An introduction to some New Zealand Birds

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New Zealand doesn't really have any native mammals, except for two species of tiny bat, and a range of dolphins and whales.  Perhaps this is why New Zealanders seem to be crazy about birds.

The most visible of the native birds must surely be the Tui, a blackish bird with a white wattle under its chin. It has two voice boxes and can sing notes that we actually can't hear.  Tui's songs become more complex as they get older, so you can spot a young one by its simple song.  If you hear a Tui singing and you can't see it, try looking at the top of the tallest tree (often a norfolk pine) or near flowers.  Tuis are nectar feeders and love to drink the nectar from yellow Kowhai flowers and flax flowers.  Sometimes they get drunk on fermented nectar and put on a great show.






Another highly extroverted bird is the Kea, a green parrot found mainly in the wild mountains of the South Island.  It is famous for theft and play.  People often refer to them as "the boys".   This video is taken at Arthur's Pass in the south Island. Keas are known for vandalising the cars in mountain car parks.  Donations of apples are welcomed by Keas.




New Zealand's most famous bird, and the one you are least likely to see, is the Kiwi.  The flightless kiwi nests on the ground, and is not a prolific breeder, so it suffered terribly with the introduction of rats, cats, stoats and possums.  Now, more and more areas of bush (such as Tiritirimatangi Island, Whakatane, Maungatautiri Mountain, Whale Island and Ohope) are being closed off and protected from predators, and eggs are taken into care by humans so that chicks can be raised in safety and then re-released into the bush.  As well as being rare, the kiwi is also nocturnal and very shy. 

A Visit to Thornton Beach Holiday Park - by Alice

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Thornton is located at the point where the Rangitaiki River, the Bay of Plenty's longest river, finally flows out to the sea.  The beach itself is not really a good choice for swimming and is most popular for fishing due to the complex interaction of river and sea.  There is a small fishing wharf a little bit into the river that is mostly enjoyed by children for swimming and fishing.


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Hei Tiki

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Well, it’s a fact that you can usually recognize a New Zealander when they’re overseas by their Maori pendants, carved from jade, shell or bone.  You can’t see it in my photo, but I’m wearing a bone fish-hook that Alice tagged me with before I went home for a holiday.  They seem to hold a lot of importance to both Pakeha (New Zealanders of European descent) and Maori, although, of course, they mean a lot more to Maori.

The most famous Maori carving design is the “hei tiki” which represents ...

A special dolphin and a special lady

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As I mentioned in an earlier post, Moko, the solitary dolphin is hanging around Whakatane and Ohope recently and amazes many people every day. Chris Redhead, a local vet published a blog, where you can read up-to-date notices of Moko´s appearance, follow discussions and read about people’s experiences.
By following this blog I became aware of Kirsty, who often reported amazing experiences with Moko.

When I went eventually for a swim with Moko myself at the yacht club I noticed (not for the first time) a woman who seemed to interact in a `different´ way and who seemed to have a different relationship with Moko than those who were standing or swimming there in the water hoping for some attention from him.

She was not at all interested ...

The big league players of New Zealand Tourism

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In a previous post I explained to you about how most of the tourism operations in Whakatane are very small and not registered with tourism wholesalers.  Now, just in case you missed it, I want to present to you the main players in the big league of New Zealand tourism.  I'm not being cynical about this.  All of these things are worth a visit, and they comply with quality standards.  It's not unusual for travellers to plan their holiday down under so that it is spent mostly in Australia, and then they do one week in New Zealand before returning home.  Once they get here, they often express regret that they didn't give themselves more time.  But maybe that's just because they don't want to go back to work.
Anyway, here is the list of big tourism attractions:  (starting south and working towards the north).....

Some free camping sites

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Otamarakau:  There's a kind of barrier and sign telling people that only campers can come into the area, which gives it some security.  There are usually several other campers there, so that makes it safe.  It's only for self-contained motorhomes because this place only offers land.  No toilets, no running water, no trash collection.


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Ohiwa:
Again, no toilets, no running water, just grass.  It's hard to recognise the exact spot from a satellite photos, but there's a lot of green space along Harbour Road.


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The Whakatane Heads
I saw someone camping in a motorhome here last night, and there were no signs saying he couldn't do it. There are public toilets nearby, and a nice view of the river.

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A good trick that has worked for us in the past is to sleep rough a few nights, then stay at a nice motel for a night, have a long, hot shower and get ready for the next adventure.

Why Whakatane is way, way, way below the tourism radar

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Tourism is a really big part of Whakatane's economy.  We have multiple businesses offering chartered fishing trips, dolphin watching excursions, horse treks, kayaking adventures, bush walks, craft markets, surfing schools, and who knows what else?
At Christmas, every holiday park and motel is booked out.  And yet, very few of the tourism businesses in Whakatane and around this area are represented by tourism wholesalers to travel agents in, for example, Germany.


Why not?