ECO TRAVEL TALES: NEW ZEALAND
By Judith Faye Richardson, Eco-Traveler
Chairman, Connecticut Audubon Birdcraft Museum Board of Governors

What a trip to New Zealand! From our bleary-eyed arrival at friendly Auckland airport, free showers, data desk, exercise bike, free local phone calls, to our last sunny day on Tiri Tiri Matangi Island off Auckland, where we checked off the rare birds that we had missed along the way, we saw it all! Not only did we see plenty of birds, but also enjoyed most of the specialties the country provides: a great museum where we had a traditional welcome, endless mountain scenery, and very friendly people. 
Our guide, Mark Pickering, was one of those friendly people. He had written several books on hiking in New Zealand, and was a Christchurch native. Mark had an easy-going personality complimented by a world of information on the local fauna and flora. Most of the group knew each other from past trips, and the few new additions were warmly added. The ritual of “cocktails at 7 and the bird list” seemed like a foreign language, but the newcomers quickly learned that this was a way to recount the day’s adventures and ease into dinner. 

New Zealand is divided into two Islands about the size of West Virginia. The populations consist of 4 million people and nearly 60 million sheep! We started in Auckland, seeing the Museum that is famous for it’s Polynesian collection, and touring the capital city itself. We even had a peek at the house I used to live in the 70’s. The following morning, we jumped into a very comfortable bus for the adventure of a lifetime!

Our first stop was Rotorua, New Zealand’s thermal region. The smell of sulfur was in the air and there was steam everywhere. The next stop was Lake Taupo where we planned to spend the night. We visited the Pureora forest, a fine place to see the tree ferns that the country is famous for.

Further south, in Wellington, we boarded a ferry for the crossing to the South Island. Blenheim and the wine country were the first port of call. Ponders Estate produces wine and olive oil, so we stopped to taste both after a day looking at the evergreen Beech forests of the Nelson Lakes region. We finished the day enjoying a delicious meal at a local restaurant, terrific food and even better wine!

Our guide, Mark, was excellent. He realized quickly that we were avid birdwatchers. He would “call home” often to find out where we might see interesting local birds as we headed south. We took lovely walks to break from time on the bus; and Mark was an expert morning tea and picnic provider. The picnic spots were always scenic, and some of our best birds were seen with a sandwich in hand, or quickly dropping one to raise binoculars!
Christchurch was our first free day in a week. We all looked forward to sleeping late and to seeing this lovely city on a river. The U.S. dollar goes a long way in New Zealand. So, many of us did our Christmas shopping in this South Island city. The weather was sunny and 70 degrees. Christchurch is small, and we saw each other often during the day. The Botanical gardens are not to be missed, along with a tram ride around town. 

As we crossed the Canterbury Plains, mountains started to become visible in the distance. Mt. Cook, the highest mountain, was veiled in clouds. We had wonderful alpine walks looking for pipits and Mt. Cook lilies, but no one had prepared us for the lupines, millions of them flowing like a river of blue and pink. There was a friendly mutiny brewing on the bus until we stopped to photograph those gorgeous flowers!

The best part of the trip for me was taking a small plane to Stewart Island off the tip of the South Island. When you are on Stewart Island, you are two thousand miles north of Antarctica! Everyone is friendly in this darling-fishing village. After I got settled in my room, there was time for a short walk before dinner. I grabbed my field glasses and set out. A local saw me and asked, “A birdwatcher?” Are you right into it?” “Yep,” I replied. “Well, there’s a Kingfisher’s nest with babies down near the creek,” he said. Off I went! We all saw the kingfishers that we had been trying so hard to see for a week, not to mention the Kaka, a crow-sized parrot, too close to focus. 

Stewart Island was the scene of two wonderful boat trips. One trip was to Ulva Island to see Kiwis at night. On the other trip we saw Yellow-eyed Penguins. They are the rarest penguins in the world. Philip, our captain, got us almost close enough to touch them. All the while, Little Blue Penguins popped up around us. 

The other blissful sail was in the evening out of Dunedin. We had already stopped to see the Yellow-eyed Penguin colony and the beautiful coast that they nest along. We also saw the Albatrosses and other sea birds that nest along Tairoa Heads. It was gorgeous; sunshine after a rainy day, and thousands of seabirds. During the sail home we enjoyed the most delicious hors d’ oeuvres I’d ever had, even better wine, and the most incredible sunset. What a way to end a perfect day.

We had many more adventures in New Zealand. I love reminiscing about the trip. Please call or email me (jfrichardson@nutmeg.net) if I can answer any questions you may have about our trip. Better yet, come with me next year to experience New Zealand. (Connecticut Audubon EcoTravel trip schedules and descriptions are listed on our web site to interesting natural history destinations around the state, the region, the nation and the world!)

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