Red-Billed Gulls

Larus novaehollandiae, New Zealand natives.

My plans for this morning fell through and I was in Christchurch with a couple of hours to spare. I went to the seaside at New Brighton. How wonderful it was to see and smell and hear the surf. It has been 16 months since the last time.

The visit was tinged with sadness, however. Everywhere were notices warning of the contaminated water due to sewage overflows, that the water is unsafe for people and pets. There should be no contact with it or fishing in it. Yet another sorry fact of life since the February earthquake. The sewage treatment plant was damaged and hundreds of kilometres of sewer pipes have to be fixed.

I have had a very long and tiring day and really need an early night. I'll catch up on your journals tomorrow.

Nice large