In Search of Giant Squid
The National Geographic photographer on assignment here came and asked if Ingrid or I could drive her car while she shot pictures of a woman who just rode by on a horse with 2 dogs trailing
along. I was ready for a break so grabbed my wallet and off we took.
We caught up with her just past the Green Dolphin Cafe, sauntering
along. We stopped to ask her if it was alright to photograph her and the
animals; Maria explained who she was and what she was doing here. She
said she didn't mind, so I drove along slowly while Maria shot the
foursome against the background of the wind-whipped, choppy sea.
After Maria had finished, we stopped to chat with the woman who
introduced herself as Mary; first name introductions being the norm for
New Zealanders, who also refer to themselves as Kiwis. Mary had
come down from her sheep station up in the high country above Kaikoura
to introduce her young horse, Little Yellow, to city life. I gather
the dogs, the aptly named collie, Patience, a mellow mutt if I ever saw
one, and Bruce, a spunky, young fox terrier had come to town on other,
if rare, occasions.
After a chat, it turned out that Mary has a "cottage" (sleeps 10) on her station that was one of the earliest places around, dating to about 1850. She has renovated it as a "museum" B&B and it sounds terrific. During the conversation, we learned that her next guests are coming from Ipswich Mass., of considerable interest to me, as that is the town of my birth!
They were meeting their son who is returning from McMurdo
Base in Antarctica, of considerable interest to Maria, the National
Geographic photographer, as that is where
she spent most of the last 3 months on assignment!
Mary told us how to get to her place and invited us up for a visit.
About 20 minutes after
we returned to the Panorama Motel, we saw Mary
and the critters going by on their way back to the float (Kiwi for
horse trailer). I hailed her and invited her in for a "cuppa" (tea or
coffee) with Ingrid and me. She accepted and we had a great time
getting acquainted. Two of her daughters are interested in
marine-oriented themes, so I invited them to come see me (gotta keep
those young folks encouraged to go into marine affairs!). I must say
here that our experiences with the New Zealanders have been universally
pleasant; they are very pleasant and hospitable, jolly and open.
Smithsonian Giant Squid Overview Page
gene carl feldman / gene@seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov