From the Air......

Kaitorete Spit

Which runs from Lake Forsyth and Birdlings Flat

(you can just see Lake Forsyth top left)

To the tiny fishing village of Taumutu on the shores of Lake Ellesmere, left.

I snapped this from the plane window when I flew to Dunedin last week.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Lake Forsyth, Banks Peninsular. July 2008. Ajr

When you stand on the edge of Lake Forsyth – known to Maori as Wairewa – it’s hard not to feel a little sad about this poisoned place. A few days ago it looked moody and enticing, pretty almost; but this is not a lake you want to swim or fish in. Thanks to a wide range of contributing culprits - from erosion and bird fouling to human effluent - the lake suffers from algal contamination. Its water is poisoned, fish are dying, it is silting up and boating on the lake is virtually non-existent. Once a valuable food resource for Maori – especially eels – it is predicted it will become a swamp within five years if the problem can’t be solved.