Abel Tasman Surroundings

The Abel Tasman region of New Zealand has many wonderful views to offer - green countryside, perfectly transparent water springs, and orange sand beaches! It is also at the very top of the South Island, meaning it has milder climate than most of the remaining island, and warm summers. Besides, the biggest city in the region, Nelson, has some of the best restaurants and wineries in all of New Zealand. It is no wonder the place is so popular with holidaymakers and retirees!

Below are just a few of my images from my brief visits to the Te Waikoropupū Springs and two of the local beaches…

West Coast Wildlife

New Zealand’s West Coast is full of opportunities to observe the local wildlife - from the friendly South Island robins and curious weka, to crowded colonies of New Zealand fur seals. In this blog post, I have gathered only a few of my images of the fauna that inhabit this special corner of Aotearoa.

Pancake Rocks and Their Inhabitants

These rock formations in New Zealand’s West Coast are, of course, named after their looks - they look like stacked rounded layers somewhat resembling pancakes. Pancake Rocks even boasts a suitably-themed pancake-serving café near the entrance to the park. I visited on a stormy evening and, although the weather left much to be desired, the white-fronted terns (Sterna striata) that inhabit this location more than made up for the moody skies.

Royalty of the Wetlands

Rare as they are, even in their full breeding plumage, I’m afraid White Herons still can’t compete with Royal Spoonbills (Platalea regia) in my books. It’s a matter of personal opinion, of course, but to me these enormous birds are the uncontested kings and queens of the wetlands. I thoroughly enjoyed photographing these avian giants swooping between their nesting sites, and occasionally fighting each other, during our birdwatching tour with White Heron Sanctuary Tours.

Kotuku Breeding Colony

The Kotuku, or White Heron (Egreta alba modesta), is commonly found across Oceania and Asia. However, they are not usually seen in their plumage, where they gain exaggerated wing feathers and a blue tint to their faces. There is only a single breeding colony of White Herons in New Zealand, located in the Waitangiroto Nature Reserve. Access is only possible with a guided White Heron Sanctuary Tour, as the land is under protection of the Department of Conservation. The tour is certainly worth it, as it is a pretty guaranteed way to view dozens of Kotuku pairs courting, nesting, and tending to their chicks. We were there during peak courtship time, and so also caught the full spectacle of the species’ breeding plumage. Our visit took place in mid-morning, meaning light was a bit harsh, although that did make for some very dramatic images.

Cute Little Visitor

Female tomtits have adorable disproportionately large heads for their minscule bodies. I was fortunate enough to spend some days living right next to a pair of these beautiful birds during my visit to Franz Josef village, and the female would often bring about new nesting material. Watching her hop from tree to tree through my telephoto lens was a great way to spend a lazy afternoon!

Deer Park Heights

In addition to the stunning views of the mountains that I shared in my previous blog post, Deer Park Heights is also home to several herds of deer. They roam the area freely, serving as an intriguing foreground to the Queenstown landscapes below.

Animals of Serra da Capivara

Time for something a little different! This month, I am featuring the Serra da Capivara National Park, in the northeast of Brazil, over five weekend posts. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is of great interest to geologists, anthropologists, and animal behaviour scientists. It houses some of the oldest cave paintings in South America, and, for the animal enthusiasts among us, a tool-using population of capuchin monkeys. In this first blog post, I share some of the fauna inhabiting the park, including these clever primates. I was even lucky enough to watch them crack nuts with rocks for several minutes, and caught a couple of images of this behaviour too.

Birds of New Caledonia

One of the perks of my work is that I get to visit some beautiful places and get to see some amazing animal species. For three years, I visited New Caledonia to work with the incredible New Caledonian crows, a species that crafts and uses sticks and hooks as tools to extract grubs from rotten tree trunks. Here are some images of these crows, and a couple other endemic bird species that can be seen in the Grande-Terre island.

An Australian Roadtrip

Although the border between Australia and New Zealand is shut again due to the ever-evolving pandemic situation, the images featured here date back to a roadtrip through New South Wales several years ago. We drove from Sydney down the coast to Merimbula, spotting lots of wildlife and endless beaches along the way.

In Search of the Sperm Whales

Following a whale-watching flight over the Kaikoura coastline, we also took the opportunity to watch these giants from up close. An early morning cruise with Whale Watch provided several sightings of Sperm whales, the world’s largest toothed predator. These giants of the sea were commonly hunted in the 19th and 20th centuries, which inspired the classic novel Moby Dick. Now the species is protected throughout most of its territory, but there is still work to be done to fully protect them.

Birdwatching at Sea

During a whale-watching cruise in Kaikoura, I photographed a number of seabird species that inhabit these coasts. Some of those migrate long distances each year, going as far as Antarctica. Here, I share some images of the Cape petrel, Northern giant petrel, Southern giant petrel, and the Subantarctic Black-browed Albatross. You can find more information about these birds at the Albatross Encounter Kaikoura website.

Sunset over the Mountains

Today I share images from yet another stunning Kaikoura landscape. Fyffe Quay is a popular sunbathing spot for New Zealand fur seals. They dawdle about well into the evening, providing an unusual opportunity to photograph them at dusk. I was lucky enough to spot a pup posing on a rocky wall, perfectly positioned against the snowy mountains in the background.

Fur Seal Colony Kaikoura

The Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway is a great place to spot kekeno, also known as New Zealand fur seals. These are easily some of my favourite (and in my opinion, most photogenic) marine mammals. I hope you enjoy this selection of fur seals basking on the white rocks of the Kaikoura coastline.

Wings Over Whales

One of my best memories of Kaikoura was taking a whale-watching flight with Wings Over Whales. Although circling the whales did get me a little dizzy by the end, it was amazing to see these marine giants from the air, where you can get a true sense of their scale. During our flight, we saw two sperm whales and a humpback whale, and as a bonus we got to enjoy the view of the surrounding mountains and ocean from the air also.

Where the Mountains Meet the Sea

Kaikoura is another one of New Zealand’s hidden gems. It is less popular than other nearby tourist destinations, but is nonetheless a fantastic place to visit. This is one of the few places in the world where you will see a snowy mountain chain as a backdrop to a white sandy beach. Here are some of my favourite images of my first day on the beaches, capturing some of this unique landscape.

The Akaroa Harbour

Akaroa peninsula is the best place in New Zealand to spot the world’s smallest dolphin. The Hector’s Dolphin is endemic to New Zealand, and sadly are nationally endangered. In my time in Akaroa, I enjoyed the harbour views before hopping on a boat to try and spot some of these unique dolphins in their natural environment.

Akaroa's Fur Seals

Akaroa is peninsula on the Western coast of New Zealand’s South Island. It is just over an hours’ drive from the city of Christchurch, yet offers a completely different atmostphere. This is New Zealand’s only French settlement, and boasts abundant wildlife. I visited Akaroa for the first time late last year, and one of the highlights of my visit was a private tour to a fur seal colony. As it was Summer, the colony consisted mostly of very young - and very inquisitive - seal pups.

Fur Seals of Katiki Point

Although it is famous for its circular boulders (more on this next week!), Moeraki is also home to a large New Zealand fur seal colony. This is based at Katiki Point, a short walk from the lighthouse. This is an excellent place to get up close to the fur seals, as they climb up from the beach to the grass on either side of the marked path. In the summer, their coats stand in striking contrast to the dried yellow grass.

Dunedin's Coast

Dunedin has some of the most spectacular coastline in all of New Zealand, which is made even more incredible by its wildlife. Today I feature some images of a sealion we spotted sunbathing on the beach, as well as a pink sunset over Tunnel Beach.