We write to discover ourselves.

Grace Paley

 

Thank goodness for Steffan Browning of the Green Party. He is prepared to accept the petition from Leona Plaisier of Pelorus Sound opposing the expansion of salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds by NZ King Salmon.  He says he will ensure that it is tabled in Parliament. About 11,000 people signed the petition, many of these online. Several National Party MPs who Leona approached earlier had refused to accept it and present it in Parliament. Thank goodness also for the Marlborough District Council who held firm to the belief that the current Marlborough Sounds resource management plan should be upheld despite Government’s thoughts to the contrary.

   Here in Picton and the Marlborough Sounds we might not have a major river to protect as they do elsewhere like on the East Coast (see November Forest and Bird magazine), but the waterways of the Sounds are our taonga (treasure). One prominent Picton family in the early 1900s had a seawater swimming pool at the bottom of the garden in the area where the Picton Marina is now and there were seawater swimming baths on Shelly Beach (opened in the 1880s, rebuilt 1911 and operated until the 1930s). The concrete remains can still be seen near the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club. With all the boats and shipping and possible pollution it is unlikely any local residents would want to swim there now (2012). Fortunately the Council is also concerned about this and is actively monitoring the water quality of various beaches and posting results on its website.

   A big congratulation to Shayne Olsen and Louise Bright, the owners of Lochmara Lodge Wildlife Recovery and Arts Centre for winning three awards at the Westpac Marlborough Chamber of Commerce awards, including the Supreme award (Marlborough Express, 19 November). If you are ever visiting Picton take the short boat trip over to Lochmara Bay or visit the lodge while walking the Queen Charlotte Track. This was the place where the concept of Eco Artists NZ was developed. It is a privilege to belong to this organisation and to be able to contribute to the support of the environment www.ecoartists.co.nz

   Last night I went to ‘Dickens’, a one-man show touring New Zealand and the world and Picton. What a performance, such a memory, such energy.  A full house and an appreciative audience. As my ‘temporary’ neighbour said it just goes to show if you bring a class act people will come. She recently went to hear Fiona Pears at Le Cafe, another excellent performer. She bought a DVD not just because of the music but because it had been recorded in Christchurch Cathedral, something that can never be repeated.

   Talking about performers the best of luck to Clara van Wel, one of 12 finalists in New Zealand’s Got Talent. A 15-year-old Marlborough College student she writes her own songs, impressed the judges early on, and has captured the hearts of many with her talent. “I just like words, words are cool, words are fun”, she says. She received some encouragement from the school’s librarian, Colleen Shipley, who is a member of the NZ Society of Authors Marlborough Writer’s group that I belong to. Clara has advice for other young people: “Never listen to anyone who tells you, you can’t do it”.

   Thanks to my other neighbour who has just left a small bag of kindling at my back door. It is still cold even though it’s November. Keeping warm takes up so much energy. And I wish my computer would get over its obsession with fragments! That’s the way I write. You would think it would have got used to it by now.

   Here’s a teaser from my book, a work in progress. I think I am getting near the end. The November weather seems fairly similar and all those gales and difficult sailing conditions mentioned by Cook don’t look good for the ferries moving to Cloudy Bay. It’s such a relief for passengers when they enter the calm waters of the Marlborough Sounds after the turbulence of Cook Strait. That’s usually when I head to the cafeteria.

From: Captain James Cook’s Journal

Voyage II, November 1773

Tuesday 2^nd.  Fresh gales with rain.  At 2pm passed Cape Campbell at the distance of one league, consequently entered the Strait with a fresh gale at south so we thought nothing of reaching Queen Charlottes  Our expectations were in vain, at 6 o’clock our favourable wind deserted us and was succeeded by one from the north which veered to the NW and increased to a fresh gale. We were at this time off Clowdy Bay [Cloudy Bay], we spent the night plying. Our tacks were disadvantageous and we lost more on the ebb tide than we had gained on the flood.

[Ref: The Journals of Captain James Cook, Voyage II: The Voyage of Resolution and Adventure, 1772-1775, edited by J C Beaglehole].

Note: Cook named the Sound, Queen Charlottes Sound, after the wife of King George III of England. It is now known as Queen Charlotte Sound. Also sometimes Cook writes ‘Clowdy Bay’ and sometimes ‘Cloudy Bay’ as it is now referred to.