One of my earliest memories is visiting the bird sanctuary Tiritiri Matangi Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. Loading up our packs, hopping on the ferry and heading into a different world. We used to go to help plant trees, count birds and more, all to assist the island to become the paradise for native birds that it is today. On my recent trip back I headed there with my mum for a very special day of bird-whispering on this beautiful island.
Jumping off the ferry from Gulf Harbour
Mandatory briefing from one of the island’s rangers
Tiri, as we affectionately call it, is very special because it is predator-free. Many of New Zealand’s birds evolved with no ground predators – no snakes, stoats, rats or dogs to worry about. Today, that unfortunately means they aren’t always great at avoiding them! To combat this and to help protect and increase the numbers of birds that are rare or endangered, volunteers and conservation staff work very hard to ensure a number of the country’s islands don’t have any of those hazards. Tiri is one of the most successful examples of this. While you can’t visit all of those protected places, Tiri is a perfect day-trip from Auckland and an amazing way to see a lot of New Zealand’s gorgeous birds all in one place!
Hobbs Bay
The ferry leaves from Auckland and stops off at Gulf Harbour to the north before docking at Tiritiri – it’s about an hour all up from Auckland, a fun trip in itself. Once you’ve had the mandatory briefing from one of the rangers where they explain what to watch out for and what’s happening on the island, you’re free to explore. You can also buy tickets to have a guided tour which takes you up to the lighthouse, one of the focal points on the island. As we’re old hands, Mum and I took off as soon as we could and walked one of our favourite tracks, along Hobbs Beach and up the Kawerau Track.
A kereru (native pigeon) checking us out
All the native birds in New Zealand have both English names and Maori names – Maori being the country’s main indigenous people. Almost immediately we had our first encounters, from a teeny rifleman to the gorgeous big kereru above. My mum is a very keen birder and has been visiting the island for about 24 years – I was amazed at the bird calls she could pick out from far away and how she remembered exactly where she’d seen a particular bird years before. It was so fun to spend this day with her!
A tieke (saddleback)
Mum bird-whispering
The tracks on Tiritiri are varying but none of the main ones require more than a basic level of fitness – although you might need a breather on a couple of the sets of stairs around! The great thing is you can push yourself to go all over the island in the time between ferries or just take it easy – there’s loads to see either way. Here’s a track map to give you some ideas!
HOW cute is this little robin that came super close?!
Posing with the lighthouse
There’s no food or drink for sale on the island, apart from a tea or coffee, so you need to take your own supplies. This is made easier by the van that runs backpacks and other bags up to the lighthouse and visitor’s centre buildings, where most choose to have lunch. The lighthouse has been operating since 1864 and still shines its beams every night over the Hauraki Gulf. By the time we got to the lighthouse I was super-impatient… not for lunch, which we had earlier on the track, but to spot a takahe. These very special birds look a little like a pukeko, a common NZ bird, but are very rare in the wild. I knew they could be found around the lighthouse especially as they love the grassy spaces, but it took a bit of a hunt to find them. However, we were rewarded in the end…
Takahe feeding
Takahe BABY! Eeee!
The lighthouse
As you might be able to tell, Tiritiri is a magical place. Close to Auckland but a world away from the bustle, out here there’s fresh air, beautiful panoramas and the many gorgeous native birds in abundance. Visiting with my Mum was very special and one of my favourite days of my trip home!
For more information on Tiritiri, click here (Department of Conservation) and here (supporters website).
The rangers waving goodbye
Have you ever visited a special reserve like Tiritiri?
