New Zealand Travel Planner

At the beginning of the last millennium, New Zealand was inhabited only by its native wildlife. The forests were totally intact, with everything as it had been for thousands of years. Polynesian explorers had only made occasional forays to New Zealand from their island homes to the north. It was several hundred years later that the Maori migrant canoe fleet arrived and permanent colonisation began. One of the largest birds that ever lived, the giant moa, up to 270 kg, thrived in the forests and on the plains. Its only predator was the largest eagle known, the giant Haast's eagle. Other smaller species of moa also lived until comparatively recent times.
   Now, as we take our first steps into the new millennium, much has changed. Both the moa and the eagle are long extinct. The moa from the predations of man and the eagle from the loss of its food source. The northern landscape was dominated by kauri trees, the largest of these dwarfing any that exist today. Only small pockets of kauri trees remain in northern New Zealand, mainly due to the efforts of a few conservation-minded people at the turn of the last century. Most New Zealanders have never seen a kiwi in its natural habitat due to the kiwi's nocturnal habits. Even this most well-known bird, is rapidly becoming scarce on the mainland. New Zealand did not have predators such as rats or stoats until recent times, and most birds were ground feeders or totally flightless.
   A kiwi recovery programme was started several years ago to try to save New Zealand's national emblem. The reasons for the decline of the kiwi were researched and local people from affected areas became involved. Reasons for the decline became clearer. Domestic and wild dogs were to blame as well as stoats, cats and rats which preyed on the young kiwis. Once the kiwis matured they were able to defend themselves from most of these predators. The clearing of land in many cases meant loss of the kiwi's habitat, although this loss is being addressed and bushclad areas are being left untouched. New Zealand's Department of Conservation (DoC) is trying to establish predator-free areas on the mainland.
   One of these is at Trounson Kauri Park, on the west coast of the north island an hour's drive north of Dargaville. This park was created at the end of the last century when kauri trees were vanishing fast. Kauri timber was used for shipbuilding because of the long, straight hard wood of the tree. Some trees which have fallen in storms up to 20,000 years ago are still recovered from swamps and the timber used. The park itself has some large kauri trees but now the area is also free from predators. Birds like the North Island robin, kakariki, kokako and the brown kiwi, live safely here. Visitors to the park can follow the walkways through it during the day. To protect the inhabitants, visitors wishing to see the park at night must go with guides. It is during these walks that the kiwis can be seen, along with other endangered natives such as the large native kauri snail and the giant weta. For those keen to stay overnight there is a DoC camping ground next to the park which is open during the summer months. Another camping ground offers cabins only five kilometres from the park and they too arrange guided night walks. Trounson Kauri Park is known as a "mainland island" and is the first such attempt at creating a safe haven on mainland New Zealand. The forest is surrounded by an area of cleared farmland effectively making it an "island". Its success to date means it may be the first of many "mainland islands". Just to the north is Waipoua Kauri Forest, renowned for its large kauri trees. The largest living tree is Tane Mahuta which dwarfs anyone standing next to it. This tree stands over 50 metres high and is estimated to have over 244 cubic metres of timber in the trunk.
   New Zealand's Department of Conservation has set up safe havens on various islands off the New Zealand coast for endangered birds, plants and insects. Islands like the Poor Knights and Little Barrier off the Northland coast are typical of these safe havens. To ensure the safety of the wildlife, visitor numbers are strictly controlled and permits are needed to land there.
   The weather is another factor making access difficult. There are other islands which have easy access to some of New Zealand's endangered wildlife. One of these is Tiritiri Matangi Island, just east of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, one of Auckland's northern suburbs. Regular ferries take visitors to the island from downtown Auckland and from Gulf Harbour on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula. The island is an open sanctuary and is now predator free. Visitors can walk among birds that are almost extinct on mainland New Zealand. The large takahe, a colourful bird from the rail family, thought to be extinct until discovered in Fiordland in 1948, thrives on the island. They can be seen and photographed by visitors to the island in the bush areas and also around the open area near the shop. Other rare birds living there are saddleback, kakariki (red-crowned parakeet), kokako, North Island robin, stitchbird and the little spotted kiwi. These rare birds have been introduced from some of the island havens around the New Zealand coast, where they can breed without disturbance. Visitors to Tiritiri Matangi Island can join guided tours through the well marked tracks and along the board walks which protect the forest floor from damage. A day trip to this island is a must for anyone with an interest in birdlife. The bird chorus when the trees are in flower in the island's valleys is a memory which will linger for many years to come.
   Kapiti Island off the west coast, north of Wellington is another sanctuary for endangered wildlife. The island is home to kiwi, takahe and saddleback and the large native parrot the kaka. Large numbers of wading birds feed near the island and the shallow water areas are a breeding ground for fish. In 1992 two areas of Kapiti Island's coastline were given marine reserve status.
   Cook Strait and the Marlborough Sounds have small islands on which endangered species live. We think of a millennium as a long time - yet New Zealand's prehistoric reptile, the tuatara predates even the dinosaur. They have been around for 225 million years and Stephens Island in Cook Strait is home to one of the largest populations. The island is also home to a small native frog, another survivor from the prehistoric age.