The Gift of the Piwakawaka

This morning I woke with the urge to go escape and go walking with my son Kahu, and Maia the teenage retriever. I could have done with a little more sleep and I was looking forward to feeling the breeze on my face.

I hoisted Kahu onto my back and we headed down the steps to the Nelson's beautiful old Railway Reserve. Here, the trains used to run, several times per day, carrying people who wore the fashion of Aotearoa/New Zealand about one hundred years ago.

As we walked and Maia sniffed out the delicacies of the dog world (dead animals), I began to relax and listen to Kahu pointing at things, telling me in toddler language all about the world and how exciting it was.

And then we saw the Piwakawaka - the fantail. I think the Piwakawaka are the dolphins of the trees. They're cheeky and friendly and trusting. I pointed them out to Kahu and we watched them feeding. Soon they noticed us and began to swoop close by. This had Kahu shrieking with joy, and the feeling soon spread. I made that noise that they make, like a cork rubbing on a bottle and they accompanied us back along the track. I was soon shrieking louder than my son!

The simple pleasures of life - sometimes it's merely a matter of relaxing enough to notice.