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Look for kaki and other ‘braided river birds’ such as the ngutupare (wrybill), pohowera (banded dotterel), tarapuka (black-billed gull), tarapirohe (black-fronted tern) and tōrea (South Island Pied Oystercatcher), amongst the rivers, lakes and of the Mackenzie Country.
Other birds can include karearea (NZ falcon), pūteketeke (crested grebe), kahu (swamp harrier), pihoihoi (NZ pipit), poaka (pied stilt), warou (welcome swallow), white and white-faced heron, a variety of native and introduced water birds, and uncommon introduced birds such as the chukor (Alectoris chukar).
Our tour takes in the magnificent transition of scenery as we progress from Christchurch across the Canterbury plains, passing through Geraldine and Fairlie, then over Bukes Pass to the Mackenzie Basin.
Cost:
$350 for persons aged 13 or over. $200 for persons aged five to 12.
Not recommended for children under five.
Subject to a minimum booking of 3 adults.
Dates: Tours operate from 1 October to 31 March (inclusive) each year. See calendar for scheduled tours. Also available on demand. Pick a date, organise family and/or friends, and we’ll do the rest.
Times: Departure times vary according to the time of year. We leave Christchurch in time to get to the Mackenzie Basin just as morning is starting to warm up, so you get the maximum of daylight hours birding, not travelling in a car.
Duration: Approximately 12 hours, including travel from Christchurch and return.
Route: Multiple sites visited
Difficulty: Easy grade. However, this walk can involve shallow river-crossings and rough walking in riverbeds and wetland areas.
Booking: Bookings and inquires, email auldwood@outlook.com or phone us on 027 419 1080
A diverse and scenic landscape with the promise of numerous species of birds.
Te Waihora is well known for its migrant waders, including such species as curlew, sharptailed and pectoral sandpipers; red-necked stint, ruddy turnstone, Pacific golden plover, red knot and the famous kuaka (bar-tailed godwit). New Zealand waders also feature, such as the ngutupare (wrybill), kaki (black stilt), poaka (pied stilt), and pohowera (banded dotterel).
You might also sight an elusive matuku-hūrepo (Australasian bittern) or the secretive koitareke (marsh crake). Matuku moana (white-faced heron), kōtuku (white heron), kōtuku ngutupapa (royal spoonbill) and pūteketeke (crested grebe) are other special birds here. Several species of terns and gulls add to the attractions, and the lake abounds with water and estuarine birds.
Dates: Tours operate from 1 September to 31 March (inclusive) each year. See calendar for scheduled tours. Also available on demand. Pick a date, organise family and/or friends, and we’ll do the rest.
Times: Departure times vary according to the time of year. We leave Christchurch in time to get to Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere just as morning is starting to warm up. Most of the birds are actively feeding first thing in the morning, which can make them easier to find and see.
Duration:
Half-day tours approx. four hours
Full day tours approx. eight hours.
We are happy to provide a cost for other time periods.
Tours can either depart Christchurch, or from an agreed meeting spot near the lake shore.
Route: Variable depending on birds seen and time available.
Difficulty: Easy. Suitable for people of most fitness levels. However, this tour involves walking for several hours through wetland areas including wet and sticky mudflats. You might need to walk through up to knee-deep water.
Cost
Half-day: $150 per person aged 12 or over, $60 for children aged five to 12 years.
Full day: $275 per person aged 12 or over, $125 for children aged five to 12 years.
*Tours not recommended for children under five years.
Subject to a minimum booking of 2 adults.
Booking: Bookings and inquires, email auldwood@outlook.com or phone us on 027 419 1080
The Ashley-Rakahuri Estuary contains a wide variety of ecosystems, from braided shingle riverbeds, to shell, stone and sand banks, mud flats, reed marshes, freshwater wetland, and coastal dunes. This variety of environments within one large wetland system ensures there is always a wide variety of birds to be observed, whatever time of the year.
It is a vital stopover site for birds migrating up and down the coast, including the iconic kuaka (bar-tailed godwit) and other Arctic migrants that live out their winter in our summer.
Threatened braided river bird species such as the tarapuka (black-billed gull), tarapirohe (black-fronted tern), ngutupare (wrybill) and kaki (black stilt) are regularly observed on this estuary.
All tours meet at Waikuku Beach settlement. Pick-ups from Christchurch by arrangement.
Dates: Tours operate from 1 August to 30 April (inclusive) each year. See calendar for scheduled tours. Also available on demand. Pick a date, organise family and/or friends, and we’ll do the rest.
Times: We time our tours around low tide to give clients the opportunity to see the maximum number of birds.
Cost:
Tour one – approx. three hours: $160 per person aged 12 or over, $70 for children aged five to 12 years. Minimum booking is two adults.
Tour two – approx. six hours: $300 per person aged 12 or over, $100 for children aged five to 12 years. Minimum booking is two adults.
Prices negotiable for tours of less than three hours.
*Tours not recommended for children under five years.
Route: Circuit walk
Difficulty: Easy. Suitable for people of average fitness. However, this tour involves walking across mud flats and the fording of small streams (maximum of knee deep).
Booking: Bookings and inquires, email auldwood@outlook.com or phone us on 027 419 1080
Check out our Ashley-Rakahuri photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevex2/albums/72157634913271000
A day tour for everyone: birders, trampers, families, nature lovers, landscape photographers . . . the Nina Valley, on the east side of Lewis Pass, has it all!
New Zealand’s smallest bird, the titipounamu (rifleman) are a regular feature of this track!
You are also likely to see kakaruwai (South Island robin), ngirungiru (South Island tomtit), korimako (bellbird), riroriro (grey warbler), piwakawaka (fantail), and (sometimes) tui. Pīpīwharauroa (shining cuckoo) are often observed in spring and early summer. The occasional slumbering ruru (morepork) might be spotted in the crowns of tree fern.
There’s also a chance to see at least one of the three “K’s”– kakariki (yellow crowned parakeet), kea and kaka.
Whio (blue duck) are sometimes seen in the river valley, as are karearea (NZ falcon), which hunt through the open river valleys.
Cost:
$350 for each person aged 13 or over. $200 for those aged five to 12.
Not recommended for children under five.
Dates: Tours operate from 1 August to 30 April (inclusive) each year. See calendar for scheduled tours. Also available on demand. Pick a date, organise family and/or friends, and we’ll do the rest.
Times: Departure times vary according to the time of year. We leave Christchurch in time to get to the Nina Valley just as morning is starting to warm up, so you get the maximum of daylight hours birding, not travelling in a car!
Duration: Approx. 12 hours including travel from Christchurch and return.
Route: Return walk
Difficulty: Easy to moderate grade. Suitable for people of average fitness. However, this walk involves sections of rough track that can be muddy and slippery and the crossing of two swing bridges. Not recommended for people who have difficulty walking over rough country.
Booking: Bookings and inquires, email auldwood@outlook.com or phone us on 027 419 1080
A conservation gem on Banks Peninsula, Hinewai Reserve is a 1300hectare ecological restoration project near Akaroa, owned by the Maurice White Native Forest Trust.
Hinewai straddles the steep flanks of the extinct Akaroa Volcano. However, all Auldwood Bird routes follow valley, ridge or contour tracks to get you into this special places at an easy pace suitable for all ages.
The ‘ambassador’ bird for Hinewai is the pipipi (brown creeper). Banks Peninsula is a stronghold for this common, but not widely known, species, which is endemic to the South and Stewart Islands. It’s a small, secretive bird whose cheerful chatter is often heard long before it is seen.
Hinewai hosts most of the well-known native forest birds, including one of the last remaining populations of tītitipounamu (rifleman) on Banks Peninsula. One of our routes passes along spectacular volcanic cliff tops and open valleys, where the karearea (New Zealand falcon) can be seen.
In addition to the many species of birds, other wildlife sometimes seen in the forest include geckos and skinks; and the creepy but harmless tree weta. Streams and ponds are home to native eels and fish, introduced brown trout and frogs. Insects and spiders are diverse and numerous. In spring and summer, the open valleys are home to several species of butterfly. Dozens of species of fern are a feature of our valley walk.
TOURS
Auldwood Birds offers half and full-day tours of Hinewai Reserve. Times include travel to and from Little River. Free Akaroa pick up and drop available. Maximum of ten people per tour. Tours not recommended for children aged under five years.
Dates: Tours operate from 1 September to 31 April (inclusive) each year. See calendar for scheduled tours. Also available on demand. Pick a date, organise family and/or friends, and we’ll do the rest.
Times: All tours depart from Little River, or and Akaroa pick up and drop off by arrangement. Departure times vary to ensure we arrive at Hinewai just as the day is starting to warm up, a time when birds are most active. Pick-ups from Christchurch available for a total charge of $40.
A portion of all tour fees goes to the Maurice White Native Forest Trust to support the continuation of the Hinewai forest restoration programme.
A beautiful, stream-side wander along the Otanerito Valley. Visit the Wairuru and Fantail waterfalls, look for green tree gecko amongst the kanuka trees, look and listen birds in the sunny clearings. Tour includes a complementary morning tea and (subject to availability) a visit to Hinewai resident artist Tricia Hewlett’s gallery.
Grade: easy
Cost: $160 per person aged 12 or over
$70 per person for children aged five to 12 years.
Minimum booking is two adults.
Start your tour in the ‘stone circle’ surrounded by volcanic cliffs – home to karearea (NZ falcon) – and take in the magnificent views out to Otanerito/Long Bay.
Then visit the Putakitaki Pond before exploring the magnificent red beech forest where we can expect to see ngirungiru (tomtit), titipounamu (rifleman) and many other bush birds. End your journey with a gentle wander along the Purple Peak track back to your vehicle. This grassy valley surrounded by forest is a beautiful place to see birds that enjoy the sunny edges of the forest and the open fields.
Tour includes a complementary morning tea.
Grade: easy
Cost: $160 per person aged 12 or over ($185 for the Sunrise tour)
$70 per person for children aged five to 12 years. ($95 for the Sunrise tour)
Minimum booking is two adults.
A combination of the Valley and Red Beech tours for a full-day experience in this wonderful forest environment.
Grade: easy
Cost: $250 per person aged 12 or over
$160 per person for children aged five to 12 years
Prices for an optional picnic lunch from the Little River Café available on inquiry.
Minimum booking is two adults.
* (includes a separate vehicle pick up to return clients to starting point)
This wonderful walk traverses the width of Hinewai Reserve from its high point along the volcanic cliffs of Stony Bay Peak, down to the ‘stone circle’ and the red beech terraces, and then following the contour line track through diverse country to Long Bay Road. Experience the progression from alpine vegetation to the dense red beech forest. A wide variety of vegetation means a wide variety of birds!
Grade: easy to moderate
Cost: $300 per person aged 12 or over
$195 per person for children aged five to 12 years
Minimum booking is two adults.
Prices for an optional picnic lunch from the Little River Café available on inquiry.
Explore on and off-track in this spectacular valley and stay overnight in the Hawdon Hut, for a real Kiwi outdoor experience.
The Hawdon Valley offers the opportunity to see a wide range of birds. These include the critically endangered mohua (yellowhead), kaka, roa (great spotted kiwi) and kakariki kowhai (yellow-crowned parakeet).
Other forest birds can include pipipi (brown creeper), titipounamu (rifleman), kakaruwai (South Island robin), ngirungiru (South Island tomtit), korimako (bellbird), riroriro (grey warbler), piwakawaka (fantail), and tui. Pipīwharauroa (shining cuckoo) and koekoeā (long-tailed cuckoo) can be seen between November and February. Listen at night for roa and ruru (morepork owl). In the open river valley enroute we might well see kea, karearea (NZ falcon) and some braided river birds such as tarapirohe (black-fronted tern). We might also be lucky enough to see New Zealand’s rarest parrot, the orange-fronted kakariki.
This is an adventurous family experience for ‘tramping fit’ nature and bird enthusiasts. The route includes multiple river crossings as both sides of the valley are explored for bird watching opportunities.
Cost: $325 per person aged 12 or over. $175 per person aged 5 to 12 years.*
Tour not recommended for children under five.
*Bring your own food price. Food-included packages available on application.
Dates: Tours operate from 1 September to 31 March (inclusive) each year. Available on demand only. Pick a date, organise family and/or friends, and we’ll do the rest.
Advance bookings of at least two months essential for this tour.
Times: Departure times vary according to the time of year. We leave Christchurch in time to get to the Hawdon Valley just as morning is starting to warm up, so you get the maximum of daylight hours birding, not travelling in a car!
Route: Return walk
Duration: Two days with an overnight stay at Hawdon Hut.
Difficulty: Easy to grade. Suitable for people of average ‘tramping’ fitness and experience. However, this walk involves multiple river crossings and off-track riverbed and bush walking. It is not recommended for people who have difficulty walking over rough country.
Booking: Bookings and inquires, email auldwood@outlook.com or phone us on 027 419 1080
A tour for the adventurous bird watcher/photographer who doesn’t mind getting their feet wet. This tour involves walking along a rough, cold, riverbed with multiple river crossings, exactly the sort of place whio love to live.
Our route involves a beautiful forest valley walk rich in plants and other birds.
Pick up other birding opportunities along the way at Arthurs Pass National Park for a full day’s birding experience.
Or add it to one of our Arthurs Pass tours for a two-day experience overnighting in either Arthurs Pass or on the West Coast.
Cost:
$350 for persons aged 13 or over. $200 for persons aged five to 12.
Not recommended for children under five.
Subject to a minimum booking of 3 adults.
Add an Arthurs Pass tour to your itinerary for an over experience, price on application.
Dates: On demand only. Pick a date, tell us your needs and plans, and we’ll do the rest.
Times: Departure times vary according to the time of year and the schedule you choose. If you choose a day tour. We leave Christchurch in time to get to the West Coast just as morning is starting to warm up, so you get the maximum of daylight hours birding, not travelling in a car!
Duration: One or two days, depending on the option chosen
Route: Circle or return walk spending on river levels
Difficulty: Moderate. You must be physically fit and able to negotiate a wet, slippery riverbed and undertake several river crossings in icy water.
Booking: Bookings and inquires, email auldwood@outlook.com or phone us on 027 419 1080
One of our most scenic tours as we explore the Otira Valley in Arthurs Pass National Park. Native plants and flowers flourish in this unspoilt environment. Native reptiles and insects are readily seen and the mountain valley landscapes are spectacular. Enjoy all while we search for the very elusive rock wren, one of New Zealand’s most challenging birds to find and photograph.
Participants must be ‘tramping fit’ and prepared to spend a day walking through rough, largely unformed, terrain. But the rewards are worth it, not just in terms of the chance to find this rare bird but in terms of scenery alone . . . the views and the alpine plants are spectacular!
As part of the day, we’ll also look for bush birds, braided river birds and, of course, take time to find the famous alpine parrot, the kea, though chances are they’ll find us first!
Cost: $350 per person aged 12 or over. $175 per person aged 5 to 12 years.*
Tour not recommended for children under five.
Dates: Tours operate from 1 March to 31 May inclusive, and 1 August to 21 October inclusive. No tours during winter. Available on demand only. Pick a date, organise family and/or friends, and we’ll do the rest.
Times: Departure times vary according to the time of year. We leave Christchurch in time to get to the Otira Valley just as morning is starting to warm up, so you get the maximum of daylight hours birding, not travelling in a car!
Route: Return walk
Duration: Approx. 12 hours including travel from Christchurch and return.
Difficulty: Easy to moderate grade. Suitable for people of average ‘tramping’ fitness and experience. However, this walk involves extensive ‘off-track” walking in rough, glaciated country. Conditions underfoot are frequently wet and slippery or icy, and you may be required to negotiate your way around large boulders and across loose and active shingle scree.
Booking: Bookings and inquires, email auldwood@outlook.com or phone us on 027 419 1080
© 2020 by AULDWOOD BIRDS. All rights reserved. WEBSITE BY Doodlebug creative .
© 2020 by AULDWOOD BIRDS. All rights reserved. WEBSITE BY Doodlebug creative .