Poppy Painting

It's been a funny ol' day.  With no plans as such I headed away from Eketahuna campground vaguely thinking I may well return this evening, dependent on what the day produces.

First stop was after I noticed a very white, painted bridge that looked interesting.  I pulled over and discovered a short bush walk (good to stretch the legs) then another pathway that led to the bridge.  Turns out to be called the ANZAC Bridge - a site of historical signifcance to locals both for the bridge as a crossing point for the Makakahi River and as an ANZAC memorial for locals who were lost in the two World Wars.  As I neared the bridge I noticed a woman in the adjoining paddock and, as I got closer, could see that she was painting poppies onto large stones.  After chatting I found out that she's done it for a few years and each year she adds a little more......maybe more poppies, maybe more stones.  With ANZAC Day just a handful of days away she was adding a coat of paint so her poppies were bright and fresh for the commemoration.  This year's addition were the purple poppies, representing the animals that lost their lives in service the the country during the wars.  The woman seemed hesitant to share her name and didn't want to be in any of the photos so I only have images of her poppy stones - what a wonderful way of contributing to the remebrance.

Just a short way down the road I stopped at Pukaha sanctuary - something didn't feel quite right though.  Whilst I'm absolutely certain they do a fabulous job in helping to protect native species, the fact that a number of birds are in aviaries didn't sit well with me.  I know it's a necessity - the kokako I was hoping to see is the case in point - hand-reared birds would not fare well in the wild, it still feels wrong.  I wanted to photograph the birds in their natural habitat (maybe the experiences I've had at Zealandia and Orokonui have spoiled me) but I eventually opted not to go in.

Decided instead to take a look at a possible stopping spot at the foot of the Tararuas......Kiriwhakapapa campsite.  It's a DoC site which had great appeal, but when I arrived, again, it just didn't feel 'right'.  The sun was all but gone (3.00pm!) and the lovely looking grassy camping area was soon taken over by a bunch of dads and lads kicking rugby balls around.  Don't get me wrong - I had no problems with them having their fun - it just wasn't what I wanted.  I had a cup of tea and left in search of.........? 

Along the road heading south I noticed signs advertising the Wairarapa Balloon Festival.......on this Easter weekend!  As I hit Masterton I spied a solitary balloon high in the sky looking rather colourful and exciting so I used my internal navigation system to track it down.  It turns out it landed in a paddock right alongside a campground that seemed like a good place to stop.  Boom!  That's me for the night.  A little research told me that there's a few other events on in the next couple of days that should be worth a visit.............beginning with a 6.30 start tomorrow morning.  Best I head to bed now.