Our drive back from Cape Reinga was well after sunset. In New Zealand, this means the roads were full of wildlife. And no animals here have the healthy fear of humans they do back in the States.
We saw all sorts of weird creatures, both alive and dead, in the middle of the road. And, after several kilometers of marveling at how truly alien the nightlife was compared to the Pacific Northwest, a decision was made:
We would kidnap these furry specimens and put them in the trunk of our car: to battle!
The first two kidnappings were exhilarating. We captured hedgehogs, so of course, we gave them thematic names. But, when we found ourselves kidnapping a third, we realized that perhaps we were starting to go a bit overboard. No prizefights were being had. They simply remained in their comatose and defensive ballforms.
:-(
All adventures must come to an end. We debated between simply returning our rental car— trunk full of hedgehogs and all. But, in the end, we released them into the park adjacent to our home. And, as there is a national campaign against pests like our charges, we are now probably ecological terrorists.
Godspeed. Sonic, Shadow and Spinechucks.
