Sanddunes, flotsam and the pure joy of being outdoors

Run, Child, Run
Be Free, Just Be
Your world, Be One
Touch, Taste, Smell, Hear, See

- - A.G.

Ever walked onto a beach and felt like running? Feel the wind blow into your face, the sun warm up your body, the sand soften your feet and the water energise your soul?

My youngest, Esmee, must have felt just like that. Here in New Zealand, we are in the middle of summer, and my family's favourite outdoor summer spot are the Kapiti sand dunes, a few kilometers up North from where we live. This is where the children practice their long jumps, dig deep holes, run for miles and jump the waves.

There is more to a beach then sand and water. Dunes are an accumulation of wind blown sand at the rear of a beach. Sand dunes are a feature of about 1100km of the New Zealand coastline, located between the sea and land. Formed by wind, waves and time and held together by plants, sand dunes are an important habitat that is constantly changing. They play an important part within our ecosystem and are one of New Zealand's most endangered habitats. In the past, sand dunes hosted a wide variety of native plants that stabilised the dunes and provided habitat for many insects, animals and birds, including penguins and the native katipo spider. Few animals are adapted to life on the surface of beaches and sand dunes, but some shellfish and crustaceans burrow under the sand. Crabs, sandhoppers, slaters, lice and shrimps are all found on New Zealand beaches. Insect, reptiles, spiders and birds live in and around the roots, and leaves from the plants that inhabit the dunes. On one of my trips to the sand dunes I arrived back home to find a lizard hiding in my bag.

Another interesting part of New Zealand beaches is their flotsam along the shore. Driftwood – smooth bleached remains of forest trees – provides habitat for small animals. You can often see small creatures scurrying around when you move a driftwood log. Pumice, a floating volcanic rock, is also common on our beaches. Another drift material on our beaches is human produced rubbish that has been afloat for some time and usually caries seaweeds or shellfish. Children enjoy beachcombing the beach for interesting drift materials.

On our latest beachcombing trip we didn't find any litter, but there was plenty of driftwood, some pumice and heaps of shells. A tiny ladybug was hiding near a driftwood log. A shell revealed its inhabitant. Esmee was worried about its survival, and took it back into the sea, with such tender, loving care only a child can give.

Once her pockets where filled with feathers, driftwood, pumice and shells, the beachcombing followed with running into the sea, jumping, skipping, digging, throwing, all the things a young child should do - being outdoors and being active. Being out there, in nature, immersing herself into the open natural space, celebrating nature as well as herself. Pure joy.

Did you know? Scientist Bruce Hayward surveyed New Zealand’s beach litter between 1974 and 1997. His findings supported an often-heard claim that left-foot jandals are washed up more frequently than right-foot ones. Of 21 jandals and shoes found, 70% were for a left foot. Perhaps, because the majority of people favour their right foot, jandals slip more easily off the left foot. Source: Te Ara, the Encyclopedia of New Zealand