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Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival and Otago Peninsula
Plan to arrive in Dunedin about noon. After checking into our hotel, we will start our tour by traveling to the Otago Peninsula east of town, and drive to Taiaroa Head about 35 km away. We visit the Royal Albatross Centre and view the colony of N Royal Albatrosses that are nesting at this time of year; this is the only mainland colony of Royal Albatrosses anywhere. We have supper here, and then visit Penguin Place to view Yellow-eyed Penguins and Little Blue Penguins at their nesting sites. Yellow-eyed Penguin is the world’s rarest penguin. Other notable birds in this area include Royal Spoonbill, Little Cormorant, Paradise Shelduck and Pukekos. Night in Dunedin.

Day 2 - Travel to Stewart Island and Kiwi excursion
We travel south from Dunedin to Invercargill on the south shore of South Island. On the way we stop at several localities; Nugget Point where we could find Spotted Shag and White-capped Albatross, Roaring Bay where Yellow-eyed Penguins might also be on the beach, Cannibal Bay, and stands of native forest along the picturesque coastline of the Catlins, along with endemic plant species found on coastal cliffs. We stop at a riverside marsh along the Fleming River for New Zealand Fernbird.

Arriving in Invercargill, we take the 20 minute flight to Oban on Stewart Island for a two-night stay. After settling into our accommodation, we become acquainted with the flora and fauna of the Oban area, perhaps New Zealand Pigeon, Kaka (a parrot) and Bellbird. Stewart Island flora is unique, with a fine array of daisy shrubs, orchids, rimu, miro and totara.

In the evening, we take a boat to remote a beach to look for Stewart Island Kiwi – a memorable and exciting adventure. Night in Oban/Half-moon Bay.

Day 3 - Island of Ulva
We take a water taxi to the small offshore island of Ulva, a predator-free island with numerous endemic birds – Weka, Red-crowned Parakeet, Grey Fantail, Brown Creeper, Tui, South Island Saddleback, perhaps even the highly endangered Yellowhead. If we were rained out the previous night, we will reschedule the kiwi exploration for tonight. Night in Oban/Halfmoon Bay.

Day 4 - To Fjordlands National Park
We fly back to Invercargill and drive to Te Anau, the gateway to Fjordlands National Park. This is a spectacular park – unrivalled mountain scapes, enormous glaciers, wild rivers, lowland podocarp forests, alpine flora of daisies and buttercups, and superb subantarctic rich beech forests. We spend two nights at the charming lakeside resort of Te Anau.

Day 5 - Fjordlands National Park and Milford Sound
We travel the famous Milford Road through superb areas of herbfields and boulderfields through the Upper Hollyfield Valley, stopping at Monkey River to look for Blue Duck and in high altitude rocky basins for Kea and Rock Wren. We pass through the Homer Tunnel and descend to glacier-ringed Milford Sound where we take an afternoon cruise out to the Tasman Sea, passing mile-high rock walls, spectacular waterfalls, as well as rocks in the ocean which belong to different tectonic plate. One target bird is Fjordland Crested Penguin, which we hope to find at the mouth of the sound. Other species that we will be looking for are Great Crested Grebe, New Zealand Scaup, Australasian Harrier and Rifleman. We then return to Te Anau.

Day 6 - Travel through the mountains to Wanaka
We reluctantly leave this amazing park, and head inland, passing scenic lakes, mountains and attractive towns, such as Queenstown on Lake Wakatipi. Time permitting, we drive through fantastic scenery to Glenorchy and Mount Aspiring National Park where we walk among giant beech trees. With luck we could find Long-tailed Cuckoo, Yellow-crowned Parakeet and Yellowhead. Overnight in the Wanaka area.

Day 7 - Around Wanaka
We spend the day in the Twizel area, a land of rivers, lakes and marshes, and inland deltas. We look for the world’s rarest shorebird, the Black Stilt, here as well as Wrybill and Double-banded Dotterel. If we have a clear day, then we should enjoy views of towering Mount Cook. Overnight in the Wanaka area.

Day 8 - Fox Glacier and the west coast
Today we travel through the beautiful forests of Haast Pass and out along the coast of the Tasman Sea, where we have another chance for Fjordland Crested Penguin. We stop for walks at the swamp forest at Ship Creek and at the Fox Glacier and its awesome scenery, perhaps under epiphytic rata and Kamahi trees covered with ferns and mosses. We then drive to our overnight accommodation at Franz Josef Glacier.

Day 9 - Punakaika and Paparoa National Park
We travel further along the west coast and its marvelous seascapes, to the town of Punakaika, arriving in early afternoon and in time for a little relaxation. This area is renowned for geologic oddities known as Pancake Rocks and blowholes, in Paparoa National Park. In the lowland forests we could find native flora such as horopito and lancewood.

In the evening we will watch for Westland Black Petrels flying inland from the ocean to their breeding grounds in the Paparoa Range. Great Spotted Kiwis occur in this area, and if we hear of recent sightings we may take an evening excursion to search for this elusive species. Night at Punakaika.

Day 10 - Across the Alps to Kaikoura
Today we travel across the Southern Alps, passing through Nelson Lakes National Park or Arthur’s Pass where we will stop and explore the fabulous flora. We then continue on to the charming coastal town of Kaikoura. Night in Kaikoura.

Day 11 - Pelagic birding
Today we have a pelagic trip into one of the richest areas on the planet. We could encounter several species of albatrosses, several petrels including Great-winged, Cape and Grey-faced Petrels, Hutton’s Shearwater, Fairy Prion, and Sperm Whales and Hector’s and Dusky Dolphins. We then drive north to Picton, stopping at Lake Elterwater and other localities. Overnight in Picton.

Day 12 - Marlborough Sounds and on to the North Island
We take a morning cruise through the magnificent Marlborough Sounds, looking for Fluttering and Sooty Shearwaters, White-fronted Terns and especially New Zealand King Shag, a highly endangered species. We stop at Motuara Island and bird the ancient woodlands there for South Island Saddleback, New Zealand Robin and Bellbirds. We then catch the ferry from Picton to Wellington during which we are likely to see another fine array of seabirds and perhaps whales and dolphins. Overnight in Palmerston North area.

Day 13 - Tongariro and Lake Rotorua
We travel north to Tongariro National Park, with its spectacular series of snow-capped Mountains. We will stop at rivers to look for Blue Duck, and also check for subalpine shrubs and alpine herbs. Continuing north we visit the boiling mud pools and volcanic activities at Lake Rotorua. Overnight Rotorua/Taupo.

Day 14 - Podocarp forests of Pureora
Today we visit the “dinosaur” podocarp forests of Pureora. the list of trees here is impressive - Rimu, Totara, Matai, Kahikatea- plus tree ferns and more. We may encounter Kokako here. The rest of the day will be one of relaxation. Night in Rotorua/Taupo.

Day 15 - Lake Taupo, the coast and Auckland
We spend the morning visiting Lake Taupo, Waitomo Caves and other spots nearby, then we head north to the coastal mudflats of Miranda, arriving for the afternoon high tide. In the saltmarsh and on the tidal flats, we will scan the shorebirds, Wrybill, New Zealand Dotterel, Banded Rail, Black-billed Gull, Pied Oystercatcher, White-fronted Tern among others. We then head to Auckland.

Day 16 - Kauri forests around Auckland
Today we become acquainted with the Kauri forests and their unique understory of native plants such as the orange-green Kauri grass, and maybe the red blooming Metrosideros trees. We may visit the Kauri museum with its magnificent displays of Kauri wood and gum collection. Time permitting we visit a garden that blends native species with cultivated species in the landscape. Night in Auckland.

Day 17 - Tiri Tiri Matanga Island
Today we take the boat ride to Tiri Tiri Matanga Island, where many endemics still occur such as Tui, Bellbird, Stitchbird, Kokako, North Island Saddleback, Red-crowned Parakeet, Whitehead, and the highly endangered Takahe. Night in Auckland.

Day 18 - Departure
Our tour concludes after a final breakfast on this amazing adventure.

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What to Expect

Our daily travel schedule will vary to account for weather, tides, the previous night’s expeditions, bird species and travel times. You can expect some early morning, pre- breakfast walks, as well as an evening foray to look for kiwis and possibly owls: evening ventures are optional. We have a number of long drives as we travel almost the length of the country, from Stewart Island off the south coast to Auckland on North Island. The tour will generally involve easy to moderate walking. Our itinerary includes an open ocean pelagic trip as well as several inshore cruises and a three-hour ferry ride between North and South Islands. When at higher elevations, we will keep walking to a slow pace, doing most of our observation from the vehicle. In general, we keep all our nature study to a reasonable pace, maximizing the number of things we see but allowing enough time to properly enjoy them.

Around noon, we stop for a box lunch at a scenic spot or stop for a sit down meal at a local restaurant. The weather will vary from warm to hot on North Island, to warm to cool on South Island; rain is likely, especially on the west and south coasts of South Island. The pelagic trip is likely to be cool, as is the night-time foray to look for Kiwis. It is best to dress in layers. In the evening we relax at the hotel restaurant, or a local place selected for its good food and fine local charm. At this time we discuss the day’s activities and review the list of birds and wildlife we have encountered. We will outline the events for the next day, preparing you for another round of excitement and discovery.