I have now been living in Casebrook for just over one year. That is the longest I've spent in one location since 2008. In the last four years, there have been a lot of moves, back and forth between Hokitika and Christchurch and around different suburbs here in the city.

It's a lovely feeling to be settled in a place and I enjoy the neighbourhood in our small cul-de-sac. But there is one thing in particular that I miss about Hokitika: the river.

During the summer, I would often spend afternoons along the banks of the river, exploring streams and fossicking for aquatic life. The strangest creature I ever found was a bright electric blue lamprey, which looked sort of like an eel, but with two blue stripes running down its body on either side of the dorsal fin. My friend and I were thrilled to find it, but we had no idea what it was - we had to take it to the local aquarium centre to get it identified.

I had many other adventures at the river, sometimes fishing, sometimes exploring the surrounding bush. Now that I'm on the East Coast, I will have to make an effort to investigate some of the rivers around Christchurch in an attempt to sate my longing!

These are photos of one of a couple my favourite spots.