Last Friday at Tenby Arts Club, John Archer Thompson gave a fascinating talk on the scenery and wildlife of New Zealand. He started in Christchurch in the South Island and travelled around in a small camper van. The first destination of the talk was Moeraki to see the strange round boulders scattered on the beach. Further down this coast, members saw an albatross colony, penguins, shags, spoonbills and a strange- looking swamp-hen. The Caitlin coast had the first of many waterfalls, and forests full of ferns and mosses. Stewart Island, at the bottom of New Zealand, is a wildlife preservation area, with some parts still in their original state with no ground predators and thus surviving ground-nesting birds. The next highlight was the Doubtful Sound on a very rainy day - with many impromptu waterfalls on the sheer cliffs of the fjord. In Queenstown, there was the strange sight of snow on the mountain tops in midsummer. Stunning photos of a heli-hike on the Abel Tasman glacier followed, and a clear view of Mount Cook from a light aircraft. A classic shot of a saddleback whale off the coast in Kaikoura brought the South Island odyssey to a close, and it was then up to the volcanic area of the North Island. After some excellent shots of Mt Ngarahoe and Mt Ruapehu, members saw the Waitapu Thermal Park, with hot springs, mud pools and a geyser that erupted regularly for the tourists each day - with a little help from a warden with a bag of soap! After a butterfly farm in the Coromandel, 90-mile beach (which is only 60 miles long) and the huge Kauri trees that were 1,000-years-old, the tour ended in Auckland. What a trip! Members are sure to look forward to another enjoyable and visually stunning talk next year! Tonight (Friday), Chris Warren is talking to the club about 'Travels in Europe (with camera)', which will take place at 8 pm at the Church House, Tenby. Non-members are welcome for only £2, which includes light refreshments.
