North Island trip - Part V - Goat Island & Hauraki Gulf

North Island trip - Part V - Goat Island & Hauraki Gulf

At this point in the journey Mike and I had been 'car camping' up and down the North Island for 15 days. We just had one final stop on our trip - the Hauraki Gulf for a pelagic birding trip.




The day before the pelagic trip Mike and I went to Goat Island. North of Auckland, the Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve offers a rare opportunity to snorkel in a sheltered kelp forest. We spent the afternoon snorkeling around the channel between the shore and Goat Island. 

While many folks enjoyed lounging at the beach, glass bottom boat rides, snorkeling and kayaking in the area, there was plenty of marine diversity to go around. I swam with many LARGE snapper, blue cod, porae, red moki, blue maomao, leather jacket and other friendly fish. Among the kelp and rock crevices I also saw Kina, or sea urchin. 

While swimming across the channel over to Goat Island a very large creature came into my peripheral view....it was a massive (maybe 2 m in length) stingray! Crikey, I was not expecting that! It undulated its massive body gracefully through the water as I steered out of its path, watching in awe as it cruised on by. 

In and around the channel I encountered five more stingrays. Some were very hard to see as they buried themselves in the sand leaving only their long barbed tail sticking up into the water column. Apparently stingrays are pretty docile creatures, but if attacked or accidentally stepped on, they can inflict a pretty nasty sting (RIP Steve Irwin).

Goat Island

The following day could not have been any nicer for the pelagic birding trip, which was organized by a fellow expat from Canada / birding fanatic. After all twelve bird-lovers were aboard 'Norma Jean' we were given a quick safety announcement by Captain Piers. I was happy to see a flush toilet, as I had left my she-wee back in Canada.

Scenery-wise it was spectacular, the ocean was calm and blue. We enjoyed tea and coffee with our packed lunches at the Mokohinau Islands, with quick glimpses of a Harrier and Kakariki.

The sea birding picked up after lunch, and I was able to tick Cook's petrel, short-tailed shearwater, black petrel, fairy prion and white-faced storm petrel on my life list. I was not fast enough with the binoculars to get diving petrel and everyone was pretty bummed that the very rare New Zealand storm petrel did not show up for the party, but such is life. 

Maori Rocks

Cook's petral, posted with permission, www.mikeashbeephotography.com

White-faced storm petral, posted with permission, www.mikeashbeephotography.com

My favourite part of the trip is when we cruised over to the Maori Rocks to check out another lifer, blue-gray noddy. There was a feeding frenzy going on, with a huge school of thousands of snapper feeding on krill at the surface of the water while a giant flock of fairy prions joined in on the excitement. As the boat steered through the activity the prions moved like a cloud of starlings, while the fish maneuvered in a coordinated manner causing the ocean to appear to boil (see video below). 



That evening we returned to Auckland. A birder friend that was on the boat was very kind to offer us a real BED and a SHOWER at his place, which was greatly appreciated after two weeks of roughing it on the road. We were also treated to a delicious home-cooked meal and great company for the evening. The next morning I saw my first banded rail, as well as spotless crake at Shakespeare Park.

At this point it was time to start heading to Wellington to catch the ferry back over to the South Island. A couple of local bird photographers showed us a good spot at Queen Elizabeth park for Ruru or Morepork, which is New Zealand's only remaining native owl species. 

Morepork, posted with permission - www.mikeashbeephotography.com

The ferry ride was much more rough on the way back, especially upon entry into the strait. A lot of people on the boat were vomiting and it was very difficult to move around the vessel.

Once back on the South Island Mike and I did a couple of last minute ticks. Glossy Ibis in Blenheim and Asiatic Dowitcher in Motueka.

With that marks the conclusion of our Christmas/North Island/Bird watching expedition. We found a lot of really great places, a lot of lifers (17) and made some new friends along the way. I think there is much more to explore of the North Island, but that will have to wait until next time.....

A double-rainbow on the way home.

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