Lieber AJ,

Today, I am writing to you from multiple dimensions, so magical that I feel humbled to call it my lived experience in this interconnected web of life. Deeply touched by the universe, I am grateful for my awareness and intuitive knowing, which both have led to this experience.

The story I am telling in this journal entry is about Kath being one last time a Volunteer Ranger on Mātiu Somes Island, the biggest of the three islands in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, the Wellington Harbour.

Mātiu and the two smaller islands Makāro and Mokopuna are intimately connected to Kupe, the Polynesian navigator. The legend is essential to many creation myths and stories being told about Aotearoa New Zealand, including the naming of Mātiu and Makāro islands for his nieces or, in some storylines, his daughters.

Mātiu Island is a 24.9ha, predator-free island reserve of scientific and historical significance. Centuries ago Māori tribes established the first pā sites on the island. In the 1820s to 1830s Iwi of Taranaki migrated down to the Wellington region and maintained their mana whenua role, the customary authority since that time.

From 1839 to 2009, tangata whenua, Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, was excluded from stewarding the Harbour islands, resulting in 170 years of disconnection of people and land. Then called Somes Island, the Crown used the land for many purposes ranging from human quarantine and later on as an animal quarantine station, wartime internment camp, and military defense. And more recently for conservation: In 1995, when the management of the three islands was established with the Department of Conservation (DOC), they were classified as scientific and historic reserves and opened to public access.

In September 2009, a Treaty settlement returned land title and ownership of Mātiu, Makāro, and Mokopuna to Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and recognized the loss of land and cultural connections by the iwi. Grounded in the first claim, lodged with the Waitangi Tribunal in 1987, the unique Statement of Forgiveness, which was a significant healing element for the relationship with the Crown, and the Crown Apology which indicated the desire to begin the healing process for the grief and suffering, and to build a relationship rooted in trust and cooperation.

Mātiu Somes is in some of the deepest waters in the Harbour. All three islands are peaks on a ridge formed 1.5 million years ago. Originally a basin that flooded when land southeast of Wellington fault tilted down formed Te Whanganui-a-Tara, the Wellington Harbour, and submerged the ridge with the three islands. During the earthquake of 1855, Mātiu Somes was lifted, and much of the present shoreline is now surrounded by cliffs perfect for nesting and breeding sea and shore birds like Kororā little blue penguins, Tōrea oystercatchers, seagulls, shearwaters and shags.

Initiated first in 1981 by the Lower Hutt chapter of charity Forest and Bird, followed by many years of a concerted effort by many volunteer groups has fostered the regeneration of native plants and returned much of the island landscape from livestock paddocks to native bush. My favorite island bush bird is the red-crowned Kakariki, NZs small green parakeet. Numerous other species have been successfully reintroduced, including wetas, geckos, skinks, and the Brothers Island Tuatara. The regeneration program has resulted in regular sightings of other native birds on the island, for example, Kōtare the Sacred Kingfisher, Ruru NZs native owl, and Karearea NZs bush hawk. AJ please remember: I hold a deep kinship with all three birds.

The shores are home to Kūtai green-lipped mussels, which are considered kidneys of the sea. As they feed on plankton, their powerful pump filters vast amounts of water of up to 1-2 bathtubs per day, depending on the size of the mussel. By removing harmful bacteria and heavy metals, they are essentially clearing the water of floating sediments, stabilizing the seafloor, and improving water quality and light penetration, benefiting fish, other shellfish like Pāua, rock oysters, seagrass, and seaweeds.

Over the past 15 years, the Eastbourne Forest Rangers assist DOC rangers with voluntary duties like welcoming and guiding visitors through the biosecurity procedure to keep the island a predator-free sanctuary. I am humbled to have served as an Eastbourne Forest Ranger and welcomed just a few of the several thousand yearly visitors to the island.

However, I was not an active ranger for the past two years, mainly because of a decision from my heart to enjoy every minute with my late dog Nalu, given to me.

With my Mutti mom visiting and us moving to Germany early next year, I rather spontaneously committed to one last ranger volunteering shift. Oh, I was delighted when we received the confirmation that we could stay overnight, an experience also new to me. ✨⛺

On the ferry, my mind was trying to loop me into this fear of not remembering my welcome mihi, the biosecurity, health, and safety induction. I said to my mom: Oh Gott, ich hoffe ich kann mich noch an alles erinnern. Oh god, I hope I remember everything. My mom responded with so much love: Ach Quatsch. Das kriegste schon hin. Du wirst dich schon erinnern, wenn du da vorne stehst. You got this. You'll remember by heart.

I was excited to see my fellow volunteer ranger Donna and DOC island resident ranger Gemma down on the wharf when we arrived along with 26 other visitors. Luckily, I did not have to jump in straight away. Donna took this turn. Phew, I was so grateful to have had time to arrive before I welcomed some 50 visitors that day. My mom was so right when she said I would remember all by heart. 💞

I experienced the island in a special kind of magic on my last day of duty. First, I was responsible that no mice, rats, seeds, or Argentine ants would visit the island so that the native birds, plants, and reptiles could live a predator-free life. I also acknowledged Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika as tangata whenua and asked visitors to respect Māori Tikanga. It was a heartfelt honor to have had iwi members, Gemma, and her whanau family present during a few of my welcoming that day. 🙇🏼‍♀️

The countless Kakariki in free spirit added lively green dots to the blue sky. What a gift! Just like I remembered my mihi by heart, their chatter was back in my memory. Suddenly, I realized how much I missed them and the land. They responded to my gratitude with joyful flight races in threes across the island.

While I was on duty, my mom explored the shores and found Kūtai in the shallow waters of low tide. We asked Gemma if it was all good for us to collect some of the mussels for dinner. Yes, we got a green-lipped light. We did not need to ask for her permission, yet it felt most respectful to do so.

After the last ferry, my last day on ranger duty officially ended, and my mom and I grabbed our swimsuits and went down to the shores to collect kai food gifted in abundance by the glorious Pacific Ocean. We enjoyed getting wet and cooling down after this splendid, summerly hot Boxing Day while exploring and collecting dinner. With gratitude, did we receive these gifts of freshness and yummy nourishment. 🌊💗

Time on the island goes by quickly. After lecker dinner, we headed out to take a long sunset walk along the so-called Tuatara Highway back down to the wharf to witness little blue penguins coming home. We did not see any Tuatara. However, Donna and others did see one eating a Weta. 🦗🦎

As I said, I have never stayed overnight on the island before. So you can imagine AJ that I was excited about the chance to witness Kororā coming home to their chicks after a long day of feeding out in the Cook Strait. Often, I shared with visitors what the best spot is to view their daily arrival during the breeding season, but never have I experienced it myself. I relied on the wisdom of seasoned rangers and my knowledge of distinguishing between penguin and seagull poop. 🐧💩

I can say the island is different during the night. The lively concert of cicadas, kakarikis, and seagulls protecting their nests with all their voices fades out when the sun sets behind the Brooklyn Hills of Wellington. Some 10 to 15 of us who stayed overnight had a loose but committed date right after dusk to be a silent witness to the penguins' homecoming of the day.

My mom and I were lucky to have witnessed a few arriving. One couple was in a hurry to get out of the water and up the hill. Perhaps they could hear their chicks from their burrow up the steep hill. For them, there was only a little time for cleaning and sensing the environment. Others took way longer, and some took time to rest in the soil before heading onward.

We witnessed a silent penguin dialogue dance, accompanied by ocean waves crashing against the rocky shores behind them, when suddenly one Kororā voiced their intention to go home, headed towards the hill, and joined by others to make space for more arrivals. As I looked up in an attempt to spot them on their path into the dark and wondered how far up they might need to go, my mom and I witnessed them taking a shortcut by sliding up the rocks. We both looked at each other in amazed disbelief and pure gratitude for this memory, one only Taiao Nature can bring into existence. ♾️💚

We took the longer, more easeful way uphill back to our cabin, accompanied by the Waxing Crescent Moon setting behind the hills right where the sun was setting a few hours earlier and by an orange glowing Venus. Only then did we realize that the little blue penguins truly live across the entire island, even in a shed next door to the cabin block we spent the night. By the sounds of their little burrow, we could tell the chicks were hungry. Luckily, it was a successful day of feeding out in the Cook Strait: The chicks were calm shortly after their parents' arrival, subsequently turning the island into a space of silence.

At 5:30 am, my friend Kōtare was greeting the rising sun at dawn outside the cabin. His song was the first I heard that broke the peaceful stillness of the night. What a wonderful blessing it is to be woken up by this magnificent messenger of love and prosperity.

Two hours later, I also greeted the rising sun above the Rimutaka Hills on a 20 min brightening walk along the Eastern Track. Pīwakawaka fantails interrupted their chasing game to greet me for this glorious day, a Kakariki was having breakfast just a few meters ahead of me, and the other three continued their flight race from yesterday. When I arrived at the Eastern lookout, I was only up for 40 min - including 13 min morning meditation - as a deep sense of gratitude started to flow through my body. The next second I spotted a pod of dolphins while overlooking the glassy waters of the Harbour across to the hills I was fortunate enough to call home for the past six years. Overflowing with gratitude, I hear myself singing Te Aroha as my eyes release grateful tears. 🥲

Te aroha (Love)

Te whakapono (Faith)

Me te rangimarie (Peace)

Tatou tatou e (For us all)

Released of energy that was not mine to hold any longer, there was this ecstatic anticipation pulsing inside me. As I hurried back to the cabin, I was full of joy to see that mom was already up and all set to explore the island before the first ferry from Wellington arrived. I grabbed sandwiches, drinking water, and binoculars.

Back on the track, the dolphins have moved on, yet plenty of Kakariki and other bird life close up and afar let our hearts dance. We sang the German song 'Im Frühtau zu Berge' a few times to remember the lyrics right before we watched a seagull giving its first swimming lessons to its three chicks. It was then when a Kōtare flew along the cliff underneath our lookout and gave me a sense of pure magic: A split second of memory for me to hold as Heaven and Earth came closer together to connect right below us. 🕊️

Back on the mainland, as we drove up the hill in Ngaumatau Point Howard my mom and I spotted a rainbow cloud. Minutes later, still admiring the bizarre beauty, I received a photo message with this rainbow cloud from my dear friend Karen who was also in awe wondering about its appearance. What a beautiful gift! 🌈

After I arrived in Aotearoa in 2016, I migrated from Taranaki down to Te Whanganui a Tara, the Wellington Harbour, where I found a sense of home, unknowingly that I was following a pathway tangata whenua walked 200 years ago.

These past 48 hours have had me experiencing an energy flow moving through me of deeply reconnecting nature. If I have to find words for this, it would be: A relational web of multicultural ancestors lines - Maori, English, and German - dreaming under one roof while navigating the stars in harmony with Mouri, the essential life force that sustains life. In other words, I could feel the healing, regenerating, and peaceful nature of the land. 💚

I consider myself fortunate to have experienced these glimpses of energetic harmony, which I believe are moments that can only exist when tangata whenua and mana whenua are reconnected with the land.

This farewell gift is made of dreams I could not have imagined: Giving me another spark of curiosity for the adventures that await me in Germany, deeply contributing to my self-reflective inquiry into my relationship with my ancestors, my source idea PlanetHive, and its pattern integrity. 🌌♾️

Aroha mai. Aroha atu.

Love giving. Love receiving.

Kath 🐝

HeArted on the lands of Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika in Aotearoa New Zealand. I wish to acknowledge their mana whenua as people of the land.

🗺️ Visit Native-Land.ca to learn more about the ancestors of the lands and waterways where you live, work, and play.

heART: Frequency FreqVE 'Adventuring’ by Lady Daya*, photos of our adventures on Mātiu Somes Island by my Mutti mom and myself, and photo of kookaburra by* Robert Stokoe via pexels