Maungatautiri Ecological Island, Waikato

Walk #169, 23rd May 2025

Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari is an ancient volcano in the central Waikato. It’s the largest predator-fenced eco-sanctuary in the world.

The mountain has been recognised as a reserve since 1912. In 2001, the community came together to form the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust (MEIT) with the goal to restore and protect Maungatautari’s ecosystem. In 2002, the fence build got under way and by 2004 all mammals were eradicated from the initial two enclosures. The mountain is now completely enclosed by a pest-proof fence.

Our walk was through the Northern enclosure. We didn’t hear any birds, they are spread out over 3400 hectares and the forest is very old and tall. The only native bird we did see was a Kingfisher (Kotare) sitting on a fence post on our way in.

You have to park your car at the Maungatautiri Marae and walk for about 45 minutes to get to the actual walk, and the last part is steep. There’s a rope to help you up if needed. The walk inside the enclosure is about 35 minutes. So budget about two hours of time for the walk including the ‘there and back.’

History

The area has a long history of settlement. The first inhabitants, the indigenous Ngāti Kahupungapunga people, were annihilated by the Maori Raukawa tribe before the 16th century. The Tainui tribes Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Wairere, Ngāti Hauā and Ngāti Korokī still own lands on the slopes.

Walk: Waikato 10

Links

Te Ara, Story: Waikato places

Sanctuary Mountain, Maungatautiri

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“We are the largest predator-fenced eco-sanctuary in the world. A little fun fact: We are as big as Uluru in Australia and 10 times the size of Central Park [in New York],” SMM general manager Helen Hughes said.

Over the years, Maungatautari has become a sanctuary for endangered birds, native wildlife and plants.

Last year, SMM wrote history when it became home to a kākāpō population. It was the first time, kākāpō had been living on the mainland in 40 years.” Source: Waikato Herald, Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari on the brink of closure due to financial struggle

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Kingfisher / Kotare

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Ngati Kahupungapunga | Some 400 years ago, they occupied all of the valley of the Waikato from Huntly to Taupo and Rotorua. They had many settlements along the Waikato River, including Karapiro.

Related walks:

Lake Okataina, Rotorua Lakes District

Mount Pohaturoa, Atiamuri

Hakarimata Reserve, Huntly

Opoutere Beach, Coromandel

Walk #159, 30th January 2025

This is an important bird sanctuary, having both a wetland and an undeveloped beach, one of the few in the Coromandel. The beach is stunning and Dotterills nest on the dunes. Rare and threatened birds live in the wetland, like the Banded Rail and Fernbird. We saw a Fernbird at the start of our walk through the pines but I didn’t get to film it.

Walk: Coromandel 21

Pauatahanui Wildlife Reserve

Walk #133, 20th August 2024

This estuary is on the Hutt Road to Wellington via “Haywards.” It’s an important sanctuary for shorebirds including the rare fernbird. The hide we walked to gave a good view of the birds resting on the nearby point.

Walk: Wellington 12

Links

Brochure

DOC: Pāuatahanui Inlet is the largest relatively unmodified estuarine area in the southern North Island. It has viewing hides, tracks, a visitor centre and a picnic area.

Forest & Bird: The restoration started over 40 years ago and has been of such a high standard that it has been recognised by the DOC in the most important way – to have endangered birds released into Pāuatahanui Wildlife Reserve.

Pāuatahanui Wildlife Reserve

Zealandia, Wellington

Walk #110 Zealandia, 14th November 2023

Zealandia is an urban sanctuary in the Karori suburb of Wellington, our capital. The bush surrounds a former reservoir. The reserve is home to our rarest birds and Tuatara, a native reptile. Zealandia has been so successful that Kaka, one of our native parrot species, has established itself outside of the pest proof fence. They stopped tagging them when the numbers grew to over 1000.

You can see Tuatara in their natural habitat. A guide gave us a talk on them as we sat and had our lunch. They’re most commonly found at the research area behind the fences.

The entry fee is well worth it. There’s also a cafe.

You can get to the sanctuary from the top of the Cable Car, there’s a free electric shuttle van which travels back and forth.

While we were waiting for the shuttle bus we took a walk in the Botanic Gardens.

Walk #109 Wellington Botanic Gardens, 14th November 2023

This walk started at the top of the cable car. We only had time to have a quick look at the Discovery Garden and Treehouse before heading back up the hill for the bus to Zealandia.

Walk: Wellington 25 & 27

Links

Kaka conflict: conservation icon to pest

Bushy Park

Walk 35, Bushy Park, 4th July 2020

The historic homestead is beautiful. My favourite feature is the stained glass window in the entrance foyer. I’ve been there several times before but it was the first visit for my husband and sister-in-law.

Highlights of the visit: the historic house and beautiful forest with it’s massive trees and bird-life. It’s not often you can walk through virgin bush with huge, ancient trees like Ratanui (photo on the left) and see incredibly rare forest birds like the Saddleback and the Hihi.

My own video – it’s nowhere near as good as above, but it shows the stables, and a bellbird feasting on nectar from red hot poker plants bordering the lawn.

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Bushy park, Wanganui

Bushy Park, Bellbird

Picture: The Twin Ponga path, a saddleback foraging on the forest floor, and a bellbird eating nectar by the lawn.

Walk: Wanganui 16

History

James Moore from the Shetland Islands arrived in New Zealand in June 1863. He and future brother-in-law James Currie founded the Bushy Park farm around 1865.

During the 1880’s the Moore/Currie partnership ended. The farm was prosperous and by 1890 it had become a significant property. Sadly during the 11 years from 1891 to 1902 the family perished, and the sole survivor was the youngest son, George Francis (Frank) Maitland Moore.

Frank commissioned C.Tilleard Natusch to design the Bushy Park Homestead and it was completed in 1906. He never married, and passed away in 1962 aged 85. He gifted his house and the attached forest to the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society.

“The seemingly never-ending maintenance of the old house was handled by teams of volunteers while further teams looked after the extensive grounds including lawns, hedges and tracks.

Frank Moore’s handyman, Ernie Paulger was the first custodian and retired in 1964. There were a number of custodians and managers in the thirty years following.”

Source: BUSHY PARK HISTORIC HOMESTEAD

Links

Busy Park sanctuary

Saddleback at Bushy Park Wildlife Sanctuary, Wanganui

7th Dec 2024 I went for another walk where we saw the rare hihi and saddleback birds. We also saw a bellbird. This video is of the birds encountered on our walk: Bushy Park birds, Dec 2024