LIFE AT FIRST LIGHT

Life and death on Farewell Spit

On the western side of Farewell Spit, where the Tasman Sea collapses with a sigh onto the isolated white sands beneath Cape Farewell, a similar family group are also drawn to the shores. But as life leaves the mammals stranded on the east, the birds recuperating on these west coast sands find nourishment and protection. Bar- tailed godwits, including some hatched approximately four months earlier in Alaska, take the 11,000- kilometre journey from North America to Aotearoa over eight to nine days. They land weak, hungry and tired. The birds have lost half their body weight during migration and must find sustenance in bristle worms hidden in the sand flats. By March, the godwits are fat and healthy and ready to return to their Alaskan breeding grounds. They take flight with the last of the summer sun on their backs. According to some legends, it was the migration of the godwit, or kouka, which led Kupe to Aotearoa and during Kupe’s journey his two waka were accompanied by tohora (whales) who were seen as guardians of the canoes. The kouka remain an important symbol in Maori culture, sometimes used as an emblem of whanau and a metaphor for the importance of strength and togetherness. Like the pilot whales who navigate these waters, the kouka/godwits remain a family.

In the pre- dawn light, Jane Ussher and writer Cheree Morrison happened upon the very sad sight of the whale stranding while researching for The Insider’s Guide to New Zealand 2018. These images were taken only 30 minutes apart. ( Farewell Spit and Golden Bay will feature in the guide, available in November of this year.) For more information on whale strandings and how to help at a stranding, visit doc. govt. nz and projectjonah. co. nz

Ko te kaupapa waka ki te moana hoe ai ko te kahui atua ki te ranga rere ai

While the fleet of canoes over the ocean are paddled, the flocks of gods are above in the heavens flying