Our Bird

One NewBorn Kiwi Chick

Willowbank Wildlife Reserve

Christchurch. Easter 2010

www.willowbank.co.nz

Easter Egg Hatches

Assuming that today's Willowbank press release wasn't a huge April Fool's Day prank like the floating hotel in yesterday's post (below), Willowbank Wildlife Reserve has welcomed the hatching of ts 89th kiwi chick this season, at the New Zealand Conservation Trust's facility at the reserve.

Images supplied by Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, Christchurch.

Temporarily christianed 'Hot Cross,' the baby kiwi has since been named Nikau. The cute fluffy ball is a Great Spotted Kiwi, which originated from Paparoa and has been incubating at the New Zealand Conservation Trust's breeding facility for the last two months. Nikau is the Maori name for a native New Zealand palm tree, which ties in nicely with Easter and Palm Sunday. All chicks hatched at the breeding facility are released back into the wild at Okarito, Haast, Paparoa, Hawdon and Nelson lakes regions in the South Island when they reach1.2 kilograms in weight. The Great Spotted Kiwi species is believed to number in the region of 14-15,000 but it is declining at a rate of 2% (presumably per annum). www.willowbank.co.nz

Birds of a Feather

Our Kiwi

The National Bird

In Various Guises

Southern Sunset

Paterson Inlet, Stewart Island, NZ. Feb 2009. Ajr

When I was on Stewart Island earlier this week, I had a lovely experience - a night kiwi spotting tour, which took us from Oban and Half Moon Bay, around the coastline and into Paterson Inlet to Glory Cove. It was just on dusk when we left Oban and as the skies closed in we were treated to one of Stewart Island's famous sunsets. This was just the beginning of it. And yes, we did see kiwis - three in fact, roaming the lonely sands of remote Ocean Beach, pecking for sandhoppers in the seaweed. It's the only place in New Zealand where you can see them (on a tour) in the wild, roaming beaches foraging for food.

When 'Kiwi' Isn't Kiwi At All

I’ve just received an American press release that highlights the Kiwi Collection – a source of luxury accommodation in “obscure places.” As a New Zealander – or a Kiwi, to use the informal terminology – my chest puffed out with pride and I decided to log on to see who was behind this brainchild. Turns out Head Office is in Vancouver, Canada and while there is an office in Sydney, Australia, any other links to New Zealand appear to be tenuous. Admittedly they have 20 or so New Zealand properties listed but that’s about it. In discussing the company on their website, the President, Philippe Kjellgren, has this to say about the use of the word ‘Kiwi’ in the company title: “Why the Kiwi in Kiwi Collection? KIWI IS A RELATIVELY NEW WORD. It is pronounced the same in almost every major language………. And like the kiwifruit, the company tries to be fresh and full of flavour in everything it does. After all, every journey in life should be a rich, rare and succulent experience, so enjoy your travels.” MMMMMmmmmmm …well, I suppose it depends by what you mean by “relatively new.” In my head ‘Kiwi’ is a Maori word, hundreds of years old. But perhaps we're supposed to be flattered (in some obscure way) that someone in big old Canada wants to use our words (in this way). www.kiwicollection.com

Come Out and Play

I’m a big Paul Theroux fan. I especially like these words of his: “True travel is launching oneself into the unknown. There is no excuse for it, except that one offers oneself in the spirit of excitement. To me one of the most compelling trips holds the prospect of the unknown near home.” It was in this spirit that Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism rolled out the red carpet in The Square this morning to encourage locals to discover their own city. Along with Maori performances and displays by Canterbury tourism operators, The Square was filled with kids, visitors, assorted ‘human’ animals, the obligatory stuffed kiwi, local dignitaries,’ flower costumes and a whole lot of warm autumn sunshine. Come Out and Play is a terrific initiative. Let’s hope the idea catches on because I for one, never cease to find exciting previously undiscovered corners in my own patch. It’s a fallacy that you have to leap aboard a plane to have travel adventures – excitement is as close as the other side of town. You only have to look.

The National Bird

Kiwi Top :Eketahuna; back of a bus; Bottom: Queenstown & Rotorua Ajr.

You could be forgiven for thinking we’re obsessed with kiwis in this country. Not only is the kiwi one of our rarest native birds, it’s also a national icon, an iconic design motif and the standard ‘nickname’ for New Zealanders. And for some reason there is a desire to make them significantly larger than life – gigantic in fact. I spotted these ones when I travelled around NZ last year researching the latest Frommers New Zealand travel guide.