Via wiki:
The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is a major agricultural and conservation pest in New Zealand. In Māori it is called paihamu...Possums are vectors of bovine tuberculosis, which is a major threat to the dairy, beef, and deer farming industries...A small cottage industry in fur pelts and wool mixed with possum fur fibre has developed, and trappers and hunters provide the raw material. The fur is often sold as 'eco-fur' by a number of small manufacturing and retailing businesses.[17] The numbers of animals taken for fur is rising and has almost equalled the numbers killed in poisoning.
Sounds like marketing to me
The road north perches between the pounding coast and high mountain ranges.
This was a wild day for the coast. Last night, inside the caravan with doors and windows closed tight against the evening chill, we could hear it like thunder, or a diesel, or the thundering hooves of buffalo.
It was a beautiful drive, intense through the mountains with relief on the shoreline stretches, the trees hobbled by intense winds.
Tiny Karamea is a place we learned about in Hawaii, from Joe at the hotel. He told us of pulling into town listening to the radio and then discovering the radio station was actually inside the backpacker hotel.
When we pulled into town it was all Bob Marley, all the time. Karamea is all about adventure travel, and close to an entry point for the Heaphy Track, one of the great walks of NZ. The Heaphy Track crosses Kahurangi National park.
Some have bunks, some beds, and some kitchens. The communal kitchen and bathrooms are spotless.
It's winter. And we might be the only people here.
A path from our site leads to the Karamea River, estuary, and tidal lagoon.
We walked down at sunset last night, all greys and blues and pounding surf. Though we can't see the ocean from here, we can surely hear it.
Lots of bird life. How big was this fisher, a heron?
With time, the sun painted the sky
Bird footprints!!! Love it. What gorgeous pictures!!! Heather
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