Blue sky and bluer sea, dry brown hills and
the city nestled behind. Sometimes Wellington is idyllic and on a clear day you
can not only see the harbour heads across a millpond sea (above) from its south
coast, but also the South Island and the looming mass of Mount Tapaue-o-Uenuku
rising up through the summer haze of the seaward Kaikoura range. To top the
moment we ate fresh fish and chips at the beach in the sunny early evening.
This was distinctly Kiwi practice and so too were the gathering seagulls that
know these outdoor dining spots well. They jostled for position around us,
puffing their chests, driving each other away and perching to scavenge any
stray scrap or hint of an offering (of which there were none). Strange how so
far from the world of relief projects of DR Congo, this scene reminded me of information
gathering surveys ahead of possible aid distributions. There are plenty of
natural food options for these birds along this waterline, but just like white
NGO vehicles on the shores of Lake Tanganika, the prospect of easy pickings is
now the dietary preference if not staple.
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