such numbers they disappeared from our shores. Why did we hunt them? Mainly to provide lamp-oil and candle wax to the northern hemisphere [There was money in it at one time].
So this week’s news that the southern right whales are coming home once more is fantastic. We in Wellington have noticed whales swimming in the harbour in recent years (as they no doubt did for eons), so the latest development proves there is hope. Wellington can once more function as an Olympic pool and birthing suite for the world’s greatest mammal.
In much the same way, at a time when human visitor numbers to New Zealand are down, Wellington has seen an extraordinary 12 per cent jump in tourism. Many of them are coming from Australia, which is almost inconceivable. Why would an otherwise healthy, sane Ocker having lotion gently massaged into their wrinkled back under a banana tree in Queensland want to throw all that away to fight the bitter cold and predatory parking wardens of Wellington...?!! If you see one, treat them with respect and keep your dog on a lead.
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