Onehunga Bay---rumours of a 'monster abound---is it climate change? (Part one)

Yes, we have all heard about the loch Ness Monster and Yetis form regions well north on New Zealand and even from New Zealand too---we know about Taniwhas. For the most part, such stories relating to the 'beyond NZ' apparitions are more for dragging in the tourist dollars. Lately, on my regular walks with Perdy, my energetic (that's a nice way of saying 'over-the-top,' crazy, yet very intelligent)Jack Russell, we have seen some rather strange movements in the water, especially just a few hours either side of high tide. Then in the shallow pools, way out in the middle of the Bay, we have observed unusual behaviour from the birds that visit the bay in what seems to be increasing numbers. Yes, there is a great deal of work going on, over on the other side of the motorway and to a lesser extent on 'our' side---yes a massive amount of money is being spent to restore the Onehunga Foreshore to a state that will be far in excess of what it ever was in the glorious past. So far I have not seen close up what is occurring 'over there.' Without a doubt, the reworking of the foreshore, with the huge amount of earth from places far off, has had quite an influence on the make-up of the area. If seen form above, I am sure we would all get quite a surprise at the changes. I get tis 'tingly feeling,' that 'something primeval' has been disturbed; something is not quite right! Those ripples are not like anything else I have come to know---like a diving shag, seeking food and reappearing often many metres away from the dive point, with its prise glistening in its mouth. Every so often a catch a fleeting glance of 'something else--a flick of a dark tail,' not a fin as observed and described in a previ0ous blog. Then the birds take wing as if they are trying to escape a threat from below. Perdy for her part, stops and twists her head in the quizzical and endearing way that dogs exhibit. She looks to me for an explanation, but I put it all from my mind---until today. I grab my phone from my pocket, but I know that by the time I stumble through the set-up, I will have missed the moment. Damn--I'm sure I saw a 'head,' not of a fish this time! I need a plan. I need to be prepared, to ensnare the moment in time, to prove that I am not totally deluded and that my eyes are playing tricks. Aging is not only about alternate ways of perceiving the world. Later today, or maybe tomorrow, Perdy and I shall take our time---we will prove that something is amiss down at the Bay. Wait, be patient and watch out for the 'evidence! Now, I have to face my friends down at the Bay, hoping that they don't have a 'straight-jacket ready for me, along with a white car! www.authorneilcoleman.com