Hey, everyone! Well, time is just about up here on Aotearoa New Zealand. This will be my final post before I do a Rose, Thorn, Bouquet once I’m home and have had some time to reflect on everything.

The grand finale of my time here was a trip to Rotoroa Island. Rotoroa Island was once a prison (of sorts), then taken over by Salvation Army as a rehabilitation location for alcoholics and drug addicts. It is currently a wildlife sanctuary, including birds such as: takahē, kiwi, saddleback, fantails, dotterel, oystercatchers, and so much more.

Rotoroa Island

I originally wanted to stay on Rotoroa Island for about a week but hadn’t booked it far enough in advance. It was looking like I might only get one evening there which was a total bummer. After contacting them, they realized there was a miscommunication with some bookings and they freed up the night before as well. So two nights, three full days on the island! With nowhere to buy food on the island, it was actually the perfect amount for a short trip.

From Auckland, Rotoroa Island is about an hour by ferry. It was raining pretty consistently and I overheard one of the deckhands say to a coworker, “I’m surprised they’re letting us go out in this.” I wondered if maybe the trip would be cancelled – wouldn’t that be a bummer? But nope, all systems go. Once again, there I was passing Rangitoto, passing Waiheke, and then finally arriving.

There were only a few of us staying on the island – myself and then a mother with maybe four kids. As we got off the boat, we were ushered into a building where we were given a short briefing upon arrival. Sue, one of the rangers on the island, gave me a ride up to my accommodation. She then showed me around the space and to my room. I couldn’t believe it. I honestly was expecting a DoC hut, basically just a small wooden building without even a toilet. Nope, this was a stellar spot! It had a living room, a kitchen with all the appliances, a massive dining table, a shower with warm water, beautiful views, etc. What a steal! I’m so glad I was able to stay there. My jaw was nearly dropping to the floor.

The accommodation had four different rooms but each were booked out by room. Since mine is a single room, it’s only NZD$54 a night. There are 8 bed rooms that are upwards of $400. It’s not like a typical hostel where you are only paying for a bed. You have to rent the whole room. But on my first evening, I had the entire place to myself!

After getting acquainted with the space, I talked with my brother on the phone.

It was lashing rain outside. Despite this, I came equipped with my rain jacket. Once I finished my call, I braved the rain and the wind so I could go on a walk and get a lay of the land.

I stopped at the Exhibition Center, which had information about the island and how it started off as a kind of prison, as I mentioned earlier. Instead of convicts being sent to a proper prison, they were condemned to the island to live out their sentences. Not a bad situation, if you ask me. It was a beautiful island! In 1911, Salvation Army acquired the island and turned it into a rehab for alcoholics and addicts. And then in 2005, Salvation Army leased the land for 99 years to the Rotoroa Island Trust. The trust has since used it to plant native vegetation but more importantly, has created a wildlife sanctuary for many different species of birds.

The Rotoroa Island Trust has various programs operating on the island. When kiwi hatch at various places along the country (zoos, places like Kiwi Park, etc.), they’re brought to Rotoroa. The kiwi will live there for around two years, where they can grow to a size where they’ll be safe against invasive predators on the mainland, and then they’re reintroduced to the wild. One amazing thing about Rotoroa Island is that due to conservation efforts, it’s a predator free island – no stoats, no possums, no rats, etc.

The Trust also has a takahē breeding program. There are six adult takahē (three pairs) on the island. I was there at a time where the takahē were still raising chicks. I was so hoping to see a takahē! The only time I saw a takahē was back in Dunedin around Christmastime. It had been raining, so the takahē feathers were wet and I wasn’t able to see its vibrant coloring. Takahē are special birds because they were thought to be extinct for many years. Back in 1948, there was a small population found in the Murchison Mountains in Fiordland National Park. Since then, their numbers have gone up incredibly thanks to DoC. Takahē are a symbol of how successful conservation efforts can be here in New Zealand.

Introduction to North and South Towers

The island is broken up by two main trails. There’s the North Tower loop and the South Tower loop. There are a number of other tracks throughout the island as well but those are the main ones.

I started with the North Tower, hearing that was a good place to spot some birdlife. I was hearing birdsong occasionally but with it being such a windy, wet day, it wasn’t the best for it.

North Tower is the highest point on the island and has an electrical tower there. The area around the tower is supposed to be good for seeing takahē, but I didn’t see any. At the exposed outlook, the wind and rain were really whipping me. “This is NOT pleasant,” I said to myself. It really wasn’t haha but I was committed.

I continued along the loop track and entered a forested area, where I was slightly sheltered from the rain. The ground was kind of slippery. While heading downhill, I ended up slipping but was able to break my fall. Oof! Danger.

And then I saw… a saddleback!

Back on Rangitoto, I had seen a saddleback for the first time and was really hoping to get a photo of it. Well, because of the rain, I left my camera back at the accommodation. Damn! The bird was rather far away as well, but I was hoping to see them again. I listened to its call so that I could try and remember the sound in order to locate the bird later.

Rotoroa Island is pretty small. I think it is maybe two hours to walk from the North Tower to the South. This time could be extended with the various walks around the island. It hadn’t taken me long to complete the loop track so I decided to continue on and do the South Tower track.

It seemed to me that the South Tower track was home to ALLLL the birds. There were so many fantails fluttering about – like more than I’d ever seen before.

I was really pleased when I got to see two saddleback maybe two feet away from me, hanging out on a tree branch. Because of the rain, they were kind of sheltering and not flying around as much as they normally would. It was cool to observe them with my eyes for a few minutes. Saddlebacks are very striking looking birds. Their feathers are mostly black but they have orange wattles on either side of their beak. They also have a “saddle” of an orange/rust color on their backs, giving them their name. The Māori name for them is tīeke.

The South Tower track had more ups and downs along the walk. The trail branched out into other detours but I decided I would check them out the following day, which was supposed to be sunny.

Once I’d finished the track, I took a short nap. I had crappy sleep the night before and also had to wake up early for the ferry. In the afternoon and evening, I mostly hung around my accommodation. I finished the Eels book I was reading as well as an online playthrough of a Zelda game.

I think I went for another short walk that first day, trying to find takahē again, but to no avail. I was starting to think maybe I wouldn’t see them after all. There were only six on the island – what were the odds of seeing them? I wasn’t sure.

Around 10pm, it had stopped raining and I decided to go for a night walk in search of kiwi. I walked around for two hours in the northern section, but didn’t see any. I did see some weka out and about, trying to trick me! As I was walking back to get some sleep, I heard a pair of kiwi call off in the distance. Sue, the ranger who drove me to my accommodation earlier in the day, had told me that the juvenile kiwi (>2) don’t call out. I later found out that there might be some adults still on the island.

Searching for Takahē 

The next morning, I realized I had two very clear missions on Rotoroa. See and photograph a takahē. And get an excellent photo of a saddleback. A third bonus mission would be to, obviously, see a kiwi again, although I had suspicions that the kiwi in Kauri Coast was destined to be my final sighting. (Remember, three kiwi for each kiwi plush toy I had on my road trip.)

Luckily, the rain had fully stopped and I was able to admire the island in all its glory throughout the day. Sunny, blue skies greeted me as I stepped outside. I walked the same loop tracks as the day prior, but I also stopped along other spots. Throughout the day, I checked out Ladies Bay, Men’s Bay, Cable Bay, and Mai Mai Bay.

Pictured above: Ladies Bay (and pirate ship! AND Coromandel along the horizon!)

I was walking around all morning with no sighting of takahē. I did, however, spot some saddlebacks, but those damn birds moved so quickly, I was getting pretty garbage photos. It also is difficult to use Auto Focus with birds because they’re often tucked between tree branches and the Auto Focus function isn’t able to focus the subject as easily. I tend to switch to Manual Focus which makes it more complicated to get a sharp image. Ugh, wildlife photography is such a pain sometimes hahaha. After hours walking around and seeing the occasional saddlebacks, I was able to get only a few somewhat decent images. It felt as if they were all colluding against me. “Alright, he’s got his camera lined up… NOW, EVERYONE FLY AWAY!” Damn birds haha.

Pictured above: Men’s Bay (left), Cable Bay (right)

On my way back from the South Tower track, I bumped into one of the rangers, Shawn. He pulled over his ute and we ended up talking for about ten minutes. His wife was Marie, the woman I’d been coordinating with via email. She was on a trip to the mainland but would be back the next day, Shawn told me. He also helped me sort out some good spots for potential takahē viewings. I was really grateful for that. We ended up talking about his role on the island, how he sets predator traps, looks after the holiday homes, mows the grass and maintains the trails, etc. He and his wife signed a two year contract to work and live on the island. Their young children lived with them, too. What an incredible experience!

Pictured above: views from South Tower and other viewpoints nearby. Middle photo showcases an art installation.

I stopped home for lunch. A couple had moved into the accommodation. I was a little gutted because I was hoping I would have the space to myself another night. We chatted briefly and then I continued out again.

I walked to the Mai Mai Lookout… and still no takahē. However, I did spot a little bird I hadn’t seen before. It looked kind of like a fantail, but not quite. I’ve since learned it is a whitehead.

As I returned from the lookout, I walked over a crest and my heart leapt out of its chest. Two birds were running into the bush. I hadn’t seen them and the fast movement scared me. I’m scarin’ them, they’re scarin’ me… geez.

One massive bird remained. The takahē. This was the dad, hoping to distract me from the mother and chick fleeing into the bush. I couldn’t believe it. It was about the size of a chicken and painted with beautiful colors. Red around its beak, a purple-y blue around the head, transitioning to blue, and then green, with small white tuft under its tail. I was able to watch it for maybe one or two minutes before it walked into the bush, joining its partner and child.

My heartrate was up throughout the entire experience. I was so pleased I got to see one!

It was early afternoon at this point. I’d spent hours walking around, not spotting any. And now, all of a sudden, THREE?! I felt ecstatic and on a total high. And I’d gotten the photo I wanted! It was the best possible circumstances, too, because it was in short grass, not tucked away in tall grass or deep in the bush. Perfect viewing condition!

Now I could relax.

I made moves to head back to the accommodation and would you believe it, one of the other pairs of takahē were hanging out on a patch of grass maybe thirty feet away from the staircase that led up to my accommodation. Shawn had told me the takahē tend to come to the area around 5-6pm so I had plans to check them out later in the day. I think it was 4pm at this time.

I admired them from afar, snapped some more pictures, and then went to go tell Hayley and Kian, the people staying at the accommodation. When we briefly talked earlier, they’d expressed interest in seeing them. Hayley had been to the island when she was younger and had seen takahē before, but Kian had never seen them. They had been relaxing on the couch but they joined me and watched the takahē for a while.

Some others gathered around, too. Hayley was on the island because she’s writing an article about Rotoroa. A ranger walked up to us and we were talking about the takahē. At one point, he laughed and said, “There was a group of Asian tourists who saw the pukeko and thought it was a takahē. I didn’t have the heart to tell them otherwise.” To be fair, pukeko and takahē do look similar, but there are some notable differences.

At one point, I saw Shawn drive by in his ute. From afar, he gave me the thumbs up, knowing I was likely seeing the takahē. I threw him a thumbs up, too.

Others moved along but I stayed watching the takahē for a while longer. I ended up stealthily trying to move to a better vantage point. Papa Takahē kept an eye on me but I looked away from them, trying to convince them I wasn’t interested and wasn’t going to attack. It worked. I was now able to watch them from a much better perspective. Papa even came somewhat close to me as I snapped photos. Incredible!

Eventually, I decided to let them be and went back to the accommodation. I was definitely beaming. After thinking I might not see takahē at all the three days I was on the island, I’d now seen two of the breeding pairs and their chicks!

Kiwi Hunting

Hayley, Kian, and I ended up chatting for hours. I think we started talking around 7pm and we were going until midnight. They are from near Auckland. We talked of politics, America, New Zealand, Maori culture, New Zealand lollies, social media, travel, and more. It was a really pleasant evening and I’m super glad we hung out together. Around 10pm, we all went out searching for kiwi. I was the only one with a headtorch but we took turns using it. Hayley and Kian had been told of a spot that was potentially good for kiwi, so we made our way there.

We probably could have been quieter while looking for kiwi, but it was nice to just be with other people while on a night hike for once. I’ve spent so many nights walking in the dark alone LOL.

There were a few memorable moments from the night.

While wielding the headtorch, Hayley spotted a pretty cool looking spider.

While Kian had the torch, he thought he heard a noise in the bush. We all listened intently. He moved a large leaf back to get a better look in the bush. As he did so, a pukeko rapidly flew out of the bush and into the night. Hayley and Kian nearly had a heart attack they were so shocked by the sudden movement. I was a little farther away so I didn’t experience the surprise in the same way. It was so funny to see their reaction to it.

It was a full moon. I tried to make a joke, asking if kiwis (the people) turn into the kiwi (bird) during a full moon? They didn’t find my (lousy) joke that funny lol.

Birds would call into the night occasionally and almost every time they did, we were like, “Is that a kiwi? ….No, it’s not.” But finally, as we were almost back to the accommodation for the evening, we heard it. “Is that? Mmm…” but then the female kiwi responded and it was confirmed. The male and female have two different calls. “Yes,” we all agreed, “that’s definitely them.”

Kian has seen kiwi five times in his life but Hayley has never seen them before. I was hoping we’d be able to for her sake, but we hadn’t. I suggested they go to Kauri Coast on a weekend trip at some point.

I told them about my experience with the kiwi who came up to my feet on Rakiura/Stewart Island. I showed them the video once we’d returned to our accommodation. Kian was pretty blown away by it. While he’d seen kiwi five times before, he had never had an experience like that. It was truly a very special experience that happened to me! I’m grateful for it and still can’t believe I have it on video.

After that, we all went to sleep.

(Fun side note: Hayley and Kian thought I was 24 lol.)

Photographing the Saddleback

It was an overcast day and I was having good feelings about it. Overcast skies make for great photography. While sunny days are incredible, they often cast harsh shadows that aren’t very pleasing for photos.

With it being my final day, I really, REALLY wanted to get an epic picture of a saddleback.

While leaving my accommodation, I was surprised to see the takahē hanging out at the same spot. I watched them again for a few minutes. It was really adorable to watch how the family interacted. The dad would typically forage further away from the mom and chick, serving as Mr. Protector Man-Bird. The chick hung out right next to mom most of the time. Occasionally, mom would feed him something particularly special to eat. My favorite moments would be when the dad would find something yummy and walk towards the chick. The chick would run to dad and accept the food graciously, then run back to mom. CUTE!!!

And yet… where the hell were all the saddlebacks?! I had seen SO many the day prior while walking around.

My original intention was to walk the duration of the South Tower loop. The day before, that’s the area that had the highest concentration of birds. Halfway through the loop, I had a feeling to go back where I came from. I’m so glad that I did!

That is where I was able to find my saddleback which offered the absolute best photos.

It hung around the forest floor, searching for worms and other insects. It stayed there for a while, maybe five minutes, before flying off deeper into the bush.

I was ecstatic to finally have gotten the pictures I wanted. Takahē, check. Saddleback, check. YAY! I’m so close to becoming a Pokémon Master.

I saw a few more saddleback before exiting the track that I got some decent photos of, too. Double yay!

After this, I was pretty knackered. The past three days, I had been walking, walking, walking, walking, walking. I had gotten what I wanted and it wasn’t even noon yet. I went back to the hostel, where I hung out for pretty much the rest of the day. The ferry wasn’t until 5.40pm, so I had some time to kill.

I cleaned the accommodation (part of the conditions of the stay), had some tea, had food, etc. Just chilled out really. Hayley and Kian were doing a guided tour that I wasn’t interested in. I felt like, “well… I’ve walked over the whole island and seen the birds I wanted to see, so I think I’m just going to chill.” Haha.

Around 4.30pm, one of the rangers came to pick up our luggage in his ute. We would collect it at the wharf ahead of our departure. After a lax afternoon, I was feeling somewhat restless so I decided to just walk down to the wharf. Along the way, I bumped into Shawn again. I told him about my takahē experiences, which he was happy to hear about. He asked me to email them through if I got any good ones (I’ve since done so, and they posted them online which is cool!). He also informed me that Marie was back from the mainland, and was in the shop that he was standing outside of. I went in to talk with her for a few minutes and thank her for helping me get everything situated ahead of my visit. I’m glad I got to see her, because we emailed back and forth several times and I also talked with her on the phone twice. I was a bit of a pest lol. I had a lot of questions.

I then made my way to the wharf, where the boat collected a group of us to return to Auckland. Along the way, I could see Coromandel in the distance. The ferry passed Waiheke, Rangitoto, and had a lovely view of the Auckland skyline as the sun was going down. Knowing Rotoroa Island was my last “adventure” in Aotearoa New Zealand, I was feeling some kind of way.

I’m so, so glad I was able to go to Rotoroa Island. It was legitimately a birding heaven. Birds, birds, birds everywhere. Tūī, saddleback, dotterel, oystercatchers, takahē, kiwi, whiteheads, fantails, and more. It felt a bit like all (well, many) of the beautiful birds I’ve seen during my time in New Zealand were saying goodbye to me. My experience on Rotoroa was the cherry on top of a wonderful year of adventuring around New Zealand!

Miscellaneous

Aside from all the exciting bird experiences… I was also super excited to see KATY! She was in Auckland during the same time as me. I met up with her in the early afternoon. We went for brunch, then to the park. We hung out for a few hours and talked in Spanish the whole time. It was the first time I’d really had a proper conversation in Spanish for a while. Katy felt the same way – she had been traveling with Martin who doesn’t speak much Spanish (well, not that I do, either lol but I guess I have more vocab than he does?). It was cool to be able to understand a LOT of what Katy was saying. Sometimes, the conversation would turn a little advanced and I wasn’t quite sure what all was being said, but usually I could pick up the gist of it with the words I did know. I suppose this is how it will go for a while. Still so much better than a year ago!

I told Katy I missed empanadas and she told me about an Argentinian place nearby that sells them. I went the other day and they were good but not as good as the ones she, Nittsy, and Vale made me when I was leaving Queenstown! Even still, I’m going to eat some more for lunch today hahaha.

When hanging with Hayley and Kian, we were talking about all the NZ sweets I had and had not eaten. They offered me to try the below lollies. So yummy!

After writing last week’s blog post, I went to the ferry earlier than I was supposed to. I had bought an “off peak” ticket, which means you’re not supposed to use it from Waiheke to Auckland until after 7pm. Well, at 5.30pm, I decided to just SEE… I said nothing, they scanned my ticket, and I was able to get to Auckland and check in to my hostel earlier than anticipated. What a win.

Art of the Week

This is my favorite drawing of perhaps the entire year. When making art, I inevitably make mistakes. I may be happy with 80%, but there is 20% I know could be better, too. It’s the same with this drawing as well, and this probably always will be the case. BUT there are times I learn things, and this was one of them. When I’m really pleased with a piece, I’ll look at it over and over again, admiring it. Sometimes I’m in awe that I could create such a thing. I know that sounds silly but years ago, while I liked drawing, I didn’t feel particularly talented per se. It’s always a cool feeling to admire and be proud of my own work. The inspiration for this piece comes from a book by James Prosek called Eels. It is fascinating. A book about how important eels have been in different cultures throughout time, different mythologies and lore, etc. A big part of it was the eels in Aotearoa New Zealand. There was thought to be a “taniwha,” which is sort of a deity. The taniwha was in the body of an eel but often had an unusual characteristic – red eyes, or its body was white, or it was massive in size, etc.

I’ve uploaded this design to RedBubble so feel free to buy a sticker, T-shirt, hat, etc. I get a small commission for each item purchased! The link to my RedBubble merch is on the sidebar.

Reflections

Well… just about done here in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is surreal. I know I’ve said it before, but I am ready to go home. Not because I feel “DONE” with this country, but because it is a different experience without Goldie. The road trip experience was the best part of the full time traveling. I’ve felt a little bored in Auckland with the exception of the lovely visits to Waiheke and Rotoroa. Leaving here comes at the right time. I’m excited to be home, to spend the holidays with my family and friends. I can’t wait!

And yet, I’m so grateful for the friends I’ve made here, too. It has been a hell of a year. And how funny to think that this was originally never even part of the plan. Australia for a bit, then Asia. But then, alright, six months in NZ. And then…… okay, 13 months in NZ. The unplanned year. Insanity. Life is so strange, but I’m taking it where it leads me. And it has been pretty amazing.

I think of Rotoroa Island and how its own history ties to my own in some ways. An isolated prison for convicts, like my experience as a teenager, feeling imprisoned by depression, self-hatred and to, later, my drug addiction. And then the island was converted to a rehabilitation center, much like me getting sober. And then it was turned to a wildlife sanctuary… and I have grown to be such an avid wildlife lover.

Sigh.

So what’s next? I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ll mention it again. I’ll be home for three months and then I’ll be heading to Taiwan in February, to begin my hopefully year long tour around Asia. It is crazy to think that I haven’t been working for two months and won’t be working still for probably the next year hahaha. THIS is what I’ve been waiting for! Full time adventure, with some time with loved ones in between.

I will be doing a post next week with a summary of my time in NZ, but after that I will likely be taking a break from blogging until I head to Taiwan.

Until next time, sending you all my love. x