Orokonui - a New Zealand Ecosanctuary just north of Dunedin

Ever wondered what New Zealand was like prior to the arrival of us humans? The Orokonui Ecosanctuary is a good place to start. What I noticed first, even as I left my car in the car park and headed down a short slope to the visitor centre which houses the ticket office and cafe, was the birdsong. So loud and tuneful on a sunny autumn morning that it made me smile. New Zealand birds have unique tunes, they also have dialects related to their place in the country. Tui in particular sing different songs in different places. A Tui in Northland probably wouldn’t recognise the tune of a Tui down here in Otago.

Orokonui is a real treat for anyone seeking nature and an impression of what New Zealand could be like if all the habitat remained as it had been, free of human interference. The sanctuary is protected by a predator proof fence that covers nearly 9km’s around the valley its situated in. Sitting on a mountain side which slopes down to Blueskin Bay in Waitati below there are various clearings to take in the stunning views all around.

The stunning views and setting of Orokonui Sanctuary

Entry to the Sanctuary is by access code provided on arrival. This lets you through a couple of doors and past the fence. There is the option of a one-hour guided tour throughout the day. These are highly popular with visitors as a guide escort’s you along the main pathways and introduces you to plenty of birds and fauna along the way. If you aren’t familiar with New Zealand habitats, I would strongly recommend these. I elected to do a self-guided tour on this occasion and armed with a map provided by reception, I headed out down the yellow coded pathway (the easy strolls) named after various local birds. My first encounter was with a very special bird - the Takahe. The Takahe is the famous flightless bird that was believed to be extinct until a hiker deep within the Fiordland National Park accidentally came across one on his adventures. Thankfully these large distinctive birds are still around and although nationally threatened, due to places like Orokonui, their numbers are slowly building. I was told that the sanctuaries resident couple were quite people friendly and as I approached ‘their lawn’ they sauntered over and surrounded me in a pincer movement! Trust me this isn’t as daunting as it sounds, they may be big turkey size birds with striking bright blue and green bodies and short red beaks, but they are pretty harmless. As it turned out brunch had arrived (for the Takahe, not for me) in the form of a converted child’s buggy full of grain to fill their feeders dotted around the Takahe lawn. Turns out they thought I might be todays waitress and that was why they were so keen to confront me!

The special place home to so many native endangered New Zealand birds

After my close encounter with the Takahe I joined the Fernbird Track leading down to the Tui Track. There are heaps of tracks in Orokonui looping and dividing off each other. Split into three categories the yellow tracks are for easy walking, green tracks moderate and the red are harder (the type where walking boots would be recommended). I began with yellow and looped my way around to green. Unfortunately, I hadn’t come prepared on this visit for the red track but it’s a good excuse to call again! The first thing you become aware of as you venture further into the Ecosanctuary, down ‘Tui Track’ is the birdsong, loud and proud it’s a joyful reminder of how New Zealand used to sound before human and predator introduction. Bellbirds, the dark olive-green bird with a gorgeous tune sing louder than all. Kaka, the large parrot with distinctive red underwings, screeched ‘shark’, their call tune, time and again. Kereru perched high up on tree branches above - these are the distinctive New Zealand pigeons with small heads and big bodies. South Island Robins scuttled through the undergrowth foraging on grubs. They are pretty tame and are used to human footfall as we disturb the ground for them to seek and scoff their leaf litter.

Further along the Tui Track, through dense regenerating native bush I came across a feeder which had just been refilled. The cacophony of noise and bird chatter was immense. I have never seen so many Tui in one place, squabbling and scrapping as only Tui can. They love to fight for territory and argue amongst themselves. Tui are so New Zealand. They have a glossy coat of blue and black with a distinctive white tuft underneath. They sing a mesmeric tune that they ring out frequently interspersed with clicks and cackles. They are usually very territorial so to see them altogether like this was quite rare and pretty spectacular.

Strolling around the views across the forest, up across the volcano and down to the bays below are quite something.

I spent a couple of hours but could easily have wandered all afternoon if time had allowed. The information centre has a cafe for refreshments and a break.