Ngaheretuku
South Auckland
Ngaheretuku Hope In The Time Of Solastalgia. Artist: Amy Parlane
Let Go
Writer: Chris Bowring
In this moment, I am here.
Tyres tossed down the bank, totems of irresponsibility distract.
I look away. I let go.
I fix my gaze on the descent of nourishing skies.
Rain feeds nīkau, pūriri and kahikatea during a gentle ride to the ground.
It softens the soil and my heart.
The buzz of a phone. Did I send that email?
I switch it off. I let go.
The conversation of birds is joyous. My soul soars.
A retreat from unnecessary noise.
Am I enough?
Let go.
A breath in, a breath out.
All I am, is in this moment.
Writer: Chris Bowring
More than 70 years ago Hugh Alexander donated 15ha of bush to Forest & Bird. The organisation’s oldest reserve now marks the last remnants of South Auckland’s expansive woodland. Over the decades dedicated custodians have wrestled to protect the area from invasive predators and weeds, but the carelessness of those who drive along the adjacent Twilight Road also poses a challenging adversary.
On my visit I spotted debris ranging from tyres, to shopping carts and trash bags. When Hugh Alexander gifted this land he asked that it not be named after himself, and instead be titled Ngaheretuku, “a gift of mixed bush.” It seems a shame that a gift be treated with such apathy by an uncaring few, and initially that was the core sentiment of my piece.
Whether it be art, people or places, the same appreciation is not felt by all. That does not mean however that Hugh Alexander’s gift is not being met with gratitude. There are those who see that in this place there is more to let go of. For me, the modern nonsenses I take so seriously washed away. Replaced with peace, connection, beauty and simplicity. For a moment I felt permitted to stop thinking and revert to a simpler mode of mental operation.
Pure existence. It might not be a gift experienced or acknowledged by all but I am grateful for those who ensure it remains available for future generations. That is what I choose to focus on. The value of what is being protected by a devoted, caring few. Thank you.
Ngaheretuku: Hope In The Time Of Solastalgia
Artist: Amy Parlane
Artist: Amy Parlane
The reserve is quite impenetrable yet verdant with a sense of expansiveness because of its valley terrain. These elements, along with the huge pūriri tree and its vertical garden, suggest a successful legacy despite the persistent challenges of illegal dumping and pest control.
The road speaks to ‘the journey’ of maintaining this reserve and also the direction of its future – and possibly our own. I reflected on the theme of ‘leaving a legacy’, about the people who had the foresight, money, and dedication to create this beautiful reserve, and those who today labour to conserve this remnant native forest.
Medium: Acrylic paint on gesso-primed cotton canvas
Read more about Ngaheretuku Reserve