Chthonic Wildlife Ramblings

Featured image: Auckland Waterfalls: Karekare

Auckland Waterfalls: Karekare

Brendan Moyle • Dec 06, 2016

The Auckland region has a surprising number of waterfalls to view.  A great number of these are located in the Waitakere ranges.  One of the falls I’d yet to see was Karekare.  One of the reasons is it’s a bit of a distance to the falls.  And a lot of the routes involve Auckland roads that really, don’t expedite travel.  I’ve … Read More

Featured image: Surviving Obesogenic NZ

Surviving Obesogenic NZ

Brendan Moyle • Dec 05, 2016

Much has been made recently of the growing obesity rates in NZ.  And the “obesogenic environment” is attributed as one of the underlying causes.  We are collectively less active than optimal, have too much food readily available, and many eat inadequate quantities of fruit and vegetables.  Fad-diets rise and wither away as the promised short-cuts to lose weight can’t be … Read More

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Featured image: Why bike when you can run…

Why bike when you can run…

Brendan Moyle • Nov 08, 2016

When I first started work in Auckland in the mid-1990s, my mode of transport to campus was by running.  It was just too hard to do twice a day though, over Auckland hills, on the knees.  So I switched to cycling and stuck to that for many years. This year I’ve started mixing runs with bike rides.  Run one day, … Read More

Featured image: No, the Ivory Trade in Australia and NZ is not “thriving”

No, the Ivory Trade in Australia and NZ is not “thriving”

Brendan Moyle • Oct 02, 2016

One can always tell when the parties to the CITES convention are meeting, or just about to meet.  Numerous NGOs start promoting their views and solutions to the problem to the media. It came as no great surprise to read this in today’s Stuff webpage “A first-ever comprehensive investigation into the sale of ivory and rhino horn in Australian … Read More

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Featured image: Sunday Seascape: 25 September

Sunday Seascape: 25 September

Brendan Moyle • Sep 25, 2016

It’s not been a great weekend for outdoor photography in Auckland.  The steady rain and grey skies, without any dramatic storms, offered me few chances.  I did photograph the neighbour’s cat a couple of times, but it’s not really the same. These shots are thus, taken a little earlier in the week.  They’re of the sunrise at Waiake Beach.  On … Read More

Featured image: Weekend sparrow antics

Weekend sparrow antics

Brendan Moyle • Sep 18, 2016

It’s been a while since I’ve done some bird photography.  It’s a shame because it is one of the subjects that kindled my interest in photography again.  As much as I enjoy landscape photography now, there is something about bird photography I enjoy. Maybe it is a throwback to when I was young, and my first encounters with wildlife were … Read More

Featured image: The perception that cycling is dangerous

The perception that cycling is dangerous

Brendan Moyle • Sep 06, 2016

I like to bike.  It is my favourite commuting option.  I started commuting by bike in the late 1990s when cycle lanes were non-existent in Auckland.  I’m still cycling. Yet despite working at a University where showers are available, where bike racks are provided, I’m still in a tiny minority.  The option to ride two-abreast for me is non-existent.  Statistically … Read More