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The Rotary Club of Plimmerton
Trip to Ohakune to visit a kiwi, January 2008 - The Kiwi is a flightless native
bird that is endangered.
Photos are from the Blicks, the Lucas'. the Lillicos, and the Craigs.
(Click on any image for a larger view)
The Blicks, Lucas' Craigs, and Peter Lillico with friends John and Lillian,
together with Brenda (the newly appointed leader of the upcoming GSE team to
Brazil) visited Ohakune on 3rd January to observe the visit by
DOC Ranger, Petra, to a Kiwi, Zinger, to take his two eggs to send to the incubation
centre in Rotorua for hatching. This is done regularly as the survival of
young chicks in the wild is only about 2%. They are released at the age of
about 1 year when their survival rate is greater than 90%. Petra has been
selected as one of the team members of the GSE team to Brazil.
(Note added April, 2008 - both eggs hatched and the young kiwis are now roaming
free in the protected area at Bushy Park until they are old enough to release
back into the wild. They have been called Rio and Igauzu)
After a snack in Ohakune at lunch time we drove up to the top of the Turoa Skifield road to
look at the view
Then we all walked into the Waitonga Falls. It took about 2 hours return
as we spent some time at the falls. Unfortunately there was very little
water but a pretty little waterfall on the side of the valley provided some
interest. On the track we discovered a very pretty little plant covered in
netting. it turned out to be the rare native Mistletoe which is loved by
possums, hence the netting.
The next day, the Lucas' and the Craigs drove around to the Whakapapa skifield
where two chairlifts were running up to the main cafe on the mountain. Ron
and Graham then walked someway further up the mountain to check the views.
On the Friday afternoon, we did the 1 hour forest walk opposite the DOC centre
in Ohakune. This proved to be one of the most interesting forest walks we
can remember, with many very old tall native trees, a lot of seedlings and
saplings in the undergrowth and an amazing array of ferns.
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