Bushy Park is not far from my home and was bequeathed to the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society in 1962 by George Francis (known as Frank) Moore. It has become a paradise for birds with 100 hectares of predator free virgin lowland forest to live and breed in. This gives our native birds more of a chance of successfully raising their young; species such as the Hihi (Stitch-bird), Tieke (Saddleback), and Toutouwai (Robin). These are such a treat to see and feature in the exhibition alongside many of the other birds you can spot at Bushy Park.

Available at Zimmerman Gallery

It is an uplifting place to visit but leaves you with a yearning for the tranquility of it when it is time to leave. When you are there, it feels like you have been transported back in time to a forest that our ancestors might have once wandered in, hearing similar bird song and seeing the abundance of life among the trees. It leaves you wishing that more of our native bush could be just as predator free for our birds to thrive! 

When you are there, it feels like you have been transported back in time to a forest that our ancestors might have once wandered in.

The Dreamer

The Ruatiti Valley is a rugged harsh wilderness surrounded by many farmlands. The Old West Town is situated at the heart of the valley where I had the privilege of working as well as staying with friends who are the caretakers of this beautiful, eerie place. A daily encounter with the bird life there includes such a variety from Tui, Miromiro (Tomtit), Korimako (Bellbird), to the uncommon Koekoea (long-tailed Cuckoo) and rare Whio (Blue ducks) who keep returning to the same place along the stream. At twilight it comes alive with the sounds of Ruru in what seems like a surround sound conversation, calling out to each other from opposing shadowy hills.
In the dark of the night, you can hear the high-pitched piercing call of the male kiwi and the low gravelly growl of the female responding to the cry of her companion. Sometimes other kiwi chime in, letting rivals know where their territory is. The sparkle of the night sky is so magical and unpredictable, much like the life in the land beneath it.

​The land around the Old West Town is a place of paradox, it has both a haunting history and a magical serenity. There are lurking dangerous hidden tomo (deep chasms in the ground), people who swear they see ghosts wandering, and folk who tell tales of buried treasure around the campfire.

It is also where time seems to stop, without connection to a digital world, it becomes a place of relaxation, adventure and discovery. You can disconnect from the anxiety of everyday modern life and follow the tracks into the bush to find a new kind of existence growing everywhere you turn.  There are also remnants of people that once hunted, lived or got up to mischief there too. The birds carry the spirit of this place through into the images in the exhibition. 

The Warrior

The Rebel

The Sacred Keeper

The photographs are of common birds from the Ruatiti that were gifted to me; a native Kotare (Sacred Kingfisher) and Pipiwharauroa (Shining Cuckoo), an endemic Kereru (Wood Pigeon), and an introduced species called the Yellowhammer bought here in the mid to late 19th century by the Britain Acclimatization Society. These portraits echo their once soaring wings and immortalize their delicate beauty, while remembering their free spirits that might still linger in the mysterious valley air.