Big dogs don’t cry. I’m not ashamed to admit little ones do. It’s no secret that I wear my heart on my proverbial sleeve. But there was a time I wasn’t so open to expressing my emotions. My time on the streets and in the humane society had hardened my perspective on the world. Fortunately the world has a way of changing our perspective on things.
“The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way,” English poet William Blake suggested. “Some see nature all ridicule and deformity… and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself.”
My eyes were opened on a hot August day almost three years ago when I met my adoptive parents for the first time. Just as perspective changes things for the bad…
Help us to keep coal in the ground and protect our rare and threatened landscapes
Paved with sandstone and edged with rocky outcrops, Denniston Plateau is home to a number of geological curiosities that bring to mind images of Middle Earth.
The unique rock formation that makes up this ancient part of New Zealand gives rise to a rich mosaic of life that is only found here: bonsai gardens of rata, tussock and pygmy pine.
Coal: The planet’s dirtiest fuel
“Coal is the single greatest threat to civilisation and all life on our planet,” NASA Climate Change scientist, James Hansen, who gave evidence via video at the resource consent hearing. At a time when it is crucial we rein in our carbon emissions, our government is actively looking to mine one of the planet’s dirtiest fuels: coal. If this mine goes ahead, it will increase our exports by 63% a year.
Life in these parts remains unseen unless you stop, look and listen.
At night, great spotted kiwi and our carnivorous giant snails can be found hunting out worms and grubs.
Cryptically hidden in the shrublands lie vast communities of green geckos, ground weta and speckled skinks.
Doused with an annual rainfall of 6 metres, water carves the quartzose sandstone into unusual shapes.
This thunderous rain carries the rock’s distinct mineral signature and forms acidic streams that harbour thumb-sized freshwater crayfish (koura).
We do know that this is one of earth’s rare and special eco-systems, what we don’t know is quite how special it is – with new species being discovered all the time.
Powelliphanta Patrickensis
This nationally endangered giant carnivorous snail is only found on the Buller Coal Plateau and has been progressively pushed out by coal mining. Its cousin – Powelliphanta augusta – once lived on a 5 hectare mountaintop on the Stockton plateau. To mine the site Solid Energy picked up every last snail in the hope of translocating them. All three attempts are failing, and now the only ‘safe’ population lives in a fridge.
Green Gecko
The green gecko is found on the branches of the stunted kanuka and manuka forests on the Denniston plateau. Like many geckos they are very vocal, however while most geckos produce a chirping sound, green geckos ‘bark’ to attract mates.
Bonsai Rata
The depleted soils of the Denniston plateau have given rise to a stunted forest of Southern rata. These rata only grow up to 1 metre, whereas rata elsewhere in the country will grow to 20 metres tall.
Ground Weta
This secretive burrowing weta can be found in the Denniston plateau residing in small tunnels. They are mainly carnivorous however they can be found feeding on fruits. To attract mates these wetas drum on their abdomens.
Sandstone plateaus and tors
The plateau is covered in ancient rock made up of hard quartzose sandstone. The high rainfall in the area erodes much of the thin upper soil to reveal large pavements. Pools, streams and wetlands are dotted throughout this landscape filled with miniature freshwater crayfish. Mining could raise the PH levels of this water to inhospitable levels for these crayfish and invertebrate creatures. e
Great Spotted Kiwi
The mountains of North-west Nelson are the stronghold for Great Spotted Kiwi with the majority of the 22,000 individuals live on these peaks. In the past 45 years there has been a 45% decline in population largely due to predation and habitat destruction. They are now listed as vulnerable.
What’s happening?
Unfortunately this rare and distinctive elevated plateau overlies the Buller coal measures – and has been targeted over the last century for coal mining.
The adjacent Stockton Plateau has been half destroyed by opencast mining in the past few decades. The Denniston Plateau has a history of underground mining, but has been spared – until now – this fate.
A new opencast coal mine proposed for the Denniston Plateau would destroy 200 hectares and increase New Zealand’s coal exports by up to 63% per year. But that would only be the beginning. The Australian company holds mining permits across the Plateau, which would generate an estimated 50 million tonnes of coal.
Charley is/ was a King Charles Spaniel. She had this cute doggy face. She was always happy go lucky.
Every morning when I go for my walk with my dog, Trompie she will be greeting us on the balcony of her home on top of the hill. She also had a big buddy named Conner. They both will sit there and sing their early morning song welcoming Trompie and me.
Usually when Sue, the owner is home, the two dogs would dash downstairs barking and calling in happiness for the meeting. I usually go in at the back and let them play and run around.
Trompie and Charley would enjoy chasing each other all the way without stopping. Conner is a bit older than the two wild ones. He will run once or twice and then just stand and watch as Trompie and Charley go wild.
This morning when I came back from my early first walk I heard someone up the hill crying but I could not see anyone. I thought maybe it was one of the girls who was kicked out after a nights party!
I went for my 9 o’clock walk up the hill but nobody was outside on the balcony calling us to come and play. I went around the grove and still no dogs outside. I told Trompie, they must be sleeping still! We were halfway down the hill when somebody stopped at the other side of the road. It was Sue, Charley’s owner and she was crying her head off.
Charley and Conner got out of the gate and were on the railway lines. Charley was hit by a train and died in her owners arms. It was her crying earlier the morning.
It is so sad. Charley was only 9 months and such a sweety.
I think she is in heaven now playing with all the other dogs.
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The depleted soils of the Denniston plateau have given rise to a stunted forest of Southern rata. These rata only grow up to 1 metre, whereas rata elsewhere in the country will grow to 20 metres tall..jpg)
The plateau is covered in ancient rock made up of hard quartzose sandstone. The high rainfall in the area erodes much of the thin upper soil to reveal large pavements. Pools, streams and wetlands are dotted throughout this landscape filled with miniature freshwater crayfish. Mining could raise the PH levels of this water to inhospitable levels for these crayfish and invertebrate creatures. .jpg)
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