Since then the weather has steadily improved and the weekend has been glorious; still, warm, cloudless sunny days. I have been up on the bank caring for my mahoe forest and this afternoon we went for a quick walk around the Karori Sanctuary. Here is the boat plying its way across the lower lake.
There were many birds about with more song evident than I remember from before. This kaka was having a great time at one of the feeding stations.
Here I am on top of the lookout tower
overlooking the upper dam (emptied as it was deemed an earthquake risk).
Lower down we came across mother duck and her three ducklings. 
Earlier in the week Elwin and Bryony were up from Christchurch. We went out to a Turkish restaurant in Petone with Bryony's friend Tara. In case you're worried they are drinking apple juice and the bottles were put there for effect.
On Saturday we went to see Rain of the Children. It is written and directed by Vincent Ward. The film investigates the life of Puhi who the subject of his first film "In Spring One Plants Alone". That was a documentary of two years Ward spent living with Puhi and her son Niki in the Ureweras. The Tuhoe people occupy an area in the centre of the North Island. They did not sign the Treaty of Waitangi and have a proud history of independence. Puhi was the daughter-in-law of the Maori prophet Rua and lived in his settlement on Maungapohatu. It’s not always an easy film to watch but very thought provoking and some wonderful evocations of Tuhoe country and people. There is a trailer for the film here. Highly recommended if it comes to a cinema near you.
