I recently reassambled my stereo; it's been a while since I've played a record and I'd forgotten how much of a faff it is. Find the record - Blow the dust - Read the tracklist - Select the speed - Select the input - Place the needle - Enjoy. And all the time you're listening you can hear the needle being scraped across the vinyl, reminding you that your DNA is being worn away too from overplaying. A timeconsuming business, so when little Billy comes home from zero-G hockey practice and says,
"Grandad, what did people do before the Metaweb?"
I'll reply,
"I aint your Grandad sonny."

- posted by Liam @ 10:33 PM

 
Here are some photos from the last month or so in New Zealand.
The far side of Codfish Island
Stewart Island in the distance
Spot the path
A kakapo hiding
Jo holding a kakapo while it has a health check
A short video of Kurhoree holding a kakapo
If only they weren't green
Me holding another bird
The bird flapping
The Korean film crew
Yellow-eyed Penguins coming ashore
A fantail
and a Tomtit which would eat the flies from the dunnie
Some Black-browed Ablatrosses
hmm
The steepest road in the world
Gollum
Volcanic rocks

- posted by Liam @ 3:13 PM

 
Stranded! The plane can't come to do the changeover of staff and volenteers because the wind is too high. Now I know what RC went through, only he would have gotten Friday to hoink his backpack up the hill on the extra day.
- posted by Liam @ 1:22 AM

 
Today I got to hold a Kakapo. They are big animals, the bird we captured today was 1.7Kg and getting on for a metre long. They have big-bastard beaks which you need to avoid and their wings are long and surprisingly powerful for a flightless bird. They smell quite strongly; musty, like a dry cat. It was an interesting thing to do, the young birds are captured regularly and need to be held so they can be checked but to be honest I don't have much interest in fiddling with wildlife, especially when they try to snip your fingers off.
- posted by Liam @ 11:52 PM

 
It's a new moon and the sky should be bright from stars. The nearest town is Oban on Stewart Island which has a population of three hundred which is hidden by hills and the only light from the mainland is the lighthouse at bluff. But no, there's hardly a thing to be seen even on a clear night. The sun has erupted a milky stream to splatter down on the southern skies; the Aurora Australius. Sweet as.
- posted by Liam @ 9:59 PM

 
Today the Island's population went up from five to thirteen.
The 'Weed Team' were looking for non native species on the shoreline. If you live in or near a nature reserve in New Zealand there are certain species that you can't have in your garden. First off you will be asked to remove them and if you refuse then using the BioSecurity Act it's black suit and earpiece time. "One of these perenials has a future..."
Also a Korean film crew came to film the Kakapo. If you're in Korea around Christmas look out for footage of me eating cheesecake.
- posted by Liam @ 9:52 PM

 
Off the coast of Steward Island is Codfish Island, home to the Kakapo Project where I am working for two weeks as a volunteer.
A day usually involves hiking up the hill with the food and water for the Kakapos' feeding stations, typically four or five hours of walking with a seven or eight kilo rucksack. Cleanliness is paramount to avoid any infection being spread from bird to bird as you visit their feeding points, everything is sterilised after use and hands are clean at all time (hygine first, hygine second. You're handling supplimentary feeding pellets man!)
- posted by Liam @ 6:18 AM