In an effort to take the sting out of our return to reality, a list of reasons to be here instead:
The tree nettle has allegedly proved fatal once, probably due to anaphylaxis.
The giant carnivorous Earthworm promise it's real, but eats nothing larger than slugs.
The giant carnivorous land snail, also real, but endangered as tasty to the possums. Watch this too.
It's addictive!
And don't forget the sandflies, the only real downside. The Maori myth about these vile creatures concerns two ancestors/gods: Tu-te-raki-whanoa carved out Fjordland in all its complex and convoluted beauty, planted all the lush ferns and forest, filled it with an abundant treasure trove of birds and waited for people to come and enjoy it. The goddess Hinenuitepo saw it all, thought firstly "these people are lazy, spend too much time standing admiring it all when they should be working" and secondly, understanding human nature too well, "if they hang around for long they'll spoil it all" so she made the sandflies.
Without the generous rain there would be no rainforest with its excess of lushness, although with all the introduced mammals Europeans have done their best to wreck it. Captain Cook described the birdsong as waking them while still anchored at sea, what a wonderful experience.
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