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John and Jean walk the Routeburn

Department of Conservation — 25/08/2014

After selling their house in the United States, retired couple John and Jean Strother have been travelling full time. They love to hike and backpack and have had some amazing adventures around the world — including here in New Zealand.

Today we’re sharing with you Jean and John’s experience (and beautiful photos) of the Routeburn Track…

Beautiful beyond words

The Routeburn Track, going east to west, starts in Mt Aspiring National Park and crosses into Fiordland National Park.

The Routeburn Track. Photo copyright: John Strother. All rights reserved.

Incredible landscapes

We decided to use huts as there is no camping at Routeburn Falls (we chose to not do the long day required to hike from Routeburn Flats over Harris Saddle to the campground at Lake Mackenzie Hut).

As the Routeburn Track is not a loop, we had to make some transportation arrangements, organising for our campervan to be driven from Routeburn Shelter (near Glenorchy and 68 km from Queenstown) where we started, to other end of the track at the The Divide Shelter (on the Milford Road, 85 km from Te Anau).

After arriving at the Routeburn Falls Hut (and securing two of the remaining three bottom bunks) we did some exploring in the area, John with camera in hand, as always.

Routeburn Falls

The next day we headed toward Harris Saddle, enjoying views of Lake Harris along the way.

Lake Harris

We stopped briefly at the Harris Saddle Shelter and climbed to the top of nearby Conical Hill for still more great views, including bits of Milford Sound and the Tasman Sea in the far distance.

Harris Saddle Shelter

John and Jean on top of Conical Hill

We then descended from the saddle and got our first sight of Lake Mackenzie, as well as the Lake Mackenzie Hut, which is barely seen at the far end of the lake—our destination for the day.

Lake Mackenzie

As we descended further, we entered what is aptly called “The Enchanted Forest”…

The Enchanted Forest

Earland Falls

The next day the track took us by Earland Falls…

…before leading to the end of the track where we were happy to see our campervan waiting for us in the parking lot at the Divide.

Read more on panafoot — Jean and John’s blog.

pan-a-foot (păn’ ũh fʊt) v. covering great distances to see more of the world under one’s own power

See more of their Routeburn Track photos on Flickr.

A big thanks to Jean and John for giving us permission for us to publish this on the Conservation Blog!

In Fiordland, Great Walks, Recreation, Walking/hiking/tramping Fiordland National Park, Lake Mackenzie, Mt Aspiring, Routeburn Track

Ranger experience for Peninsula kids

Department of Conservation — 23/08/2014

By Paul Pope, Deputy Chair of the Otago Peninsula Community Board

Paul Pope

One of the great things about living on the Otago Peninsula, and having children at a local school, is you get to do some of the cool things that they do as well.

I was one of two parents who took a group of children from Portobello School to Okia Reserve for World Ranger Day with the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust.

Getting children out of the classroom, and providing a genuine ranger experience, was a great concept. Having pupils from the three Peninsula schools was pure genius.

Like it or not there is a need for conservation groups to be prepared to pass on the mantle of stewardship onto a younger generation, and the earlier we do this the better.

Out at Okia Reserve—located next to Victory Beach

Peninsula kids are fortunate that they grow up in a landscape inhabited by iconic wildlife species. We can only hope that this experience, and their own inquiry, will develop either empathetic citizens or active conservationists.

“Pyramids” at Okia Reserve

What I really enjoyed about the ranger day was the hands on activities that provided a genuine wildlife management experience.

From exercises in measuring and identifying birds, to pest control and habitat creation, each activity was designed to show what really needs to be done in wildlife conservation.

Hands on. Take aim!

So much of what actually goes on in the field is unknown to the public, and to be able to provide that experience for our school children was great.

I’m sure many of the pupils will share their experience with their parents and family.

Planting at Okia

After events like this it’s good to pause and reflect. One of the things that stood out for me was how much the Peninsula relies on voluntary organisations and citizen conservationists to protect and advocate for our wildlife and landscape.

The voluntary hours, fundraising and hard work put into places like Okia is quite staggering. It also highlights my view that we all have a stake in nature and a role to play in protecting it.

After my experience at Okia it’s not difficult to understand just how important that role is and how rewarding it can be for our children today and in the future.

This abridged post is from the story ‘Home on the Range’ on Paul Pope’s blog.

Thanks Paul for letting us share it here on the Conservation Blog.

In Otago, Volunteers Okia, Otago Peninsula, Portobello, World Ranger Day

Peripatus: New Zealand’s velvet worms/ngaokeoke

Department of Conservation — 14/08/2014

They measure only 2 centimetres in length, so how does a 2 metre long peripatus (velvet worm) come to be found in one of Dunedin’s oldest buildings? DOC biodiversity ranger Amanda Salt explains…

In the dark bowels of the old Athenaeum building, in Dunedin’s Octagon, an exciting event took place to launch a new work on New Zealand peripatus/ngaokeoke, an obscure, nocturnal invertebrate which links back to a common ancestor present on Gondwana.

Peripatiodes indigo from north west Nelson. © Rod Morris www.rodmorris.co.nz.

Purple peripatus from north west Nelson

It was appropriate this event was held in a cold, damp basement, as peripatus enjoy this type of habitat.

Under Dunedin’s Athenaeum building

The perfect setting

The new publications:

Peripatus: A guide to New Zealand’s velvet worms/ngaokeoke (PDF, 673K) and

New Zealand peripatus/ngaokeoke: Current knowledge, conservation and future research needs (PDF, 4,164K)

aim to summarise knowledge, manage peripatus through continued research, raise awareness and secure legal protection for this at risk species.

Peripatus booklet

Peripatus pamphlet

Tahu the peripatus and Sir Alan Mark

The project to create these publications was a collaboration that began after it was agreed that the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) move a population of peripatus in Caversham Valley to an area nearby, to avoid the impact of state highway improvements in the Dunedin suburb.

It was guided by former DOC staff member, entomologist Michael Wakelin, with representatives from DOC, Ngāi Tahu, Dunedin City Council, Forest and Bird, Dunedin City Council, the New Zealand Transport Agency, and landowners.

Prof Sir Alan Mark, who wrote the foreword, told guests the booklet was an important milestone for DOC and Dunedin.

Dunedin photographer Rod Morris provided the photographs and gave an informative talk and slideshow at the event.

Velvet Worm. Fine, local craft ale in a flagon.

Velvet Worm ale

Local micro-brewer Velvet Worm brought along some of their latest brews and the sounds of The Velvet Underground pumped through the basement.

One highlight was Orokonui Ecosanctuary conservation educator Tahu Mackenzie, resplendent in her own wearable art creation of a giant purple velvet peripatus, complete with green slime secretion glands.

Tahu also sang a song she wrote for the occasion, accompanied by some of the recently-formed Dunedin Roots & Shoots group members, who helped out on the night.

To close, the mysterious world of the peripatus was portrayed poetically by DOC’s Coastal Otago Services Manager, David Agnew, who wrote P/Ng is for Peripatus/Ngaokoeoke.

P is for peripatus, velvet worm, the missing link
An animal (at least that’s what we think)
Not widely known, but world renown
For habits and features it stands alone
It roams at night
It kills its prey
Jets of toxic saliva it does spray.

Peripatoides aurorbis, walking over a leaf fossil

Ng is for Ngaokeoke, that’s how Ngāi Tahu say
This taonga from down this way
And we’re all so glad
It still shares Te Wai Pounamu with you.

M is for motorway, and we all use them
Asphalt and tarmac, and limits for speed
However it’s something that we all need
And Caversham Valley presented a way
For us to help peripatus along the way.

So here we all are to celebrate the result
Of hours of research and painstaking input

Into a process that produced this book
A collaborative process that involved quite a few
Ngāi Tahu and Transit, DOC and DCC
Forest & Bird, Rod Morris, Dave Randle
OPUS, Sir Alan, and scientists too.

P is for pamphlet, panui, pukapuka
P is for peripatus, velvet worm, ngaokeoke
P is for product, a present for you
I thank you for coming and please take one with you
Kia ora tatou

In New Zealand, nine species of peripatus belonging to two genera have been described so far and they are distributed throughout the country.

In Native animals, Otago Invertebrates, ngaokeoke, peripatus, velvet worm, worms

City shorebirds—masters of their elements

Department of Conservation — 12/08/2014

By DOC’s Government Support Manager (and keen photographer), Brian Sheppard

New Zealand’s magnificent shorebirds are masters of their elements but they only reach this supreme state of being after rigorous training of mind and body.

Variable oystercatcher

To a casual observer, the birds are just mooching around, or foraging for food, but look closer. You might be surprised to see what they are really up to.

I dropped in on a couple of Wellington’s shorebird chapters: the beach chapter at Petone, and the city branch at Wellington Harbour, to watch their training sessions.

Two oystercatchers wading in the shallow water. Photo © Brian Sheppard.

Finishing afternoon tea

A pair of oystercatchers were just finishing their afternoon tea at the beach to fortify themselves for their self-improvement class. The first one led the way, closely followed by an inquisitive red-billed gull.

Oystercatcher closely followed by an inquisitive red-billed gull

The tide was in and pounding against the end of a concrete pier.

No fear!

The pair of oystercatchers took their positions at the end of the pier where the raging sea would drench them. They showed no fear but just stared down the approaching waves.

The gulls arrived shortly afterwards but they were the new entrants to the class, taking a back row – watching and learning from the masters.

Gulls take a back row – watching and learning from the masters

With the skills learned from the beach, the gulls tried to apply them, in the comparative privacy of Wellington Harbour. Their test was to hone their flight skills on a spectacularly windy winter’s day. Their test area was the outfall from the wetland next to Te Papa.

Te Papa testing ground

As they arrived, their first task was to stand their ground in the face of the wind that was blowing the falling water back the way it came.

Red-billed gull. Photo © Brian Sheppard.

Beaten up by the wind

Following the example shown by the oystercatchers, the lead gull stepped to the edge to show no fear while being pelted by the spray and then to execute a flawless take-off.

Clearly a bit more practice was needed. He was nearly wiped out by a cross wind. It must have dented his confidence as I saw him later retaking his beginner’s take-off class. By that time, I had to get back to work, so I never witnessed the landing.

Red-billed gull

New Zealand is famous for its land birds like the kiwi and kākāpō. But just as remarkable and unique are our sea and shore birds.

More than a third of the 80 or so species of sea and shore birds that breed in New Zealand are found nowhere else on Earth, including the variable oystercatcher.

Both variable the oystercatcher and red-billed gull are native to New Zealand and are often found around our coast.

Do you have a ‘chapter’ of these shorebirds near you?

In Native animals, Wellington/Kapiti oystercatcher, petone, seabirds, shorebirds

A korowai for Kaikōura

Department of Conservation — 11/08/2014

New Zealand’s largest and deepest marine reserve, along with our first whale sanctuary and our first seal sanctuary, came into effect on Friday.

Kaikōura with marine reserve in the background.

Five new customary fishing areas, and more sustainable recreational fishing regulations, were also established.

Humpback whales pass through Kaikōura on their northern winter migration

The journey began nearly 10 years ago with the establishment of Te Korowai o Te Tai ō Marokura, a group of local people and agencies who recognised that Kaikōura’s magnificent and valuable marine environment was under pressure.

Hutton’s shearwater/tītī

A korowai is a chiefly cloak laid over something to protect and care for it.

The sanctuaries, marine reserve, and fisheries management tools established are each strands of an interwoven cloak that cares for the Kaikōura (Te Tai ō Marokura) Marine Management Area.

Dusky dolphins. Photo: Caroline Wilkins.

Large pods of dusky dolphins live in the vicinity of the Kaikōura Canyon

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere, Chairman of Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura and Te Korowai member, Tā Mark Solomon says:

“The negotiations were long and hard, but for me the whole process was a beautiful expression of community. I think the whole of New Zealand could look at this as an example of how communities can come together to look after their resources for themselves and their children,” he says.

Dusk

Mā te whakapūmau i te mauri me te wairua o “Te Tai ō
Marokura”, ko mātou ngā kaitiaki o ngā taonga a Tangaroa
kei te arataki i te iwi hapori, ki te whakangaruru i te
momona me te waiora o te āhuatanga o te Taiao, mo ngā
whakatipuranga o aianei me ake tonu ake.

By perpetuating the mauri and wairua of Te Tai ō Marokura
we as kaitiaki of Tangaroa’s tāonga are leading the community to achieve a
flourishing, rich and healthy environment where opportunities
abound to sustain the needs of present and future generations.

(The vision of Te Korowai o Te Tai ō Marokura)

In Marine, Native animals, Nelson/Marlborough fishing, fur seals, Hikurangi, Kaikoura, korowai, Marine Reserves, mataitai, Ohau Point, Whale Sanctuary

Archives For 30/11/1999

John and Jean walk the Routeburn

Ranger experience for Peninsula kids

Peripatus: New Zealand’s velvet worms/ngaokeoke

City shorebirds—masters of their elements

A korowai for Kaikōura

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Archives For 30/11/1999

John and Jean walk the Routeburn

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Ranger experience for Peninsula kids

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Peripatus: New Zealand’s velvet worms/ngaokeoke

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City shorebirds—masters of their elements

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A korowai for Kaikōura

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