Playing Possum
The other week I was in Napier with my cousin and sisters and stopped into a shop that I’d seen during drive-bys and had always made a mental note to pop in to see what exactly was in there. Ever think that and never do? Well, this time I did, I mean the sign speaks for itself but well some places can just be much MORE than what we could imagine!
This one was actually, filled with some of the most interesting items of ingenuity such as luxurious rugs (that you can order to size), cushions, slippers, scuffs, inner-soles and mules, classical and handcrafted jerseys and cardigans that have a blend of fine merino wool, socks, gloves, hats and scarves blended in merino wool. I can hear you from here, what’s so ingenious about those everyday things? Well the short answer as the ‘dame’ in the purple frocks wearing the diamante-studded horn rim glasses would say, “possoms dahlings, possoms!”
Now don’t be jumping up and down, Leisle close your eyes! The fact of the matter is that New Zealanders think a little differently about those ‘cute, little furry bundles’ for good reason. All of those ingeniously made products are made from or have elements of possom fur in their composition. The feel of them is actually beautifully soft and warm. Some products have been dyed with the result being both a visual as well as practical whole body treat.
Wake-Up Call
I recall getting up close and personal with a possom at my friend Sal’s place at the back of Te Aute Trust Road over in the Poukawa Riding district. I had taken washing out to the laundry for washing in Sal’s mums Bendix machine. It was a trooper of a machine, just never seemed to die is the way the family story went. Well, the door closed behind me which wasn’t of any great concern except that when I tried to scoop out some wash powder (usually brought in bulk in a small box rather than a 1.5 kg carton then) I managed to wake up a sleeping possom who didn’t really appreciate its rude awakening!
It did what any human-fearing possom would do, shot up the wall, I mean straight up the wall, literally took off like a sky rocket. Don’t ask me how they do that but ignited by fright from a deep sleep I suppose I would too. You may feel pity for the human right at this point because the human couldn’t get out of there fast enough either. It was a hellish fright. I tried!
Remember that closing door earlier. Well, it had a sense of humour and decided to get stuck on me. So there I was, leg braced against the wall trying to rip it open, off it’s hinges even to get out from the clutches of a high flying possom. Don’t laugh, it was life-threatening! It wasn’t but it certainly felt like it at the time! I never much fancied possoms after that.
Trans-Tasman Introductions
“Possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) were introduced to New Zealand from Australia. So we can add discordant International Possum Relations to the frequent list of trans tasman jibes! Brushtail possums were among the earliest animals introduced to New Zealand by European settlers. They were first brought from Australia in 1837 (I can’t say with any certainty because other accounts say 1852) to establish a fur industry. By 1922, 36 batches of possums had been imported, mostly from Tasmania where possums were larger and most had the black fur preferred by furriers. The lure of a lucrative fur industry resulted in both legal and illegal liberations from as early as 1840 until at least 1940.
These possums and their descendants were liberated at more than 450 places around New Zealand by 1930. By 1997, the total number of possums was estimated to be 70 million! They’ve successfully adapted to a wide range of New Zealand habitats where they found plentiful food and few predators. They are now considered a major environmental pest.
The greatest numbers of possums in the Hawke’s Bay area where I live are found on the coastal country. Possums are also very prevalent in the forest/pasture margins as these areas provide a plentiful supply of food and suitable habitat. The Department of Conservation has estimated possum density across the North Island as being between 2-15 possums per hectare.
If you read my earlier blogs entries about the Kaimanawa Wild Horses you’ll also remember that I mentioned possums were among those animals responsible for biodiversity damage and reflectively perhaps even moreso when we consider that theirs has more of an overall impact whereas the wild horses appear somewhat more contained. Interesting reflection that.
Ecological and Agricultural Pests
Possums are a major ecological and agricultural pest in New Zealand as well. They browse on and kill native and exotic trees, feeding on leaves and berries and stripping bark, damage orchard trees, shelter belts, crops and pasture, feed on native birds (eggs, fledglings and adults), feed on native invertebrates such as insects, compete with native birds for habitat and food carry and spread bovine tuberculosis (Tb) in cattle and deer that poses a serious threat to New Zealand’s agricultural industry.”
I found the shop in Napier educative too, you can walk through a nocturnal bush display that brings you back to the front door where you can buy the finished product. Good marketing and educative at the same time. Well done Napier Opossom World. Their mantra is ‘buy an opossom product, save a tree’. Their product is good so when you’re in Napier pop in and have a look. They’re not playing possum and their product is on the higher end of the cost scale but it’s right on the Marine Parade and they are well made.
