So, to answer these, and many other questions, DOC has partnered with a Turangi-based community group, Project Tongariro, to create the Pocket Ranger—a free smartphone application set to transform the way visitors to Tongariro National Park get their information. 

The Pocket Ranger provides mapping, interpretation, and safety messages for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, as well as providing information about the local area, including accommodation, activities, transport, guiding and dining.

Taupo nui-a-Tia Area manager Dave Lumley telling tales about the crossing high above the Emerald Lakes

It has been developed so that it can be used as a ‘template’ that can be easily adapted for use in other great walks, national parks, cycle ways and mountain biking tracks. This means other organisations can take advantage of the research and financial investment that DOC and Project Tongariro have made, including licensing the technology, and won’t have to build an app. from scratch.

QR code for the Pocket Ranger

The latest version of the app. has video clips for each section of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and includes a Quick Response (QR) code reader. QR Codes will be placed on existing track markers, at points of interest along the way (e.g. the Red Crater) and, when scanned, the QR Code will lead users directly to the information or story relating to that point of interest.

Further development is being investigated in terms of GPS capabilities, more detailed mapping, and the ability to perform a ‘check in’ at the start of the track for safety.

Capturing the stunning landscape of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing

Check it out at www.tongariro.org.nz/pocketranger and let us know what you think!

Today we profile Senior Statutory Bodies Officer Martin Gembitsky.

My wife Janine, me, and our just born grandson, Hunter

At work…

Name: Martin Gembitsky

Position: Senior Statutory Bodies Officer (Fish & Game), Policy Group, National Office.

What kind of things do you do in your role? 

I have been involved in managing the Department’s national relationship with the New Zealand Fish & Game Council since 1990. I also represent the Director-General at the New Zealand Fish & Game Council bi-monthly meetings and I liaise with CEOs and staff of the 12 regional Fish & Game Councils. There are lots of briefings and Fish & Game ministerials that I am involved with.

In my role I focus on statutory, policy, technical and relationship matters with Fish & Game, helping the national relationship with DOC to run smoothly and with the Minister and Director-General. 

In addition to my Fish & Game work, I have been responsible for organising and servicing bi-monthly NGO/DOC National Office forum meetings since 2003 . And finally,  for the last two years I have serviced the Minister of Conservation’s Loder Cup Committee and have arranged for the annual winner of the Loder Cup to be presented with it by the Minister.  

What is the best part about your job?

With some of my workmates at the Conservation Week DOC associates function, 2002

The friendships and quality working relationships I have with my colleagues in National Office, the Taupo Sports Fishery team and throughout DOC and also with Fish & Game Council colleagues.

What led you to your role in DOC?

I started in DOC when it was established in 1987, working with my then manager Marcus Simons on national freshwater fisheries matters. I came over to DOC from Internal Affairs/Wildlife Service (where I started my public service career in 1969). My career in the Wildlife Service was mainly focussed on trout hatchery management, so when the opportunity came in 1987 to have a role working on national freshwater fish matters in the newly formed DOC, it was an amazing thing.  

What was the highlight of your month just gone?

The Christmas period of course – family time, BBQs, relaxing, and sharing (with many colleagues) the wait finally over concerning the outcome from this current review on our individual situations. For me it will be finishing my career with DOC at the end of January and I will be leaving with many great memories.

The rule of three…

Three loves

1. My home and family (my wife, my children and pets – two siamese cats, two turtles, tropical fish and my plants).
2. Dry, calm, warm weather – great for growing my collection of pawpaws and bananas. 
3. Playing my congas and bongo drums.

My hybrid pawpaws

Three pet peeves

1. Wellington’s train problems. 
2. Loud neighbours with barking dogs.
3. The wind in Wellington. 

Three favourite foods

1. Tomato and hot chilli sauce.
2. Grilled lamb chops.
3. Home-cooked stirfry with mushrooms, zucchinis and rice.

Three favourite places in New Zealand

1. Little Barrier Island – incredible geology with razor volcanic ridges, native birds, kauri trees, and Boulder Beach.
2. Wainuiomata valley (including Baring Head) – raised beaches, township, river and trout fishing, and the Rimutaka Forest Park.
3. Takahe Valley, Murchison mountains – takahe and kea of course, and an incredible U-shaped glaciated valley with a lake and limestone cliffs and caves.

Favourite movie, album, book

• Movie – Invitation to Hell -  1982  Directed by Wes Craven. It’s sort of Sci-fi, about a husband winning a deadly fight for the souls of his family.
• Album - Supernatural – Santana (great conga playing).
• Book – Gem of the Wanderer- Bob Maddux. It’s a rare, small book (fiction) and is Sci-fi with a hidden Christian theme.
  

  Playing the congas

Deep and meaningful…

What piece of advice would you tell your 18 year old self?

There is a lot more to karate than you think you know, and do quit smoking.

Martin doing a karate tile breaking demo

Who or what inspires you and why?

My parents instilled deep Christian values into my upbringing. I enjoy playing percussion/conga drums to contemporary Christian music at my church.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A teacher of nature study.

If you could be any New Zealand native species for a day, what would you be and why?

A forest gecko or a green gecko – in my childhood years they were mysterious critters that I spent hours searching for, and they were so well hidden.

Martin stripping a Tarawera rainbow trout in 1984

What piece of advice or message would you want to give to New Zealanders when it comes to conservation? 

Get involved in conservation – it is a very wise thing to do for the future of New Zealand.

Last week sea lion mum Gem decided to have her first pup on Tomahawk Beach, a busy Dunedin beach popular with dog walkers.

Female sea lions are sandy coloured and can be difficult to see on the beach, so DOC erected a fence around the pair to stop unsuspecting dog walkers getting a surprise.

Keen volunteers from the local Tomahawk Smails Beach Care Trust, the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust, the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust and DOC, kept an eye on Gem and the pup, providing visitors with information about the New Zealand sea lion and advice on keeping dogs under control.

Staff knew that Gem would get hungry and head out to sea leaving her young pup alone and vulnerable. The unanimous decision was made to move the pair to a safer, quieter location.

The transfer team assembled early in the morning at Tomahawk Beach on Friday 20 January. DOC staff from Coastal Otago, Otago University researchers, Nathan McNally and Amélie Augé, New Zealand Sea Lion Trust members, Stevi Broni and Shaun MacConkey, local vet, Tony Malthus, and Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust ranger, Leith Thomson, were all part of the team. We also had Brian McKay on hand with a 4wd – the last thing we needed was to get the DOC trucks stuck on the sand with TV crews filming.

The plan was to sneak up on Gem while she was asleep. When we arrived she was awake so the team had to loiter in the dunes, trying to look casual, for about 20 mins.

Finally Gem put her head down for a nap. Nathan sprang into action with the net and the wranglers moved in.

Once Amélie had control of the head (that’s the part with the sharp teeth) the others jumped on. It took four people to restrain Gem while local vet Tony Malthus prepared the sedative. The pup was easily picked up and put into a cage.

After the sedative was administered the team waited for Gem to settle down. After 5 minutes it was obvious the dose wasn’t enough. Gem was feisty and wasn’t having any of it, so vet Tony administered another one, and the wait continued.

DOC ranger Mel Young and Otago University researcher Amélie Augé jump at any chance they can get to cuddle a sea lion. “They smell of a fresh beach towel,” says Mel.

Finally Gem succumbed to the sedative and it was safe to roll her onto a tarp…

The media were there catching all the action.

It took all of our strength to lift 110kg Gem onto the back of the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust vehicle and then we were off to the new secret location.

By the time we arrived at the release site Gem was wide awake and pretty keen to get off the back of the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust vehicle.

The pup was tagged (number 9015), weighed (10kg) and a DNA sample was taken. Amanda did the honours and carried the pup to her new home.

Without mum, sea lion pup 9015 is looking a bit forlorn (but still very cute). Luckily, the separation is brief…

So, without further ado, the vehicle door was opened and Gem was off…

Stepping back to freedom.

Feeling the good old earth beneath her flippers.

Gem heads straight to her pup.

Reunited.

Sharing a kiss.

A happy ending.

Gem and pup ’9015′ remained very close to the point of their release for three days. On the fourth day, Gem finally got hungry enough to head out to the sea.

In January 2002 another sea lion translocation was completed successfully. This involved Leone, and her pup Lorelie, who were moved from Smaill’s Beach.

Like Gem, Lorelie was Leone’s first pup. Leone is now 16 years old and has raised 7 pups successfully. Lorelie is now 10 years old and has raised at least 2 pups successfully (that we know of).

All the female breeding sea lions on the Otago Coast are descended from one female ‘mum’. Check out the New Zealand Sea lion Trust website for the Otago Sea Lion Family Tree.

The New Zealand sea lion is listed as Nationally Critical, the highest threat classification in NZ – a status shared with kiwi and kakapo. Breeding is mostly restricted to the NZ subantarctic, although a slow return to mainland NZ is now occurring. There are currently 8 – 10 breeding females in the Dunedin area.

Aporostylis bifolia

Having tramped in the area for more than 30 years looking for plants, Elizabeth says this is one of the most prolific seasons for orchids she’s ever seen.

Here, Elizabeth shares photos of her fantastic finds, so we can all share in her delight. This is what she found in one day on the Summit and Red Beech tracks:

Adenochilis gracilis

Found the Slender Forest Orchid (Adenochilis gracilis) in moss underneath beech forest at the top of the Red Beech Track. It is more wide-spread than last year.

Aporostylis bifolia

First time ever identified on Mt Grey – on a damp bank on the Summit Track not far from the bush exit. The leaves had brown (freckled) spots on them. Flower, stem, and leaves are hairy.

Aporostylis bifolia

Caladenia lyallii / northofagit / chlorostyla

All have hairy stems and the throats have either spots of stripes.

Chilligotis cornuta

This widespread orchid bears the more common name “Green bird” and is found both here in New Zealand and in Australia.

Corybus trilobus

Flowering only from July to Oct-Nov. Elizabeth found numerous colonies on the sides of the tracks.

Gastrodia

I’ve never seen this genus on Mt Grey before.

Gastrodia: In bud, in flower and close up of flowers

Microtis unifolia

Microtis unifolia

“Grass orchid” – very prolific.

Pterostylis banksii and P.areolata

Pteron is the Greek term for winged. Unsure it was a P.areolata but photographed it for further ID.

Thelymitra longifolia

Everywhere – flowers only burst when it’s hot.

Thelymitra pauciflora

On the side of the track; blue to pink

Pterostylis banksii

About New Zealand native orchids

“New Zealand has over 160 species of native orchid. Found from the coastline to the alpine herb-fields, these shy creatures are a much overlooked part of the New Zealand Native Flora. ” NZ Native Orchid Group

Learn more about New Zealand’s native orchids on the NZ Native Orchid Group website.

About Mt Grey/Maukatere Conservation Area

Mt Grey/Maukatere Conservation Area is one of the foothill beech forests in North Canterbury. Only an hour’s drive northwest of Christchurch it’s accessed through Ashley Forest – a commercial forestry plantation managed by Rayonier.

Māori named Mt Grey ‘Maukatere’ (floating mountain) because the spirits of the dead were believed to leave from the summit on the long journey to Cape Reinga.

Today we profile Motueka ranger Tom Young…

At work…

Taking in the spectacular scenery in Milford Sounds

Name: Tom Young

Position: Ranger, Visitor/Historic, Motueka Area Office

What kind of things do you do in your role?

My role is pretty varied, with about 70% office and 30% field work. I am involved in a wide variety of work. I manage the Asset Management Information System (AMIS) database for the Motueka Area Office which keeps me pretty busy, and I also have several capital projects to manage each year. Back in March, we moved an old Forest Service six-bunk hut from the Right Branch Wairoa to Porters Creek in the Red Hills of Mt Richmond Forest Park—that was a challenge and great fun!

I also manage the area’s historic assets—from 1870′s gold workings in the Wangapeka, to Heritage Buildings in the centre of Nelson. I am busy with signage projects across the area and complete regular data and photo monitoring as part of the visitor monitoring (numbers and impacts) across the area. As well as all that, I enjoy getting out in the backcountry assisting the track team on track and hut maintenance projects.

What is the best part about your job?

What does it for me is the whole variety of work and the different places I get to go within the area. I get out and about a fair bit, from the very popular Abel Tasman Coast and its tens of thousands of visitors, to the relative remoteness of Mt Richmond Forest Park. It really is the variety and blend of work that does it for me. 

Crossing Big River with Steve Bagley returning from Kahurangi Point

What is the hardest part about your job?

I wouldn’t say any part was harder than the rest, it’s just different. Coordinating work, logistics and getting on with colleagues, contractors and staff is sometimes challenging. I believe the key is to manage your work and time, to be there for others and to not over-commit yourself.

What led you to your role in DOC?

I’ve been with the Department for just over eight years now. Before that, I was a Ranger in Scotland for 11 years, and some time before that I served 12 and a half years in the British Navy (much of that time in the Submarine Service). Once the Cold War was over, they gave me a medal and the Admiralty said, “Thanks, you’ve saved us from the Soviets but we don’t need you any longer”, so I decided to pursue a career as a Ranger. I went to College/Polytech for two years, and then picked up some seasonal Ranger work in central Scotland, before getting my first full time Ranger position in 1992.

HMS Torbay, my last sea posting

My family and I came to New Zealand for a month’s holiday and to stay with a friend in Nelson back in December 2000. We came back for 12 months in April 2002 while my wife completed a Commonwealth Teacher Exchange, then later in 2003 I applied for and got offered my first position with DOC at Nelson Lakes (I’m sure what swung the job for me was the fact that in Scotland I had been using an Asset Management System called CAMS, and at that time the Department’s system was called VAMS. Similar name, but quite different!). I took the job at Nelson Lakes with the idea that we might go back to Scotland after a couple of years or so, but here I am eight years later—I’m now in the Motueka Area Office—and still enjoying it.

What was the highlight of your month just gone?

I spent Christmas with my family and friends in Richmond, worked only a couple of days between Christmas and New Year and joined other friends for New Year at their bach in Kaiteriteri. I enjoyed the awesome firework display from the beach at midnight and a walk to Hardwoods’ Hole on the 1st of January. I spent four days last week cycling the 160km Central Otago Rail trail with my wife Fiona, youngest son Findlay and a couple of good friends. That was great—lots of stops on the way for coffee, refreshments, Jimmy’s pies, photographs and even a  revitalising dip in the Manuheriki River, as well as some exercise and lots of fresh air. A great time was had by all. 

Pedal pushing on the Otago Rail Trail

The rule of three…

Three loves

1. Family, of course. I have two boys aged eighteen and eleven years. It’s great to see them grow up and develop, and support them through school and sport and whatever interests them. And of course my wife, Fiona.
2. Coffee. Yes, I know it’s a drug. But I like it.
3. Scotland/Caledonia/Alba/Ecosse—whatever you want to call it. It’s in my tartan blood/genes/history.

Pet peeves

1. Some of the leucocratic nonsense we have to go through, not only in work, but also in our everyday life. Life’s complicated enough, keep it simple!   
2. Umbrellas. They are fine if there is nobody else within four or five metres of you, but (maybe it’s because I’m tall) there’s always the danger of being skewered by one of the pointy bits or worse, getting your eye poked out. If you’re in a busy place with lots of people and want to keep the rain off, leave the brolly behind and get a good jacket with a hood!

Three things always in your fridge

Always in my fridge? Probably the usual stuff—milk, cheese, the shelves and the little light that comes on when you open the door. Oops, that’s four things!

Lunch with Visitor Asset Managers after meeting at Kahurangi Point Keepers House

Three favourite places in New Zealand

1. Without having been everywhere it’s pretty hard to say. I do enjoy being in the mountains and above the bush line—on a fine day! I love the vastness of the country and the alpine vegetation, the snow tussock, speargrass, Spaniard, mountain buttercups and daisies and many other mountain herbs.
2. I also love the wild West Coast beaches such as Wharariki in Golden Bay—the wind, the eroded sandstone arches, the changing sands and the relatively unspoilt wildness of it all.   
3. I do like Nelson as an area. A great climate, a great variety of places to go—coast, mountains, plains, city etc., good mountain biking trails, great cafes and lots of friends to visit.

Favourite movie, album, book

It’s too hard to pick just one.

• Movie: The Usual Suspects with Kevin Spacey, As Good as it Gets with Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, and for a side-splitting laugh, Mr Bean’s Holiday with Rowan Atkinson as Mr Bean.   
• Book: I do enjoy a good historical conspiracy theory with a bit of drama. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown was pretty damn good, but again, there are so, so many contenders.
• Album: I’d have to choose between Exile on Main Street by the Rolling Stones or Blood on the Tracks by Bob Dylan. But there are so many great albums out there.

Deep and meaningful…

What piece of advice would you tell your 18 year old self?

With Stu Houston, installing new shelter at Holyoake's Clearing, Abel Tasman Inland Track

Enjoy what you do, and do what you enjoy! Think before you speak, its easier to bite your lip than to repair damaged relationships. Respect others.

Who or what inspires you and why?

I have recently been inspired by the British particle physicist Professor Brian Cox. He is a brilliant public and science presenter/broadcaster. To me, he is starting out on the path of doing for physics what David Attenborough has done for natural history. In plain, easy to follow language he uses the media to bring an understanding of science to the masses. In addition to his programmes Wonders of the Solar System and Wonders of the Universe, and the comedy radio programme The Infinite Monkey Cage, Brian has worked on the ATLAS experiment on the Large Hadron Particle Collider in Switzerland and on modifying Newton’s law on gravity.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Mmmmm… that was a long, long time ago! I did want to travel and see the world, and I guess that in part led me to my time in the Royal Navy, where I spent most of my time deep down under the sea (how deep is a secret).

And now, if you weren’t working at DOC, what would you want to be?

I really enjoyed my Ranger job in Scotland. I would like to think that there would still be a role there for me, and that I could contribute to the conservation and countryside management back there. As a Ranger in the UK, I did a load more environmental education, public access work and management of reserves close to urban and populated areas, which I really enjoyed. I could do that again. 

If you could be any New Zealand native species for a day, what would you be and why?

With my love for the mountains (on a good day), I’d be a Chequered Alpine Snout Moth. I’d check out the alpine passes, breath in the cool mountain air, enjoy the vista and miss the wild, wet, cold and snowy winter, (because they only live from November to February). 

What piece of advice or message would you want to give to New Zealanders when it comes to conservation? 

Enjoy, appreciate and conserve what we currently have. It’s not just the fauna and flora, the landscape, the huts and tracks, the forest, the lakes and rivers and the ocean—it’s everything, including the smells and the sounds, the wind and the warmth, the time, the energy and the space. I believe many New Zealanders generally don’t really appreciate how fortunate we are and what we have in our own back yards. Too often it’s only when it’s gone that we realise what we have lost—and then it’s too late.

Today we profile Opotiki ranger James (Hemi) Barsdell…

James with a kiwi at Otamatuna - Te Urewera Mainland Island

At work…

Name: James (Hemi) Barsdell

Position: Biodiversity Assets Ranger (with a bit of other stuff too!). 

What kind of things do you do in your role?

Monitor weka, enhance shorebird breeding, work with the many dedicated community groups in the eastern Bay of Plenty, compliance work, fire fighting and whatever else needs doing.

What is the best part about your job?

The people and the environment.

What is the hardest part about your job?

Although I haven’t done this for a wee while now (as my increasing waist line can attest), lumping loads of gear throughout the hills. Oh and dealing with irate whitebaiters.

What was your highlight from the month just gone?

An acknowledgement for the ’Volunteer Smoko’ I helped organise with the local and regional councils to thank the eastern Bay of Plenty conservation volunteers for their great efforts in the past year. The event gave each group a chance to show case what they do and to network with each other. From the feedback we received it sounds like it might become an annual event!

The rule of three…

Three loves

Hunting

1. Family
2. Hunting
3. Seafood

Three pet peeves

1. Being late
2. Forgetting stuff
3. “Gonnas” (if you don’t know what this means, someone else will)

Three things always in your fridge

Not very exciting here…

1. Milk
2. Butter
3. The one year old half-eaten jar of pickles

Three favourite places in New Zealand

1. Maungapohatu
2. The South Island high country
3. The Bay of Plenty

Maungapohatu - a special placeHunting

Favourite movie, album, book

• Movie – The Shawshank Redemption
• Album – The Eagles –  Hell Freezes Over
• Book – Pack and Rifle by Phillip Holden

Deep and meaningful…

What piece of advice would you tell your 18 year old self?

Think smart and slow down. Faster is not necessarily better.

Who or what inspires you and why?

People who, against all odds, become successful or break the mould; and sunset or sunrise viewed from on top of a high hill.

Rafting the Motu river

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A helicopter pilot.

And now, if you weren’t working at DOC, what would you want to be?

A surveyor.

If you could be any New Zealand native species for a day, what would you be and why?

A New Zealand falcon, so I could enjoy the rush of tearing through the air at unbelievable speeds chasing prey.

What piece of advice or message would you want to give to New Zealanders when it comes to conservation?

Get active and get involved. New Zealand’s native flora and fauna is a big part of what sets us apart from other countries—it is part of our identity. We need to ensure we maintain our heritage for the future.

Fifteen years ago I watched David Attenborough’s ‘The Private Life of Plants’ and it transformed my perception of flora, from the benign green stuff I took for granted, into a complicated and surprisingly sophisticated world of intrigue.

Fairy tern and a breeding NZ dotterel on the spit at Waipu

Though I have long been an admirer of birds, it is fair to say that my short time spent working closely with our little tara-iti (New Zealand fairy tern) has had a similar effect.

Compared to the charismatic kea or the oddities of a kiwi, our wee fairy tern might seem fairly plain to look at, but having the privilege of ‘getting to know them’ (so to speak), has placed a spotlight on the scandal, drama and mystery of their daily lives which any soap opera would struggle to compete with.

When it comes to breeding just about everything counts against tara-iti—fertility, habitat, weeds, wind, sand, tides, people, dogs, gulls, hawks and every other introduced mammal—so with ten breeding pairs or less in a population of just 40 birds, there’s a lot riding on each and every nest. Last season saw just about all of the adverse elements take their toll, and by summer’s end only five fairy tern chicks had made it to fledging. Let’s hope this season will be a better one.

A fairy tern nest at Papakanui camouflaged amongst the shells

Waipu is one of the four remaining breeding sites, and this year it started off with a single pair of terns, which I dubbed Minnie and Pilgrim, (easier than repeating ‘M-Nil and Blue, Pale Green dash Metal’). These two were joined by a hopeful young male in his first breeding year who, much like a third-wheel, hung out with the couple rather cramping Pilgrim’s style.

Vulnerable nests: king tides at Waipu

For weeks and months our third-wheel hung around but eventually, as breeding season approached, I begun to see him less and less. In early November, on a routine check of possible nest sites, who did I find but our third-wheel stuffing a very gravid female full of fish at a new nest site. A quick check of bands revealed that our little stud had managed to procure himself a female—one who had previously been seen courting another male at the Mangawhai breeding grounds. The poor, ‘shafted’ male turned up regularly at Waipu and could often be found shuffling round the tip of the spit all alone for long stretches of time.

A week later I happily reported that Minnie and Pilgrim also had a nest and that we had a third pair who had been seen copulating in the area. That third ‘pair’ turned out to be none other than our already expectant mother, Minnie, and the lonely male. Minnie seemed only too happy to take the continued offerings of food from this male and let him perform his mating ritual before she flew back to relieve Pilgrim of his incubating duties. How long she can keep up with this double life remains to be seen…

Our little stud keeping his very gravid female well fed

I’m happy to report that, despite the drama, both nests have so far made it past king tides, strong winds and, more importantly, the fertility test! If all goes well with our two hatched chicks this season, Waipu can add two more fairy terns into the population mix.

The lonely male off on another search for his missing female

#10 Kaka

This amusing, social and boisterous parrot seems to be as much fun to hang out with online as in the real world.

Kaka

#9 Frogs

New Zealand’s four species of native frog may be cold-blooded, but they’re warmly regarded, and well visited, on the DOC website.

Hamilton's frog

#8 Tui

It’s not too much of a stretch to see why this pretty and popular song bird made the list. 

Tui feeding

#7 Kakapo

This eccentric New Zealand parrot has a huge following, partly due to their high profile ambassador Sirocco, who regularly makes news headlines around the world.

Kakapo chicks

#6 Tuatara

The only survivor of an ancient group of reptiles that roamed the earth at the same time as dinosaurs, tuatara are internationally famous and endlessly fascinating.

Tuatara

#5 Bats

Maori refer to bats as pekapeka and associate them with the mythical, night-flying bird, hokioi, which foretells death or disaster. Despite this rather gloomy association we still love visiting them.

Short-tailed bat cluster

#4 Kiwi

The kiwi is New Zealand’s national icon and unofficial national emblem. The only surprise about kiwi would’ve been if it didn’t make our top 10.

Kiwi

#3 Weta

Beating many a fair and feathered creature, New Zealand’s most recognisable creepy-crawly takes third place.

Giant weta

#2 Eel

These slimy and snake-like creatures obviously have more love out there than we give them credit for.   

Longfin eel

#1 Gecko

One look at the photos on the gecko pages and you’ll understand why these gorgeous creatures made it to the number one spot.

Marlborough green gecko

So, that’s the top 10 native animals of 2011, based on the number of visits each of them received on the DOC website during the year. Do you think visitor numbers have given us an accurate picture of popularity? Did your favourite make the list? Let’s take a quick poll to find out…

Take Our Poll

#10 Notes from an island sanctuary

This fantail chick lives right outside Chris' lounge

This recent post was the first from our new ranger on Maud Island, Chris Birmingham. You loved hearing about his life on the island, which is also home to Sirocco the kakapo. We’re all looking forward to hearing a lot more from Chris in 2012.

#9 Kakapo ‘curse’ hits breeding season – but more eggs to come

Kakapo chicks

Containing some of the first news of the 2011 kakapo breeding season, as well as a cute kakapo pic, this post promised to be a crowd favourite – and it was!

#8 Animal Health Board staff help save kakapo

We love our kakapo stories, and this one – told by Jane Sinclair of the Animal Health Board, who was lucky enough to win a trip to Whenua Hou/Codfish Island – was no exception.

#7 Mini miracles as kakapo chicks pull through

Kakapo chick, just hours old

The 2011 kakapo breeding season had us all on the edge of our seats. With so few of these beautiful and charismatic birds left, we held our collective breath as news came in from Codfish Island about each and every mating, egg and hatching.

The DIY egg – stuck together with glue and masking tape after kakapo Suzanne stood on it – was one of your favourite stories of the season.

#6 The great ‘kiwi in Russia’ mystery!

Special Agent Kiwi

Remember the kiwi that mysteriously turned up in the Russion port of Sochi back in May? Oh, that’s right, it was actually a common bittern. Never-the-less, it provided the material for this tongue in cheek story that appealed to the conspiracy theorist in us.

#5 Jobs at DOC: Spokesbird for Conservation, Sirocco the kakapo

Munchin' on a kumara-pop

Our ‘Jobs at DOC’ series provides behind the scenes insights into the jobs and the personalities of DOC workers. The post about our very own spokesbird for conservation, Sirocco the kakapo, was by far your favourite of these, taking out 5th place in our top 10. 

#4 Vote now! Remix the sounds of NZ competition

The grand finale of our New Zealand Music Month competition was always going to be popular. In it, our judges – Sirocco the rock star kakapo and Simon the mad morepork owl – played and commented on the top five tracks and then left it over to you, our savvy readers, to pick the winner.

#3 What New Zealand native species are you?

Native species quiz

This native species determination chart was the star of our Conservation Week series.

Over 3,000 people took the fun and fact filled test and, interestingly, we discovered that readers of the Conservation Blog are overwhelmingly kea!

#2 The world’s first takapo eggs

Our April Fool’s day post, about the world’s first takapo eggs being discovered on Maud Island, was a huge hit.

Haggis and Sirocco with their newly found eggs

Almost 5,000 of you have read and shared this fun and far fetched story.

#1 Remix my mates during NZ music month and make me a bona fide rock star!

To celebrate New Zealand Music Month, and to raise the profile of New Zealand’s avian songsters, Sirocco the kakapo put out the call for the musically talented to remix the sounds of New Zealand’s unique birds.

Sirocco the rockstar kakapo

This post received over 3,500 views in one day, and thousands more since then, making it the clear winner of our most popular post of the year.

What was your favourite?

Our top 10 blog posts for 2011 were chosen based on the number of people who viewed them. Do you think this accurately reflects the best of the blog?

Do you have a personal favourite that you’d like to comment on (that either did or didn’t make it onto our top 10 list)? We’d love to hear from you.

We had a look at Coromandel camping on Monday. Now let’s have a look at Otago.

Central Otago

Bikers on the Otago central rail trail

Dropping into Central Otago from the Mackenzie Country marks a change in many respects. Apart from the colour of the rugby jersey, the colour of the land changes too. The typical schist rock begins to show itself and the sun, if it is possible, gets hotter in summer. The Lindis Pass is usually a thoroughfare to further down to Wanaka or around to Alexandra in the Cromwell Gorge.

Lindis Pass Hotel

9 Mile Historic Reserve

To get some insight to the gold mining history of the Otago region, the disused Lindis Pass Hotel that dates from the late 1800s, provides an opportunity to see how isolated the Central Otago region was and how difficult it was for travellers over the pass.

Located at Nine Mile Historic Reserve, the building is undergoing restoration work as the stonemason stabilises the rock in the remnants of the hotel that sits in the middle of the campground.

Keep an eye out for the turn off because the campsite is not signposted, nor is it visible from the road. From SH8 take Old Faithful Road opposite Timburn Road and continue alongside the Lindis River until you get to the campsite. For those who persist, the rewards are worth the effort of going down the six kilometre gravel road—even for smaller camper vans. The road is part of a working farm, so be wary of other users. At the campsite there is a loo, water is from the Lindis River, and an interpretation panel that keeps the memory of the hotel alive.  On a hot dry, sunny Otago day, this is a perfect place to camp. And it’s free.

St Bathans and Naseby

If you are down in Central Otago doing the rail trail, there is a golden opportunity for side trips to historic mining sites in the region. St Bathans is an old gold mining town near the foot of the Hawkdun and Dunstan Ranges, 60 kilometres north of Alexandra, on the road to Ranfurly. Established in 1863 to service the area’s goldmines, St Bathans is a place that time has passed by and the streets are straight out of mining history. There are no facsimiles here.

Oterehua frost Otago Central Rail Trail

St Bathans was typical of a gold mining town because the first buildings were probably not intended to last very long, due to the fickle nature of gold mining. Unexpectedly, some have survived and form an eclectic mix of mud brick and timber buildings including the town hall which has been restored.

Camping is available at the St Bathans Domain campsite. It’s a basic DOC site with toilets and water from a tap. There are nine tent sites and it’s free to stay there.  You can always stay in Ranfurly, or in any of the small towns like Wedderburn on the way around the Central Otago rail trail or even Naseby, another former gold mining town where DOC manages the old Post Office. The building contains much of its original fittings and equipment and is currently leased as a craft shop and information centre. A camp ground at Danseys Pass coach inn has the basics of camping on hand and sits adjacent to an old arboretum (tree collection to those who had wondered). The site provides access to Oteake Conservation Park at Buster diggings with gold mining relics like mine tailings and water races.

Oteake – Homestead campsite

Golden hills in Oteake

Getting into a Graham Sydney landscape can be as easy as a visit to Oteake Conservation Park. Over 64,000 hectares of the St Bathans, Ewe, Hawkdun, Ida and St Marys ranges form the park with outstanding landscapes including mountainous high country, rolling tussock hills, scree, wetlands and shrubs.

There is a network of huts in the park but for those driving around and looking for a less adventurous access to the park, the Homestead Campsite is a good starting point. This basic campsite has water on tap and toilets. Like many of DOC’s more obscure sites, it’s free to stay there and provides an ideal platform for exploring options for mountain biking, 4WD, fishing, and easy tramping in the nearby St Bathans and Hawkdun Ranges. From SH85, turn into the Ranfurly end of Loop Road, then into Hawkdun Runs Road and follow the road to the campsite. There are two unbridged fords to contend with but these are not an issue in summer.