South Island Birding: Toroa to Kea

Your trip begins in Wellington. We will meet in the Rydges Hotel foyer, whether you are continuing from the North Island tour or joining for the South Island tour. Today, we board the Interislander ferry at 8:30am for a 3.5-hour crossing to Picton. We'll watch for pelagic species, including toroa species such as white-capped albatross and black-browed albatross, pāngurunguru (northern giant petrel), tītī wainui (fairy prion), tāiko (westland petrel), and karetai kauae mā (white-chinned petrel). As we approach Picton, we'll pass through Marlborough Sounds, home to the kawau tikitiki (spotted shag) and the endemic kawau pāteketeke (New Zealand king shag). Upon arrival, we'll have a quick lunch before boarding a ferry to Blumine Island - Ōruawairua, where we spend two hours searching for the critically endangered kākāriki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet). As there is no jetty, wear shoes suitable for wet landings. We return to Picton in the late afternoon. Drive: 5km/15 minutes. Overnight: Picton.

We will start our morning with some birding around Picton. Later, we will head east and spend two nights in the coastal town of Kaikōura. Along the way, we stop at the Ohau Point Seal Colony, where kekeno (New Zealand fur seals) can be seen lazing around. Occasionally, you might spot a albatross or petrel close to shore. Driving time: 150km/2 hours Overnight: Kaikōura

No trip to Kaikōura is complete without the famous Kaikōura pelagic. The continental shelf lies only 15 minutes offshore by boat, so you almost immediately see ocean-going species. We will spend 2.5 to 3 hours on the water. The species we see will depend on the time of year. Some we expect almost year-round are toroa (New Zealand white-capped albatross and Salvin’s albatross), pāngurunguru (northern giant petrel), tāiko (westland petrel), and karetai hurukoko (cape petrel). We’ll stay in Kaikōura again tonight. Driving time: 10km/10 minutes Overnight: Kaikōura

Today is a longer travel day as we head to the beautiful village of Arthur’s Pass, in the centre of the South Island. We should see pūteketeke (Australasian crested grebe) and poaka (pied stilts) on lakes along the way, and kairaka (Eurasian skylark) in the tussock habitats. The drive takes us through farmland, tussock grass, and alpine braided rivers, plenty to keep us entertained. On arrival, if time allows, we’ll walk around Arthur’s Pass Village looking for the amusing kea, the alpine parrot that loves pulling rubber parts off vehicles! Overnight: Arthur’s Pass.

After our long drive yesterday, we will spend a full day exploring the area around Arthur’s Pass. This gives us time to appreciate this stunning part of New Zealand, with its snow-capped mountains and river systems. Today, we might take several walks, depending on the weather and where birds have been seen recently. We should spot tītitipounamu (rifleman), New Zealand’s smallest bird, as well as the pīpipi (brown creeper) and kakaruai (South Island robin). After dark, we might hear a roroa (great spotted kiwi) calling from the dense cover. Driving time: 20km/30 minutes. Overnight: Arthur’s Pass.

Today, we travel south to Twizel. Our main target is a resident of braided river systems: the critically endangered kakī (black stilt), one of the rarest birds in the world. In the 1980s, just 23 adult kakī remained. Intensive conservation raised that number, and now there may be as many as 170 wild birds in New Zealand. While searching for kakī, we may also encounter the beautiful tarapirohe (black-fronted tern). Driving time: 350km/4.5 hours Overnight: Twizel

Today, we take a long drive to reach the bottom of the South Island for our visit to Stewart Island/Rakiura. We’ll stop in Queenstown, not for adventure sports, but for lunch and to search for species we haven’t found yet. These may include kārearea (New Zealand falcon), riroriro (grey gerygone), Kākā, tarāpuka (black-billed gull), or miromiro (tomtit). In the afternoon, we arrive in Invercargill and explore the town. For those interested, if we haven’t seen a ruru nohinohi (little owl) yet and one has been sighted recently, we may try after dark. Driving time: 350km/4.5 hours Overnight: Invercargill

A morning ferry takes us across Foveaux Strait to Stewart Island/Rakiura. We will spend today and tomorrow on the island. Heavily forested and hilly, Stewart Island/Rakiura is perfect for birdlife, so we should see plenty. On the ferry, expect pelagic species, with a chance for tītī (Cook’s petrel), kuaka (common diving petrel), toroa (Buller’s albatross), and mapo (Stewart Island shag). Tonight, after dinner, we’ll walk from our hotel to search for the tokoeka (Southern brown kiwi). Driving time: N/A Overnight: Stewart Island/Rakiura

Ulva Island is a small island tucked into the western side of Stewart Island/Rakiura. A short five-minute boat trip will have us exploring this wonderful little island today. Inquisitive weka, kawau tikitiki (spotted shag) and a second chance to see kākāriki (red and yellow-crowned parakeets) if we hadn’t managed to see them earlier in the trip. If we are here at the right time of year, we might even see the Pacific long-tailed cuckoo. On offshore rocks and headlands, there is always a chance of seeing tawaki (Fiordland crested penguins) and hoiho (yellow-eyed penguins). Although they are not often seen, we will certainly keep a keen eye out for them. Driving time: N/A Overnight: Stewart Island/Rakiura

After breakfast, we catch the ferry back to the mainland from Stewart Island. Your guide will drop you at Invercargill Airport for a flight to Auckland, or at a local hotel if you are staying in Invercargill.