A visit to the white herons

South of Māwhera Greymouth is the settlement of Ōkārito.

A couple of weekends ago I spent three days in the area, camping out in a thunderstorm and enjoying the beautiful wildlife, scenery and weather of this part of the West Coast. One of the reasons to go down was to see the kōtuku – the white herons that nest in an area just north of the lagoon.

Although these birds are common across Australia, Asia and the South Pacific, in Aotearoa New Zealand they are classified with “Nationally Critical” status, and Whataroa is the only place in the country where they breed. As the bend in the river where they have their colony is protected under the Department of Conservation it is only possible to visit as part of a guided tour. The tour starts in Whataroa, a small single street township where a van takes the group to the start of the boardwalk to the colony. The drive is through farmland. This area was somewhat cleared for farming but the bush was too dense and the conditions too marginal for much so the reserve is actually comprised of original native forest. A short walk and up some stairs into a specially-built hide and there they are: the white herons on their nests, along with shags and spoonbills. It is a beautiful sight. The framing of the colony in the windows of the hide makes it look like a stage set. What a magical experience and one that I can recommend wholeheartedly.

In the 1930s and ’40s kōtuku feathers became desirable for using in fashion, much to the detriment of these and many other bird species. This colony was almost wiped out by the demand and today is protected. As the birds are particularly valued in Māori culture it is wonderful to still be able to have the experience of seeing them.