Found

It was a much needed time in nature for the three of us. Damp underfoot and dripping trees made for a wonderful soundscape. We heard drips and fluttering leaves. And more drips. And far away cars, and far away voices. Drip. Crunches beneath our feet and birds singing their songs. Drip. The smell of wood and damp and soil and earth and fresh and old and green. Mmmmmm. Breeeeeathe... TS, 22nd April 2023

I spent quite a while looking for the pod because I hadn't paid attention to the instructions - and didn't notice the extra photos until I had searched under much of the boardwalk and my hands were good and dirty. Once I was paying proper attention to the information - it was easy. The leaf wrapping had rotted away, and the pod was just waiting quietly to be found. I opened the lovely letter, and sat to listen to the sounds of nature - without naming - but soon the soft honking of 2 weka, close and insistent, meant that I just had to open my eyes and laugh. I decided to listen on my walk instead (Pupu hydro walkway). Water, footsteps, and breath were the main noises, and all changed many times with the changing terrain. It was a delight to be part of your project, and to do a walk I may not have otherwise have done, and with a peaceful, mindful focus. EN, 19th April 2023

We had such a lovely afternoon as a family looking for our pod! It was a real adventure for my partner Janie, our two girls and I. We loved working together and following the clues (which were just the right amount of difficult!). It was a very exciting moment when my daughter Zoë lifted the green rock and we spotted the red pod. We sat in on a log and read your lovely letter and thought provoking quote from John Muir. We followed your instructions to sit and listen and feel our surroundings. A beautiful piwakawaka joined us, singing to us and flitted around us for the rest of our walk. We felt the quiet, the stillness, the earthiness of our tranquil spot. The sound of the nearby road only heightened our sense of being in a little private natural oasis. It was a beautiful moment. It was especially lovely to discover this treasure of a place so close to home that we didn’t know of. So, thank you very much for a beautiful day and memories that will last a lifetime. JB, 17th April 2023

The walk through Spooners Tunnel was incredibly eerie and the temperature dropped fast but there was an incredible sense of history. I kept waiting for a ghost train to come rushing past. My partner had worked out the coordinates for me so we found the stand of trees without too much difficulty but it took a few minutes to find the pod. The leaves wrapped round the outside had dried and faded in colour so it pretty much matched the tree. It was really exciting when I spotted it and a couple of cyclists going past were most intrigued at what we were up to. I found some grasses we used to play games with when I was a child around the track which was really cool. We were entertained by a piwakawaka dancing around on the track in front of us on the walk back. I didn't open the pod until I got home. It had a kind of ritualistic feel to it not knowing exactly what was inside, then unwrapping the letter and quote. D NS, 8th April 2023

There were sounds of various manu, - tui, korimako, piwakawaka, the hummm of bees and wasps feasting on the honeydew nectar and the gentle whisper of wind playing in the trees. Coincidentally a woman and her dog came along while we were looking so we told her about the project and shared the excitement when we found it. I read it out and we exchanged stories of how we knew this place. The woman routinely enjoyed it with her dog and she admitted (as if she thought we might find it weird ha ha ) that she sometimes hugged the trees 🙂 I had gone there with my brother who also used to walk there a lot but hadn't since he had moved further away. I have been there with him and with school groups looking at the stream (fresh water monitoring) - it was a lovely reacquainting (we all expressed how glad we were it escaped the fires ... however it is currently very dry 🙁 The awa is low and a bit paru and the mosses are crispy to touch. - The pod was not super hard to find but we did enlist the help of sylvie the dog - although she had other ideas. VS, 31 March 2023

I wanted to let you know that a dear friend and I adventured to Motueka on Monday in search of pod 15 and we found it! What a beautiful message written on the inside. After some time spent at that spot taking in the sights and sounds we ventured to the sand spit for a long walk soaking up the beautiful day. What a cool project you’ve created to honour earth day - thank you!!! It definitely got us out enjoying nature. Will definitely try to get along to your event at Cultural Conversations if my work schedule allows. Nga Mihi, SM, 21st March 2023.

I was so excited to find you had used the Mill point site for your project! It is such a special little park and I go there often with our dog. This time I took my daughter in law and she fell in love with it. We listened and heard bird sounds but the howling wind did tend to take more attention. We will come back for more. Thank you Ana! RF, 28th March 2023

I went looking for the pod with a friend and my 2 teenage daughters - who weren't exactly thrilled at first.. 😛 BUT they ended up having The Best Time and even hugged me at the end of the day, thanking me - so that was a Win! I'm so pleased I got the Kina Beach one - I have never explored this area but can't wait to go back - and also stay at the lovely little campground right on the beach too- which even also allows dogs! One daughter found the pod (it was quite funny - that cute little picnic table in the clue was being used by 2 fishermen and we couldn't actually see it!. We read the letter and all sat down on the beach in silence to really Listen. I loved hearing the difference between each crashing wave - they all had their own personalities! Then i had The Best swim I have had in ages and didn't want to get out at all. What a Beautiful spot. I also had a total flashback to Cadaqués! The gentle waves, the smell of pine, some dust and the cicadas... northern Spain memories! soo nice xxx. Lovely way to spend a Sunday xxx Thank you Xxx. BS, 24th March 2023

Was just the right amount of difficulty finding the pod, had 4 of us looking! My husband and 2 kids couldnt believe we had never been there – such a beautiful place! The kids had an argument about who opened the pod so I was feeling grumpy with them, but once we read and sat and listened it was perfect. We are recovering from Covid and it was so nice to just sit and be , when we paused he heard the bees, the wind, the birds, it was perfect, thank you so much. SB, 22nd March 2023.

We have biked Spooners but never walked so it was great to experience the journey in at a slower pace by walking and seeing both nature and the cyclists go past. The tunnel was goosebump cool after the muggy heat from the recent rain, and the pod’s location was as described and required only a little patience to find. A stream was running nearby and birds overhead whilst the buzzy flies pestered us. As we walked back through the tunnel it was quiet which felt perfect, and we were entertained by a pair of Kereru at the other end. Thank you Ana, it was a lovely to take a little part in your project. TC, 8th January 2023

I found your Pod #6 (attached) accidentally today Christmas day while stopped bike riding under a old tunnel alone away from the negative people in my life, enjoying being in the moment surrounded by nature where I find peace. Thank you for placing it in the tunnel wall it touched my heart to find something on this day that wasn’t given like a meaningless Christmas but found. It felt like you reached out to me on this of hard day. "In every walk with nature one receives more then he seeks ~ John Muir" The kindest of regards. AS, 24th December 2022.

So thank you for being the trigger to finally get me through the tunnel! Even if we didn’t find it, it was nice to walk through with my family, and hear everyone’s different knowledge – Dad was marvelling at, and explaining all the engineering feats, my sister-in-law was giving us lessons on the different native trees, and Mum was sharing her local knowledge, and pointing out where the train used to go at the Belgrove end.

The pod was easy to find after I saw the road referenced on the co-ordinates screenshot, and the pictures were helpful too. I heard the cicadas and the waves crashing. It was a wonderful arrangement of sounds. I felt perfectly in the moment. AVT, 18th February 2023

Such a beautiful location, so quiet and still. Gentle lapping of the sleepy waves. AG, 24th March 2023.

Water splashing and wind whistling. I sensed the shell and the metal of the pod. Felt good to listen. Not difficult to find pod. I love you and can't wait to see you soon. EB, 18th February 2023.

I loved treasure hunting and exploring a new beach I probably wouldn't have been to otherwise. The shells on Kina Beach were AMAZING and I spent lots of time picking them up and admiring each one. The coordinates really helped find the pod. LH, 12th March 2023.

Kia ora, before we set off on our walk I copied down your questions and had them in my mind as I walked. This enabled me early on to consider answers. It was wonderful to tune into the sounds of nature as we walked through the streets and then through the Washbourne gardens and up to Jimmy Lee creek reserve. Just the noticing itself brought a deeper connection with nature. We heard birds, and could sometimes identify different birds particularly the Tui. Holly could hear the sounds of the stream, I also noticed this - its gentle constant rhythm. I also noticed the sounds of our feet on the varying surfaces, people and their dogs, voices individuals engaging in conversation. My husbands word was tranquility - this I think captures his combined senses. It is also a word I would choose to describe the magic of this space tucked away with settlements encroaching upon it. Pausing to listen made me feel contemplative - it enabled my creative side to be awakened. It was easy enough to find the pod when I read the clues correctly ;). To begin with I hadn't copied clue one out properly on my sheet of paper so we found lots of interesting rusty things in the area around the bird hide - this added to the experience. This is a wonderful initiative and I love the way you have enabled/created an experience to evoke the senses. I know a well know artist in Berlin who also likes to work with the theme of the environment so I will share your website with him in the hope it may inspire. Thanks for the wonderful experience to share with my daughter. I am keen to do more with my other daughters also if possible. My eldest is an artist in her own right. SK, 9th January 2023.

Mum: It was a great hunt for the pod. Very exciting with my daughter who is a teenager and doesn't always want to be outside right now. We found it at Rabbit Island. It was a Sunday the sky was blue, we could hear the sea and the birds. We felt childlike again searching for the 'treasure'. I wish I had had more time as my daughter wanted to rush off but we sat on the bench and looked at the view and breathed in the clear air and felt lighter and very happy we had discovered this little pod which made our day. The connection was beautiful that day and we felt truly grateful for the beautiful area in which we live. AB, 17th April 2023

I heard waves and birdsong. I saw blue skies & felt the fresh air. It was a glorious day. GB, 7th April 2023

We ventured out to find this pod today, found the spot, found the bark, uncovered the shell, but alas, it was empty! Seems someone found it before us! Despite the pod having gone walkabouts we enjoyed our trip. It was a beautiful day, the sea was quiet and we dipped our toes in. Our baby enjoyed the way the sea sucked at her feet when the waves went out, and she sampled a few handfuls of sand. The beach was bustling, lots of families, paddleboarders, surfers, all out in the water, very busy for an Autumn Sunday! JC, 2nd April 2023