Traditionally, either June 20 or 21 is our shortest day, so without being precisely certain, I’m picking today as “the date”—the unofficially official “winter solstice.” New Zealand is a fairly temperate country, so we don’t get a lot of snow outside of the mountains, and today wasn’t even that cold, although there was plenty of intermittent rain, and wind with a sharp bite. So although I had the opportunity to scale a near-vertical hillside on nearby Banks Peninsular, slogging my way through knee deep mud and the aforesaid wind and rain, by way of a winter solstice celebration, in the end I chickened out and chose the comforts of home instead. (Lack of boots and other appropriate winter walking gear, combined with the inclement conditions, was a major factor in this decision; the fact that I was probably a cat in a past life and mislike being wet, dirty and cold if I can possibly avoid it, may also have played its part.)

Loulandia

The near-vertical hillside in question belongs to my friend Lou, who has embarked on the strenuous and time-consuming project of revegetating it in native bush. (This should signal to those who know about reforestation projects, that Lou is a conservation superhero.)

“Loulandia”, as we like to call it, is a popular picnic venue for Lou’s friends

Lou, Conservation Superhero

—despite a steepish climb to the “picnic tree.” This climb can usually be managed by 4-wheel drive, but not at present, given the steepness of the terrain and 3 weeks of rain after a prolonged dry spell. And the ascent to the summit, with fantastic views west to the mountains and east—at the very top—to the sea, is a grand fine weather expedition (for a gal like me anyway; 3 intrepid folk did make the ascent today although I gather it was tough going.)

"Amon Sul" (aka Weathertop)

One of my favourite views is to a nearby rocky hillside which always makes me think of Amon Sul (Weathertop) in  The Fellowship of the Ring.  The photo is a little out of focus but I hope you get the ‘gist.’

As well as Winter Solstice in mid-June, 14 June (this year) also saw the official celebration of Matariki, the Maori New Year. (Maori are nga tangata whenua—translated, “the people of the land”—or indigenous first people of Aotearoa-New Zealand.) Matariki is the Maori name for the Pleiades star cluster; the rising of these stars was important for traditional agriculture in terms of signalling when to plant certain crops, such as the staple kumara (sweet potato.)

The first rising of Matariki/the Pleiades occurs just prior to dawn in late May/early June, although

Matariki

traditionally the celebration could take place anywhere from immediately, to the rising of the next full moon, or at the next new moon after Matariki first rose.

And just to end with one last image of Loulandia, as we dream of a return to the sunlit green of summer, here is a photo of regenerating poroporo:

Poroporo