Magi Nams - Once a Land of Birds: An evocative and compelling true-life family travel adventure

ONCE A LAND

OF BIRDS

Cry of the Kiwi:

A Familys New Zealand Adventure

Book 1

Magi Nams

Leaf Rain Books

Image
Once a Land of Birds New Zealand Travels

Title page

Map

Contents

Preface

Prologue

Once a Land of Birds

Other books

About the author

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Glossary

Copyright page

Sidebars

References

All my life, Id dreamed of travelling to far-away countries to hike through landscapes inhabited by exotic animals and plants Id seen in National Geographic or on television. In the year 2000, my dream came true when my husband, two sons, and I left our home in rural Nova Scotia, Canada, and spent ten months in New Zealand.

Our sojourn on the far side of the world was our first extended absence from Canada. As we made our final preparations to travel, we were filled with excitement at the prospect of hiking on volcanoes and exploring tangled rainforests (maybe wed even see a kiwi bird!) but we also had qualms. Would the tenant renting our house take good care of it? Would our cats remember us when we returned? Would we like New Zealand? Would the kids make friends? Would we be safe?

We didnt pack much to take with us: some clothes, a laptop, binoculars, skates, sleeping bags, and a box of school books. We arrived in New Zealand wide-eyed and unsure of what to expect. Ten months later we returned to Canada inspired and broadened in ways Id never imagined. Our New Zealand adventure opened our eyes to the world and helped shape who we are.

The Cry of the Kiwi trilogy began as observations I scribbled in small notebooks during my familys travels and outdoor adventures in New Zealand, and entries in our homeschooling journal. While living there, I roughed out a few NZ stories intended for a private memoir. After our return to Canada, a persistent internal voice told me I should write more of our adventures and turn them into a book.

As happens in life, other responsibilities intruded, with the result that Cry of the Kiwi was fourteen years in the making and became one story in three parts: Once a Land of Birds, This Dark Sheltering Forest, and Tang of the Tasman Sea .

As our New Zealand adventure drew to a close in 2001, I realized that the heart of that country lay as much in its people as in its riveting landscapes and intriguing flora and fauna. Thank you, New Zealand, for the adventure of a lifetime. Perhaps my familys story will inspire others to go adventuring far from home.

Kia ora,

Magi Nams

Spring, 2000

Im up early every morning; a natural early riser. I tend our dozen laying hens, roosters, and guinea fowl in the chicken coop and listen for songbirds that have returned to the meadows and forests of Ravenhill, my familys rural property in northern Nova Scotia. Birding is one of my passions. Another is exploring the natural world and learning about its inhabitants.

When the chicken chores are done, I put on my sneakers and run or walk roads near my home. Im invigorated by fresh air, exercise, and the wonders of the world around me. My spirit soars as I tread beneath the canopy of mature hemlock trees whose branches arch over my access road like the roof of a cathedral. Its in the presence of such natural beauty that I see Gods amazing power and creativity.

When I return to the house, I sweep floors before preparing breakfast for my husband, Vilis, and our sons, Dainis and Jnis. The boys set and clear the table, and Vilis washes the dishes before leaving for work at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College, where hes a professor in the Environmental Sciences Department. Dainis and Jnis feed their cats, Blotchy and Baby, and collect eggs from the hens (a note on pronunciations: Vilis rhymes with Phyllis, Magi sounds like Maggie, Dainis [ DINE -is], and Jnis [ YAWN -is]).

At 7:30 a.m. on weekdays, I begin my sons homeschooling day by reading aloud to them for thirty minutes, as Vilis does when he teaches the boys one day a week. We choose classic childrens books, historical fiction, fun reads, or non-fiction outdoor adventure books. Weve had reading time ever since Dainis and Jnis were babies. The four of us enjoy the bond that sharing literature creates, as well as the exposure to real and imaginary worlds far beyond our daily lives.

After reading time, Dainis and Jnis complete school assignments at the kitchen table or in the living room or on the kitchen floor in front of the wood stove. It doesnt matter to me where the work gets done, as long as it gets done. Sometimes our schooling flows smoothly, and sometimes there are tears and complaints and grumblings. The boys set high standards for themselves and dont like to make mistakes: the apples have fallen close to the tree in that regard. Every day, we do stretches and callisthenics to shake off brain drain and restore enthusiasm, and the boys play our piano. As a special music project, our family sings with the local choral group each week.

Our schooling time ends at noon or 1:00 p.m., after which I record the days work in our homeschooling journal and plan the next days assignments. The boys have free time for the rest of the day. Blocks of the remaining time are taken up with extracurricular activities: piano lessons, swimming lessons, spring baseball, 4-H, Cubs and Scouts, wood carving lessons for Dainis, figure skating lessons for Jnis.

Our days are very full and sometimes too hectic. The calendar on the kitchen wall is cluttered with lessons and events. This spring is particularly busy, with added commitments: heritage fair, music festival, piano exams, choral concerts. Because Im the parent at home, I drive my sons to many of their extracurricular activities and assist them with organizing their projects. I encourage them in their sports and piano studies and volunteer with the local Scouting organization and skating club. It would be fair to say that my life revolves around my children.

Yet, part of me rebels at the total dedication required. Like most mothers, Im proud of my kids. However, Im often exhausted and restless, sometimes resentful. I have so little time to explore the world around me, although as a family, we try to fit in a hike or paddle on weekends. And I have so little time to write, certainly not every day. I squeeze in a magazine article now and then, but my book projects are constantly interrupted. I know this lack of time is, in part, of my own making, since I chose to homeschool my sons and support their many activities, which they generally love (less so, the singing).

And there are the demands of everyday life. I bake bread. I cook slow food. Many of our meals include meats, vegetables, and fruits Vilis and I have produced, a task that requires time and effort. With springs arrival, I tidy the yard and weed my beloved flowerbeds, anticipating their summer beauty. And like most other mothers, I do many menial tasks. I clean house. I wash clothes.

Sometimes I wonder if, in giving so much so much of my time to my children, Ive let myself down. What happened to my dream of travelling the world and seeing exotic landscapes, plants, and animals? I studied biology for seven years in university. Part of me still wants to incorporate biology, or at least natural history, into my life. And part of me still wants a big travel adventure, a glorious trip somewhere far away, where I can walk beneath the canopies of unknown trees and identify exotic birds. Where the boys can learn about a foreign country not for a few days, but for weeks or months. Yet, were not wealthy people. Viliss salary could never cover the cost of a trip like that.

There is one hope. Vilis has applied for a year-long leave from the college and for a fellowship to do ecological research in New Zealand. In the midst of my hectic and sometimes frazzled existence, my heart leaps at the possibility that we could go, that we could leave all our commitments here behind and have that adventure, that freedom to explore. Repeatedly, I caution myself to not get my hopes up. The application for the leave could fall through. The fellowship could be denied.