Monday, August 31, 2009

Visiting Kakanui

We went south for the weekend, family visiting. Kakanui is a small place on the east coast of the South Island of our country. My parents moved there and my dad died there - it's a lovely spot they have near the beach. Anyway, we took our daughters round to see the trapdoor spiders that live in a bank. This bank is quite close to the road and is also on a curved raise in the road, rather tricky viewing for the arachnophobes as to leap backwards (as one does when a spider jumps out at you) is risky business if there are cars about! The Scowly Teen dragged a small bit of grass over the trap and got the fright of her life when the spider leapt out and grabbed at it.

If you (hehe) 'embiggen' the photo you will see the wee half-cricle which is the trap.
And then, the spider pops out....


I'm trying to upload a video of this event, you can hear my stepfather (who has just turned 84 - he's a lot older than my mum I hasten to add) getting quite excited to see this, he had never been able to get the spiders to come out. The locals tell you to 'bark' at the spiders to make them pop out - we refer to them as Barking Spiders 9which also means "fart" in our house)...so that's my husband you can hear barking (not farting)...let's see will blogger let me upload the video...YES...but you will find it at the end of the post and it won't shift so read on and beware of the lurking spider!

We also took the kids to the beach, it's a must do. You will see how stony the beach is so it's not really a buckets and spades kind of place, with loads of wood being washed up we sometimes make a bonfire and cook sausages and stuff in the evenings if the wind isn't too biting. I love it there, the roar of the sea at night is fantastically lulling.
The old Opera House has had a spruce up and they light it with different colour lights, last time we were there it was lit up all pinky/purple but we took a vote and decided we liked the red best!
And now...the spipder awaits you....if you dare!

14 comments:

Helen said...

I dared, I dared....hahahaha!

The Sagittarian said...

You brave girl! Now all we have to do is take you there in person, mum would love that!!

Steve said...

I'm glad you told us it was your husband doing the barking cos it really looks like it was the spider...!

The Sagittarian said...

Hi Steve - haha it really was a fun outting if you didn't mind getting a fright. Mind you, no surprise my husband is barking...people say he has to be mad to live here.

Lynne with an e said...

That spider video is too funny! I played it 5 times in a row (they don't let me out much).

The beach looks like a wonderful place for walks and bonfires.

Do they present opera at the Opera House? All sorts of high brow culture?

Lovely picture of the Scowly Teen. She might want to think of some serious depillatories in the future, though.

Selina Kingston said...

I'm frightened of the tiny money spiders we get here. You can imagine what that video did to me !

Margaret Pangert said...

That is amazing!! How would you ever know they were there? This gives me a great idea for a Halloween scare for trick-or-treaters! It'll have to be some kind of motion detector, though, not a bark.
Loved the opera house (it seems so English there) and your description of the beach (almost that time of year for bonfires). Thanks, Saj, that was fun! xxox

Owen said...

I also dared, and was not disappointed, although, jeez, if you blink you miss him, he's fast alright. I'd be moving fast too if people were barking at me !

The Sagittarian said...

Louciao - I'm glad I have entertained you, mind you I keep playing it as well! As for the Opera House, I think they have plays and music on occasions but I haven't been to any there. I'm loving my WV today - mingsy!

Selina - I'm not big on spiders either but we always go and see these ones, mainly for the humour of getting The Stud to bark at a dirt bank!! I'd better post you a Tuesday Tipple to relax.

Margaret - Lovely idea! We don't do much for Halloween here, not a Kiwi tradition despite the retailers trying to convince us that it should be! Let me know what devious antics you get up to! :-)

The Sagittarian said...

Owen - you snuck in there! Yes, spiders are creepily fast aren't they, I reckon they should wear clanky shoes or something to at least let you know they're about.

The Joined up Cook said...

'Shiver' - don't like spiders!!

We once went to see a light show draped over York Minster. Fascinating, especially the section where they lit it up with the sort of colours that theses places were actually adorned with hundreds of years ago.

meg said...

I am laughing aloud! I never have seen one of these before!

Brother Tobias said...

I love that video - the soundtrack too. Should become a YouTube hit!

The Sagittarian said...

AWB - I'm not that fond of them either (see me comment to Owen), it was hard taking the photos cos I had to stand so close to the bank to avoid being hit by any passing cars!

Meg - I keep re-watching it myself!

Brother T - fantastic to see you here, we discovered that if you trail a bit of grass over the trap the spier will come out too but not as far as he does when you bark at him!