Oh, I see! moments
Travel Cultures Language

World Views:

Topics

30

Jul

Savoring Summer

by Joyce McGreevy on July 30, 2018

A woman sitting by the Oregon shore suggests why savoring summer can be a life-changing experience. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

When’s the last time you took a breather?
© Joyce McGreevy (Featured: Margie McGreevy)

The Life-Changing Experience
of Celebrating the Season

Having a good summer? Or did it register merely as high temperatures while you went about your daily business? Considering the seriousness of world issues and the stress of busy lives, does it even make sense to celebrate this season?

Yes! Savoring summer can be a life-changing experience.

A sun-themed collage evokes the beauty of savoring summer. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Summer sun appears in countless ways.
© Joyce McGreevy

Our brains respond to summer, even if the rest of us ignores it.

Studies have identified two neural responses to summer that seem contradictory. When summer’s heat is on, our brain responses really do slow down. Yet the brain’s ability to respond to tasks that require sustained attention actually peaks in summer.

Does that mean we should turn up the office A/C and focus our high-functioning attention on GTD—Getting Things Done? Or could it mean that summer offers a two-fold opportunity? One, to let our brains slow down. Two, to apply summer-peak focus to more than just mundane tasks.

Sunset on the Oregon shore suggests why savoring summer can be a life-changing experience. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

When’s the last time you took a walk by the water?
© Joyce McGreevy

“Smell the sea and feel the sky.”

Maybe you’ve seen that recent study on the benefits of extended “forest-bathing.” Or the one about standing barefoot on grass for a moment. “Big Duh” Spoiler Alert: Being outdoors is good for you.

Poets have known this all along. “Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly,” sang Van Morrison. Even Ralph Waldo Emerson, a philosopher one pictures barnacled to a desk, declared, “Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink in the wild air.”

In summer, sensory experience is amplified. It’s the warmth on your skin, reminding you that, “Oh right, I have a body!” That there’s more to you more than a suit of clothes with a head poking out at the top.

Bare feet on grass suggest the pleasure of savoring summer. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Hello, silly toes! It’s nice to see you again.
© Joyce McGreevy

It’s the rumbling roar and briny scent of ocean waves. The chorus of birds broadcasting nature’s morning news. A sunset so vibrant it practically cries out, “Aren’t you glad you didn’t miss this?”

Craft your own summer.

Summer also meshes with the sensory appeal of what we humans carry. The smell of cocoa butter. The thwack of a baseball bat hitting a home run. The itch of sand in . . . interesting places. The overheard music that transports us to other summers. There’s even a song about that, Eric Church’s “Springsteen”:

“To this day when I hear that song
I see you standin’ there all night long
Discount shades, store bought tan
Flip flops and cut-off jeans”

What were your artifacts of summers past? What human-made objects are part of your summer today?

A street scene on Waikehe Island suggests the pleasure of savoring summer. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

When’s the last time you sipped lemonade?
© Joyce McGreevy

Savor summer foods.

“I always like summer
best
you can eat fresh corn
from daddy’s garden”

So says Nikki Giovanni in the poem “Knoxville, Tennessee.” What tastes like summer to you? A luscious peach warm from the tree? The salty, syrupy crunch of fairground snacks? The heirloom-tomato and lime-kissed gazpacho your mom used to make? The sour-cherry pie that always held enough slices for everyone?

Summer like a child.

When we were kids, summer marked the beginning of adventure. Boredom was our ally then, because it spurred us into devising games, stories, lemonade stands, and neighborhood track meets—anything to avoid the dreaded alternative, Chores.

We climbed trees, sat under them for hours with books, and turned the stories into plays, casting them with any available siblings, dolls, and pets.

A tree house evokes the pleasure of savoring summer. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

When’s the last time you saw the world from a treehouse?
© Joyce McGreevy

We did not “set goals” or work on “self-improvement.” We gave into obsessions. Like reading every Nancy Drew mystery or book about ancient Egypt.  Learning to skateboard, draw a horse, do magic tricks, blow chewing-gum bubbles, craft a lanyard, or make up dance routines to radio songs.

Now that we’re all grown up, why settle for staring at phones and online episodes?

Imagine taking out the teeny-tiny key to that little pink diary you kept in fifth grade. Picture the “Bestest, Funnest Day Ever!!!!!” What simple pleasure or Big Adventure is written there?

Sandcastles on the beach suggest the pleasure of savoring summer. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Give yourself a hall pass and rediscover recess. You’ll be the better for it.
© Joyce McGreevy

Cast summer magic.

When I was a kid, summer nights were for suppers on the patio, outdoor concerts, and coming home from the beach so drowsy that our parents carried us in from the station wagon and put us to bed. Okay, maybe some of us pretended to be asleep, cherishing the safety of a parent’s TLC.

One summer my sister Carolyn and I investigated The Mystery of The Fast-Growing Zucchini. For several nights, we went on stake-out, setting up sleeping bags in the garden and staring intently, determined not to . . . (yawn) . . . fall . . . asleep . .  . . .

Although we never did crack the case, we had delightful conversations, made up the silliest songs, and even experienced the thrill of star-diving: We’d lie on the grass and convince our brains that the sky was below us. Then we’d “dive” in.

What magic are you making time for? When did you last look up at the sky? Or carry supper outside? Or swap family anecdotes as sunset deepened into inkiest night? Until you could no longer see each other but sensed and appreciated each other’s presence?

The full moon over a desert suburb in Palm Springs evokes the beauty of savoring summer. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

When’s the last time you stopped for the summer moon?
© Joyce McGreevy

Share summer abundance.

But what does it matter? In a world that can feel as cold and uncertain as an iced-over alley at midnight, isn’t it frivolous to celebrate summer?

Here’s the thing:

  • Those outdoor summers remind you that the environment is not a concept, but where we all live.
  • The summer garden you savor feeds your persistence through the winter.
  • Summer cooks know that the secret to sweetening sour-cherry pie is to share it.
  • Summer nights, when you gather in a circle of belonging, reveal real-life magic: Your circle has the potential to expand. Your circle can grow as big as the Earth is round. Your circle can welcome as many people as there are stars in the sky.
A vintage house in Illinois evokes the beauty of savoring summer. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

When’s the last time you sat on the porch and watched the world go by?
© Joyce McGreevy

So why give your summer brain a change of focus? Why invite your body for a visit?

Oh, I see: To refill the well.

Only then can you draw strength to do what needs to be done. Only then can you refresh yourself with the clarity to know what that is.

Can savoring summer be a life-changing experience? Goodness, yes. And not just for you.

Need a reminder of summer-night magic? Listen to Allen Toussaint’s “Southern Nights” here.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

 

Discoveries/Life Lessons/Worldwide Sites

02

Jul

Traveling the World of Birds

by Joyce McGreevy on July 2, 2018

A rainbow and bush parrot in New Zealand suggest a brighter future for native birds around the world. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

New Zealand birds need vast areas of pest-free forest to survive.
© Joyce McGreevy

Winging It in New Zealand

Some of the best reasons for traveling the world are birdbrained. Consider New Zealand, home to some of the planet’s most amazing birds. But what makes New Zealand native birds remarkable has also made them vulnerable.

A black-billed gull remind a birdwatcher traveling the world that many New Zealand native bird species are in trouble. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

New Zealand’s black-billed gulls are the world’s most threatened gull. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Avian Nation

New Zealand is unique. Until about 800 years ago, its only land mammals were species of bat. With virtually no predators, many bird species evolved beyond fight-or-flight. Why fly when you can safely nest on solid ground?

Over time, the land became home to more species of flightless birds than anywhere else on Earth.

A forest in New Zealand was a paradise for native birds until humans traveling the world arrived as settlers. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

With 80% forest and 0% mammals, New Zealand pulsed with the life of birds.
© Joyce McGreevy

Sitting Ducks

What happened next? People.

As humans arrived, they introduced predators—some deliberately, some as shipboard stowaways. Meanwhile, they cleared forests and hunted.

Some birds would gobble up fermented berries and drunkenly doze off. Hunting became as easy as “scoop it and soup it.”

Soon one of the last places on Earth colonized by humans suffered one of the worst biological losses.

Size Didn’t Save Them

The most astounding lost birds were moa. Some stood 13-foot tall and weighed 600 pounds.

Moa bones and a drawing of moa remind viewers that many of New Zealand’s flightless birds are extinct. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Moa once ruled New Zealand forestland.
© Joyce McGreevy

But after millions of years of safe grazing, moas ended up in cooking pits and their habitat was destroyed.

Since human arrival, at least 51 New Zealand bird species have become extinct.

Protecting the World of Birds

Today, New Zealand goes all-out to restore habitat and protect wildlife. Biosecurity at Customs is strict, so leave those snacks on the plane and thoroughly scrub outdoor gear.

One-third of the country is national parkland. Avian projects by the NZ Department of Conservation engage hundreds of volunteers and are models for wildlife organizations around the world.

The piwakawaka or fantail is New Zealand bird native bird worth traveling the world to see. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

In flight, piwakawaka, or  fantails, are as fluttery as butterflies. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Hidden Birds

Which bird tops the perch? Kiwis, of course! About the size of a hen, the kiwi is wingless aside from nubs under its hairlike feathers. It also has nostrils at the end of its long beak.

The kiwi, a flightless bird, is New Zealand’s national icon. (Image courtesy of New Zealand Tourism)

Despite their awkward appearance, kiwis can outrun humans.
© Tourism New Zealand

As national symbols, kiwis appear everywhere in New Zealand. In the 1800s, kiwis were pictured on regimental badges, and during WWI “Kiwi” became a nickname for New Zealand soldiers, one since adopted by the general population.

Seeking kiwi (the avian variety) can feel like falling for a prankster’s snipe hunt. Kiwi is Maori for “hidden bird” and most species are nocturnal. While guides cannot guarantee you’ll see one, outfits like Real Journeys offer a 50% refund if you don’t. Either way, you’ll have a magical hike.

Such was the case when I went birdwatching on New Zealand’s Stewart Island.

“Don’t they realize we drove all the way from Auckland?” said one disappointed visitor afterward. Alas, kiwis really don’t care how far one has traveled. Nature is not a theme park.

Besides, we’d had the pleasure of sailing to Glory Cove, and then walking in silence, illuminated only by moon and stars. In this loud, light-polluted age, that, too, is a rare experience.

Precocious Parrots

Other terrestrial birds are never shy. Each morning a cheeky kākā, or olive-brown bush parrot, stopped by my garden to pluck wild fruit. Then it would perch nearby, deftly removing the peel.

The bush parrot, or kaka, is a New Zealand native bird. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

One bush parrot eats “brekkie,” while another (below) takes wing.
© Joyce McGreevy

A bush parrot, or kaka, displays its wings at Zealandia, a New Zealand bird sanctuary.(Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

© Joyce McGreevy

Though similar to kākās, keas have green plumage. These clever critters endear themselves to some and test the patience of others. It depends on whether the kea—the world’s only alpine parrot—is proving its smarts or dismantling your gear.

Hello, Caller?

One bird you’ll certainly hear throughout the country is the tūī, unique to New Zealand. With two voice boxes, tūī can produce complex songs, from melodious to punk-raucous.

They even inspired a Maori compliment about orators and singers, Me he korokoro tūī: “He has the throat of a tūī.”

Tūī are also mimics. Birdwatchers have reported tūī calls that sound like ringing cellphones.

The tui is unique to New Zealand, a favorite among birdwatchers. (Public domain image; credit: Bernard Spragg)

The white “collars” of tūī led Europeans to call them Parson Birds.
© Bernard Spragg

Pecks and the City

One surprising place to birdwatch is New Zealand’s capital. Minutes from Wellington, one of the world’s hippest cities, is the world’s first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary.

Zealandia is a sanctuary for New Zealand’s native birds and other wildlife. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Zealandia is a haven for 40 species of native birds.
© Joyce McGreevy

Over 500 acres of valley forest have been restored as closely as possible to their pre-colonized state.

Nearby is Kapiti Island, an important site for bird recovery. But plan ahead—only 50 visitors are allowed each day.

“Extinct” No More

One of my favorite sites is Te Anau Bird Sanctuary. Tourists who bypass it for Fiordland’s more famous attractions are missing out. This tranquil lakeshore setting features birds that are among the hardest to find in the wild. These include takahē, which until 1948 were thought to be extinct.

The takahe, once thought to be extinct, is one of New Zealand’s most unusual native birds. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Unique to New Zealand, takahē have been around for 8 million years. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Seas the Day!

If you like pelagic birds, you’re in luck. New Zealand has the world’s most diverse seabird community. You’re never more than 80 miles from the coast, where the variety of birds includes native species of albatross (the world’s largest seabird), gulls, oystercatcher, petrel, and tern.

New Zealand oystercatchers are seabirds that make their nests near the shoreline.(Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

The shoreline nests of oystercatchers have been disturbed by pests, pets—and
careless beachgoers. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Don’t Pester the Penguins

New Zealand is home to three fascinating species of penguins. (Is there a boring species of penguins?) They are:

New Zealand’s little blue penguins explain why many birdwatchers love traveling the world. (Image © Chris Stephenson/ New Zealand Tourism)

Kororā, little blue penguins (average height 13 inches) . . .
© Chris Stephenson/New Zealand Tourism

New Zealand’s Fiordland crested penguins inspire birdwatchers to travel the world. (Image © Matt Winter/ New Zealand Tourism)

Tawaki, Fiordland crested penguins . . .
© Matt Winter/New Zealand Tourism

New Zealand’s yellow-eyed penguins show why many birdwatchers are traveling the world. (Image © Penguin Place/ New Zealand Tourism)

and Hoiho, yellow-eyed penguins.
© Penguin Place/New Zealand Tourism

Unfortunately, they are also among the most endangered birds—and travelers are adding to the problem.

According to NZ’s Department of Conservation, “Inappropriate behavior by visitors to . . . habitats is an increasing threat to nesting and molting birds. Poor use of selfie sticks and people entering nesting areas is causing stress to nesting penguins . . .  [that] could affect survival rates.”

Does that mean we can’t see penguins? No, but if we truly love them, we’ll do so from a distance. Let’s prioritize ecological respect over social media boast-posts.

A penguin crossing sign in New Zealand reminds people to respect the world of birds. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

When penguins come ashore to breed and molt, we humans need to give them space. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Becoming Bird-minded

Something I observed about Kiwis (the human variety) is that they are passionate about protecting native birds. There’s even a campaign for NZ’s Bird of the Year.

We should all be so bird-minded.

A collage of five common birds reflects the joys of birdwatching while traveling the world. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Wherever we go, we’re traveling the world of birds. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Because as the campaign’s roster shows, 45% of New Zealand’s native birds are “in trouble.” In North America, 30% of native bird populations are in decline. Worldwide, nearly 1,500 bird species face extinction.

Oh, I see: When traveling the world of birds, tread lightly. Earth is a fragile nest and its balance is in our hands.

A bird’s egg reminds the viewer that the world of birds is fragile. (Image @ Joyce McGreevy)

Nurture their future.
© Joyce McGreevy

Find bird-friendly tips here and here. Discover birds of New Zealand here.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

 

Making a Difference/Nature Discovery/New Zealand

19

Jun

A Dog’s Tale of Travel Adventure

by Joyce McGreevy on June 19, 2018

Mount Ruapehu, overlooking Ohakune, is the scene of many New Zealand travel adventures. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Halfway between Auckland and Wellington, Mt. Ruapehu is
the center point of New Zealand’s North Island.
© Joyce McGreevy

Lost and Found in
Ohakune, New Zealand

This is the tale of a little toy dog, a New Zealand forest, and the power of Kiwi kindness.

Once, a Traveler took a journey through New Zealand. While traveling south by train, she visited Ohakune.

Why Ohakune? asked a man from A Big City. The Traveler wasn’t sure. She only knew it would break up the 12-hour rail journey.

It’s the wrong season, said City Man. Ohakune is a ski town. Do you ski?

No, said the Traveler. She could see that this was the wrong answer.

Accompanying the Traveler was a little toy dog that mature types might call a “travel mascot.” The Traveler called him Bedford.

People with a sense of fun enjoyed meeting Bedford.

A toy dog and a map of Ohakune, Ruapehu evokes memories of a New Zealand travel adventure. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Bedford studies the map of Ohakune, Ruapehu, New Zealand. 
© Joyce McGreevy

I suppose you could see the Big Carrot, said City Man doubtfully.

The Traveler looked puzzled.

Ohakune is New Zealand’s leading producer of carrots, said City Man. Do you like carrots?

Oh yes, said the Traveler. She could see that this was the wrong answer.

They have this statue, “The Big Carrot.” It’s a statue of a big carrot, City Man explained.

The Traveler sensed he would not enjoy meeting Bedford.

At the station, City Man chuckled without smiling. Well, see the Big Carrot anyway, he said.

 A Sign of Things to Come

The Big Carrot and Ohakune sign welcome visitors to New Zealand travel adventure. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Maybe I’m here to have an adventure, mused the Traveler. Little did she know.
© Joyce McGreevy

It was April—autumn in New Zealand. Green grasses and red-gold trees sprang from volcanic alpine soil. Wildflowers fringed the footpaths. Fields chorused with birds. A-frame houses dotted the landscape, their picture windows gleaming gold.

Field grass in Ohakune, Ruapehu evokes memories of a New Zealand travel adventure. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The soil of Ohakune (OH-uh-koo-nee) is bursting with life. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Rugged and magnificent, Mount Ruapehu towered over it all. So this was Ohakune. The Traveler and Bedford stared in silent wonder and joy.

Every day the Traveler went for scenic walks, with Bedford riding along in her backpack. Every evening they returned to the house called Ti Kouka to read by the fire and watch the stars.

One morning, the weather was spectacular.

Clouds above the Old Coach Road, Ohakune, Ruapehu evoke memories of a New Zealand travel adventure. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Fluffy white clouds chased each other like lambs across a field of sky.
© Joyce McGreevy

The Traveler explored Tongariro Forest, following the Mangawhero River.

The Tongariro National Forest, Ohakune, Ruapehu evokes memories of a New Zealand travel adventure. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Tongariro National Forest protects a multitude of vulnerable native plant species. 
© Joyce McGreevy

She made the acquaintance of native trees and birds.  She listened to stories that only the wind knew how to tell.

Then, her feet carried her up the Old Coach Road, above the Basin of Bounty.

Hills above the Old Coach Road, Ohakune, Ruapehu evoke memories of a New Zealand travel adventure. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The Old Coach Road winds through wavelike farmland. 
© Joyce McGreevy

The Traveler decided to take a photo of Bedford. She reached into her backpack.

Bedford was gone.

Where Oh Where

 Oh no, oh no, oh no, went the heartbeat of the Traveler. She ran down the hill, eyes wild, looking left and right. No Bedford. She raced back to the forest and forced herself to slowly, safely retrace her steps. No Bedford. Next morning, she looked again, asking every natural thing where Bedford could be.

Gone, said the bare path. Missing, said the chill wind. So sorry, said the rustling leaves.

The Traveler felt miserable. She had to leave, and it would be weeks before she passed this way again. It was the first time in her travels that she had ever felt alone.

The Ruapehu I-Site, the visitors center in Ohakune, evokes memories of a New Zealand travel adventure and Kiwi kindness. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

New Zealand’s “i-SITE” centers, like this one in Ohakune, field 7 million visitor inquiries a year. 
© Joyce McGreevy

As the train headed south, the Traveler wrote to Ohakune’s visitor center. But with so many Big Problems in the world, would anyone care about a little toy dog?

Reminders Everywhere

Everywhere the Traveler went, she saw reminders of Bedford:

Cooper the Samoyed of Crafthaus in Ohakune, Ruapehu evokes memories of a New Zealand travel adventure. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Cooper the Samoyed of Crafthaus, a fashion design center at Ohakune Railway Station.
© Joyce McGreevy

A statue of John Plimmer and his dog Fritz in Wellington evokes memories of a New Zealand travel adventure and Kiwi kindness. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

John Plimmer, prominent Wellingtonian, and his dog Fritz. 
© Joyce McGreevy

The Mackenzie Dog Monument at Lake Tekapo evokes memories of a New Zealand travel adventure and Kiwi kindness. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The Mackenzie Sheep Dog, Lake Tekapo, a tribute to New Zealand’s working collie dogs. 
© Joyce McGreevy

At the visitor center, Barbara and Nina read the Traveler’s message and sent encouraging replies.  Barbara put up posters all over town. Neighbors told neighbors. Ohakune Facebook groups did, too.

People began looking for Bedford on their walks. Eileen and Stu, who owned Ti Kouka, searched the forest. Others searched the Old Coach Road. Even teams training for search-and-rescue missions kept an eye out for a little toy dog.

A view of Mount Ruapehu in Ohakune evokes memories of a New Zealand travel adventure. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The Traveler’s thoughts kept returning to Ohakune. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Days passed. The Traveler and Barbara kept exchanging emails.

What our imaginations make real through time, love, and happy memories is powerful, wrote the Traveler. Barbara agreed. She told the Traveler about her daughter’s travel buddy, a toy penguin, who joined the family in South America.

On sunny days, the Traveler felt hopeful. On rainy days, she worried.  To ease her mind, the Traveler read books about New Zealand—history and literature, flora and fauna. She wanted to learn everything about this place that Bedford had decided to explore.

By now the Traveler was “south of South Island.” She’d seen beautiful places but missed her travel buddy.

Waiting and Wondering

Weeks passed. The Traveler prepared to return north. She’d fly to Wellington, catch the train to Ohakune and resume searching. But it was nearly winter.  Would she get there before the snow?

One morning, The Traveler received a message from the visitor center.  Perhaps it would say Nothing more can be done. After all, it had been 36 days and there were Bigger Problems in the world.

Guess what? wrote Nina, Bedford has been found!!!!  He is a little dirty and is being looked after by the couple who found him.

Sue and Paul had seen the poster at Ohakune’s Sweet Pea Café. They had travel buddies of their own and understood how the Traveler felt. They talked about this as they hiked through the forest.

Then Paul spotted something under a wooden walkway. A little toy dog.

River rocks in the Mangawhero River, Ohakune, Ruapehu evoke memories of a New Zealand travel adventure and Kiwi kindness. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Had Bedford landed left or right, he would have tumbled into the river.
© Joyce McGreevy

Sue and Paul owned a business looking after dogs in distress. They lovingly cared for Bedford and introduced him to their travel buddies, Winnie and Gracie.

Then Sue and Paul brought Bedford to Barbara at the visitor center. Barbara took him home to recuperate.

There Bedford met Coco, a little toy dog that Barbara had had since she was two years old. The dogs stared at each other in wordless surprise. Their resemblance said it all. They were cousins!

A woman with several toy animals evokes memories of a New Zealand travel adventure and Kiwi kindness. (Image © Susan Jamieson/ Barbara Van Der Woerd)

L: Barbara with Gracie, Bedford, and Winnie. R: Coco, Bedford, and Chomper. 
© Susan Jamieson/Barbara Van Der Woerd

Kiwi Kindness

Sue and Paul were sorry not to meet the Traveler, but they had to return to Wellington.

I’m headed there now! wrote the Traveler.

The Traveler hugged Sue and Paul and thanked them for their kindness. By the time the Traveler left Wellington, she had friends there.

Two women with several toy animals share memories of a New Zealand travel adventure and Kiwi kindness. (Image © Susan Jamieson/ Barbara Van Der Woerd)

L: Sue and the Traveler meet. R: Winnie eyes the fries. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Then the Traveler caught the train to Ohakune. Thank you, thank you, thank you went her heartbeat.

By now, everyone in town knew of the little toy dog who’d gone walkabout in the woods. The Ruapehu Bulletin reported Bedford’s safe return. The Sweet Pea Café updated their poster: FOUND! People in town took photos with Bedford.

The Traveler met wonderful people in Ohakune and attended a fundraiser. There she learned that several locals, including dogs, are everyday heroes. As members of RARO, Ruapehu Alpine Rescue Organization, they risk their lives to save people who are lost or injured in Tongariro National Forest.

New Favorite Color: Ohakune Orange

The Traveler and Bedford visited the Big Carrot. They had fun at nearby Carrot Park, a whimsical playground accessed by a meandering walkway through beautiful native bush. Numerous people in the community had worked together for years to create it.

A toy dog at Carrot Park, Ohakune, Ruapehu, evokes memories of a New Zealand travel adventure and Kiwi kindness. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Why veg out? Lettuce play at Carrot Park!
© Joyce McGreevy

As the Traveler got to know people in Ohakune, she understood why Bedford had lingered.  People in Ohakune were hardworking, creative, brave, witty, and kind. Elsewhere, people might have rolled their eyes at a Traveler who lost a little toy dog. But in Ohakune, even the busiest people made time to help.

A train pulling into Ohakune Railway Station evokes memories of a New Zealand travel adventure and Kiwi kindness. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Soon it was time to say goodbye.
© Joyce McGreevy

As the train pulled out of the station, the Traveler considered all the good that had come from Bedford’s travel adventure. It had prompted her to read more deeply about New Zealand. It had shown her the power of Kiwi kindness. It had led her to friends she would love for life.

Not just Bedford had been lost and found.

Oh, I see, said the Traveler. Ohakune is famous for the Big Carrot, but it also has a Big Heart.

Bedford, reflecting on his travel adventure, quietly agreed.

A toy dog with souvenirs from Ohakune, Ruapehu, evokes memories of a New Zealand travel adventure and Kiwi kindness. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

We heart Ohakune. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Visit Ohakune’s Crafthaus, then launch your Ohakune adventure here and here. 

Learn about the life-and-death rescue work of RARO here. 

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

 

Adventure Travel/Cultural Encounters/Life Lessons/New Zealand

Copyright © 2011-2025 OIC Books   |   All Rights Reserved   |   Privacy Policy