CAMPING THE KIWI WAY

The Great Matuku Muster a call to action

“This may just be the best chance New Zealanders have of seeing or hearing a matuku in their lifetime!” One day in Sept, Oct and Nov, for up to an hour from sunset, volunteers around the country sit somewhere safe on the outskirts of their local wetland to record male matuku-hūrepo booming. The birds are highly mobile and if the count is not done at the same time across the country, some birds may be counted twice.

Photo: Australasian bittern male ©Colin O’Donnel lovebittern.com | ckw.nz/matuku

Two Hawke’s Bay sites re-open to public

DOC has reopened Hawke’s Bay’s Opouahi Scenic Reserve and White Pine Bush sites to the public. They have been closed since Cyclone Gabrielle which broke the 3.3 km predator-proof fence around the Opouahi Kiwi Creche. Fences needed repair, stock had to be removed, predators trapped, bridges rebuilt, some track rerouted and others resurfaced.

Photo: Lake Opouahi ©DOC ckw.nz/opouahi

Awaroa/Godley Head reopen]s

This popular site near Christchurch, has reopened to the public after a successful remediation of contamination. It offers outstanding sea views and great walking or mountain biking. There is an overnight camp site as well as tracks. Keep dogs on leads as all digging is prohibited. ckw.nz/awaroa

Awaroa/Godley Head Loop Track: ckw.nz/godley-track Awaroa/Godley Head Campsite: ckw.nz/godley-camp

Photo: Godley Head Awaroa, at entrance of Lyttelton Harbour © Rob Suisted 

Te Araroa Trail Pass this summer

 This summer, walkers need to register their walks through the Te Araroa Trust and buy a Trail Pass to use in DOC huts and get discounts along the way. Te Araroa is one of the world’s most diverse long-distance walking trails, at 3012km. From the northern cape of Te Rerenga Wairua, to the southern bluff of Motupōhue, Te Araroa spans the length of Aotearoa.Around 2,000 walkers complete the full trail each year, though others do different parts of the trail at a time.

Photo: Trampers at Mavora Lakes ©Logan Penniket ckw.nz/te-araroa

Mautohe Cathedral Cove track

The walking track to Mautohe Cathedral Cove, Coromandel was closed in February ‘23 after it sustained significant damage during Cyclone Gabrielle. The alternative McHand’s Lookout track has now closed too while remedial work is carried out. Accessing Mautohe Cathedral Cove is a marine-only experience until December, when the car park and track are expected reopen. Te Pare Pa remains open. This coastal landscape is prone to storm damage, landslides and rockfalls making it a challenging track to maintain.

Photo: Cathedral Cove: ©DOC ckw.nz/cove-1 | ckw.nz/cove-2

Successful kakī season sees bumper release

80 birds were released at Lake Tekapo/Takapō and another 78 into the Tasman Valley, Mackenzie Country, since August. 

This past season saw the highest recorded number of breeding pairs in the wild with 41 pairs producing eggs. Ten years ago, that number was just 17 pairs. photo: Kakī leaving boxes.

Photo: Liz Brown ©DOC ckw.nz/kaki

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