What the Fungi?
Last year I went on my first visit to New Zealand, a two week whirlwind of adventure I still claim as one of the best holiday experiences of my life. I returned to the U.S. with the invigorated impression that NZ is a place of contrasts, an oxymoronic environment that places the spirit in awe of new experiences. Now, my second time around, I am all the more convinced of this observation. New Zealand truly is a place of opposites, possessing such great diversity in nature and humanity packed within its small country borders. Little did I know how much until I came to Auckland after my magical and delicately quiet moments spent in Otaki. Smacked into traffic and city bustle, wistful memories back to my pleasant tramping days discovering the Skittles rainbow of mushrooms amidst the native bush (green, blue, purple!) seemed almost surreal. My natural university of new language, plants and discoveries that contorted the eye into absolute astonishment was gone, immediately eradicated with the first evening news channel as I wandered into an enormous home of modern convenience. Each room a showcase of televised motorbike races, radio surround sound music pouring from the ceiling and laptops strewn about sucking on the two available WiFi signals. As I laid my suitcases against a vibrating wall in this new room of residence (literally pulsing from techno music in the neighboring bedroom) I realized technology was the reigning monarchy here and everyone paid homage. Reverence given through the family's most abundant currency -- busyness. Unfortunately, it became quickly clear that overwhelming schedules permeated this reality show of a family to such a degree, human decency had faded to abuse and neglect politely hidden underneath cordial manners. Three days later, I found myself sitting on my suitcases, piled in the back of a bumbling van full of camping gear and tobacco smoke declaring "Vive la France" as my French WWOOFer friends drove me to freedom, ironically giving an American a helping hand in gaining independence from an oppressive monarchy during U.S. July 4th celebrations. What happened? Let's just say Despotism. And now that I am settling into a much happier adventure of beef farming in Kaiwaka, I am grateful I can declare it a Tutae Kehua moment -- an object of growth that pops up and just as quickly dissipates -- or what the Maori call "ghost dung."
Image: Tutae Kehua fungus found at the Otaki River.
