Will and Rose Parsons of Driftwood Eco Tours are 4th and 5th generation Marlborough locals and just the sort of people we love meeting. Today we struck gold! Will and Rose specialise in boutique customised eco tours for photographers and nature lovers who especially adore kayaking at night under a full moon.
I’ve always wanted to view those magnificent Spoonbills and look at the architectural detail of their spoon-shaped beaks.
Photo by Will Parsons Driftwood Eco Tours
We only have time for a 2-hour kayaking tour up the Wairau and Opawa River. This is an area rich in Maori and European history and with over 90 species of birdlife. But first a kayaking lesson:
There is another very important member of the Driftwood Eco Tours team with her own place in the spotlight. Allow me to introduce the smartly turned out ‘Vix’!
Vix is an integral part of the whole operation and where Will goes, Vix goes…right at the front of Will’s kayak. Today Vix chose me as her new best friend and rode at the front of my kayak for a short while but every so often she’d look nervously back at her beloved pack leader.
Out here, there is a feeling of having the whole world to yourself. Too few of us bother to get this close to nature and it was a special moment when I silently glided pass this beautiful Shag. Close-up flight shots were impossible. I’m not a photographer’s backside, so this was my best folks.
The oxygen around here is so pure and empowering. I can hear the sound of my own breathing and hey, we’re the only people here! Quick detour to the right…Will’s just pointed out a couple of beauties.
And there they are – those magnificent Spoonbills. When feeding, the Spoonbills move in unison in a loose choreographed routine and when in flight, instead of staring ahead they actually look around at their environment. I was so close to them but no time for a close-up – they took off in majestic flight. It was a special moment and I was moved by it.
Now about that lunch. Will instructed us to stop our kayaks at an embankment by the mia mia (a sturdy shelter). So we headed off with the mystery lunch bag.
The mystery contents of the lunch bag are revealed. Will’s a dab hand at bacon & egg pie. It’s delicious. But I’m a bit reluctant to try those weird little muffins, also made by Will. He’s very proud of them. Would it be rude of me to refuse? Go on girl, give it a go…and looks can deceive. They’re yummy delish.
I love the driftwood that makes up the landscape around here. I can see why Will and Rose chose this name for their specialised tour company. It’s everywhere, bleached white and a perfect resting place for birdlife.
Reluctantly, the return trip flies by and I understand why Will’s customers can’t exactly define why their life has been changed by this experience – they just know that it has. I do know that it has enriched mine.
