NEW ZEALAND BIRDING NETWORK

EXPERIENCES

 

New Zealand Ecotours

• Bush and Beyond Guided walks in Kahurangi National Park the northwestern corner of the South Island, with unique flora, birdlife and geology.
• Birders Rest, Kerikeri Birders Rest offers visitors quality accommodation in attractive garden surroundings coupled with trips to see local birds. Our speciality is the North Island Brown Kiwi of which there is a good population in our area.
• Kiwi Wildlife Tours Kiwi Wildlife Tours offers the most comprehensive service for half-day to 20 day birdwatching tours in New Zealand, along with birding and nature tours to offshore New Zealand islands, regions of Australia, and throughout the South Pacific.
• Heritage Expeditions Heritage Expeditions offers tours to the Subantarctic Islands, Antarctica, and the South West Pacific - all known as biodiversity "hotspots" with rich opportunities for pelagic birdwatching.
• Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ Custom-made tours for couples or small groups, tailored to your particular requirements (start date, duration, accommodation style, distances covered, species targeted, etc.) Scheduled birding tours, pre-trip planning advice and site information for the independent birder. "Run by birders - for birders."
• Manu Tours Guided visits with a focus on unique bird life throughout New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands.
• Nature Quest Tours Nature Quest specialises in scheduled tours and custom-designed birding trips for individuals and couples in New Zealand.
• Kiwi Encounters View Brown kiwi in natural habitats in an exotic forest environment on the Volcanic Plateau. 3 hour trips include viewing of kiwi burrows, kiwi calling and feeding, demonstrations of radio telemetry tracking and other nocturnal birds and animals.
• Catlins Wildlife Ecotours Catlins-based rare wildlife viewing and nature education, guided and unguided overnight walks on private tracks, conservation work opportunities, overnight accommodation.
• Tussock & Beech Ecotours Off-the-beaten-track nature tours and guided walks in the Southern Alps into a vast, glaciated landscape of mountains, lakes and braided river valleys. See rare and endangered birds such as Crested Grebe, Yellowhead, Wrybill.

 

Sanctuary Visits

• Aroha Island Ecological Centre At Aroha Island overnight visitors have a unique opportunity to see the North Island Brown Kiwi in its natural surroundings and take a guided nightime tour.
• Gannet Beach Adventures Take a tractor and trailer safari along the beach to the world's largest most accessible mainland Gannet Colony in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.
• Kapiti Island Nature and Heritage Tours Nature and heritage tours on predator-free Kapiti Island provide abundant opportunities to experience rare native birds in the wild and enjoy regerating native forest. Overnight guests stay at Kapiti Nature Lodge.
• Waikanae Estuary Bird Tours More wild birds visit Walkanae estuary scientific reserve than any other area in the Wellington district. 63 specialised birds visit the estuary at times--Get up close and personal with the birds in their natural habitat with Mik your personal guide.
• Nga Manu Nature Reserve Nga Manu Nature Reserve holds 15 hectares of bush and wildlife pond areas where native birds are living. Keruru, tui, fantail, paradise ducks, scaup, shoveler, black swan, welcome swallow, harrier hawk, kingfisher among them. A nocturnal house is home to the kiwi, tuatara, morepork.
• Karori Wildlife Sanctuary This predator free sanctuary in the heart of Wellngton City offers a chance to see keruru, kaka, kakariki, kiwi and tuatara in the wild, up close.
• Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre The Mt Bruce National Wildlife Sanctuary provides a special home for kiwi, tuatara, kokako, kaka and other relocated wildlife.
• Farewell Spit Tours Farewell Spit Wetland Nature Reserve and Bird Sanctuary includes a gannet colony on the end of the Spit and the wader feeding ground on the inter-tidal plain. Pre-booking is essential. Whale strandings occur seasonally, and amazing sights can be seen.
• Okarito Nature Tours Okarito Lagoon is the main feeding ground for the white heron or Kotuku (Egretta alba), which nest along with Little Shags and Royal Spoonbills in nearby Waitangi-Roto nature reserve.
• White Heron Sanctuary Tours The continued survival of Kotuko (the white heron, Egretta alba modesta) is one of the major wildlife conservation successes in New Zealand. Our tours let you see these magnificant birds up close, along with Kotuku Ngutu Papa (Royal Spoonbill) and Kawapaka (Little Black Shag) which also nest in Waitangi Roto Lagoon. Visits can only be madelate-October to early-March.
• Royal Albatross Centre More than 100 albatross nest at Taiaroa Head where you can view the social and family life of a breeding colony up close from 24 November - 16 September each year. The visitor's centre is open year round.
• Ulva's Guided Walks Visit Ulva Island Bird Sanctuary, a predator-free bird sanctuary for rare and endangered bird and plant species, in Paterson Inlet, off Stewart Island, with guide Ulva Goodwillie.
• Ruggedy Range Wilderness Experience Enjoy off-the-beaten-track small group wilderness adventures on Ulva Island and Stewart Island. Learn about natural and cultural history, view kiwi and rare and threatened native birds and plants in the wild.
• Sails Ashore “Sails” Guided Ulva Island Discovery Discover the magic of Ulva Island Open Sanctuary, a glimpse into New Zealand primeval past and superb birding location with guides Peter & Iris. We have between us over 70 years combined involvement with Ulva, Peter as onetime ranger and Iris as a foundation trustee.

 

Seabirds

• Pterodroma Pelagics Pelagic birdwatching expeditions to the Hauraki Gulf, northern offshore islands, subantarctic islands and the South Pacific.
• Albatross Encounter Kaikoura Kaikoura-based Albatross Encounter operates boat cruises all year round and allows visitors the opportunity to see a magnificent array of ocean going birds at very close range -- albatross, mollymawks, petrels and shearwaters and other pelagic species.
• Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony Blue penguins are the smallest penguin in the world and they nest along the coastline of Oamaru. A must see, 9am to dusk.
• Elm Wildlife Tours Guided tours of The Otago Peninsula provide a close encounter with 20+ species of coastal and wading birds, and many pelagic birds including the majestic royal albatross. Other species include Hookers (NZ) sea lions and yellow-eyed penguins, also blue penguins and NZ fur seals.

 

Birding and Wildlife Cruises

• Aurora Charters Half-day and full day cruisesns around the spectacular coastline of Stewart Island provide opportunities to seeBuller’s mollymawk, albatross, petrels, and blue, Fiordland crested and yellow-eyed penguins, fur seals and sea lions. A visit to open sanctuary Ulva Island is available.
• Monarch Wildife Cruises and Tours Otago Peninsula and Dendin Harbour cruises. Visit the world’s only mainland breeding colony of Albatross (Northern Royal) plus blue penguins, yellow-eyed penguins, , variable oyster catcher, sooty shearwaters, gulls, shags, fur seals, other species of albatross, shearwaters, petrels and marine mammals.
• Dolphin Watch Ecotours Marlborough Swim with dolphins, enjoy an ecotour cruise in the scenic Queen Charlotte Sounds, take a guided walk in Motuara Island bird sanctuary, or walk the Queen Charlotte Track accompanied by rare native birds.
• French Pass Sea Safaris French Pass Sea Safaris offer an outer-island tour to a closed nature reserve. Yellow crowned parakeet, bellbird, tui, South Island robin, fantail, pigeon and other species can be seen. Marine mammals include NZ fur seal, Dusky and Bottlenose dolphins, the rare king shag, blue penguin, shearwaters, terns, gannets, gulls, diving petrel, skua, pied, spotted and little shag.
• Fiordland Ecology Holidays Join a 3 to 10-day live-aboard cruise on a 20-metre motor-sailing steel ketch. Maximum of 12 passengers plus crew. Penguins, native land, sea and migratory birds can be seen as well as seals and dolphins. The rare Fiordland crested penguins can be seen from late June to late December.

 

Eco Lodges

• Wilderness Lodge Arthur's Pass 20 room luxury nature Lodge nestled in mountain beech forest in the heart of the Southern Alps. Shorter and full day naturalist guided walks. Special birdlife includes: kea, New Zealand falcon, wrybill plover, rifleman, NZ pipit, southern (great) crested grebe and rock wren (total 45 bird species in area).
• Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki 28-room luxury nature Lodge in the untouched rainforest of the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area. Shorter and full-day guided rainforest and seacoast walks. Special birdlife includes Fiordland crested penguin, New Zealand pigeon, New Zealand falcon, tui and fernbird (76 bird species in area).
• Lochmara Lodge Lochmara Lodge is set right on the water’s edge in the heart of the Queen Charlotte Sound, surrounded by beautiful native bush. Over 40 species of birds including Kakariki. Take our outer sounds birdwatching cruise on 'Dreamcatcher', a 10m fast charter boat.
• Stewart Island Lodge Our Luxury lodge is nestled in the natural beauty of a bush setting with unsurpassed views of Halfmoon Bay. The Lodge garden and grounds are host to many native birds. Spot the Stewart Island brown kiwi in its natural habitat and enjoy the highest accessible New Zealand native bird population.