I’m back from a week on Ōtamahua/Quail Island (as a volunteer DOC warden - see previous post) and enjoyed spending time drawing and writing, when I wasn’t doing warden things (checking for litter, greeting visitors and cleaning the loo!).
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There is a lots of interesting history associated with the island, much of it tragic. Antarctic explorers trained their horses and dogs there for ill-fated expeditions to the Antarctic. And there was a leper colony, where at least two of the poor, isolated tenants ended their days on the island.
But by far the most tragic story is that of the two Ward brothers who came from Ireland with the hope of better life and were dead within months.
The Ward brother history is fascinating (the surviving brothers were very active in early Canterbury life and set up the Ward Brewery which made Canterbury Draught and other beers) and if you want to read more, you should head here:
https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/the-ghosts-of-quail-island/
http://www.peelingbackhistory.co.nz/686/
This was the view from the location of the Ward brothers’ homestead.
You can nearly see our house behind the ridge above the first oil tanks) from there. A sweet valley with a lovely view, but conditions in Lyttelton Harbour can change quickly.
I think the macrocarpas on the island post date the Wards.
