Essential Interviews

Interview with D.O.C.:

February 21st
    What a great character and another stunning backdrop. Our vista this time looking across the Collingwood inlet and Aorere river. Many hours talking with one very relaxed and experienced D.O.C. member. It is interesting to note how very diverse the role of a ranger is. Good work both sides of the camera. Fantastic, especially just before the rain seriously hit.

For those who are familiar with Bob Ross, the painter from the 70's who had his own show, The Joy of Painting, this is who you could imagine as the person we interviewed. Happy, reposed, intelligent, thoughtful, these are just some of the words I would use to describe the interview. D.O.C. stands for the Department of Conservation. There are many tasks that the Department takes on, whale strandings are just one of them. Simon, our interviewee, has worked for D.O.C. for 30 years, and has been to every stranding during that time. He has experienced every situation, and now has great insight into the event. We were very lucky to get to talk to him about it. 

Interview with the Iwi:

February 23rd
    The wind & rain dropped down just for us, another great afternoon. What a lovely bunch of people. We also got to see several superb bone carvings and a Sperm Whale's jaw & teeth - massive! Fantastic vibe and another successful day filming. Followed by a very generous afternoon tea, thank you. I felt privileged to be there and learnt a lot today.

 This was a very different type of interview. Two of the iwi were on film, but before each question was answered, all five discussed the question first, then had the spokesperson reply. This way, nothing was forgotten, and each person had their say. I enjoyed listening to their stories and thank them for sharing their knowledge. 

 
We have now left our little home in Golden Bay with our footage, and a new understanding of whale strandings. The next step will be to piece together what we have, to show everyone what we have been through.