Ready for the Island 16th - 17th November 2016

Early in the morning, the alarm clock rang and we got ready to meet Dibi at the harbor. Together we waited for the ferry that would take us to Tiritiri Matangi Island, a bird sanctuary reserve, in 80 minutes.

Upon arrival, the ranger gave us a brief instruction and we set off to explore the island in heavy rain. However, after a few minutes, the sky cleared up and it turned into a beautiful sunny day.

We walked around Tiritiri Matangi together, taking countless photo breaks with Dibi and Claudi. It took us 6 hours to complete the loop, instead of the planned 4 hours :D. Along the way, we encountered many different bird species such as Stitchbird, Bellbird, Tui, Yellowhead, Fantail, Black Robin, Kokako, Robin, Orange-fronted and Red-crowned Parakeet, Pukeko, Rifleman, Saddleback, Takahe, and Whitehead. Some of them can only be found in bird sanctuaries like this. Since it is spring here, we were able to listen to many bird songs and observe numerous couples.

Exhausted and hungry, we rested in our accommodation and prepared for the planned night walk to possibly spot a Kiwi. After a meal and some tips from the volunteers, we set off to the beach at dusk. There, we saw little blue penguins in the water, making their way to their nests on the mainland. Even if we couldn't see them, we could hear them chattering. After sunset, we embarked on the adventure of spotting a Kiwi.

Equipped with a red flashlight, we silently tiptoed through the grass. After a few minutes, we heard a Kiwi and were now fully motivated to catch a glimpse of one. With ears perked up and one eye on the bushes and the other on the path, we lay in complete darkness, ready to pounce. Suddenly, there was rustling in the bush and we stood still, hoping to see something in the dark thickets. And then it happened, a 40 cm tall, fluffy-feathered bird came straight towards us. The Kiwi paused for a brief moment in front of our feet and then quickly disappeared back into the bush. Our first KIWI!!! Not many locals get the chance to see this small flightless bird, the national symbol of New Zealand, in the wild. Overflowing with joy, we walked back to our hut and went to sleep.

The next morning, we explored the island again and were able to observe many birds at watering holes. We took the ferry back to Auckland at 3:30 PM. After that, we went to our adoptive parents' house and spent our last night in the largest city of New Zealand, saying goodbye to Janet and Malcolm and picking up Dibbi's van the next morning.