Today was our trip to the open bird sanctuary island of Tiritiri Matangi. The Department of Conservation asks that everyone who boards the one and only ferry that goes to the island daily, scrub off their boots, inspect their bags, and examine their clothes before boarding the ferry. Why the high security? All in an effort to keep the island pest-free of mice, rats, possums, hedgehogs, stoats as well as seeds and weeds. This island is one of the worlds most successful volunteer conservation projects reforesting and repopulating some of the rarest bird and tree species in the entire world and it is clear that they take their jobs very seriously. Twelve of New Zealand's endangered birds and three reptile species have been re-introduced here.
Tiritiri Matangi means "tossed by the wind" in Maori, which is fitting as the highest winds (180 miles an hour) in all of New Zealand have been recorded here. There is a limit to the number of visitors that can visit daily (150, the number that the ferry holds — the charge to them which is split between 360 Discovery Cruises ferry line and Tiri conservationists). The ferry actually comes from Auckland and makes one stop, Gulf Harbour, where we board (saving ourselves $30 or more).
The dock at Tiritiri is surrounded by stunning blue waters. We can just about see Hobb's Beach (the only "beach" on the island) and let me tell you, it looks inviting! If we didn't have rare birds to see, we'd be parking it there all day!
The warden greets us all as we exit the ferry and gives us a stern talking to about the guidelines before we all head out. Some have elected to spend the day wandering the island on their own, while others (us included) have chosen to pay an extra $5 for a guided walk with one of the incredibly knowledgable volunteers. We are assigned to Kathy's group and along with 4 other people, start out along one of the treks that head to the lighthouse (one of the oldest in New Zealand and still in its original condition).
Kathy is a school teacher who, in her spare time (remember summer break is just coming to a close here!), volunteers with Tiritiri. She is lovely and packed to the brim with incredible information. I would have loved to have been a kid in her class!
First stop is the little blue penguin nesting boxes. Yup! Penguins! Little blue's! Right off the bat! The penguins are more active in the evening, however when we lift the lid on one of the boxes, there is one inside — just hanging out! I do everything I can not to squeal with delight (holding in the squeals is a job I have to be mindful of all day it turns out — don't want to scare all those rare birds off!). Our group moves off and due to my enchantment with the little blue, I don't even realize they've gone until I hear Kathy's voice come up behind me, "Oh there you are! We thought we lost you!"
Along the costal walk we see incredibly old Pohutukawa trees and Kathy tells us all the birds that nest in their roots. Some of the trees on this island have been estimated to be 1000 years old!
Then it is our first spotting of the day — by Keir no less — a kingfisher. Soon after come the Tui spottings. Then the North Island Saddleback's or "tieke" (driven so close to extinction that only a few pairs were left when Tiritiri first came into being) who have a caramel colored "saddle" all across their, you guessed it, backs. We hear the Whiteheads before we see them. They have a sweet little call. Then I spot a massive bird butt in the tree above us. Turns out it is one that they would call a "pigeon" but this is no pigeon that we can tell. The Maori used to eat them (and nearly ate them to extinction). The Stitchbirds (hihi) sounds like a sewing machine when they call (thus the name) and we get a terrific sighting of a female (and later in the day a male). The stitchbirds are all banded — at one point there were a mere 5 left. In the world! We suss out the rare (aw, heck, they are ALL rare on this island!) North Island Robins (that don't look anything like our North American red-breasts) and fantails. Only the Rifleman elude us (who looks like a little flying egg due to a lack of tail). We can hear them, oh yes, but we can't see them!
Our tour was supposed to take around 2 hours. 3 & 1/2 hours later, our group shows up at the lighthouse where the extremely inquisitive Takahe are said to hang out. We eat our packed lunch quickly (you have to bring everything you'd like to the island as there is nothing here, not even freshwater) and have a scout about. Still no Takahe. This is the only place they can be found, so we are hopeful. We hike up to the lighthouse to soak up the incredible view and realize that if we don't want to get stuck on the island (and have to pay the $400 water taxi fee back) we have to head back down (via a different trail of course!). No Takahe sightings for us. We turn to head back when, in amongst the trees I spot (I have to say, I had many good "spots" today and felt especially proud that Kathy the expert kept commending my finds)... where was I?
Oh yes, my preening....ha ha....no.... I was on about the Takahe. Yes, well, there they were, a pair, probably hiding a baby nearby too, under a tree having a little cool off. They are so colorful, the males more so, and oh were we pleased to have seen them!
There would be no swim for us at Hobb's Beach today! With the ferry leaving in nearly 1/2 hour, we trek down the Wattle trail back to the wharf. On the way down we see the Kakariki (a colorful, and large, kind of parakeet) and the Brown Teal Ducks (the...you guessed it...rarest duck in the world). The lady beside me at the time started going on about the fact that there were three of them — CLEARLY they were the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost (that's ANOTHER, story that one!!!).
The only creatures we didn't see were the Tuatara, the Spotted Kiwi and the Kokako. The Tuatara are those ancient dinosaur beasties and they only come out in the evening (as do the Spotted Kiwi). As for the Kokako, we're not sure. Perhaps a week long volunteer stint on the island would allow us the opportunity? We're seriously thinking about that!
We make it back to the dock in time and see some kind of giant fish in the water below. Rays, dolphins and Orca are known to come up close to the shore here, so Keir reaches for the binoculars and — yipes! — the eye piece cover falls down the pier into the water. They float, but it appears they are now goners. Some helpful volunteers who are also waiting to board the ferry commiserate. Perhaps Mary Anne, the manager, can mail us a pair of covers she found recently? Just as we are about to board, we notice that the tide has pulled the covers close to the ferry. Is there time?!?! Keir empties his pockets and, with the ferry captain watching (and chatting to him) dives into the water via some random set of stairs off the pier. Yay! The covers are retrieved and with the whole ferry watching! A quick change into dry clothes on the ferry and all was as right as a coconut!
Our time on Tiritiri was fabulous and we'd go back again in a heartbeat, and perhaps we will!
Feeling tired and hungry after a long day walking out in the sun, we grab some dinner from the Noodle Canteen (you chose your noodle type, veg, and protein and they "wok it up" for you) and head to Red Beach (nothing red there as far as we can tell!) to park our handy lawn chairs and snack whilst watching the crazy surf kayakers and race paddlers (they use their arms only!?!?). We let them do all the work as we enjoy our tasty treats.
We opt to spend night # 2 in the Cruzy (now nicknamed Scubby...after our license plate "Ski Bird") at the Top 10 in Orewa again. This time we luck out on a flat pad with prime ocean views. De-luxe!
Tomorrow, it's full speed ahead (on the left side of the road, of course) into more of the northern part of the island.
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