Archives For Mt Hobson

Today’s post was provided by the Southern Seabird Solutions Trust. The trust is a partnership between the commercial fishing industry, WWF and the government.

At this time of year there is plenty of night time activity at the top of Mt Hobson/Hirakimata on Great Barrier Island. Black petrel chicks, with new glossy adult feathers, are coming out of their nest burrows and furiously flapping their wings. When they feel strong they waddle to a prominent rock and launch themselves, flying off towards South America where they stay for a few years before returning to find a mate and nest.

Fisherman Adam Clow holds a black petrel for banding.

Adam Clow and a black petrel

Black petrels used to breed on high points throughout the North Island and top of the South Island, often flying far inland to nest. They played an important role in the health of the forest, bringing rich nutrients into the ecosystem from the sea. Their droppings, eggshells, and dead chicks were deposited in the forest and they aerated the soil with their digging, acting like little composters.

This annual foray inland went on for millions of years. After the arrival of people the mainland colonies slowly disappeared as habitat destruction and predation by rats, cats, stoats, and pigs got the better of them. There are now about 15,000 black petrels left in the world, and of these only around 2,000 breeding pairs.

Fisherman looking for petrel burrows on Mount Hobson.

Burrow hunting on Mt Hobson/Hirakimata

Whitianga and Leigh longline fishermen Adam Clow, Wayne Dreadon, Gavin Perry, Clayton White, and Mark Dellow, along with Leigh Fisheries employee Angela Cole, and boat builder Mitch Pascoe, recently joined Biz Bell, Seabird Researcher, on top of Great Barrier Island to help band black petrels before they flew off.

“Five minutes after meeting Biz I was up to my armpit in a black petrel burrow, carefully pulling a bird out then holding it while she banded it,” Gavin says.

“They’re smart birds and have an extraordinary homing sense. On land the path they use is like a bird highway at night, as black petrels from nearby burrows waddle to the rock they take off from. After the chicks have left for South America the parent birds fly there too and, the following spring, they fly back to their burrows and meet the same old partner.”

A black petrel inside its burrow.

Black petrel inside its burrow

It was also an amazing day for Adam: “The biggest thing for me was the realisation of how special and smart these birds are and how rare they are. I learned that they have a low survival rate and that fishermen here and in South America play a part in their decline.”

Fisherman Wayne Dreadon, burrowing for petrel.

Wayne Dreadon, burrowing

Gavin says that no fishermen like catching birds and he and others in his fleet follow the Leigh Commercial Fishermen’s Code of Practice, developed by Leigh fishermen over 20 years ago.

Wayne, Adam and Gavin agree the dangerous time is when they’re setting gear before dawn and birds want to dive on the baited hooks. They use tori lines to keep the birds out of the danger zone and weights to sink the baited hooks fast so the birds won’t dive on them. They make sure the deck lights point in inwards to minimise the visual presence of the boat at sea. And they hold scraps onboard when there are hooks in the water – tipping a bucket of fish scraps overboard is like a dinner gong for seabirds.

Boats off Great Barrier Island.

Location, location, location – Great Barrier Island

“This experience hammered in the vulnerability of these birds and their importance as a species. It gave me a totally new respect for them. It would be great if all fishermen did this trip to the colony at least once,” Gavin says.

“Our fleet has been aware of the risk to seabirds for many years and we will continue to do our bit to protect them, and to help others. A few years back a Leigh fisherman went to Peru to talk to fishermen over there about ways to avoid catching seabirds.”

Wayne agrees that helping band black petrels was a primo experience. “Watching them waddle to their take-off rock and fly off, into the night, was a primeval experience. These birds have been doing this, from this place, for thousands of years. All fishermen are obligated to work as a team to look after black petrels so they will continue to have a place, here, for thousands of years to come.”

A black petrel up close. Photo by Greene, Terry C.

A black petrel up close

By Rebecca (Becs) Gibson, DOC Community Relations Ranger, Great Barrier Island

Walking festivals are becoming increasingly popular, so it was no surprise that the recent inaugural Great Barrier Island Walking Festival was a great success.

The walking group heading to Whangapoua beach.

Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to the beach we go. Wild and windy Whangapoua

As this was our first walking festival, and due to our remoteness, we decided to start small and limit numbers. Despite this, people came from all over: New Caledonia, Australia, Te Wai Pounamu and, of course, Raetihi 🙂

Eight walks were offered over the three day weekend, ranging from full day tramps to shorter learning expeditions.

Walkers enjoy the view from Hirakimata Mt Hobson.

Walkers enjoy the view from Hirakimata Mt Hobson on the Over the Top walk

Hosts were allocated for each walk, and accompanying the groups were subject experts and ambassadors, including local iwi representatives, Auckland Council and DOC staff, café owners, fire fighters, ecology professors and historians, who all volunteered their time to give the visiting walkers an experience ‘one step beyond’.

A banded rail.

Unique wildlife encountered, banded rail

Aotea Great Barrier Island is an oasis for travellers; a replenishing place and a site that reflects human history as old as the name Aotearoa itself.

Walking group looks at rata species in  Windy Canyon.

Subject expert, Simon Cook, describes the unique rata species in
Windy Canyon

One walker said that the Great Barrier Island Walking Festival ‘has been a real eye-opener’ and that was on day one – we were just getting started!

The richness of the experience, the wonderful scenery and unique wildlife had many expressing they would be coming back for more.

The view from the top of Great Barrier Island.

Great Barrier Island walks – ‘one step beyond’


Great Barrier Island Walking Festival

The Great Barrier Island Walking Festival was funded by Auckland Council’s Local Board with DOC assistance.

The Great Barrier Island Walking Festival is a three-day walking experience that will leave you wanting to come back for more. Walk through spectacular scenery, learn about the local mining and whaling history, walk with subject experts and take away wonderful memories. For more information visit the Great Barrier Walking Festival website.