Tramp Reflections 770 - Tiritiri Matangi Island

17 November 2007

This trip had been well advertised and very early on the Te Awamutu Tramping Club had booked to come with us so we had 2 full vans. Janey and Malcolm were very busy coordinating all the people and sorting money for vans, boat, as well as a DOC tour when we got to the Island.

We left Hamilton at 6.15 am to allow plenty of time to get to the wharf for the boat crossing. We ended up being far too early and were able to enjoy the sights around the jetty on what was an absolutely glorious spring morning.

The boat ride was pretty special on such a lovely day and the kids thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We stopped at Gulf Harbour to pick up more passengers and saw a seagull nesting in a coil of rope on the jetty there. Also all the yachts from the harbour were setting out to sea and were a magnificent sight.

Eventually we unloaded onto Tiritiri Matangi Island where we were met by some workers there and split into groups for the short guided tour up to the lighthouse. The birdlife was amazing and at times quite deafening. The Tui had been feeding on flax nectar and their heads were stained red. Some people mixed them up with Saddlebacks – their reddy brown was further down their bodies. We saw a Kokako taking a bath in a special trough, which was pretty special. This was a well worthwhile tour that I would recommend to all those visiting the island for the first time. One of our group had been a part of the original tree planters on the island, but was unable to tell where this had been as the trees had grown so much the place was unrecognizable to her.

Once we got up to the lighthouse, we had lunch, explored the shop and enjoyed watching the Takahe wandering around. Cameras were snapping continuously. Again from here we all went our separate ways and agreed to meet up at the jetty in time to catch the boat home.

Our small group with children decided to walk along the top of the island then drop down to the beach for the children to have a play. We had packed loads of food which was just as well as being out in the sun and fresh air encouraged them to eat almost continuously. Not a problem as every time we stopped, we saw more birds. Since we last visited the island about 10 years ago, the amount of birdlife seems to have at least doubled. When we walking from the beach back to the boat, we finally saw Greg, a large male Takahe that we had been watching out for all day. He was strutting along the track seemingly guiding the trail of tourists behind him. The kids thought it was a great joke. We also saw a large baby penguin in the glass topped nest.

Once back on the boat, the kids ate the last of the food and we enjoyed the crossing back to the main land. The sea was a bit choppy but it was still a pleasant crossing. We dropped off the Golf Harbour passengers and took photos of the gull nest and headed back to Auckland and the van.

This was a brilliant day with conservation at its best. The planning was impeccable with thanks to Janey and Malcolm.

Val

Images: forest regeneration; view from.