A Real Rockin’ Robin
Meaghan Potter
In January of 2018 my partner and I were holidaying through New Zealand, travelling from the North Island to the South Island over two weeks. On a one night stop over in Greymouth on the west coast of the South Island, we stayed at an Air BnB. The hosts suggested we visit a local tramping route, “Woods Creek Track”, that traversed through a historic gold mine site. The track itself was more beautiful than we expected with lush vegetation, tunnels to explore and a harmonious balance between the historic gold mine relics and the mossy re-growth. The highlight of this walk, however, was the friendship that formed between us and a local. This local Greymouth resident wore a soft, grey coat, stood tall with confidence and rocked his feet to the beat of the bush. He was in fact a South Island Robin, and would have to have been one of the friendliest birds I have ever met. He followed us along most the walk, hopping on the ground and flitting between nearby trees. His behaviour reminded me of the Blue Mountains local, Eastern Yellow Robin, but he was even friendlier. One of the more curious behaviours we observed was when the South Island Robin would place one foot out in front of himself, hover it above the ground, and then very quickly tremble his foot up and down. My partner and I guessed that he may be dislodging bugs from the ground beneath. When we caught onto his hungry intention, we would brush the ground to show the soil beneath and then step back. The curious Robin would hop onto the spot we had just brushed, stomp his foot excitedly and peck at grubs as they arose. This continued for some time until we reached the end of the walk. I have never had such a close interaction with a bird before, which made this walk a truly unforgettable experience. In response, I created an artwork from a photo I took of the bird during the walk and was able to exhibit the artwork, “A Friend from Greymouth (South Island Robin)” in my 2018 Solo Exhibition at MContemporary in Sydney.
Australian artist and teacher, Meaghan Potter draws from the nature of the Blue Mountains and the Hawkesbury where she lives.