Conservation blog

Photo of the week: Banded sea krait

Department of Conservation — 23/04/2014

Today’s photo of the week is of a banded sea krait.

Sea kraits are occasional visitors to New Zealand’s waters but they are considered a native species because they arrive here naturally on ocean currents.

Sea kraits spend part of their time on land, drinking fresh water and laying their eggs there.

They are likely to be accidental visitors as New Zealand is outside their normal tropical range. They are found abundantly in the reef systems around Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia, and their usual prey is eels.

Photo by Tom Gruber | CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

In Marine, Native animals Marine, Ocean, reptile, sea krait, snake, tropical

Dog’s breakfast a win for the birds

Department of Conservation — 22/04/2014

By Kath Inwood, Partnerships Ranger, Nelson

The Motueka sandspit is an internationally significant site for shorebirds, providing roosting and nesting space for variable oystercatchers and banded dotterel, and temporary lodgings for the bar-tailed godwit. Being so close to town, however, it is a popular spot for Motueka dog owners to walk their dogs.

A variable oystercatcher

Ranger Ross and some of the dogs

To improve awareness of the birds in the area, we got together with Tasman District Council and Birds New Zealand to try out an Australian idea – the Dog’s Breakfast. This event provides dog owners an opportunity to learn about the birds of the foreshore and sandspit over a bacon and egg butty (sandwich).

Around 50 dog walkers turned out to breakfast with their dogs over a two and a half hour period on Saturday 8 March.

With the smell of sizzling bacon in the background, David Melville from Birds New Zealand explained that variable oystercatchers and banded dotterel are key inhabitants of the sandspit area, along with the better-known bar-tailed godwits, who make the 11,000km flight between New Zealand and Alaska.

The crowd gathers for the dog’s breakfast

The purpose of the breakfast was to raise awareness of dog owners about the significance of this area for shorebirds, and to enable them to be more informed about how they can minimise the disturbance to wildlife, while enjoying the benefits of an area such as this to walk their dogs.

In Native animals, Nelson/Marlborough Birds, Canines, Dogowners, dogs, Dotterel, Godwits, motueka, Nelson, oystercatcher

Cycling the Otago Central Rail Trail

Department of Conservation — 21/04/2014

By DOC’s Melissa Reid

About six months ago some of my Wellington friends and I decided to cycle the Otago Central Rail Trail. Coming from Dunedin, I love Central Otago and wanted to spend more time there and share the experience with my North Island friends.

The Otago Central Rail Trail follows the former Otago Central branch railway line for 150 kms, from Middlemarch to Clyde

I booked flights, bike hire and accommodation for the 12 of us to ride the trail over 4 days in March. We needed to book early—March is one of the most popular months to ride the trail as the weather is warm and settled.

I hadn’t done much cycling over the past 20 years, and I’m not particularly fit, but I had 6 months to get cycle ready. Somehow those months slipped by and by the time I started the trail I still hadn’t spent much time on a bike or got myself fit.

But I discovered that if you can ride a bike and are in OK shape you can do it! You just ride as long as you have to each day, admire the glorious ever-changing scenery, stop frequently to look at historic sites, and enjoy the delicious food and southern hospitality at cafes and pubs along the way.

It wasn’t particularly difficult and was great fun.

We started in Clyde where our bike hire company provided us with bikes and helmets. The weather was sunny and hot—we didn’t need all the merinos we packed and the long range weather forecast that predicted rain was completely wrong.

Melissa standing with bike by the Clutha River.

Starting the ride by the Clutha River – one hour after leaving Clyde

Leaving Alexandra—the trail gets underway and the first of many long straight roads

Our first ride was alongside the Clutha River from Clyde to Alexandra. This isn’t actually part of the trail, but is a very beautiful detour, especially in autumn. I was astonished I was actually starting the trip – my friends and family probably were too.

From Alexandra we started the first long ride. It was very hot and I was extremely pleased to arrive at the Chatto Creek Tavern where we had lunch in another lovely garden.

This was the theme of the next few days—ride and eat.

We then rode the steepest part of the trail—Tiger Hill. The views were amazing, this was one of my favourite parts of the trail although it was an effort in the now extremely hot afternoon.

Melissa lying on the grass relaxing at the Chatto Creek Tavern. Photo: Ged Taylor.

Collapsed at Chatto Creek—four hours after leaving Clyde

We stayed in Lauder and had dinner at Lauder Hotel, run by former winemaker Knobby Clarke who has delicious Central Otago wines on his wine list and the obligatory blue cod and steak on the menu.

The next day we rode over the Poolburn Gorge and through two tunnels. There were also some very long straight stretches and the challenging final climb to the highest point of the trail.

However the reward was a thrilling downhill ride into Wedderburn.

We stayed at the adorable Wedderburn Cottages where each family had their own cottage and porch.

Wedderburn Cottages

We had access to a car that evening and drove over to the historic town of St Bathans and its beautiful Blue Lake.

Blue Lake

The next morning we started our ride at the iconic Wedderburn shed, made famous by Graeme Sydney’s painting.

Wedderburn Shed

Big sky at Wedderburn

I’d hoped it would all be downhill rides from here, but there were still a few hills to climb.

Somewhere scenic above Daisybank after riding another hill

On the final night we stayed at Stanley’s Hotel in the old goldmining town of Macraes Flat (which now has an enormous modern gold mine).

Stanley’s Hotel—an old hotel with modern facilities

The last day’s ride was a quick downhill (finally) trip from Hyde to Middlemarch—and the 150 km cycle ride was over.

Bridge past Hyde

We would ride about four hours a day, and most of our party rode at different speeds, so we often wouldn’t see each other until we met again at a sightseeing spot, lunch, or the end of the day.

Ngapuna Station near the Rock and Pillar Range

I was lucky that one of my friends rode at the same pace as me (slowly), and we were usually at the back of the group—but that was fine with us, we weren’t in any rush.

Brass plaque with Van Morrison quote. Photo: dubh | CC BY-NC 2.0.

You have to be here. You have to feel the deep slow surge of the hills…

In Otago, Recreation Alexandra, Blue Lake, Macraes Flat, Middlemarch, Otago Central Rail Trail, Poolburn Gorge, St Bathans, Wedderburn

It’s a Good Friday to celebrate World Heritage

Elizabeth Marenzi — 18/04/2014

You probably don’t need me to tell you that today is Good Friday, but you could be forgiven for not knowing that today—18 April 2014—is also World Heritage Day.

To celebrate, we’re showing off New Zealand’s 3 stunning World Heritage sites.

Representing the best of the world’s natural (and, in some cases, cultural) heritage—and rated alongside places such as the Grand Canyon, the Serengeti, and Mount Everest—these are places that we should be immensely proud of…

Tongariro National Park

Tongariro National Park was the first national park to be established in New Zealand, and the fourth in the world. It is a dual World Heritage area, a status which recognises the park’s important Maori cultural and spiritual associations as well as its outstanding volcanic features.

Mt. Ngauruhoe. Photo: Matti | CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Mt. Ngauruhoe, Tongariro National Park

Emerald Lakes. Photo: Matti | CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Emerald Lakes, Tongariro National Park

Te Wāhipounamu – South West New Zealand

Te Wāhipounamu covers 10% of New Zealand’s landmass (2.6 million hectares) and contains many of the natural features which contribute to our international reputation for superlative landscapes: our highest mountains, longest glaciers, tallest forests, wildest rivers and gorges, most rugged coastlines and deepest fiords and lakes…

Lake Matheson

Milford Sound. Photo: CameliaTWU | flickr | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Milford Sound/Piopiotahi

New Zealand’s subantarctic islands

New Zealand’s wild and beautiful subantarctic islands have not only been honoured with World Heritage status, but they are also National Nature Reserves—the highest possible conservation status.

Home to some of the most abundant and unique wildlife on earth: many birds, plants and invertebrates are found nowhere else in the world.

Enderby Island

Subantarctic plant life

I hope this glimpse into our World Heritage has made your Good Friday even better.

Have a great long weekend everyone!

World Heritage Day is officially known as the International Day for Monuments and Sites.

Learn more about World Heritage on the DOC website.

In Central North Island, Fiordland, Islands Heritage, Subantarctic Island, Te Wahipounamu, Tongariro

Takahē mission in the Murchison Mountains

Department of Conservation — 17/04/2014

By Helen Dodson, Takahē Engagement Ranger

What do an All Black and a DOC takahē ranger have in common? Tricky footwork and some good catching skills!

Nifty cornering and tackling are a pre-requisite for catching a takahē in a small pen, but substitute that pen with a 50,000 hectare mountain range and you really have your work cut out for you!

DOC rangers banding a takahē in the Murchison Mountains.

Banding takahē in the Murchison Mountains

In early autumn the ‘Tark Team’ (DOC takahē programme rangers based in Fiordland) headed off into the Murchison Mountains to catch takahē. We wanted to get an idea of how many chicks had successfully hatched over the summer, fit them with identifying leg bands and transmitters and change some transmitters on adult birds. It was also a good chance to get a rough census of the wild takahē population too.

A fine day in the Murchison Mountains

Luckily for us, about half the birds in the Murchison Mountains are fitted with transmitters which helps narrow the search considerably. We also had our team supplemented with some specially trained DOC species dogs, including takahē tracker extraordinaire “Yuki”. But it still didn’t all go our way.

Looking for takahē

We used the radio signals emitted by the transmitters to locate the takahē in the large alpine basins. Alternatively the dogs would signal the presence of birds without transmitters.

Then, hunkered down behind tussocks, we played recordings of takahē calling to coax birds toward us, or at least get them to call back and reveal their exact location.

Takahē are territorial and will often reply to the call and even move to intercept an interloper. Our strategy seemed sound, and it worked… mostly…sort of.. except for those birds in Takahē Valley who consistently evaded us.

If you’ve ever seen a takahē, they look large and slow and act quite casual and relaxed. But be aware that it’s all a front. They are fast on their feet and amazingly skilled at ducking and dodging. Our best hope of catching them was when they froze under a tussock thinking we couldn’t see them. The trouble is quite often we couldn’t… and once we could they were gone!

Here’s where I admit I’m not an experienced takahē catcher. Scrambling through and over thick scrub is not a problem and launching into a dive tackle is okay, but the speed that the birds can change directions and appear somewhere completely different to where they were the moment before, is mind boggling.

Thankfully we do have some experienced folk so, if the All Blacks coach is looking for a new wing, I can recommend ranger Glen. Second five eight call ranger Martin and for an open-side flanker you just couldn’t bypass ranger Phil!

Caught! A young takahē

The good news is we’re fairly confident that this season we’ve got 8-10 new takahē chicks in our wild population in the Murchison Mountains. The other news is sometime soon we’ll be spending a few more days trying to catch those birds that outsmarted and evaded us in Takahē Valley.

In Fiordland, Native animals Banding, Murchison Mountains, species dog, takahe, transmitters

Photo of the week: Banded sea krait

Dog’s breakfast a win for the birds

Cycling the Otago Central Rail Trail