Exploring the stream by night…

Project Twin Stream’s Community Coordinator Derek March writes about the latest nightwalk adventure he guided  along the Opanuku Stream:

The showers held off  on Friday night, moreporks were calling and the light of the half moon was shafting through gaps in the tree canopy as we left the carpark to head off along the Pipeline track.

On arriving at the stream, many pairs of orange red eyes looked back at us caught in the light of our torches. These belonged to koura or fresh water crayfish hiding amongst the leaves and stones. The eels were more shy of our lights and we observed a number of them slowly sliding away in under rocks.

The stream was alive with activity; we observed a wet weta on the rocks, a large spider that walked on the water, lots of snails and a torrent fish. When our torches were turned off the green phosphorescent mucus of the latia limpets floated in the current around our feet glowing like an upside down night sky.

To join Derek on one of his future guided walks at night please email him.