If you are looking for something wonderful to do, pack a picnic and take the family to catch the ferry from downtown Auckland or Gulf Harbour for a day trip to Tiritiri Matangi Island wildlife sanctuary.
Lying 4km off the coast of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, north of Auckland, the 220-hectare island is regarded as one of the world's most successful conservation projects and provides a rare chance for visitors to see many rare bird and reptile species in their native habitat including little spotted kiwi, takahe, tieke, kokako, stitch bird and brown teal.
Called Tiri or Tiritiri by the locals, Tiritiri Matangi is Maori for "looking to the wind" or "wind tossing about". For the decade between 1984-94 the Department of Conservation (DoC) and an army of volunteers planted 300,000 native trees to restore native forest and bush and worked hard to eradicate unwanted predators to create the island wildlife sanctuary.
Tiritiri Matangi Lighthouse still needed by mariners
Tiritiri Matangi Island’s other claim to fame is the Tiritiri Light. Erected in 1864, it has remained one of the Hauraki Gulf's most important aids to marine navigation for over a century.
Sixty per cent of the island is now forested with the remainder left as open grasslands. This has enabled DoC to reintroduce threatened and endangered birds and reptiles back into their native habitats including the flightless takahe, one of the world’s rarest species, and tuatara.
New visitor's facilities
A new visitor’s centre and shop was opened on Tiritiri Matangi Island in 2005 and there is a very active Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi conservation group.
The guided walks led by supporters and DoC staff are fun, interesting and informative for all the family. If you haven’t already picked up a taste for conservation before the walks, you probably will afterwards.
Some images courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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