Spotting kiwi during Zealandia's Twilight Tour
The Kawakawa tea was a welcome surprise on a chilly evening. Despite it being only the early days of Autumn, the evening had a bite to it. The tea was welcome. Our host went around the group pouring out refills from her thermos for those who wished for more of this astringent tea. And as we drank, we watched.
Though tonight's entertainment was not a show caught at your local theatre or cinemas.
No, it was a circus of kaka raucously screeching from the trees and swooping overhead. A lot more entertaining than the latest Blockbuster hit. Our host informed the group that they enjoy giving visitors’ hair a stylish centre parting as they quickly zoomed by. As you watched this many kakas in one space, it is hard to believe that this bird was rare in the area not too long ago, now Wellington is bustling with these bush parrots.
I was on a tour, the Twilight Tour at Zealandia, Wellington’s fully fenced sanctuary. The first to build a predator-proof fence as a conservation method in the world. Their vision is to restore this valley to what it would have been like before humans arrived with rats, possums, stoats, and other pests. This is not a short-term vision, no, as our tour guide informs us, this will take around 500 years to achieve. So our grandchildren grandchildren grandchildren grandchildren may see this vision come to fruition. And that is why so many conservationist projects exist, to preserve and restore nature so that future generations can experience them.
The fence is a big part of Zealandia. And it is properly why it is a talking point very early on in the tour. We get to have a close look at what went into the fence build. It is designed so predators can not climb over, dig under, or climb through. Meshed built, with it extending underground to deter burrowing rabbits. Unfortunately, mice still make their way past the fence due to small imperfections in the fence, and to combat this problem they have traps. And before guests can even enter Zealandia, they need to look through their bags. Thoroughly. This is to make sure you have no mice, seeds, or other unwelcome guests lurking in your bags. This may seem a bit excessive, but as our tour guide told us, over the Christmas break a little girl tried to sneak her kitten into the sanctuary without her parent's knowledge. So odd stories like that do come up and it is better to be one hundred per cent sure a kitten is not loose in an animal sanctuary with rare wildlife living within.
Our guide walked us through the sanctuary as twilight settled into the bush's crevices. Tui was the first to call out from the green hues. There was once a time, not too long ago, when Tui was nearly extinct in the Wellington region. Hard to believe right? They seem to be singing out from every tree these days. Tui has become so common, that many do not acknowledge their presence as something special rather everyday. But they are rather special because what other bird can sound like a car alarm, someone clearing their throat, and a Star Wars blaster all in one swoop?
We visited the two South Island Takahe that calls Zealandia’s wetlands home. Nio and Orbell. They are a bit crotchety in their old age, as we soon see when Orbell runs out our tour guide, nipping at her feet, demanding his dinner. If you have never seen a Takahe act like a hungry toddler, it is quite a sight to behold. As he realized that there was no food hidden in pockets or in coats, he settled. And we had time to marvel at this once thought to be an extinct bird. If you have never seen a Takahe before, they are fascinating birds. Flightless. Large rounded body. Huge beak, which they use to snip grass at a sidewards angle. Think a rounder more cheery pukeko. We only have around 400 of these guys left in New Zealand. So to have the privilege to be able to meet two, well, it is a memory that will stick with you. These two were translocated from Mana Island and act as educational advocates for their species. Because generally, people do not care for what they do not know. And seeing and reading about a species is not as impactful as coming nose to beak with these gorgeous birds. Since being paired, Nio and Orbell have raised five chicks together, which are now scattered around the country.
As we continued, the day birds gave their last songs for the day before quieting down and settling in for the night. And there is this eerie in-between period. This pause. Between night and day. Before the night had awoken and the day had turned to deep slumber. Quietness. Expect the calls of the kaka who stay up late like unruly teenagers.
And as darkness crept in, the forest night dwellers began to stir. We were each armed with a red flashlight, red as the light is less threatening than white for night critters, and we set off into the darkness. The first-night critter we meet was of the six-legged variety. A creature that may often elicit a shiver or perhaps an expletive, the Tree Weta. They look scary, true, with their spiky legs and the males have huge mandibles, but really they are big ole softies. Unless you piss them off, then you will most likely get a bite for your insolence. Our tour guide shone her light into a tree hole and revealed not one tree weta, but three. They live in harams you see, with a male and up to ten females. Quite a cozy life, the ole Tree Weta has. Expect all the fighting with other males to defend his haram. As we continued on, flashlights were shone into other tree holes revealing more weta butts. Some of the group kept their distance from these critters and were fair enough. Weta butts are not everyone's cup of kawakawa tea it would seem.
A strange melody cut through the forest silence. Kiwi calls, we were informed. The sad thing is, that many New Zealanders will have never heard the call of our national icon, the kiwi. Their call is solemn, beseeching, almost lonely. Females and males, call out to each other. Touching base as they do not share the same burrows. We hoped to spot a kiwi. As we neared the end of our tour, that hope dwindled. Until a hurried come hither motion by our tour guide and a point into some rustling bushes, showed a little spotted kiwi, going about her business. Poking at leave litter, hunting for food. Aglow in the red light from our torches, she didn’t give us any mind, food was obviously at the forefront of hers. but for all of us on the tour, we were transfixed watching this little kiwi. Our national bird.
As we parted ways, our lovely guide thanked us for our time. For coming along and learning about this conservation project, as a non-profit, every tour, every admission, and every purchase from the gift shop, goes towards funding this amazing place.
In her parting words, she hoped we dreamed of kiwi that night,
Where - 53 Waiapu Road, Karori, Wellington 6012
Hours - 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Last entry 4 pm. Some tours run outside of these hours
Costs - $23 for general admission for an adult
Parking - Free limited parking at Zealandia. There is also a free shuttle that can pick you up from town and take you to the sanctuary