October 22nd 2024: Feels like summer

Hot days. Small, clean swells and long afternoons that stretch into the night. It feels like summer is not too far away when these conditions transform the beaches into social hangouts. The lineups also get a bit more crowded as the fair-weather surfers come out of hibernation.

It also coincides with an increase of sea lions on the beaches – if you're not sure how to surf comfortably alongside sea lions then this film will help. The key thing to think about is the fact they're not actually out to get you, no matter how fearsome their mock charges and antics seem. They're like dogs and they want to play with anything or anyone that squeals and paddles around frantically. Don't be that person.

Sea lions are nationally vulnerable. They were hunted to the brink of extinction by Māori and European whalers. Now they are slowly returning to the mainland and it is an exciting chapter for conservation. Unfortunately, it is a story marred by some cowardly human acts. Most recently a mother and pup were shot in the Catlins and left to die. They were shot in the back with a shotgun and did not die quickly. To lose two female sea lions from an already beleaguered Catlins sea lion population is a huge blow to the recovery of this species.

The Catlins is a magical place – a place where the forests hark back to the days before deforestation – a place where locals fiercely defend their environment and the flora and fauna that add another layer of wonder to their world. So, for a coward within this community to kill a mother and her pup in this cruel way beggars belief. It's just not the way of people who choose to live in the Catlins.

Know something about the perpetrator? The New Zealand Sea Lion Trust initially offered a $5000 reward for information – that figure has now ballooned to $11,000 thanks to individuals and organisations bolstering the kitty.

A reminder: it is illegal to injure or kill protected native wildlife like sea lions and anyone who does so can face punishments of up to two years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $250,000.

See you at the beach ... Derek

PS Our new book, New Zealand's Best Gourmet Pies is the perfect gift for the pie lovers in your life. And now we have The Ultimate New Zealand Road Trip tea towel that links all the best pie establishments. Buy them here and use this code: FreeShipNZ and we'll even pay the shipping for you.