Pre-tour
option: 11 February Hauraki Gulf pelagic
We take a pelagic trip towards Great and Little Barrier Islands, north
east of Auckland. While there are some exciting seabirds to be seen
in this area, the recently rediscovered New
Zealand storm petrel would, without question, be the
highlight. Cook's and Pycrof'ts petrel are also possible
on this trip as well as black petrel, Buller's and
flesh-footed shearwaters.
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Day
1
12 February
Auckland to Tiritiri Matangi Island
Meet at 6.30 a.m. for breakfast; 8.00 a.m. departure to Auckland Wharf.
We catch the ferry for the short ride from Auckland Wharf to Tiritiri
Matangi Island (pronounced teary -teary ma-tang-ee). Tiritiri
Matangi is an island that has been revegetated to its original state
over the last 20 years. We should see bellbird, tui, grey
warbler, whitehead, saddleback and with luck, red-crowned
parakeet and stitchbird. The most peculiar species on the
island is the maladroit takahe (tark-a-hay), a gargantuan,
primitive swamphen. Brown teal should be seen on the dams.
Arriving back in Auckland mid-afternoon we make haste for the township
of Thames.
Overnight: Thames
Day 2
13 February
Thames to Te Kuite
Early morning will see us checking out the vast mudflats of the Firth
of Thames. At high tide, thousands of shorebirds roost on the shell
banks at Miranda. Species that we should see include wrybill,
New Zealand dotterel, variable oystercatcher, white-fronted
tern and black-billed gull. Well lunch at the Miranda
Naturalists Trust Visitors Centre before driving on to Te
Kuite.
Overnight: Te Kuite
Day 3
14 February
Te Kuit2
We have an early start this morning to get to Mapara. This reserve contains
the largest extant population of kokako, and with luck, we should
see this beautiful and melodious bird. Other species possible here include
NZ falcon (New Zealands only endemic raptor), long-tailed
cuckoo, whitehead, tomtit, bellbird, tui
and New Zealand pigeon.
After lunch, we will visit Pureora Forest, a large area of native forest
which contains such delights as North Island kaka, yellow-fronted
parakeet, grey warbler and New Zealand robin.
Overnight: Te Kuiti
Day 4
15 February
Te-Kuite to Turangi
This morning we search for blue duck, one of New Zealands
most extraordinary and certainly most difficult species. This species
feed around rocks in the headwaters of fast flowing mountain streams
and pairs are at a low density. We have a good track record with this
duck and hopefully luck will be with us again.
Later in the day, we will check out Lake Taupo for the delightful NZ
dabchick. We also have a fall back spot for the blue duck, should
we need it.
Overnight: Turangi
16 February
Day 5
Turangi to Wellington to Picton, on the South Island
Today is mainly a travelling day as we head down to Wellington, the
capital of New Zealand; then by ferry, we cross the Cook Strait to Picton
in the late afternoon. Possible seabirds seen during the crossing include
fluttering and Hutton's shearwater and cape, giant,
mottled petrel and maybe an albatross or two.
Overnight: Picton
17 February
Day 6
Picton to Kaikoura
We cruise the sheltered waters of Queen Charlotte Sound where we have
a good prospect of seeing the enchanting Hectors dolphin,
an endangered New Zealand endemic, as well as sooty and fluttering
shearwaters and little blue penguin. Our destination is White
Rocks where there is a highly localised colony of king shags,
a species only found in the Marlbough Sounds. On the return journey
well stop off at Motuara Island for South Island Saddleback
rescued from the brink of extinction, and some amiable New Zealand
robins.
Later in the afternoon well drive south following the spectacular
coast line to Kaikoura.
Overnight: Kaikoura
18
February
Day 7
Kaikoura to Christchurch
This morning well take a boat trip off Kaikoura where there is
a wealth of seabirds. We dont need to travel far because the edge
of the continental shelf is only one kilometre offshore. Species we
are likely to encounter include Huttons, Bullers,
flesh-footed and sooty shearwaters; wandering,
Salvins, white-capped and black-browed albatrosses;
and giant, cape, Westland, white-chinned and great-winged
petrels. Sperm whales and dusky dolphins should also
be in attendance. After lunch, we head south to Christchurch; later
in the afternoon we visit Hagley Park to look for little owl,
an introduced species to New Zealand.
Overnight: Christchurch
19 February
Day 8
Christchurch to Twizel
We travel south from Christchurch, crossing braided river beds where
we should find black-fronted tern and banded dotterel (double-banded
plover). We will then head west into the dry open spaces of the MacKenzie
Country. Well check out likely sites for black stilt, one of the
rarest waders in the world with less than 80 individuals remaining.
Nearby Lakes Alexandrina and MacGregor usually have an assortment of
waterfowl including NZ scaup, shoveler and paradise
duck, among them.
Overnight Twizel
20 February
Day 9
Twizel area
This morning we continue our search for black stilt on the river deltas,
and banded dotterel, wrybill and black-fronted terns
on the braided river beds. We will also visit Mt Cook, New Zealands
highest peak at 3764 metres. We may see New Zealand falcon here
and keas are also a possibility. The delightful rifleman should
also be present.
Overnight: Twizel
21 February
Day 10
Twizel to Dunedin
Today we travel to the small city of Dunedin on the east coast. En route,
searching the coastal headlands, we should see spotted and Stewart
Island shags, and the endangered yellow-eyed penguin coming
ashore to its nesting colonies.
Overnight: Dunedin
22 February
Day 11
Dunedin to Stewart Island
This morning we will visit the only mainland colony of the northern
royal albatross at Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula just out
of Dunedin before travelling on to Bluff for a late afternoon crossing
of Foveaux Strait. We will be looking out for seabirds on the 30 km
crossing. Possible seabirds include common diving-petrel, sooty
shearwater, shy albatross and cape petrel. Tonight
or tomorrow night we'll take a short boat ride to another part of the
island with a local guide to spotlight for Stewart Island brown kiwi,
the iconic New Zealand bird.
Overnight: Half Moon Bay (Stewart Island)
23 February
Day 12
Stewart Island
This morning we take a boat trip out into Foveaux Strait for seabirds.
We should see shy mollymawks around the boat and hope to encounter
sooty shearwater, southern skua and possibly yellow-eyed
and Fiordland-crested penguins. We will also see the Stewart
Island shag, which comes in both a pied and bronze phase, and
variable oystercatcher. Lunch will be had on Ulva Island with curious
and trusting wekas. A walk through the pristine native bush should
produce both red and yellow-crowned parakeets, yellow-breasted
tit and NZ pigeon. The amusing South Island Kakas
will keep us entertained near our accommodation.
Overnight: Half Moon Bay (Stewart Island)
24 February
Day 13
Stewart Island to Te Anau
The early morning ferry will take us back across Foveaux Strait to Bluff.
We travel north, past the green pastures of the Southland farmlands,
and on to the World Heritage beech forests of Fiordland. We travel up
the beautiful, if often wet, Eglington Valley where we will search for
the endangered yellowhead and should see NZ robin, yellow-crowned
parakeet and brown creeper. New Zealand falcon is
also present in this area.
Overnight: Te Anau Downs
25 February
Day 14
Milford Sound - Eglington Valley
Early morning will see us searching for rock wren (possibly New
Zealands cutest bird) in and around the rock falls of the Homer
Tunnel area, while keeping an eye out for the mischievous keas.
We will visit the beautiful Milford Sound and take a scenic cruise where
we have a good chance of fiord-crested penguin, before retracing
our steps back to Te Anau.
Overnight: Te Anau Downs
26 February
Day 15
Te Anau to Haast
This morning we leave the beech forests of Fiordland, past the vast
treeless mountainside of Central Otago, and on to meet the West Coast
of Haast. We have another chance for yellowhead, and rifleman
should be easily seen in the Beech forest. After dinner we will
go spotlighting for Morepork and possibly fiordland-crested
penguin.
Haast
27 February
Day 16
Haast to Greymouth
Well search the swampy areas around Haast which hold good numbers
of fernbirds. As we travel up the coast of South Westland well
take a look at the glaciers of Fox and Franz Josef. Franz Josef Glacier
had been receding for many years but in the past few years has been
steadily advancing towards the sea.
Overnight: Greymouth
28 February
Day 17
Greymouth to Christchurch
We travel back across the South Alps, allowing plenty of time for photos
opportunities and we shall probably see some cheeky keas around
Arthurs Pass. We arrive in Christchurch in the late afternoon. This
is the end of the tour for those people not taking the Kapiti Island
option.
Cost:
$6,800 AUD twin share (12
to 28 February)
single supplement:
TBA
Included: all accommodation
from 11 February to 27 February (inclusive), all meals from breakfast
12 Feb to lunch 28 Feb., vehicle transport, guiding, all boat trips
and park entrance fees. Cost does not include airfares.
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28
February 6pm flight to Wellington for Kapiti Island option.
Overnight
Wellington
Post-tour
option
1
& 2 March Kapiti Island
We catch the 9 a.m. ferry from Paraparaumu, a small township about 50
km north of Wellington on the North Island. Kapiti Island is about a
20 minute voyage. We return to Paraparaumu the following day (2 March)
on the 3 p.m. ferry, staying overnight in Wellington.
Kapiti Island, divested of its rats, gives the
visitor an inkling of what New Zealand was like before the introduction
of mammalian predators. It has the largest population of
little spotted kiwi,
a species extinct on the mainland and existing only on some offshore
islands. This species is the smallest of the kiwis, with pale grey and
cream plumage rendering a speckled effect. Mostly nocturnal, their sharp
calls can be heard around our accommodation.
Besides
little spotted kiwi, Kapiti Island has a good population of most of
the other New Zealand endemics that are rare or extinct on the mainland.
These include red-crowned parakeet, takahe, North Island
saddleback, stitchbird and North Island robin, plus
the ever-confident weka and North Island kaka. After nightfall
we have a chance for morepork and little blue penguin and
of course, little spotted kiwi.
Kapiti
is being offered as a post-tour option, rather than during the North
Island tour due to the small chance of being unable to depart from the
island on schedule should the weather turn bad.
We
return to Wellington late afternoon.
Overnight: Wellington
Post
tour Kapiti option: $810 AUD twin share includes 2 nights accommodation
in Wellington, one night on Kapiti Island, all meals 1 & 2 March,
vehicle and ferry transport and Christchurch to Wellington flight, park
entry fees/permits and guiding.
possible
bird list for New Zealand
species
seen on New Zealand 2002 birding tour (this trip did not include a Hauraki
Gulf pelagic)
enquiries@philipmaher.com
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