Search for a Kiwi Killer
Page 11
“Yes,” said Brandon, “and she approves.”
“But does she approve of me staying in Kerikeri?”
“Yes. She does now that I’ve got a permanent job and a decent place to live. We have a new custody agreement. I’m now the main caregiver. That was signed yesterday.”
Tom stood absolutely still for a time, letting that sink in. The others waited.
“Okay,” said Tom almost to himself. “Does this mean I can have a dog?”
Brandon looked at Mrs Hopwood and then at Dave to see who would answer. In the end it was Mrs Hopwood who spoke.
“You already have one, Tom. Take a look out the window.”
The first thing Tom noticed was the pen tucked against the corner of the block wall. It was made in the same style as the gates. Inside the enclosed space was a green kennel. Standing in the kennel was a dog. Not just any dog. It was Buffy. When she saw Tom she began jumping up and down with excitement.
While Tom struggled to regain control over his emotions, Mrs Hopwood explained. “Buffy is my thank you present for what you did for Harvey. The pen was Dave’s idea and was paid for by the logging company. I’ve built one too for Harvey. Buffy won’t have to stay in there all the time, only when you’re at school, so she can’t go wandering across to the forest.” She held out an electronic remote. “This opens her gate. You can go out and see her now if you wish.”
Without speaking Tom moved out of the bedroom, down the hall and outside, forcing himself not to run. When the pen came into view he saw that Buffy was now standing by the gate. She understood what was happening.
He stopped and pressed the button on the remote. There was a clunk as the magnetic lock released. Buffy’s excitement went up another notch. She already knew what that sound meant. Next came the whirl of a motor, followed by the gate slowly opening outwards. This was nowhere near fast enough for Buffy. She began squeezing through, even though there was scarcely enough of a gap for her nose. For a moment her rear end jammed, then she was free, bounding towards Tom, braking just before she would’ve crashed into his legs. She looked up at him, mouth open, tongue waggling, eyes glowing, more excited than he’d ever seen her before.
Tom lowered himself to his knees, his eyes already moist. Then he put his arms around Buffy’s neck to hold her tight against his chest. Tears streamed down his face. Not tears of pain or distress. These were different. These were the first tears of joy he could ever remember. And yet, somehow he knew, right then, they were unlikely to be the last.
Authors Note
I have seen kiwi in wildlife parks and zoos on many occasions, but only twice in the wild: once on Kapiti Island and again on Stewart Island. I think it sad that the bird which most often identifies New Zealand and New Zealanders is so rarely seen in its native habitat.
Sure, they are nocturnal animals which means they will be difficult to find, but a major pest – the possum – is also nocturnal and most us will have seen them many times. The problem with kiwi is that there are so few of them; yet that is something we can alter, if we have the will to do so.
When I was young, tui were birds that you saw mostly in the bush. Now they are commonly seen in cities, even in the most built-up parts. This change was achieved by planting trees for the tui, along with creating conservation areas that made it easier for birds to move from one place to another. In Wellington much the same has been achieved with our native parrot the kaka. I believe that if we set our mind to it, we can achieve similar changes for kiwi. The first step would be to better control the introduced pests that prey on all of our native birds
In July 2016 the New Zealand Government announced a goal of making the country predator-free by 2050. The main targets would be rats, possums and stoats. These mammals kill 25 million of our native birds every year, as well as millions of other native species such as lizards, snails and insects.
Also targeted would be feral cats which kill around 100 million birds a year, although not all of these are natives.
There are four goals for 2025:
• Having 1 million hectares of land where pests are suppressed or removed;
• The development of a scientific breakthrough, capable of removing entirely one small mammalian predator;
• To be able to demonstrate that areas of 20,000 hectares can be predator free without the use of fences;
• And the complete removal of all introduced predators from offshore island nature reserves.
For more information visit:
predatorfreenz.org
About Des Hunt
After more than forty years working in education, Des Hunt is now a full-time writer living on New Zealand’s beautiful Coromandel Peninsula. Since the 1970’s he has shared his fascination with science and technology through textbooks, electronic devices, and computer programs. More recently he has turned to fiction as a way of interesting youngsters in the world that surrounds them. His first novel, A Friend in Paradise, was published in 2002.
Six of his books have been finalists in the Children’s Book Awards; two LIANZA finalists; and ten listed as Storylines Notable Books.
For more visit www.deshunt.com
Other Novels by Des Hunt
A Friend in Paradise Torea Press
Broken Poppies Scholastic
Cool Nukes Scholastic
Crown Park Torea Press
Cry of the Taniwha Harper Collins
Deadly Feathers Torea Press
Frog Whistle Mine Harper Collins
Phantom of Terawhiti Harper Collins
Project Huia Scholastic
Shadows in the Ice Harper Collins
Skink Gully Torea Press
Steel Pelicans Harper Collins
Sunken Forest Scholastic
The Crocodile Nest Harper Collins
The Last Tuatara Torea Press
The Moa Cave Harper Collins
The Peco Incident Harper Collins
The Tooth Harper Collins
Whale Pot Bay Harper Collins
Where Cuckoos Call
Harper Collins
Copyright
Torea Press
107 Miro Place, RD2 Whitianga 3592, New Zealand
© Des Hunt 2018
ISBN 978-0-9941226-7-4
Des Hunt asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work under the terms of Section 96 of the Copyright Act of 1994 (New Zealand.) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Cover image: Irantzu Arbaizagoitia — creativemarket.com
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Authors Note
Copyright