Tiritiri Matangi

I had been waiting ever since first arrived here to visit a little island called Tiritiri Matangi. It's a dedicated bird sanctuary, and many native New Zealand birds that faced extinction have been bred and released on to the island. As my cousin is currently visiting I thought it would be nice to get a couple of Groupon vouchers and make the ferry journey out to the island for the day. Sunday was a glorious day, not a cloud in the sky. It was a little chilly (since it's winter), but still got up to around 14 degrees. We packed an epic lunch of ham and egg rolls, cheesy Doritos, some chocolate bars, a couple of bananas and a packet of ginger nuts, and walked down to the ferry terminal. We picked up our tickets and climbed on the ferry. The journey took around an hour and a half, and we made one stop at Gulf Harbour Marina to pick up some more passengers. Once we arrived we got a quick talk from one of island guides about the rules and were then free to roam.

We decided that the best thing to do first would be to make a plan, as we didn't have long to see the island (the ferry left at 3.30pm). We headed up to the Visitor Centre to get our complimentary cup of tea and broke into the ginger nuts. As soon as we did, the birds laid siege to our table, but in a nice change they were sparrows instead of seagulls. They were still pretty brazen though and came very close to us.

After finishing our all important refreshment break (we hadn't actually done anything yet) and receiving advice from one of the guides, we made our way towards the track. We passed the island's lighthouse and some Takahe birds. These are roughly the same size as a large rooster, and very inquisitive (we were under strict instructions not to feed them). Apparently the first two of these birds were released in 1991, and now there are a total of 10 on the island. They are considered a protected endangered endemic species, so I feel very lucky to have seen them. We also saw a feeding station they had set up for the Tui birds which have a very interesting call.

We then took a walk over some of the islands tracks (there are many depending on which birds you would like to see). Firstly we went to the highest point on the island to see the panoramic view, and then moved down the hill to Fisherman's Bay. The bay itself was beautiful and had a fantastic archway formed by the rocks below being washed away.

After Fisherman's Bay we walked further along the path to Pohutukawa Cove. The whole time we had been walking along the coastal path we had been followed by several small birds called Fantails. These birds are about the same size as a sparrow, move extremely quickly, and their flight is similar to that of a Swallow. They would get so close we were afraid that we might stand on them. Initially we thought that they were following us because they liked us (we even named them Trevor), but apparently they follow humans because as we walk we disturb the insects in the grass and they get a good feeding. We were thoroughly disappointed when we found this out! Once at Pohutukawa Cove, we took a few photos and made a plan of where to dig into our feast.

We found a lovely little quiet beach called Hobbs Beach to eat our lunch. It ate pretty much everything in the bag and decided we had to wait before we could move again. We were considerably slower once we had eaten, but managed to find our way back on to the path.

On our way along the path we found a couple of nesting boxes, where you could lift the lid and have a look inside. In one there was a egg inside, and the other had a Little Blue Penguin inside. We weren't sure at first whether it was a stuffed one to illustrate what they looked like...... but then it moved a little bit! We couldn't really get any photos as the sun was reflecting off the perspex cover, but I found a picture online to show what the Little Blue Penguin looks like. 

After looking at the Little Blue Penguin (the first wild penguin I have ever seen), we went back up to the Visitors Centre for another cup of tea and some more ginger nuts before our walk back to the ferry. I loved basking in the sunshine while listening to the birds, and drinking tea and eating biscuits. I think it has made me realise how much I miss having a garden, and opening my window to either silence or the sound of birds. 

After polishing off the last of the ginger nuts we walked down to the ferry for the journey home. We made sure we got a seat inside, as from previous experiences, I knew the ride home would be freezing!

Once we got back, we both slumped on the sofa and then stayed there for the rest of the evening. We were both shattered, so just had some pizza and ice cream for dinner, and then an early night.