It would be 3 months after this event that it would take on new significance: we met my friend and poison-free colleague Vicky, and camped on her land which has lots of beautiful horses and pets. Brrrrrrr it was getting cold again and even a flutter of snow came down overnight whilst we were inside chatting away and drinking wine...the mountains were getting whiter and whiter!
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| a day to be glad of our 4 wheel drive Ranger! |
Another friend and fellow poison-free supporter and animal welfare volunteer came around too, Gail with her daughter-in-law. We had a loud and enjoyable evening laughing and retelling stories of how insane the DoC poisoning operations are and sharing people we knew and had met along our different life journeys. Gail told us about how profoundly she had been affected by witnessing the helicopters dropping the poison over her beloved Makarora Valley backin February. She had been there supporting the protestors, and talked to many of the tourists trying to explain to them the potential dangers of drinking the water in the Blue Pools. We could all sense her passion for wanting to stop the aerial poisonings - as we all do.
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| One of Vicky's lovely family pets :) |
Gail went home happy and peaceful that we had got together at last and shared some tears and laughter. In the morning, Justin helped Vicky feed the animals and then once the day began properly and the snow has almost melted, we set off on our way again, hoping to go further North. But the snow was too much for some vehicles on these local roads, and the road North was closed further out of Alex. We stayed at nearby Cromwell and paid extra for a powered site, taking full advantage of the laundry and kitchen facilities. The campsite was very friendly and definitely on our list to return to as it's in a lovely location. Even if these Top-ten type places are a bit pricey. they can be worthwhile once in a while. Especially on an unexpected stopover.
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This post has a very sad post-script: later in the year, July, our friend who we met for the first and unknowingly for the last time that night, Gail - a long term friend of Vicky - took her own life. Suicide is a desperate tragedy in New Zealand - this nation has some of the largest number of suicides of any of the developed countries - especially in the young male populations. It is a largely unspoken tragedy too, with so many families suffering. Bullying, poverty and other aspects are all a part of life in NZ. But I know that Gail suffered profoundly after witnessing and fighting the aerial poisonings. I know that suicide is a complex issue and undoubtedly, people have multi challenges in their personal lives that we can't every fully understand. But I strongly suspect that aerial poisoning does have a profound affect on some individual's mental health, and no studies have been carried out into this. The fact that it is much out of our control, that poison is so ubiquitous here and alongside that, the inhumane unjustified killing of animals, so normalised it presents some serious questions for public health researchers of the future - when the true hideous nature of this corruption is exposed. RIP Gail. We will go on fighting for you and what you believed in.
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| Gail at a protest #ban1080 |
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