A Sacred Rising . TKG Take Ten . Travel

New Zealand. An Island. A Bay. Sink into your evening, wind down and reset with the ambient sounds of the gulls from Island Bay.

There is a bit of road noise. This view overlooks the esplanade, a busy road around the bays of Wellington, New Zealand.

I was in a house up 60 steps straight up the hill then out onto the balcony looking back down into Island Bay. And the island we see is called Tapu te ranga. It was pouring down rain, torrential, so this shot is of the Tapu te Ranga Island set amongst the low wet clouds.

Translated from Māori into English Taputeranga means "a sacred rising". Since 2008 this area has been a marine reserve so it is heaving with recovering sea life. As you can imagine this area is the site of a few ship wrecks too and these have become volunteer reefs too. Great for diving. But you may NOT fish in this area. We take our oceans seriously here in New Zealand. This is best explained by Dr Kingdon-Bebb.

‘As an island nation, we are ocean people. Two-thirds of us live within 10 kilometres of the coast. The health of our marine environment is inextricably linked to our health and wellbeing. The ocean provides food, regulates our climate, and generates most of the oxygen we breathe. New Zealand’s waters are particularly unique, as they support 30% of our native biodiversity. Not only are we the seabird capital of the world, but half of our nearly 13,000 marine species are found nowhere else on Earth’. 

Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, CEO WWF-New Zealand. For the full article go HERE.

Dr Kingdon-Bebb goes on to say that with only 1% of New Zealand waters are protected to far (chasing the global goal of 30% protection by 2030) she believes and I agree that we have a long way to go.

I know I have said to you before but I wish there was no commercial fishing at all - anywhere. Mothball those big ships for twenty years and let our oceans heal. And this is from a boatbuilders daughter.

New Zealand consists of two main islands, the North Island and the South Island, (we are touring all over the North Island this visit) and one smaller island Stewart Island which sits right at the bottom of the South Island. Remember that South in New Zealand is colder than the North. In total there are around 600 smaller islands that surround the main landmasses. Tapu te Ranga Island, (Taputerangi Island) is one of the 600 smaller islands. It sits just off the South facing beach of Island Bay in the middle of a truly inspirational marine reserve. This diagram shows the dimensions.

Go HERE to read more about the marine life in this reserve. It was created as a reserve in 2008 and is going through magnificent though fluctuating (it is the sea after all) stages of recovery.

It is not unusual to see Orcas as they swim their way around the islands following their territorial markers and dolphins playing with the fishing boats.

Enjoy! Have a lovely reset.

Hey! What do you do when you are listening to TKG Take Ten?

I make my list for tomorrow in my notebook, while I am listening to TKG Take Ten. Then tidy my desk. I just cannot work on a messy desk (or dining room table when I am travelling). It only takes ten minutes to do a reset accompanied by ambient sounds. Often I will go back and find a favourite TKG Take Ten to suit my mood. Like THIS one from just the other day.

Did you hear the gulls?

Take care and Talk soon.

Celi