Touchdown

Today S and I took our grand-daughter to Pukorokoro (also named Miranda). I had inadvertently checked the tides for Miranda in Australia, so we were significantly later than ideal.

In 1863 the warship Miranda brought 300 soldiers and (despite the local Iwi; Ngati Paoa, being "loyal to the Crown) shelled the Pukorokoro Pa killing many of the villagers. The English then built a redoubt on the site of the destroyed Pa. In a further insult to the Tangata Whenua, the name was changed to Miranda. In 2012 the grievance (over the name) was brought to the attention of the Miranda Naturalists Trust which manages the facility . Two years later the name of the trust was changed (after a unanimous vote) to Pukorokoro Miranda Naturalists Trust. 

Then in 2015, as part of the Treaty settlement to the Ngati Paoa, the area became officially known as Pukorokoro/Miranda.

The best photo I took today was of a white-faced heron just about touching down by another. As a relatively recent arrival, there is no Maori name recorded.The two extras feature the lesser or Red Knot with a couple of Kuaka in the first and three Pacific Golden Plovers in the second