Returning To Happy Valley
Crosspost from the Happy Valley Occupation Blog.On February 28th, the one month anniversary of our occupation, I returned to Happy Valley after a week in Christchurch. The change couldn’t have been more marked. From concrete to native bush, from sparrows and pidgeons to Weka and Kiwi.
As I started the walk back into the Valley, I was quickly reminded of how special and unique an area it actually is. The red tussock wetland (much wetter than last time I was there!) was absolutely stunning, the swimming hole was deeper than ever and the campsite had had some additional improvements made to it.
The 2 baby Weka that live in the same area as our campsite had grown considerably since I was last in the Valley, and they were a lot more comfortable with being close to humans, although any sudden movements still caused them to run far away, squeaking as loud as they could. Along with their elder sibling and two parents, the Weka provide a prime example of exactly what stands to be lost if Solid Energy’s proposed mine goes ahead.
The weather is steadily heading away from the summer that we’ve been having so far - my last night in the Valley included a brief hailstorm, with 3 of us standing under an umbrella which was also covering our small fire. After the hail the sky cleared however, making for one of the best nights I’ve had in the Valley so far, with stars all over the sky in incredible numbers. The next day, we walked out in stunning sunshine with blue skies everywhere - so maybe the good weather will continue for a while yet?
posted by Asher @ 2:06 PM
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