Introduction:
Where:
With approximately twenty-five hours travelling time and associated expense from the UK, it really does not make sense to split a tour of New Zealand into multiple trips, so it was always our intention to cover the whole of the country in a single hit; this goal was achieved quite comfortably with three full weeks on the ground.
It should also be noted that this was not simply a birding trip, but a New Zealand Honeymoon! As such a less rigourus birding itinerary was adopted in favour of a number of cultural attractions such as horse riding, visiting glaciers, glow worm caves and taking some very rewarding supplementary boat trips. In spite of this strategy every single target bird and mammal was located in the course of our travels (as a Honeymoon trip Great Spotted Kiwi and Orange-fronted Parakeet, both notoriously difficult to locate, were never considered to be viable targets), and with hindsight it really would have been sacrilegious not to have incorporated these other worthwhile distractions into a trip to such a unique destination.
After a great deal of study of published trip reports and a wealth of other literature a north-to-south itinerary was drawn up incorporating all the necessary birding sites and aided by the convenience of a concluding internal flight from Dunedin back to Auckland. A brief summary of our very enjoyable and highly productive route is given below. On the North Island we covered 1142km and on the South Island 3442km (a total of 2865 miles).
Day 1: Arrive Auckland Airport – Waipu Cove (Fairy Tern, NZ Dotterel) – Waro Lake (NZ Little Grebe) – Kerikeri (NIB Kiwi). Accom: Birder’s Rest B&B, Kerkeri
Day 2: Kerikeri (Fernbird) – Helena Bay (Brown Teal) – Sandspit. Accom: Puriri Flat B&B, Sandspit
Day 3: Hauraki Gulf Pelagic out of Sandspit (NZ Storm-Petrel, White-faced Storm-Petrel, Mottled Petrel, Cook’s Petrel, Parkinson’s Petrel). Accom: Puriri Flat B&B, Sandspit
Day 4: Sandspit – Gulf Harbour – Tiritiri Matangi (Stitchbird, NI Saddleback, Kakako, Takahe, Rifleman, Spotless Crake, LS Kiwi). Accom: Tiritiri Matangi Bunkhouse
Day 5: Tiritiri Matangi – Gulf Harbour – Miranda (Wrybill, NZ Dotterel). Accom: Bay View Hotel, Kaiaua
Day 6: Miranda – Waitomo Caves – Pureora Forest (Kaka, Kakako, Long-tailed Cuckoo, Tomtit, NZ Robin, Morepork). Accom: DOC Cabins, Pureora
Day 7: Pureora Forest – Lake Taipo – Tongariro (NZ Pipit) – Raetihi – Ruatiti (Blue Duck). Accom: Raetiti Holiday Park, Raetihi
Day 8: Raetihi – Ruatiti (Blue Duck) – Foxton Beach (Wrybill) – Waikanae – Wellington. Accom: Shepherd’s Arms Hotel, Wellington
Day 9: Wellinton – Cook Straight Ferry – Picton – Queen Charlotte Sound (King Shag) – Motuara Island (SI Saddleback) – Kiakoura. Accom: Willowbank Motel, Kiakoura
Day 10: Kiakoura Pelagic (Hutton’s Shearwater, Westland Petrel, Gibson’s Albatross, Dusky Dolphin) – Christchurch – Akaroa. Accom: Top 10 Holiday Park, Akaroa
Day 11: Akaroa Harbour (Hector’s Dolphin, White-flippered Penguin) – Arthur’s Pass (Kea). Accom: Arthur’s Chalet, Arthur’s Pass
Day 12: Arthur’s Pass (NZ Falcon) – Okarito (OB Kiwi). Accom: Cedar Cottage, Okarito
Day 13: Okarito (Fernbird) – Franz Joseph Glacier – Monro Beach (FC Penguin) – Haast. Accom: Haast Lodge, Haast
Day 14: Haast – Bridal Track (Yellowhead) – Wanaka – Twizel – Lake Pukaki (Wrybill, Banded Dotterel) – Twizel. Accom: High Country Lodge, Twizel
Day 15: Twizel - Lake Pukaki (Black Stilt) – Lake Tekapo (horse riding) – Mount Cook – Tasman Glacier – Twizel. Accom: High Country Lodge, Twizel
Day 16: Twizel – Ahuriri River (Black Stilt) – Queenstown – Te Anau. Accom: Lake View Holiday Park, Te Anau
Day 17: Te Anau – Homer Tunnel (Rock Wren) – Milford Sound (FC Penguin). Accom: Milford Sound Lodge, Milford Sound
Day 18: Milford Sound – Homer Tunnel (Rock Wren) – Te Anau – Invercargill (Fernbird). Accom: Top 10 Holiday Park, Invercargill
Day 19: Invercargill – Foveaux Straight Ferry – Oban - Ulva Island (Yellowhead, SI Saddleback, Weka, NZ Robin, Tomtit) – Ocean Beach (SI Kiwi) – Oban. Accom: South Sea Hotel, Oban
Day 20: Stewart Island Pelagic (FC Penguin, Yellow-eyed Penguin, SR Albatross, Cook’s Petrel) – Ackers Point (Tomtit) – Oban. Accom: South Sea Hotel, Oban
Day 21: Oban – Foveaux Straight Ferry (Broad-billed Prion) – Invercargill – Curion Bay (Hector’s Dolphin) – Nugget Point (YE Penguin, NZ Pipit, NZ Sealion) – Dunedin. Accom: Blackhead Cottage B&B, Dunedin
Day 22: Dunedin – Otago Peninsular (YE Penguin, NR Albatross, NZ Sealion) – Dunedin Airport – Fly to Auckland Airport – Fly to London
When:
Visiting New Zealand in November coincides with the Austral Spring, when both resident and the handful of migrant birds are most easy to locate.
Seabirds are a major attraction for any birder visiting New Zealand, with a pelagic venture into the Hauraki Gulf being an essential element of any trip. Our visit was therefore timed to coincide with a Wrybill Tours (http://www.wrybill-tours.com/) scheduled Hauraki Gulf pelagic trip, with subsequent elements of the itinerary fitting around this date.
How:
Air New Zealand (http://www.airnewzealand.co.uk/) delivered impeccable service and at the time of our booking also offered excellent value from Heathrow to Auckland. Do not be put off by having to travel via Los Angeles, as the US immigration process really isn’t as laborious as some suggest. Air New Zealand also offered excellent value with their Dunedin to Auckland service.
Our vehicles were provided by Europcar, though actually booked via Rhino Car Hire (http://www.rhinocarhire.com/). We were disappointed that no prior warning was given of the need to change cars at the Wellington-Picton ferry crossing, but otherwise our travels were problem free. Drivers should be aware of the strict police enforcement of the 100km/h speeding limit and thus avoid hefty fines.
Individual references are given for the accommodation we used in the ‘Daily Diary’ section. These establishments were all booked in advance, a policy which is not essential in the majority of instances but which certainly saves time and stress at the end of a long day on the road. Most were of excellent quality, but some fell short of the mark, as detailed in the following pages.
As stated above, Wrybill Tours were able to confirm our Hauraki Gulf Pelagic date almost twelve months in advance of our trip, and our Air New Zealand flight was booked on the strength of this. Wrybill Tours were also able to secure an advanced overnight booking on Tiritiri Matangi Island, an essential part of any itinerary and something which needs to be done very early for this popular location.
Having booked the Haruaki Gulf Pelagic and Tiritiri, the various essential kiwi tours were next to be secured. This is important as these trips also fill up many months in advance. Carol and Detlef Davies take tours from Kerikeri, with a very high success rate in locating North Island Brown Kiwi (http://www.birdingnz.co.nz/directory.php?op=48). Ian Cooper’s Okarito Brown Kiwi Tours are certainly an experience not to be missed and again almost guarantee sightings (http://www.okaritokiwitours.co.nz/). To see Stewart Island Brown Kiwi in an unforgettable setting contract Ian Smith (email: pds@visitrakiura.co.nz).
Vast amounts of information is available on the internet regarding the various boat trip which may be undertaken and also the various accommodation available, thus allowing one to fill in the remaining gaps in the itinerary closer to the time of departure.
Throughout the planning process, and also during our New Zealand travels, Brent Stephenson was of tremendous help and I am greatly indebted to him for his assistance and encouragement. A Wrybill Tours Hauraki Gulf pelagic should be part of every New Zealand itinerary, and Brent also offers a bespoke trip planning service, should this be required (http://www.wrybill-tours.com/).
I am similarly indebted to Matt Jones (http://www.mattjoneswildlifeimages.com/), for his time and advice so generously given; his knowledge of Stewart Island is second-to-none and he offers a guiding service for those who require it. Finally, both Ian Cooper and Detlef Davies were very helpful in the provision of useful information and advice and I would also like to thank them for their help.
Daily Diary:
Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st October
Air New Zealand’s light-hearted take on the air safety video is an experience to savour and certainly sets the laid-back, good-humoured kiwi scene for the coming weeks, as we bid farewell to Heathrow. Two hours on the ground in Los Angeles allows us to experience some US immigration service hospitality, then its straight back in the air to see out the remainder of our twenty-five hour passage to the Antipodes. Two back-to-back long-haul flights are certainly something of an endurance test, but we are confident that the end will justify the means on this occasion.
Monday 1st November
It is first light as we make our final approach to Auckland Airport, descending over an amazing landscape of low green islands, headlands and bays, reminiscent of the West Coast of Scotland. Once on the ground we then spend half an hour queuing before the Ministry of Agriculture declare us free of illicit fruit and we can formally enter the country. The next obstacle comes at the Europcar desk, where we find that the car which we thought we had from top-to-bottom of NZ will have to be changed as we make the Wellington-Picton ferry crossing. As it transpires this is not really an inconvenience, but we can’t help wondering why we weren’t told when we made the reservation?
After shoehorning as much of our baggage as we can into the tiny boot of the Holden Barina (Vauxhall Corsa equivalent), we stock up on essentials at a convenient supermarket and then head north, through the pleasantly leafy suburbs of Auckland, an area which has a very 1950s feel about it. Soon we emerge onto State Highway 1, whose dual carriageway snakes through downtown Auckland amidst the rush-hour mêlée. We pass the famous outline of the Sky Tower at a crawl, continuing north over the Harbour Bridge to leave suburbia and into a rolling green landscape of lush pastures and remnant forest patches, all under a cloudless blue sky. New Zealand Pigeon soon takes the honour of first tick of the trip, as several of these hefty white-bellied birds flap across the road.
SH 1 is a fast road and by 11.00 we have taken the turning to Waipu, our first official birding destination. Beyond the small town a road leads to the picturesque sandy beach of Waipu Cove, where a dune-topped spit, resembling a mini Blakeney Point, has been declared a nature reserve to protect breeding terns and waders. As luck would have it the tide is low, so I roll up the trousers and immediately head for the beckoning spit, while Victoria fends off the jetlag with a nap in the car.
Waipu makes a wonderful first stop, and instantly provides a rush of new birds which deliver the adrenaline needed to brush aside all thoughts of tiredness. Red-billed Gulls and White-fronted Terns feed over the inlet while Variable Oystercatchers and Bar-tailed Godwits wade in the shallows. Upon reaching the dunes of the spit, New Zealand Dotterel are instantly visible, displaying beautiful peachy breasts and vocalising loudly as pairs vie for the best territory amongst the golden sand and flower-strewn tussocks.
Rounding the point I almost walk straight past the main goal of the visit, as a pair of delicate Fairy Terns sit unobtrusively at their chosen breeding spot, on the shingle just above the tide line. These exquisite little birds allow close observation of their courtship feeding and are the most obliging photographic subjects one could wish for.
Back ashore we track down Waipu’s excellent bakery, where our first NZ pies, cakes and cuppas are procured. In the course of our travels the visit to the bakery develops into one of the day’s highlights, to marvel at the mouth-watering array of rolls, pies and pastries in their tidy display cases, pick out something tasty and order a cracking cup of freshly brewed tea to wash it all down. Today’s morsels are consumed at the village picnic area, where a Tui joins us as the first endemic passerine of our travels. Vic notes that the Tui appears to have cut himself while shaving and has little blots of white tissue adhering to his throat!
Continuing our journey north on SH 1, through more spectacularly rolling Northland scenery, we find that plantation conifers start to outnumber native trees as the forest of choice. Our final birding stop of the afternoon is made at Waro Lake, a flooded quarry that has become colonised by a healthy population of New Zealand Little Grebes. After watching several pairs of these smart birds display close to the shore we set off on the final leg of the day’s journey, to the town of Kerikeri.
Birder’s Rest B&B is run by Carol and Detlef Davies and consists of a spacious modern house set in beautifully landscaped gardens complete with a sizeable swimming pool (http://www.birdingnz.co.nz/directory.php?op=48). After tea and a birding chat we take a short siesta to counter jetlag and prepare ourselves for the day’s main event.
At 20.00 we set off, in the failing light, for an area of pasture and remnant forest some 30 minutes drive northeast of Kerikeri. After winding our way down a series of dirt roads we park up and almost instantly a duetting pair of North Island Brown Kiwis are heard! Things are clearly looking favourable, but after an hour of scanning grassy pastures and dense bush thickets on the steep hillsides morale is beginning to subside. It is just at this point that Detlef’s kiwi-spotting talent comes to the fore and a female bird is glimpsed scurrying through the long grass and away from the spotlight. With another half-hour of persistence our luck comes good, and two obliging male North Island Brown Kiwis decide to perform as required, permitting prolonged views of these incredible creatures which certainly appear more akin to the order of mammals than birds. We watch as they probe the soft earth with sensitive bills, marvel at the size of a creature too large to squeeze through a sheep netting fence and I even manage to take some half-decent photographs. What a first day in New Zealand!
On the drive back to Kerikeri our introduced mammal list hits four species, in the form of Rabbit, Brush-tailed Possum, Stoat and Hedgehog, while back at the Birder’s Rest our supper is of champagne (kindly supplied as a honeymoon treat by Carol and Detlef) and crisps!
Tuesday 2nd November
A lie-in would be nice, but there are birds to be seen. So while Vic adjusts to the time difference I head out to Aroha Island at first light, along green lanes scattered with Skylarks and Yellowhammers. It only takes twenty minutes to drive to the small coastal nature reserve, which protects a small patch of remnant forest and mangrove. This is my first forest birding and provides a sudden injection of new birds in the form of New Zealand Fantail, Grey Gerigone and, after a little coaxing, a brief North Island Fernbird.
Back at Kerikeri we enjoy a very relaxed breakfast and depart mid morning to retrace our steps to the south. A deviation in the previous day’s route leads us along a very winding lane to the coast at the picturesque location of Helena Bay, where we follow our directions to a bridge over a small river at which signs announce that this is the home of the Brown Teal.
Initially I walk downstream, past a pair of Paradise Shelduck which raucously defend their young, but find no Brown Teal. Back at the road bridge I have just spotted a small huddle of the understated but very rare ducks, when a local pulls up in a lorry. I brace myself for the familiar English farmer’s welcome of “get off my bloody land!”, but am amazed to be told that I am welcome to walk up the river to photograph the teal. As the man says, “they are only little brown ducks”.
Twenty-one Brown Teal are counted and photographed, a fair percentage of the world’s wild population, and while I soak up their glorious brown hues Vic completes a very tidy drawing of the picturesque hillside beyond. Everyone is happy and we set off south for Sandspit, stopping occasionally en route to admire the Northland scenery and also to marvel at the bizarre pink-dyed sheep in the grounds of ‘Sheepworld’ just north of Warkworth.
At Warkworth we turn east and are soon at the pretty coastal hamlet of Sandspit, where the rolling green hills meet a deep blue sea. A visit to the quay allows us to arrange Vic’s trip to Kawau Island for the following day, then we check into our charming B&B, Puriri Flat (http://www.puririflat.co.nz/); Doug and Jean-Anne’s wonderful premises and very warm welcome are highly recommended. A fine evening meal is consumed at the Salty Dog pub in nearby Snell’s Beach, which is followed by an early night in anticipation of a big day on the high seas!
Wednesday 3rd November
Although it’s only day three of our honeymoon we have already made plans to go our separate ways. I take an early breakfast in anticipation of an 08.00 rendezvous with Brent Stephenson and his Wrybill Tour participants down at Sandspit Quay. Meanwhile Vic will be taking the boat over to Kawau Island and visiting the historic Mansion House, a much safer option for the less hardened seafarer.
Doug kindly runs me down to the quay, where the 20m ‘Assassin’ is already filling with my seven fellow Hauraki Gulf adventurers. The fine craft is in the very capable and highly entertaining hands of our skipper, Brett, while we know that in Mr Stephenson we are accompanied by one of the foremost seabird experts in the world.
It is a beautiful sunny day with just a light breeze, and we make rapid seaward progress in the powerful charter fishing boat, passing Kawau Island and heading out into the Hauraki Gulf. Inshore we see several Little Blue Penguins, and it doesn’t take long until we are amongst the first Common Diving-Petrels, Flesh-footed and Fluttering Shearwaters.
Striking Buller’s Shearwaters trail the speeding boat, and soon we are amidst impressive numbers of delicate Fairy Prions. It is around 10.00 when a large group of White-faced Storm-Petrels are encountered, feeding en mass. The boat stops and a bag of frozen chum, a mixture of fish liver and oil, is lowered over the stern to attract the tubenoses which find food largely by smell.
As we wait for the storm-petrels to approach, Brett begins to toss out chopped fish to the shearwaters, and the first of many Cook’s Petrels, the strikingly patterned Pterodroma of the region, begin to pass us by. A single Parkinson’s Petrel joins the shearwaters battling for the fish scraps, and soon we have dozens of White-faced Storm-Petrels dancing over the oily fish slick in our wake. The White-faced Stormies are the most wonderful of seabirds, beautifully marked in subtle black, white and grey, and supremely elegant as they tiptoe over the water’s surface just a few metres from the stern.
We are all engrossed in the seabird ballet when a shout of New Zealand Storm-Petrel brings us to our senses and everyone is instantly scanning through the masses of White-faced Stormies for a darker shape. After a few frantic seconds we have all located the near-mythical goal of our day at sea, the fantastic New Zealand Storm-Petrel, a bird lost to science for an incredible 150 years. It was rediscovered in the Hauraki Gulf as recently as 2003, by Brent and his colleagues, and now we are watching the finely streaked white belly of this star bird as it repeatedly sweeps past the boat.
It’s a great relief to have bagged the prize bird so early in the day, and after savouring the stunning storm-petrel spectacle for the best part of an hour we head for our lunch-stop in the lea of the Mokohinau Islands. Red-crowned Parakeets pass overhead and the calls of Bellbirds echo around the cliffs as we eat, before we set off for the Pacific Ocean proper, passing Great Barrier Island and the distinctive outline of Hen and Chickens Islands to the north.
Our final chumming stop is made 35 Nautical Miles out to sea, well beyond any land and in a buoyant swell. The chum bag is lowered and Brett speedily chops the fish scraps, with a stream of birds soon heading for the bows. At least two more New Zealand Storm-Petrels appear and numerous Cook’s Petrels arc over the boat, as the stiff breeze allows them to adopt a more traditional Pterodroma flight pattern. Several Little Shearwaters pass us by, and it’s a very welcome surprise when both Salvin’s and Buller’s Albatrosses join the feeding frenzy as these birds are generally very scarce in the Hauraki Gulf.
We are just marvelling at the two rather large Blue Sharks which prowl the clear water off the stern, attracted by the chum bag, when a rather different Pterodroma catches my eye. I’m pretty sure what it is, but know it shouldn’t be in the Hauraki Gulf! Thankfully Brent confirms my excited cries and soon the whole party is watching a Mottled Petrel. This striking bird is actually one of my primary NZ seabird targets, but it’s essentially a southern bird and Hauraki Gulf sightings are virtually unknown. Therefore we are all amazed when, over the next hours, we watch another eight birds fly past, some extremely close to the boat, and all on a southerly trajectory; we are the first people ever to witness such a visible migration of this species!
After the tremendous excitement of the previous few hours the journey back to Sandspit is quite a mundane affair, broken only by Northern Giant and Cape Petrels and a friendly pod of Short-beaked Common Dolphins. On our way past Kawau Island we sneak close inshore to tick off the greyii North Island Wekas, large brown flightless rails which feed on the lawns beside Mansion House, before docking just short of 19.00. Already a veteran of a host of pelagic seabirding trips in various parts of the world, I can honestly say that this has been the best one ever.
Vic and I meet up back at Puriri Flat, with lots to tell each other, then it’s off to Snell’s Beach where we enjoy delicious fish-and-chips served up the traditional way, in newspaper!
Thursday 4th November
Our 07.00 breakfast gives us time for a steady drive south to Gulf Harbour, via Australian Shoveller, Grey Teal and Pacific Black Duck on Waiwera Pools, and a picnic lunch procured from the local bakery. At Gulf Harbour we check in at the ‘360 Discovery Cruises’ (http://www.360discovery.co.nz/) counter for our 09.50 boat to Tiritiri Matangi Island. For a naturalist visiting New Zealand a trip to Tiritiri is absolutely essential but, as we are to discover, almost anyone who sets foot on this magical isle is certain to instantly fall in love with the stunning beauty and absolute tranquillity of this unique location.
Amazingly Tiritiri Matangi was almost totally cleared of natural vegetation for agriculture soon after Europeans first settled here, but since 1970 the Department of Conservation (DOC) has initiated an incredibly successful habitat restoration project. The island has been largely returned to its original condition and a variety of birds and other wildlife have been reintroduced to the predator-free haven.
The Tiri Kat is a large modern catamaran, adorned with striking murals of Tiritiri’s resident wildlife. In just thirty minutes it whisks us to the Tiritiri jetty, along with several excited parties of schoolchildren and various day-trippers. Together with the rest of Brent’s Wrybill Tour group, Vic and I have our overnight gear, however, as we have a two-day visit planned.
As soon as we are ashore one of the DOC staff provides an informative and highly entertaining resume of the Island’s do’s and don’ts, before we set off up the hill from the quayside. Our walk through the flowering flax and cabbage trees is a slow one, with constant distractions in the form of North Island Saddleback or Bellbird, and Brent has to physically drag us away from these avian wonders in order to make a timely arrival for our DOC introduction to the bunkhouse facilities. When we are greeted at the lighthouse by Greg, and extremely friendly resident Takahe, Brent gives up the fight as no-one can pass by this huge, flightless, once-considered-extinct swamphen without dropping to their knees and exchanging greetings with this outrageous character!
The Island’s only vehicle has already brought our heavy bags along the trail to the bunkhouse, where we are shown the fine facilities which are at our disposal for the next couple of days. Then it’s off to explore! Tiritiri has a superb system of tracks and boardwalks, with the Wattle Trail holding a reputation as the premier birders’ spot. The Wattle Trail is not only alive with birds, but also provides fantastic views back up to the lighthouse and right across the bay to Auckland.
Whiteheads prove to be numerous in the lush forest, North Island Robins are incredibly confiding and before too long we are gazing up at the amazing circular blue wattles of a Kakako. Red-crowned Parakeets move restlessly through the trees and a brief vigil at one of the specially installed nectar feeders is rewarded with a superb male Stitchbird.
Close to the quay is a small permanent pool which hosts a single very tame Brown Teal. We are told that the pool is also the home of a Spotless Crake, and despite regular interruptions from passing sightseers this normally-timid species soon appears amongst the vegetation at the back of the pool.
Keen to find a little more solitude from the day-trippers and school parties Vic and I head north, first to siesta on the golden sands of Hobbs Beach and then to follow the Kawerau Track boardwalks. Here the winding path follows a valley which holds remnants of original forest and the largest trees on the island. This is arguable the most natural area on Tiritiri, and the verdant greenery of the valley supports a high density of both Stitchbirds and Whiteheads.
The Ridge Track leads us back to the accommodation block, where Brent is already preparing the barbeque feast he has brought over to the Island for our group. We team up to produce a scrumptious meal of potatoes, salad and barbequed lamb steaks, washed down with copious amounts of good NZ wine and concluded with freshly made apple pie!
It’s almost like being on holiday, but we are not here to eat and drink as there is a very important nightbird to see on Tiritiri! So we don fleeces and headlamps and set off along the Wattle Track soon after dark, with Brent and his red-bulbed spot-lamp leading the way. Half way along the Wattle Track a Little Spotted Kiwi calls close by but cannot be located in the rather windy conditions. We have completed our first circuit and are heading back towards the lighthouse on the main access road when a Little Spotted Kiwi suddenly materialises in the red light at the edge of the track. We manage to retain our cool and keep as quiet as we can, while the Kiwi actually walks down the track towards us and passes by just a few metres away. Amazing!
Our night-time activities are not complete yet, however, as Brent knows where best to look for the Tuatara. Tuataras are unique cold-blooded reptiles far removed from all living lizards, being the sole living representatives of a group which fossil evidence shows has remained virtually unchanged for 225 million years; they are effectively living dinosaurs and we are understandably very curious and keen to see such a beast.
Following the Ridge Trail we encounter several confiding Little Blue Penguins, for which the climb to the summit of the Island to reach their nesting burrows is clearly a substantial feat. Our walk is also a lengthy one, and it has just started to rain when Brent finally locates a Tuatara in the grass beside the track. Our efforts are worthwhile, as our quarry is an impressive beast, of mottled greenish colouration, with a head reminiscent of an iguana, serrated spines along its nape and back, and with a broad rather shortish tail.
With the rain starting to become heavier we march back to the accommodation block at double-time, where an amazing day is toasted with Whittaker’s chocolate and Cab Sav, before we retire to our cosy bunks.
Friday 5th November
After a fine and sunny opening day on Tiritiri, the low cloud and drizzle which heralds first light is quite a contrast, though the worst of the previous night’s storm seems to have passed by in the hours of darkness. Adverse weather cannot dampen spirits in such an amazing setting and I head out before breakfast, to savour an incredible dawn chorus on the deserted Wattle Track. Here the haunting chimes of Kokako ring through the trees, and close to the quay both North Island Fernbird and Spotless Crake put on outstanding performances.
By the time we have eaten our breakfast the weather is beginning to break, so Vic deploys her pad and pencils while I wield the camera for a few hours. Vic’s sketching is repeatedly interrupted by the amorous attentions of Greg the Takahe, while I get to grips with North Island Rifleman on the Kawerau Track.
After lunch and some present procurement in the Island’s excellent fundraising gift shop the remainder of the day is spent walking along the stunningly beautiful East Coast Track, now in bright sunshine, where North Island Saddlebacks flit between tall flax flower spikes, leaving a dusting of orange pollen on the black forehead of every bird.
All too soon it is time to think about catching the 15.30 boat back to the mainland and leave behind what has instantly become one of our favourite locations in all New Zealand. Vacating the Tiri Kat and its cargo of 150 excited schoolchildren, we are somewhat relieved to find the car and its boot full of our belongings still intact at the Gulf Harbour car park. We need to pass through Auckland on our journey south to Miranda and the Friday night rush hour traffic is just about peaking as we crawl through the city on the SH 1. Radio Hauraki keeps us entertained through the journey with music and some forthright commercials, including the unforgettable “If you drink and drive you’re a bloody criminal” strap line!
The SH 2 exit comes as a relief, taking us east through rolling green pasture country towards the Firth of Thames. Grassland flanks the Firth, abutting a wide estuary whose backdrop is the spectacular peaks of the Coromandel Peninsular. Miranda is widely quoted as the place to see shorebirds in all New Zealand, but timing is crucial in order that a high tide has pushed the birds to their communal roosting sites.
Our arrival coincides with such a high tide and as we make our way over the short distance from the car park to the tiny hide at the edge of the Firth of Thames we pass a roost of several thousand Bar-tailed Godwits. At Miranda a small spit juts out into the Firth and here hundreds of Red Knot are massed, together with lesser number of Variable Oystercatchers and a smattering of Royal Spoonbill. The main reason for our visit, however, is to see the only bird in the world whose bill bends to the side, the amazing Wrybill. A group of 35 of these corking little waders have assembled on the spit until, to our amazement, they actually fly towards us and begin to feed on the shingle just a matter of metres away! The camera blazes as we study every detail of these little grey-and-white beauties, each sporting the neat little black breast bands of breeding plumage. And Wrybill is instantly elevated to the status of one of my favourite NZ birds, though I will have to wait until a little later in the trip to see how that sideways-bending bill is actually put to use.
Mission accomplished, we head north to track down our night’s accommodation at the Bay View Hotel, Kaiaua, chosen as the Miranda Shorebird Centre is already fully booked. Our room keys are collected from the hotel bar, where dozens of rugby fans are attired in team kits, coloured wigs and make-up to watch a TV cup final featuring the local team. Although the atmosphere in the bar is heady, morale takes something of a dive when we see our room, which is very shabby, has a noisy fridge, gurgling plumbing and a bed made of putty. The only saving grace is that it is very cheap.
We don’t spend long in our ignominious accommodation, instead favouring the quirky licensed fish-and-chip shop next door. Here you order your choice of fish from the lengthy menu and sit down with a beer while it is fried to perfection. An intercom announces the completion of the order and then a tasty supper is collected in the now-familiar newspaper wrapping, thus salvaging an enjoyable end to a long day.
Saturday 6th November
At 06.30 I am back at the Miranda high tide roost, for ‘seconds’ of this fantastic spectacle. Bar-tailed Godwit and Red Knot are again present in multiple-thousands, but with a little more time on my hands some other tasty birds are picked out amongst the roost. Familiar Turnstones and Ringed Plovers are here, plus three Curlew Sandpipers and a single Red-necked Stint. It’s been a long time since I have seen a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and the single bird of this species is very welcome, as are the three peach-coloured New Zealand Dotterels. The count of the ever-attractive Wrybill has risen to an impressive 73, as I wrap up and head back the Bay View Hotel, Victoria and breakfast.
After checking out we find a local store to cook us a toasty and brew a fine ‘flat white’ coffee; caffeine lovers have to learn a new language when ordering in NZ! After picnicking at the edge of the Firth of Thames we take a long walk along the grey pebbly beach, soaking up the bright sunshine and stunning scenery.
It is mid-morning when we hit the road for a lengthy drive to the south. Our route is retraced back to the SH 1, which is then followed through more green pastures to Ngaruawahia, where we fork onto the SH 39, towards our destination of Waitomo Caves. A picnic lunch is sourced from another fine bakery and we eat al fresco with a backdrop view of the wooded slopes of Pirongia Forest Park.
Upon reaching Waitomo, where native forest still clings to the ridges of many hills, we first spend a short while in a vain search for the elusive New Zealand Falcon close to Aranui Cave. It’s the middle of the day and predictably nothing stirs, though a singing Shining Bronze Cuckoo makes its presence felt but refuses to reveal its position, in the same vein as several predecessors.
Waitomo Glow Worm caves have been recommended by the guide books, and at the entrance is a very impressive modern visitors centre; we baulk a little at the 46 NZD per head entrance fee, but then the experience must be quite amazing to warrant such a charge? We line up with twenty other budding cavers and follow a nice Maori lady who explains all about stalactites and stalagmites as we wander through some lovely caves. Then we board a boat which slowly passes below an impressive display of cave-roof-living glow worms resembling a mini underground galaxy. All done in about half-an-hour and worthy of the fifty-odd-quid fee? I think not!
In Te Kuiti we tour the now familiar aisles of the local ‘New World’ supermarket, stocking up with provisions in anticipation of a night fending for ourselves at the Pureora Forest Park, and then follow directions to the DOC cabins. The DOC are off duty on a Saturday, but have kindly left us a key to our pre-booked room (email: PUREORAFC@doc.govt.nz). Our cabin is very clean, but somewhat spartan and rather more akin to a prison cell than a hotel room. But it is damned cheap and right in the forest, so we make the most of the available daylight and set off to see what we can find.
Pureora is not exactly what I had envisaged, with the area of accessible native forest being very limited. It is interspersed with blocks of conifer plantation and cut by swathes of agricultural land. From the Field Centre we follow the Barryville, Pikiariki and Bismarck Roads towards the Forest Viewing Tower. Here the habitat is fantastic, with a lush tree fern under-storey below a high canopy of virgin native forest. North Island Robins, Bellbirds and New Zealand Fantails abound, and from the viewing tower we get some great perched views of the raucous North Island Kakas which have been flying circuits of the area since our arrival. Back at the car park I manage to track down the rasping call of a Long-tailed Cuckoo to its treetop source, and we savour one of NZ’s few migrant landbirds through the telescope in the day’s last rays of sunlight.
Returning to the Field Centre I receive a dose of good-fortune in disturbing a daylight Morepork close to the cabin. Here we enjoy a cold buffet dinner washed down with generous rations of NZ red, intended to fend off the cold during my owling exploits. Outside the cabin the temperature has dropped dramatically, but Morepork are calling all around. For an hour I chase up to four calling birds in the immediate vicinity of the cabin, but none will perform as required and I give up on my photographic quest as the temperature drops to an uncomfortable level.
Sunday 7th November
It has been unpleasantly cold in our sleeping bags during the night, with socks and woolly hats deployed, and I realise why when I find thick ice on the car windows at first light; we weren’t prepared for sub-zero temperatures! After defrosting the car I follow directions kindly provided by the DOC to a Kokako site along the Plains Road. Here the Kokako is chiming charismatically on arrival, with both North Island Tomtit and a photogenic pair of Yellow-fronted Parakeets performing for my pleasure.
A short drive to Waipapa brings me to more open habitat, where the harsh frost still carpets the ground. Birds here include North Island Robin, North Island Kaka, Long-tailed Cuckoo, North Island Tomtit, North Island Fernbird, North Island Rifleman, Whitehead, Bellbird, a couple of distantly calling Kakako and, finally, an obliging Shining Bronze Cuckoo. It is obvious that a determined effort is being made to control alien predators in this area, and the work of the DOC is clearly paying dividends.
Back at the cabins, where we are the sole occupants, I join Vic for breakfast. Bags packed, we set off towards Lake Taupo, on a journey through a similar mixture of rolling pasture lands, conifer plantation and patches of native forest. Taupo is a fresh, clean town and lies at the head of the stunning blue inland sea of Lake Taupo. Here we enjoy a hearty cuppa, whilst marvelling at the snow-capped peaks which reflect in the still waters of the lake. Black-billed Gulls loaf in the car park and a little south of the town our first New Zealand Scaup feed within touching distance at the lake’s edge.
A picnic lunch stop is made at one of the many scenic pull-ins on the eastern shore of the lake, before we leave the water’s edge and begin to ascend into the alpine zone, as we skirt the very impressive snow-topped conical peak of Mount Tongariro. Here an emergency stop is performed for a pair of birds which turn out to be New Zealand Pipits, one of only two sightings made during the whole trip.
Late afternoon we arrive at Raetihi Holiday Park (http://www.raetihiholidaypark.com/), where we are a little surprised to find the proprietor sitting at his veranda table surrounded by beer cans; it transpires that his hunting trip has had to be cancelled and he is consoling with his mate! In spite of the unorthodox welcome, the Holiday Park is spotlessly clean, very well equipped and our small cabin with shared facilities is excellent value-for-money.
After a siesta, shower and a brew we head north for an evening recee of the confusingly similarly named Ruatiti, well know in birding circles as the best place in all New Zealand to look for the highly endangered Blue Duck. The narrow Ruatiti Road leaves the SH 4 not far north of Raetihi, and it takes us about half an hour to reach the Manganuioteao River, where we have an ‘x’ on our map.
No reference has previously been made to the local landscape and we are quite taken aback at the stunning beauty of the river-cut limestone valley which greets us. Likened to the Derbyshire Peak District, this really is some of the finest scenery we see in all New Zealand and is worth the visit for the views alone. To compound our enjoyment of the site, we step out of the car at the Manganuioteao River and instantly see a family party of Blue Ducks swimming in the fast-flowing waters below us! The NZ equivalent of South America’s Torrent Duck, Blue Ducks are perfectly adapted to life in the rapids and the four fluffy ducklings which follow the adult birds take the foaming water in their stride as we watch them weave amongst the boulders.
With our bird in the bag we enjoy a very relaxed walk amidst some breathtaking scenery, where New Zealand Pigeon is particularly numerous and another Shining Bronze Cuckoo sits calling from a treetop. A particularly memorable evening is concluded in the Clyde Bistro at the nearby settlement of Ohakune, whose fine cuisine, raging log fire and friendly staff make it one of our favourite NZ eating places.
Monday 8th November
I can’t resist Blue Duck seconds, so leave Vic taking a lie-in while I make an early morning trip back to Ruatiti. This time I do a little more exploring and travel right up to Ruatiti Camp Site, another location recommended for Blue Duck. I only notch up one additional sighting for all my efforts, plus the original family party. With a little strategic scrambling around on the hillside I get much closer to the latter birds, and the group sit unconcerned while I take photographs from just ten metres away.
The remainder of the day is to be devoted to a leisurely drive south to Wellington, and at 10.00 we set off to traverse the winding road which leads to the Tasman Sea via more spectacular limestone scenery. By 12.30 we are making our first scheduled stop at Foxton Beach, where sandwiches and tea are bought for consumption at the Manawatu River Estuary. A beach walk here reveals our first Pied Oystercatcher amongst the now-familiar Variables, several Pacific Golden Plovers and a surprise Little Tern. The stars are undoubtedly the half-dozen Wrybills, however, who feed veraciously in the grey mud. I secrete myself and camera amongst the group, to study the cocked-headed feeding technique of these amazing birds at point-blank range. It soon becomes apparent that in a muddy setting the sideways-curving bills are used to sieve the mud for food with a head held at an angle, skimming over the wet surface in a variation on the avocet technique.
Happy with several memory cards-full of Wrybill images we continue our journey south, with the next leg taking us as far as Waikanae. Here we take a walk on the long golden seafront beach and also the estuary, though the southerly wind is bitingly cold and the birds thin on the ground, so we soon call it a day.
Early evening finds us making our way into downtown Wellington, and the Bluebridge Ferry Terminal in particular. At the information desk we explain how Europcar never told us about the Wellington car change requirement and that we therefore have a car crossing booked. This is clearly a regular occurrence, as the jovial Bluebridge official simply whips out a refund form and jots down the necessary detail to reimburse our prepaid car ferrying costs. As well as providing an impeccable service, we found that Bluebridge were actually less costly than the Interislander competition for the Cook Strait crossing and we would certainly recommend their services (http://www.bluebridge.co.nz/index.aspx).
Wellington proves to be a very clean and architecturally impressive city with lots of character and in hindsight we would have preferred more time to soak in the atmosphere. Our hotel for the night is the excellent Shepherd’s Arms, situated conveniently close to the ferry terminal (http://www.shepherds.co.nz/). Actually a period inn with accommodation upstairs, it offers parking space, very spacious and well-equipped rooms, plus a bar with a great selection of food and some cracking draught beer.
Tuesday 9th November
Our half-kilometre jaunt to the Bluebridge Ferry Terminal turns into a ten kilometre dash when we inadvertently join the motorway, and is not a good start to the day! Very relieved to find the Terminal again, the hire car is left in the car park and keys dropped with the Bluebridge official as we check in our bags.
The large car-ferry, which departs Wellington at 08.00, clearly has a few nautical miles on the clock and is a little rough around the edges, but is perfectly adequate as our seawatching platform for the next couple of hours. As it happens the fantastic weather, with a clear sunny sky and very little wind, gives us a very calm crossing but with correspondingly very few seabirds. At the stern of the ferry we team up with Dutch expats Peter and Yvonne Bijmakers, to log Little Blue Penguin, Cape Petrel, Westland Petrel, Fluttering Shearwater and Gibson’s Albatross in the course of the journey.
Upon approaching the South Island the snow-capped Southern Alps show themselves for the first time, peaking through ribbons of cloud, and as we enter the beautiful fiords of the Tory Channel and Queen Charlotte Sound, Spotted Shags appear in large numbers. At 11.20 we dock in the small port town of Picton, where a shuttle bus carries us to the ferry terminal to pick up our bags and track down the Europcar office. We have elected to move up a car size following our North Island luggage squeeze, and are handed a very new Toyota Corolla which as well as providing extra luggage space proves to be more akin to the longer journeys required to comfortably traverse the South Island. We then grab lunch in the town before checking in at the Dolphin Watch Ecotours office, where we have booked a ‘Birdwatchers Expedition’ in the Marlborough Sounds (http://www.naturetours.co.nz/).
At 13.30 our small group boards a sturdy new catamaran, along with a very knowledgeable naturalist guide, and we head out into the sparkling blue waters. The DWE crew know how to keep the birders happy, and within half-an-hour the bows of the boat are nudging up to a small rocky outcrop in the Sound on which two adult King Shags are roosting amongst a large huddle of their Spotted cousins. King Shags breed only in New Zealand’s Marborough Sounds and are the main lure of this area, but magnificent scenery, great views of a large pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins and the bonus of an hour on Motuara Island Nature Reserve make this a very rewarding trip.
Motuara is a stunning spot in itself, and here we are landed on a wooden jetty to follow a small trail through the native bush where New Zealand Pigeons sit, unconcerned, just metres from observers. Our time is spent at a known watering hole, where the birds come to us in the heat of the day. Bellbirds and Yellow-fronted Parakeets descend to bathe, North Island Robins feed at our feet and an occasional South Island Saddleback flits through the understory.
The journey home pulls in close-ups of several New Zealand Fur Seals, with the sun shining down on us from a clear sky throughout this fantastic four-hour trip. The drive south from Picton to Kiakoura takes a further two hours, first passing through the Marlborough wineries and then following a dramatic coastline where regular photo-stops are a necessity.
At the town of Kiakoura we soon find the Willowbank Motel, whose clean, modern units offer great value (http://www.willowbankkaikoura.co.nz/). Sadly the same cannot be said for the town’s eateries, as we find out in our search for somewhere to dine; although the local populous have long since abandoned the harpooning of whales, they now seem to be engaged in a similar practice with the wallets of visiting tourists! Eventually we resort to a takeaway pizza from Dexarelli’s, which we consume back at the Willowbank with a good bottle of wine.
Wednesday 10th November
With a reservation on the first Kiakoura pelagic of the day I am at the Albatross Encounters (http://www.albatrossencounter.co.nz/) office for 05.45 prompt, while Victoria continues her slumber. I find I am sharing the trip with a very pleasant Indian family and together with Ali, our skipper and guide for the day, we take the minibus from the booking office to Kiakoura’s South Bay where the trip will commence.
We board the small aluminium boat on dry land, before the trailer on which it sits is backed into the sea, and then we are off, straight into a rather foreboding bank of sea mist! As Ali predicts, we soon clear the mist and once in the bright sunshine find ourselves amongst large rafts of roosting Hutton’s Shearwaters. It is amazing to think that these birds are breeding more than 10 km inland from here, in the mountains of the Seaward Kiakoura Range; they nest nowhere else in the world.
As we speed out to the continental shelf a single Buller’s Shearwater passes the boat and soon we are in the realm of dozens of Cape Petrels. At the shelf we stop, to drop out a small wire cage full of frozen fish liver which Ali terms ‘albatross ice-cream’. Almost instantly Cape, Westland and White-chinned Petrels descend to within touching distance, soon to be followed by both Salvin’s and Gibson’s Albatrosses. With a backdrop of a mist-shrouded coastline and high snow-capped peaks jutting up behind, this really is a unique way to savour gliding albatrosses.
After a predictable photographic frenzy we set a return course, pulling in Sooty and Fluttering Shearwaters and a pod of Dusky Dolphins leaping clear of the waves. Finally, some close looks at New Zealand Fur Seals and more tight groups of Hutton’s Shearwaters bring us back to dry land.
While at sea I have managed to rearrange the 13.00 pelagic pre-booked for both Vic and I to the 09.00 slot, so I dash back to grab Vic, check out of the Willowbank Motel and report for our next trip. The early morning procedure is then repeated, as are the performances of the birds, with the only difference being the absence of Hutton’s Shearwaters and the appearance of a couple of White-capped Albatrosses. In conclusion I have to say that the Hauraki Gulf experience really must have spoilt me, as I find that Kiakoura is somewhat lacking in seabird diversity and therefore the element of excitement experienced a week earlier.
Back on dry land we procure a fine picnic lunch from the town bakery and return to South Bay to dine with a sea view. Then it’s time for a walk along the pebble strand-line, admiring the scenery and also happening upon a pair of Banded Dotterel which are clearly nesting close by. With a good four hour drive down to Akaroa ahead of us we then set off south early in the afternoon, following the SH 1 towards Christchurch.
On the coastal plain the roads are fast, but winding hill crossings periodically slow progress to a crawl behind labouring lorries. Thankfully the scenery is constantly changing and always inspiring, meaning that driving in New Zealand is always part of the pleasure of the holiday. In Christchurch we stock up on supplies at the local New World then, in an attempt to avoid the rush-hour traffic, cut through to Lyttelton Harbour.
In our minds-eye Akaroa is just south of Christchurch, but in reality it is still a good hour’s drive down the Banks Peninsular and it is starting to become one of those never-ending journeys as we finally descend into the stunning bays surrounding Akaroa Harbour, where suddenly it all becomes worthwhile. Without doubt Akaroa is one of our favourite spots in all New Zealand and should be included on the itinerary of every visitor, whether naturalist or just sightseer.
The Akaroa Top Ten Holiday Park takes a little finding, nestling in the hills above the town, but it is in a fantastic location and the balcony of our apartment gives amazing views right down to the turquoise waters of the harbour (http://www.akaroa-holidaypark.co.nz/). It is an absolute pleasure to be able to cook our own evening meal and then dine on the balcony with a glass of good wine and soak up the scenery in the warmth of the evening sun.
Thursday 11th November
This is a rather special day, as it is exactly 30 years since Victoria was born! Presents and cards have obviously been secretly arranged, then after the Birthday morning excitement and some breakfast we head down into Akaroa. The French-influenced town is full of character and nestles in a stunning location below green hillsides and beside the tranquil waters of the harbour. We wander along the coast road, with Vic’s sketchbook actively deployed, in perfect windless, sunny weather.
After securing our picnic lunch from yet another fantastic bakery we board the Black Cat at 11.00 for our ‘Akaroa Harbour Nature Cruise’ (http://www.blackcat.co.nz/). The very modern, very spacious catamaran provides an ultra-stable base to view both scenery and wildlife, backed up by an informative commentary from a very knowledgeable skipper. Hector’s Dolphins, our most wanted NZ mammal, appear almost as soon as we set off with a flash of a characteristic rounded dorsal fin, though we have to wait for a little longer for photogenic individuals to show. Soon, however, we have a small pod of these stunning black-and-white cetaceans, actually the smallest dolphins in the world, circling the boat and providing unrivalled photographic opportunities in the calm, clear waters of the harbour.
As the weather is so good we journey briefly into the open sea, to the next inlet to the north. Here several White-flippered Penguins are located close to the boat and a Northern Giant Petrel passes by. After more views of New Zealand Fur Seals and a total of perhaps 30 Hector’s Dolphins we return to Akaroa, concluding a Birthday trip which will be remembered for a very long time.
Returning to the car, we settle in for the three hour drive up into the Southern Alps and Arthur’s Pass. We are making good progress on the fast roads of the flat coastal plain until an unmarked, bright green police car clocks us at 124 km/h. The national limit in NZ is 100 km/h, and although we feel a little aggrieved at being caught out on a dead-straight road with no habitation in sight, there is no arguing and we take the ticket; this is certainly a lesson to travellers following in our footsteps.
A little subdued after our 170 NZD fine, we climb through the Canterbury foothills and into dramatic alpine scenery. The higher we climb the more spectacular the scenery becomes, as we near the rugged snow-capped peaks. Crossing the wide grey-pebble channel of the Waimakariri River at Bealey Spur, we move into solid blocks of native forest on the approach to Arthur’s Pass Town.
At the Arthur’s Pass DOC Visitor’s Centre we manage to glean some current bird information for the area, but sadly the contact I have previously made through email is out of town for a few days. Next we check into Arthur’s Chalet, an establishment whose website has managed to do wonders with what, in real life, is a rather run-down hotel. To the credit of the Chalet staff, however, they have taken note of a couple of 30th Birthday reminders and in our room is a bottle of iced champagne and also a birthday card thoughtfully posted from the UK by a good friend. More importantly, when I walk out to collect the bags from the car I find that a Kea is already in position on the car roof; how many times in your birding career does a new bird actually come to find you?!
The location for our evening walk is the Temple Basin Trail, at the highest point of the pass. The scenery is magnificent and, at 920 m, the walk is just the challenge we need after three hours cooped up in a car. Although birds are notable by their absence up above the tree line, I grab some great scenic shots and we now feel like we have earned our dinner.
Back down at Arthur’s Pass Town we have to give way to four Keas which are walking in the centre of the highway in a very unconcerned manner. Any stationary vehicle is fair game for a Kea and soon we are eye-to-eye with a rooftop bird. It is incredible to be in such close proximity to this huge, intelligent parrot whose plumage is a subtle patchwork of browns and moss-greens and whose bill looks capable of emulating a top-of-the-range tin opener.
Our 30th Birthday meal at Arthur’s Chalet is not one which we will want to remember. Shabby surroundings, a poor menu, dirty cutlery and mediocre food are not what the website said. Don’t eat here!
The DOC staff have identified an area of forest close to Town where Great Spotted Kiwis are known to be present and I can’t really spend a night up here without at least trying to see a bird. So off I go, armed with various powerful torches, into a rather breezy night. At the allotted spot I set off up a trail, which soon becomes extremely steep as it winds into the forest. Very rapidly it becomes apparent that my chances of randomly bumping into a kiwi, which I can’t hear for the wind in the trees, in a territory of several square kilometres, are probably not dissimilar to stumbling across The Pope; back at Arthur’s Chalet Vic is also relieved that I haven’t spent the 30th Birthday night of her honeymoon chasing a bloody kiwi!
Friday 12th November
My early morning birding destination is something of a tricky call, as the lure of the Hawdon Valley and it’s mythical Orange-fronted Parakeets is strong, but I also have a New Zealand Falcon tip-off to pursue. The Falcon wins through, being a bird very high on my NZ wanted list, and so dawn finds me down at the Bealey Bridge.
The wide Waimakariri River valley is lit by bright sunlight, and several pairs of very smart Black-fronted Terns hunt over the river’s many braided channels. I have been wandering amongst the boulders which flank the fast-flowing waters for some time, when the excited alarm calls of Black-fronted Terns cause me to look directly upwards. The source of the Tern’s anguish is a stunning New Zealand Falcon, which is soaring right above my head! My opportunity to study the rich-brown, heavily streaked underparts and strongly barred flight feathers of this fantastic bird is sadly brief, before it heads off to the east in a flight mode which is an odd mix of Falco and Accipiter. This proves to be the only New Zealand Falcon sighting of my whole three-week trip, emphasising what a tricky bird this is to connect with in NZ.
I can’t resist a quick drive down to the Hawdon Valley, which is an incredibly scenic location, but as the DOC have suggested, the spring melt-water has swollen the Hawdon River making access to the upper reaches frequented by Orange-fronted Parakeets something of a risky undertaking.
Breakfast at Arthur’s Chalet is predictably grim, after which Vic and I take a long walk in the sunlit lower reaches of the valley, where South Island Robin and our first Brown Creeper are seen. Then we head north, crossing Arthur’s Pass before heading down-slope towards the notoriously wet West Coast. We witness an instant change to greener, much more lush vegetation, but we are relieved to still see occasional sunshine inbetween large clouds and occasional brief showers. As we move lower several verge-feeding South Island Wekas are seen, proving very photogenic from the cover of our Toyota mobile hide.
Hokitika Bakery provides the fare for a seaside picnic and also a handy New World for a grocery stock-up. Continuing south, some rather ominous black clouds begin to billow up against the tall dark mountains which rise close to the coast, where leaving the SH 6 we snake down to Okarito through dense bush, to arrive at the quaint little hamlet just as the first spots of rain begin to fall.
We soon track down Cedar Cottage, our self catering accommodation, which proves to be the finest establishment of our whole NZ travels (http://www.okarito.net/page/accommodation.html). Tonight we have a reservation on one of Ian Cooper’s legendary Okarito Brown Kiwi Tours, but we know it will be cancelled if the rain continues, so the following two hours are something of an agonizing wait as drizzle alternates with rain and an occasional break in the grey cloud (http://www.okaritokiwitours.co.nz/).
At the allotted 18.50 hours we gather in Ian’s converted garage, along with six other kiwi pilgrims, for a final weather assessment. At last we get a thumbs-up and Ian’s unique kiwi experience begins with a team brief, clarifying in no uncertain terms the do’s and don’ts of a successful kiwi spotting mission; this is clearly going to be more of a military operation than a tourist jolly!
Fully psyched up and having made adjustments to any non-kiwi-friendly clothing, we are ferried by minibus for the twenty minutes it takes to reach prime Okarito Brown Kiwi habitat. Then it’s a 2 km walk to the site, undertaken with huge injections of kiwi facts and operational advice keeping all participants focussed on the task in hand. Upon arrival at the kiwi territories Ian moves off to log the birds’ positions with his radio detection gear; the kiwis carry transmitters so that nests can be found and the young translocated to Motuara Island, until they reach adulthood and can defend themselves from introduced predators.
It appears that we are in luck as BZ, a male bird, is close to the track and Ian suspects he will visit a known burrow. The group position themselves with a view down a run through the dense vegetation, with strict instructions to keep quiet. So strict in fact, that when Val develops a tickly cough she is banished 100m back down the track to clear her throat! Then, after a remarkably short wait, BZ trots into the red spotlight for all to see. It is only 20.45 and we have already secured a fantastic view of an Okarito Brown Kiwi!
Over an amazing three hours we enjoy great views of two different birds which feed at the edge of the track and also experience the incredibly atmospheric duetting calls of a pair of birds so close that the hairs on the back of one’s neck are left tingling. And the rain holds off for the whole time, miraculously only recommencing during our long walk back to the minibus. Ian drops us all off at our respective accommodation, ending an experience that is sure to be lodged in the memory forever and back at the wonderful Cedar Cottage a supper of soup and rolls is prepared as we relive the evening’s incredible events.
Saturday 13th November
At 07.30 I slip out for an hour at Ian’s South Island Fernbird site, where both Fernbird and South Island Tomtit appear as desired, before I return to Okarito to acquire free-range eggs for a relaxed breakfast at our luxurious residence.
From Okarito it’s just a short drive to Franz Joseph Glacier, where we park at the view point then take a very worthwhile walk to the spectacular glacier face. Close-up, the subtle blues and greens reflected in the compacted ice are fascinating, and the sheer scale of this frozen monolith leaves one in awe. Below us a Long-tailed Cuckoo calls from the bush clinging to the valley sides and a host of photographs record our visit to this natural wonder.
We then continue our drive south, following the narrow coastal strip which divides the Tasman Sea from the foreboding cloud-topped mountains which tower upwards from the dark green forest east of the road. At Haast we check into Haast Lodge, where we have a simple room with shared facilities, but which is very clean and also very cheap (http://www.haastlodge.com/).
In the late afternoon we travel the short distance back up to Monro Beach, where the full car park belies the deserted nature of the lush fern-forest walk to a beautiful pebble beach. Lashed by foaming breakers and somewhat plagued by sandflies, we patiently wait as a steady trickle of Fiordland Crested Penguins come surfing in, often arriving on the beach in an undignified wave-tossed roll. They then proceed to waddle up the steep beach showing wispy yellow crests and chunky red bills to full effect, much to Victoria’s delight in what is her first real penguin experience.
Back at Haast we find the local chip shop closed, so resort to dining on our emergency rations in the shared kitchen: tomato soup, Whitaker’s Chocolate and Merlot!
Sunday 14th November
Throughout the night torrential rain has drummed on the roof of the lodge and as the sun rises it shows no sign of abating. Breakfast is a correspondingly slow affair and the internet weather forecast does little to raise levels of enthusiasm.
Eventually we tire of waiting for a break in the weather and set off uphill, towards Haast Pass in still-pouring rain, with cloud masking the hilltops and waterfalls swollen to white torrents by the downpour. After following the Landsborough River the road climbs steeply and as we progress some breaks in the cloud start to materialise. Soon we are amidst large tracts of pristine Southern Beech forest and miraculously, as we arrive at the Bridle Track, the rain has all but abated.
The Historic Bridle Track leads from the highest point of the paved road, winding through the still-dripping trees. The habitat here really is inspiring, with the ground covered in a deep carpet of emerald green moss and dense lichen hanging from the tree boughs. The place has an almost magical feel and it really wouldn’t come as a big surprise to round a corner and find a Hobbit!
For a couple of hours we wander the track, picking up South Island Rifleman, South Island Robin and South Island Tomtit, but the stars are undoubtedly a pair of very vocal Yellowheads which trill from the canopy and show off their sulphur-yellow head and breast after which they were unimaginatively named.
By the time we leave Haast Pass the sunshine has returned, and we enjoy a phenomenally scenic journey past lake, river and mountain to Wanaka. At this bustling little town we raid the local bakery and then feast on the shore of the beautiful Wanaka Lake, with Black-billed Gulls and New Zealand Scaup at our feet. Then the journey continues to the northeast, through an increasingly drier landscape of low brown hills; this comes as a stark contrast to the lush forests visited earlier in the day and emphasizes the west-to-east rain-shadow effect of the Southern Alps.
It is mid-afternoon by the time we reach the town of Twizel, our home for the next two nights, and we immediately check into our room in the somewhat tired but very clean High Country Lodge (http://www.highcountrylodge.co.nz/). The principal draw of Mackenzie District is the Black Stilt, a highly distinctive endemic wading bird teetering on the edge of extinction. As Lake Pukaki, a major Black Stilt breeding area, is just a few kilometres away we set off without further ado, in search of our long-legged goal.
As we skirt the western edge of Lake Pukaki, whose waters are an almost unreal shade of turquoise, we glimpse reflections of New Zealand’s highest snow-clad peaks in the still waters; the scenery here really is as dramatic as one will find anywhere on the planet. At the head of Lake Pukaki a wide braided delta is criss-crossed by streams discharging icy glacial water. The delta is reached by a track just north of Glentanner Airfield, whose entrance is adorned with signs warning of the presence of New Zealand’s rarest breeding wader, and soon we are bumping along its course.
Vic’s sketchpad is a blur of activity as I search the pebble banks and streams for a Black Stilt. Gorgeous breeding-plumaged Banded Dotterels abound here, along with good numbers of Pied Oystercatchers, Black-fronted Terns and a smattering of my favourite Wrybills, but Black Stilts are most definitely absent with only a pair of Pied Stilts coming anywhere close to the mark.
On the way back to Twizel we check out Lake Poaka, a site mentioned in previous reports, but the Lake appears very overgrown and without a stilt in sight. Dinner in Hunter’s Bar serves to raise deflated stilt-less spirits and we plan our attack for the following morning over a good meal and a pint.
Monday 15th November
At 07.00 the Lake Pukaki delta is decidedly chilly! With the sun low in the east every backlit stilt looks ‘black’, but one distant bird really does seem to fit the bill and prompts a marathon march across the shingle. Wearing sandals, the crossings of the knee-deep icy streams are nigh-on painful, but I persevere until a particularly deep and fast section finally bars my progress. Although I have some definitive shots of both Banded Dotterel and Wrybill, only a single Black x Pied Stilt hybrid has been located for my troubles and morning appears to have been wasted. Then, when I turn to set off back to the parked car, I see that a pair of Black Stilts are feeding in the stream closest to the vehicle. Bloody typical!
Sadly the Black Stilts don’t hang about, as they are soon spooked by a defensive pair of Paradise Shelducks, to fly off up the valley and into the distance. We make our exit too, driving south to check out Lake Benmore which has also been touted as a good Black Stilt site in the past. Great Crested Grebes abound on the large lake, but again there are no stilts to be seen. We do see the large pens where DOC rear the stilts to adulthood, however, keeping them safe from predators. So the birds we scope through the wire are actually the ones which next year’s NZ birders will be ticking! Such is the paradox of birding in a country which, at the end of the day, is in many ways little short of an open air zoo where virtually no indigenous birds survive without human intervention.
Moving rapidly away from such controversy, an afternoon of horse riding beckons! We call at the Twizel DOC Office for some Black Stilt tips, then grab lunch from the bakery before heading out to Lake Takapo and our appointment with McKenzie Alpine for an afternoon in the saddle (http://www.maht.co.nz/). Ellie greets us at the small coral set in the shadow of the Liebig Range and shows us to our mounts for the afternoon, with the next two hours being spent on a horseback trek through the most stunning scenery of snow-topped peaks and deep blue lakes; it’s a great way to while away an afternoon.
Suitably saddle-sore, late afternoon sees us driving up to Mount Cook Village, set at the foot of New Zealand’s highest peak. Although the surrounding scenery is spectacular the village is an uninspiring collection of modern buildings and soon we are heading down the track to the Tasman Glacier. Out of sight from the car park, it is a good twenty minute scramble to the Glacier viewpoint but for an ex-‘A’ Level geography student the effort is all worthwhile! The Tasman Glacier is the largest in New Zealand and is strikingly different from the Franz Joseph Glacier in that it terminates in a large lake and, in its lower reaches, is covered with a thick crust of rock debris.
Lake Tasman is now formed by the damming effect of the terminal moraine, with the lake being strewn with the impressive iceberg remnants which have sheared from the main glacier. It is interesting to note, however, that prior to 1973 no Lake Tasman existed and it has only appeared there due to global warming and glacial retreat. After photographing the glacier, and the magnificent view down to Lake Pukaki, from every conceivable angle we retreat to Twizel to again end the day at Hunter’s Bar.
Tuesday 16th November
First light back at Lake Pukaki delta finds me cowering behind the car to avoid a gale force wind, which has every bird keeping low and makes wader-watching a pointless exercise; I should have had a lie in! Checking out of the High Country Lodge, we drive a short distance southwest on the SH 8 before taking the track leading up the Ahuriri River, following DOC advice that this is good Black Stilt country.
The spectacular glacial valley reminds us of the English Lake District, as we make our way up the dirt road checking every likely stretch of braided stream. Pied Oystercatchers, Banded Dotterel and Black-fronted Terns are plentiful, but not so the Black Stilt. We have just completed what is to be our last walk along the river when a Black Stilt, seemingly the master of dramatic appearances, flies past and leads us in a rapid chase to the Ben More Wetlands. Here the sooty black wader with unfeasibly-long pink legs struts through the shallows allowing very close approach and the capture of the much desired photos of this incredibly rare species.
The remainder of the day is allocated to the long drive west to Te Anau. The scenery is constantly changing, as is the weather, and there is never a dull moment on a drive through New Zealand. At Cromwell we stop for bakery, post office and New World, then continue west via Queenstown to finally arrive at the Te Anau Lake View Holiday Park in the late afternoon (http://www.teanauholidaypark.co.nz/). The Holiday Park is another great find and in our very comfortable studio apartment we cook dinner and dine, with a view of Lake Te Anau and the Jackson Peaks of Fiordland National Park beyond.
A post dinner lakeside walk gives sunset views and a taste of the very pleasant tourist town of Te Anau, which hosts a good selection of shops and eateries.
Wednesday 17th November
Cereal, boiled eggs and toast are enjoyed in front of our picture window of Te Anau Lake, as we try to decipher what the weather is going to do. Then, following in the footsteps of every other tourist who visits Te Anau, we set off north along SH 94 towards Milford Sound, deep in Fiordland National Park.
Leaving behind Te Anau Lake we follow the Eglinton River Valley, wide and flat bottomed, with Southern Beech Forest shrouding its flanks and steeply rising grey granite snow-capped peaks beyond. The scenery is breathtaking, but we continue onwards as our goal for the morning is the Homer Tunnel, a spot fabled amongst birders as the only accessible site in the country for the enigmatic Alpine Rock Wren.
We climb steadily, with the weather getting progressively worse, until after 1 ¼ hours we reach the Homer Tunnel entrance. We are now above the tree line, seemingly in another world, with peaks shrouded in low cloud and drizzle hanging in the air. Pulling onto the parking area beside the traffic lights which control tunnel access, we have a panoramic view of a stark but incredibly beautiful landscape. Patches of white snow contrast with high granite rock walls, cut by white wisps of waterfalls which cascade over the rocks.
In the base of the valley is a pleasing jumble of lichen covered rocks and verdant green sparse, low shrubs, through which the Homer Alpine Walk loops. While Vic pulls out the sketch pad I tog up in full waterproof kit and brace myself for a long and very wet morning in the field; Alpine Rock Wren is a notoriously difficult bird to find and Brent has already warned me that I will need to be persistent with this one.
I have been out of the car and wandering the trail for all of five minutes when a little round blob-of-a-bird bounces onto the largest rock in view. It can only be a Rock Wren, but surely it can’t be as I haven’t suffered anywhere near enough? It is, though! I sprint back for the camera, then the briefest of playback and a couple of pishes has this totally amazing little bird staring inquisitively at me from less than 3m away, constantly bouncing up and down as he does so!
The Alpine Rock Wren lives out its life in an incredibly hostile environment well above the tree line. In winter the area will lie under snow for weeks on end, at which time it is said that the Wren actually lives beneath the snow, hopping under bushes and boulders and, as a consequence, has evolved oversized bright pink legs and feet. The tail-less shape of a miniature pitta, with subtle mossy green shades to upperparts and lemon tints below, he sports a darker crown and contrasting paler supercillium. Wings flick nervously as he calls and flits from boulder to bush-top, and this incredibly charismatic creature is instantly elevated to status of my number one favourite NZ bird.
We sit out the continuing showers in the car, entertained by the antics of the attendant Keas that pester new car park arrivals and also the line of vehicles at the tunnel traffic lights. Periodically a drumming on our own car roof announces the arrival of a heavy parrot and I spring out on guard duty, in fear of the loss of an aerial or window rubber!
The rain never does abate at the Homer Tunnel entrance and eventually we decide to try our luck on the northern side of the divide. After waiting in the queue for the green light we take our turn through the heavily potholed, steeply descending and totally unlit tunnel, to a very similar misty scene on the western slope.
As we descend via the steep road and tight hairpins the weather finally does begin to clear, revealing spectacular views across mountainsides laced with the ribbons of white waterfalls. After a cuppa at the Blue Duck Cafe and a sneak preview of the iconic view along Milford Sound we check into our dormitory accommodation at the excellent Milford Sound Lodge (http://milfordlodge.com/), where a Long-tailed Cuckoo is calling from behind the buildings.
Although we have a Southern Discoveries ‘Nature Encounter Cruise’ (http://www.southerndiscoveries.co.nz/) booked for the following morning we make a snap decision to swap for an afternoon sailing, in light of the improving weather, and head for the large quay complex down at the Sound. It is quite a surprise to find that the complex is more akin to a small airport terminal than the collection of shacks we were expecting, however it is easy to see how it has grown into such a moneymaking concern when we see the lines of coaches spewing forth gaggles of American and Japanese tourists to take their places on the huge catamarans which ply the Sound.
Fortunately we have chosen a more intimate experience on a much smaller craft and it turns out that Nick, the young guide, is actually something of a closet birder. By the time our 15.45 sailing actually gets under way the weather is already starting to close in again and it is no encouragement to be told that it actually rains for two hundred days of the year at Milford Sound! But at least the waterfalls are in full and spectacular spate, the banks of cloud rolling up the surrounding peaks add an atmospheric feel, and a flypast South Island Kea is a notable sighting.
As the boat ride continues the downpour gets increasingly heavier and the small crowd of budding ‘Nature Encounterers’ are soon huddling around cups of tea in the heated indoor reaches of our craft. Nick informs us that we are actually a little late in the season for nesting Fiordland Crested Penguins and when the usual favoured haunts are deserted some long faces start to appear.
Whether this is just a ploy to add to the tension we shall never know but miraculously, in the final bay to be visited, we are confronted by a tight bunch of six superb Fiordland Crested Penguins which allow the boat to nose right up to the pebble bank on which they are resting. Everyone on the boat surges to the bows and although it is pouring with rain some fantastic shots are secured as the birds shuffle along the beach and eventually head out into the Sound, porpoising clear of the water as they go. It’s a great finale and sets us up for a buoyant evening in the warm and welcoming confines of the Lodge.
Thursday 18th November
It has poured with rain all night and it is still pouring with rain as we eat breakfast. It continues to pour with rain as drive up to the Homer Tunnel and it is pouring with rain when we see an Alpine Rock Wren bounding over the boulders from the car window! The downpour continues throughout our descent and all the way along the Eglinton Valley, only abating just a few kilometres short of Te Anau.
In the town we find time for a little shopping and pull in a bakery-sourced brunch which is consumed in a fine lake-side setting, before continuing on our way to Invercargill. The journey is one of bog-standard inspirational NZ scenery and we arrive at the excellent Invercargill Top 10 Holiday Park well ahead of schedule (http://www.invercargilltop10.co.nz/).
After a short rest in the lovely new chalet and a bit of a sort-out in anticipation of our impending Stewart Island trip we head down into the town, first sussing out the Bombay Palace for our evening meal and then heading to the well known Bushy Point Fernbird stakeout (http://www.fernbirds.co.nz/). Owners of the site, Ian and Jenny Gamble, tell us where best to look for our quarry and we agree to leave a donation for the upkeep of the site when we depart.
A well maintained boardwalk trail leads us on a loop through the favoured rushy habitat of the birds and it is soon apparent that the site does hold a particularly dense population of South Island Fernbird as they do seem rather easy to see. Photography of these vegetation-hugging birds, which seem to prefer running through the rush stems rather than flying, is however quite a different matter.
After a quick spruce-up at the Top 10 we return to the Bombay Palace to treat our weary taste buds. I think it is fair to say that the food generally available in New Zealand is not the best. We have often found the bakeries to be our saviour, but evening meals are not generally something to look forward to with a great deal of relish. It is therefore an absolute pleasure to find somewhere that serves a superb Indian meal at a very good price; living close to Leicester we consider ourselves connoisseurs of curry and this is a damned good one! The Bombay Palace is actually well hidden, at the junction of Forth Street and Nith Street next to Escape Glass, but tracking it down is well worth the effort and it provides what is undoubtedly our finest meal of the whole trip.
Friday 19th November
After an early breakfast we check out of the Top 10 and head down to the Bluff ferry terminal, via a bakery and an ATM as there is no cashpoint on Stewart Island. We have a reservation on the 09.30 Foveaux Straight Ferry (http://www.stewartislandexperience.co.nz/) and after parking up at the adjacent long stay car park we check in at the very civilised terminal.
It is a misty morning, but very calm, and the modern catamaran ferry slices quickly and smoothly through the grey waters of the Foveaux Straight. I spend the whole hour crossing in the fresh air at the stern, notching up Little Blue Penguin, White-capped Albatross, Common Diving Petrel, Brown Skua, Cape Petrel and even a tick in the form of Stewart Island Shag.
Eventually Stewart Island reveals itself from the mist, low and beautifully green, fringed by rocky shores and magnificent kelp beds. We round the east coast of the large island, and the sun is actually beaming down by the time we make land in the picturesque Half Moon Bay, which is backed by the principal settlement of Oban. For those who have been, the place has a distinctly similar feel to the Isles of Scilly, off the UK’s Southwest Coast.
Our chosen accommodation is at the South Sea Hotel (http://www.stewart-island.co.nz/), just a couple of minutes walk from the jetty. We can’t check in just yet, so dump our bags and take the ten minute walk past colourful gardens and pretty houses to Golden Bay and await a water taxi to Ulva Island. Finding a comfy spot on the quay we consume our picnic lunch beside a superb view across the water.
At 12.00 half-a-dozen of us board the little taxi boat and in just ten minutes we are landing again. Ulva Island is another of New Zealand’s most magical places, stunningly beautiful, refreshingly tranquil and covered in wonderfully lush native forest. A great system of trails dissect the island, passing groves of tree ferns and leading to unexpected emergences at secluded sandy beaches.
Both Vic’s sketch pad and my camera memory cards take a serious pounding in our four hours of exploration. The predator-free reserve protects a fantastic variety of endemic birds, with highlights including numerous confiding Stewart Island Weka, South Island Saddlebacks, Brown Creepers, Stewart Island Robins, Red-crowned Parakeets, Stewart Island Tomtits and a very photogenic party of low-level Yellowheads.
Returning to the mainland and the South Sea Hotel we check into our room, which is clean if a little tatty. We are pleased to receive confirmation that Philip Smith’s famous Stewart Island Kiwi Tour is a definite goer for the evening and then walk up the road to meet Matt Jones who has promised us some particularly friendly South Island Kakas. Matt is an acquaintance made on the internet and at the British Birdwatching Fair the previous August and his knowledge of the birds and local characters is a great help on Stewart Island (http://www.mattjoneswildlifeimages.com/). At Matt’s home we are able to enjoy gorgeous South Island Kakas at point blank range, and Vic even hand feeds one of the charismatic parrots.
The Blue Cod and chips at the South Sea Hotel Restaurant is as good as any fish we taste in NZ and the staff also oblige by rushing us through the busy restaurant in time for our 20.30 kiwi appointment at the quay. At the allotted hour a large fishing boat pulls over to moor up and the huddle of eleven kiwi seekers are welcomed aboard by the softly spoken and instantly likeable Phillip Smith.
In the course of the thirty minute voyage, across a wide bay to an adjacent headland, I learn that Phillip has been taking visitors to see his kiwis for a whole twenty years, and his guests have included the great David Attenborough. The now famous footage of Mr Attenborough beside the beach-feeding kiwis on that starry night was indeed orchestrated by Phillip; I feel humbled to know that he has actually guided my all-time hero!
As we make the crossing, rain begins to fall steadily and it is apparent that we will not be having the same star-studded experience. At the landing jetty we receive a briefing from Phillip and Greg, his kiwi guide, before setting off along a torch-lit muddy trail. Quite unexpectedly we bump into our first Stewart Island Brown Kiwi just five minutes into the walk, as it feeds right beside the track! Greg is unconcerned when the bird scuttles off before all have seen it and can only be very confident that better is to come.
After a twenty minute walk we finally cross the dunes to reach Ocean Beach on the far side of the promontory, Greg sweeps his powerful spotlight across the sand and we are instantly confronted by another Stewart Island Kiwi at 5m range. The beam must confuse the bird, as instead of running away it actually walks up a bank towards us and proceeds to pass between the legs of the group before trotting off up the trail we have just used!
Walking down onto the sand we check the full 200m of beach for further kiwi activity and have just one further brief sighting, in spite of tracking a series of very fresh footprints. Regrouping at the far end of the bay we retrace our steps, scanning with the torch beam as we go, and this time we hit the jackpot. A Stewart Island Kiwi is actively feeding beside some rotting kelp, probing deep into the sand with its sensitive bill. Quietly approaching, we are soon just 5m away from the bird which continues to feed, unconcerned by our presence. We are now so close that every one of the long bristles surrounding its bill can be seen, and we are able to watch the bird remove individual sandhoppers, flick them back and swallow them. It is still raining but it doesn’t matter, this is one of the most stunning wildlife experiences on the planet and everyone present on the beach will remember it forever.
Saturday 20th November
Victoria and I take breakfast in the South Sea Hotel restaurant at 07.30, then go our separate ways. Vic clutches her sketchbook and I the camera, as I have a meeting with Matt and Ty on the quay at 08.30. Ty is the extremely competent and very entertaining skipper of our Aurora Charters (http://www.auroracharters.co.nz/Trips/Pelagic-bird-trip.asp) pelagic birding trip for the morning and soon we are making for Muttonbird Islands in a spacious and very stable Aurora vessel.
Fiordland Crested and Little Blue Penguins plus hand-fed Bown Skuas start the morning around the very pretty Herekopare and Bench Islands, before we set course south to a reef popular with more pelagic species. Although it has been too calm of late to blow in any of the southerly specialities we still notch up White-capped, Salvin’s and Southern Royal Albatross, Sooty Shearwater, Cook’s, White-chinned and Northern Giant Petrels and Common Diving-Petrel, many which feed right beside the boat on Ty’s nimbly-chopped fish scraps.
Following the west coast of Stewart Island back up towards Oban we encounter more Fiordland Crested and Little Blue Penguins and finally pick out a couple of Yellow-eyed Penguins feeding actively in a sheltered bay; I have now seen every NZ target bird! A beach-loafing Hooker’s Sealion completes the notebook entries and a very enjoyable morning of great birds and fine company.
I rendezvous with Vic for a bite of lunch at a little cafe opposite the hotel as a shower passes over and by the time we have slurped our soup the sky has cleared; such is the changeable weather of the Roaring Forties! The afternoon is spent on the very scenic walk to Ackers Point Lighthouse, which stands on the headland south of the town. A vigorous trapping programme in the native forest here means that birds are thriving, with Tui, New Zealand Pigeon and Stewart Island Tomtit being particularly numerous.
As we near the lighthouse the ground is peppered with the burrows of Little Blue Penguins and Sooty Shearwaters and although the birds are invisible during daylight hours the heady whiff of fish at burrow entrances betrays the presence of the former. From the Ackers Point Lighthouse itself there are fantastic panoramic views and we also spy a small pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins down in Halfmoon Bay.
Our evening meal is of excellent local seafood, again taken in the Bay View Hotel, where we meet up with Matt to drink far too many beers and chat about some amazing NZ experiences late into our final night on Stewart Island.
Sunday 21st November
It has taken us until our penultimate NZ breakfast to discover that Vogel Bread makes the best toast in the world and then we find you can’t buy it outside the country! Bags packed, we head for the quay in the rain and our 08.00 boat; it’s rather sad to leave one of our most favourite places in all NZ so soon, but we have a fair few miles to cover today.
A southerly wind has really whipped up overnight and the Foveaux Straight lives up to its reputation of providing some very bumpy rides. Vic stays inside and turns a subtle shade of green, while I spend my time out the back, holding on for dear life but also lifting my bins whenever possible. I get a thorough soaking for my trouble, but the trip produces a cracking bag of seabirds. The list includes several hundred Common Diving-Petrels, two Buller’s Shearwaters, good numbers of Sooty Shearwaters, White-capped and Salvin’s Albatrosses and a real prize of up to five Broad-billed Prions.
Once back on solid ground we pick up a picnic lunch in Invercargill and head east in rapidly improving weather, for a day in the fabled Catlins. As we progress the scenery adjectives move upwards from just plain ‘impressive’ to the ‘simply stunning’ category, with our picnic stop at Curio Bay being a particular highlight. Here, huge rolling breakers smash down onto a rocky headland, while in the shelter of the adjacent Porpoise Bay we find a sunny spot to dine next to New Zealand Fur Seals and with Hector’s Dolphins as a backdrop; what a Sunday lunch!
Travelling further east we pass forested hills and dramatic seascapes where the strong southerly wind is whipping up white crests on the deep turquoise Pacific. Our final stop-off is at Nugget Point, another gorgeous spot where the signs tell us that we can see Yellow-eyed Penguins. At 15.30 we take the short walk down to the Roaring Bay penguin hide and for the next hour-and-a-half enjoy the comings and goings of several pairs of these fantastic birds.
The penguin routine is to emerge from the sea after a day out feeding, have a good preen on the shingle beach then waddle up the hillside to the nest site. Places are then traded with the sitting bird and the other half of the pair waddles to the sea and sets off through the surf. A huge bull Hookers Sealion shares the beach with the penguins, while the Nugget Point access road proves to be a good site for the elusive New Zealand Pipit, with several pairs noted.
Following the scenic coastal route rather than the main road, we arrive at our B&B accommodation for what will be our final night in NZ early in the evening. Blackhead Cottage (http://www.blackheadcottage.co.nz/) is in a rural location just south of Dunedin and proves to be a perfect choice. The superb chalet is fantastically well equipped, but we don’t loiter long and after a quick spruce-up head for Dunedin and our last NZ meal. The Little India Restaurant (http://www.littleindia.co.nz/) on Moray Place is the chosen venue and it certainly lives up to expectations. After a brief bout of gift-shopping at a convenient New World we return to our luxurious chalet, where we toast an incredibly successful NZ Honeymoon with the celebratory champagne kindly provided in our fridge!
Monday 22nd November
After a very leisurely and very filling breakfast at Blackhead Cottage we thank Emma, our charming host, and then set off for the Otago Peninsular under a clear blue sky. Passing through Dunedin we take the extremely scenic coast road which skirts Otago Harbour, all the way to our Penguin Place destination (http://www.penguinplace.co.nz/). Emma has kindly reserved us a slot on the 11.00 tour, though I am a little unsure of what to expect here having read several contradictory reports regarding this rather odd establishment.
As it happens, a tour bus has failed to arrive and as a consequence our Penguin Place experience is in the company of just one other couple, making the whole thing much more pleasurable. The ninety minute tour begins with a well informed presentation from our knowledgeable guide in a purpose built lecture room. We are told how a local farmer was alarmed at the decline of Yellow-eyed Penguins and set aside a large area of land for development as a nesting area, as the penguins are clearly unable to find nest sites on agricultural land. This has been a great success, with a healthy population now using the maturing site and a side-line ecotourism outlet has been created on the back of the conservation work.
From the visitors centre we have a ten minute bus ride to the adjacent bay where the penguins are nesting, with viewing being facilitated by an elaborate system of covered trenches. It’s a rather strange arrangement, which would be great for a World War One movie set or paintballing park, but instead of machine guns the trenches lead to slotted viewing points which afford some phenomenally close looks at nesting Yellow-eyed Penguins. Brooding adults and fluffy brown chicks are viewed at the closest of range as we do the rounds, concluding with a walk to the beach where we are lucky to find a very photogenic late-arrival posing on the expanse of yellow sand. With a bonus Hooker’s Sealion loafing on the beach, the conclusion is that Penguin Place is a very well managed and nicely presented morning’s entertainment at a very reasonable price.
Next stop is the nearby Taiaroa Head, which provides wonderful coastal views and is also home to a nice modern albatross visitors centre complete with cafe and gift shop. We visit both, but give the guided albatross tour a miss in favour of some time gazing out over the Pacific Ocean from the viewpoint below the car park. Spotted Shags nest on the cliff just below us and periodically a Northern Royal Albatross glides in or out of the nesting area on the promontory hidden behind the lighthouse.
And that is pretty much it. All that remains is a drive back to the airport via a bite of lunch in Dunedin, an Air New Zealand internal flight back up to Auckland and the small matter of a twenty-five hour jaunt back to the UK.
We have both had an amazing NZ Honeymoon. The weather, the birds and the people have all been very kind to us and we depart with a wealth of memories which will last a lifetime. The three week duration of our trip has worked out perfectly, with distances covered and durations of time at various localities all making for a very relaxed and comfortable tour. Every target bird species has been located without too much discomfort, we have pulled in a pleasant selection of NZ’s alternative tourist distractions, Victoria’s sketchbook is full to the brim and we are still married; what more could you ask?!
Ian Merrill (i.merrill@btopenworld.com)
1st January 2011
http://uk.geocities.com/i.merrill@btopenworld.com/default.htm
North Island, New Zealand © Ian Merrill.
South Island, New Zealand © Ian Merrill.