Hector's Dolphin

Why are Hector’s Dolphin endangered?

The animal I am describing is the Hector’s dolphin.

Hector’s dolphin grow up to 1.4 metres in size and is one of the smallest dolphins in the world. Hector’s dolphin is a mammal.

Hector’s dolphin only found in the south island of New Zealand. The hector’s dolphin in the north island of New Zealand is now called Maui’s dolphin.

Hector’s dolphin die because of the plastic that people throw down in drains and they think it is food and it gets stuck in them so they can not breath and die.Boats kill Hector's Dolphin calfs with their motor and also fishing nets kill them.

Kupe

This week my group Crusaders were reading a book called Sailing The Pacific.It is about explorers sailing the pacific. I have made a presentation to share with you.
Here is the link to it:
Kupe

Why is making popcorn science

On Friday at clubs we had Mrs Raj instead of Mrs Adcock because Mrs Adcock was away for a Manaiakalani meeting. Popcorn is irreversible which means once it has been made into popcorn it can not turn back to the seeds. Popcorn pops when the heat goes into them because there is water in them so when the heat goes into them the water can not hold the hot air out so it finally gives up and pops. There are three kinds of molecules in liquids.

1. A tight tight molecule
2. A loose molecule 
3. A loose loose molecule 

 We ate popcorn afterward.

Animal Report

Animal Report

Hector’s Dolphin

Hector’s Dolphin is an animal, it is in the mammal family. It is a sea creature.

It looks like a dolphin and quite small.Hector’s Dolphin grows up to 1.5 metres in size. Hector’s dolphin is one of the most endangered dolphin in the world and in New Zealand. Maui Dolphin is another species of Dolphin and is also an endangered dolphin in the world. Hector’s dolphin is one of the smallest dolphin’s. Hector’s dolphin weighs 40-60 kilograms in total. At birth, Hector’s dolphin calves have a total length of 60–80 cm and weigh 8–10 kg. When Hector’s Dolphins are born they are the same colour as the adults.

Maui Dolphin is only found on the west coast on the north island of New Zealand.

They eat fish and small animals like fish.

The dolphins can jump out of the water and do tricks and lots more things like swim very fast without getting tired for a long time.

Tree Planting at Tahuna Torea

On Sunday we went to Tahuna Torea to do planting. There were over four hundred trees to plant. Volunteers had already put out the trees and plants where they were to go. I went there with Mama and Karl and we saw a lot of people from church and from Gifted Kids.

When we got there we walked a little way while following the signs to the planting. Some of the trees we planted were close to paths and a lot were in thick dense vegetation (Bush). I planted trees like Puriri, a Kowhai, some Grasses and others. All of the trees we planted were native plants and trees.

While we were waiting for some drinks, a man on a bike came along the path and we had to move out of his way.  Bikes are not allowed in Tahuna Torea because it is a nature reserve.  Some of the people planting trees asked the man to stop riding his bike through the reserve.  He became abusive and angry and told people he would keep riding his bike there tomorrow and the next day and the next.  He also told people to "Shut up".  When he finally left, another man on a bike came past and the first man said "That's what you get for that".  The volunteers did not move off the path this time, so the second cyclist rode on the native bush, and was also reminded that bikes were not allowed in Tahuna Torea and especially not on plants.  The second cyclist was on a BMX bike so he was able to jump off the path and on again.

After we finished planting, the Auckland Council and Mrs Barfoot had some food and drink for us and people planting.

At the end, I felt happy because I had planted trees which will provide homes for animals and native birds.
 
 

Presentation Day

Today was our Presentation Day. Our group was doing what you can take with you in the wild. Taki and Mrs Tofa collected some food that can last long in the wild. Taki brought along Chick Peas. Mrs Tofa brought along Candy Chocolates, Tea and Yogurt and Muesli. The people in our group were Taki, George, Justin, Samuel and I. I was the presenter for my group.

Our first class was Room 8. Whitney went first, Levi went second, Cherise went third, I went fourth and Maara went fifth. Whitney was talking about tents, Levi was talking about Man-made shelters, Cherise was talking about what to take with you when you go camping, I was talking about what food to take with you in the wild and Maara was talking about maps.

Maara made up a map and hid pieces of paper with jokes on and the classes found the jokes. The next class we had was Room 9. After Room 9 went to the next classroom Room 10 came in. After Room 10 went Room 5, then Room 2 and 4 and last of all came Room 1.

After we had finished we presented it to room 7 and the presenters from room 8. Next the bell went for Morning Tea. At the end I felt happy because I was a presenter.

Tahiti

On Thursday night we reached Tahiti. Our plane landed about twenty minutes early. The driver did not have much space in his car so we needed to go in a taxi. While we were waiting two more people arrived.  The people who were there as representatives for the people going on cruise ships were handing out leis when they found them. We had no one waiting to pick us up. We could not all fit in the car (a very small car, a four seater) because we had all our luggage with us. One of the people waiting for someone let us borrow his phone to ring the taxi driver. Once we got to the hotel called Pension de la Plage (Beach Pension) the driver of the vehicle that was meant to take us there took the two other people to their rooms. We paid the driver who drove the taxi a couple of thousand franc. The hotel is very active during the night. We tried calling out for Nana and tried looking for her because she said she would met us outside but she got too tired so she went to sleep in her room. The person who was meant to drive us there asked us what was our surname. Next he asked us if we were with our Nana so we said yes. He showed us to the rooms we were staying in. The rooms had names. Our rooms name was Maupiti and Maruu.It was about 10:30 when we arrived at Pension de la Plage. It gets light in Tahiti at six o'clock in the morning and gets dark at about six thirty in the evening.

On Friday we got up and had breakfast under a thatched roof with no walls so we could get some fresh air. The breakfast was next to the warm water pool. Once we had breakfast Karl and I went for a swim in the pool for about two hours. After the swim we got in the car and started driving. The first thing we saw was a Marae called Marae Arahurahu. The Marae had some coconut trees near it. Next we went to Marra Grotto. A Grotto is a cave with plants around it. After that we went to Bain de Vaima (a spring bubbling into a crystal clear river, very popular with locals, and with eels). One of the last things we looked at was Arahoho Blowhole. Once we got back to our hotel Karl, Papa and I went out in the lagoon and went swimming. After the lagoon we went back to the pool at our hotel and Karl and I went swimming.

On Saturday we went to Pape'ete to have a look around. Pape'ete is the capital of Tahiti and also the Capital of French Polynesia. We went to a church where the PK markers start marking the length of the island. Next we went to the Marche de Pape'ete, where you can buy ice-creams, fruit, meat, fish, materials, baskets, and lots more.  We got an ice-cream.  We saw the town hall then the ferry terminal building where the ferries leave for Mo'orea and other islands round Tahiti. We got on the ferry and went to Mo'orea. Once we got to Mo'orea we got a taxi to drive us round the island. He showed us his hotel with a beach outside it.  That beach had really white sand.  Once we got back from Mo'orea we went across the road to where they sell the best crepes in Tahiti.  I had crepe avec chocolat et banane. We dipped our feet in the pool at our hotel after we had dinner.

On Sunday morning, Karl & I did not have any breakfast because we had eaten so many easter eggs then went swimming.  After Papa, Mama & Nana had eaten their breakfast, we all went to a local church.  It was a Catholic church, and the songs were in French and Tahitian, and the priest spoke in French.  We had to leave a bit before the end so that Papa could settle the bill at the Pension.  We then went back into Pape'ete to see more.  We tried to see King Pomare V tomb, but it was fenced off.  We did the Presidential Palace, the Vaima Hospital and the Pharmacists House (an old 2-storey colonial house).  Also, we saw the Queen's house.

After that, we returned to the Pension where Karl & I swam in the pool for a while before Papa took us over the road to the lagoon.  We saw a school of fish which I chased and an eel.  Mama & Nana stayed at the Pension and swam in the pool there.  The water in the lagoon, and in the pool, was warm.

We had dinner at the creperie again, then had an early night.  At 3.30 in the morning, we got up and went to the airport.  We were the first to check in.  Our plane left at 7.35am Tahiti time, and took about 5 hours 40 mins to get back to Auckland.  We left on Monday morning and arrived on Tuesday morning, because we crossed the international date line.

Tahiti was hot and muggy.  There were lots of dogs, chickens, roosters, coconut trees, people selling food on the side of the road.  Lots of people, especially the locals, go to beaches and rivers to swim and keep cool.

For more information, go to the sites listed below:

http://plesfam.blogspot.co.nz/ 
 http://gbskarlp.blogspot.co.nz/