TE HAUTURU-o-Toi/ LITTTLE BARRIER ISLAND IS DESCRIBED AS THE MOST INTACT ECOSYSTEM IN NEW ZEALAND AND IS SEEN AS ONE OF THE LAST REMNANTS OF PRIMEVAL NEW ZEALAND. IT'S BIODIVERSITY MAKES IT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT NATURE RESERVES IN THE WORLD.
Hauturu is one of NZ's oldest off- shore island sanctuaries since 1895 and with its 3083 hectares the largest. it is also the richest in native species. Volcanic in origin, with rugged, mountainous terrain, rising to 722m above sea level.
this footage is not really suitable to watch but it is to listen to - you can hear the peculiar bird song from Little Barrier Island - Hauturu
me trying to cross a river bed of boulders with the help of Samuel
my friend Gabriela who has donated a few pictures for this blog
me still smiling not aware of the steep climb ahead of me
close up of the beautiful colors of a kauri tree
canopy
lunch break after a steep climb of an hour and a half
not sure yet what this bird is -SML
the lush bush
NZ Robin -SML
trying to show the density of the bush - kind of difficult framed like that
the tuatara - one of the ancient lizards - lived here on earth longer then we do and will survive us
they are being held in captivity when they are young and will be released in the wild
little barrier island is the sole place for tuatara's to thrive because of the island is now free of mammalian predators
the view of Nz mainland from the Island - GA
rain in the distance
unspoiled bolder beach
the sole infrastructure build on the beach
carrying the boxes with our stuff to the shore ready to be transferred to the dingy
atmosphere
GA
climbing from the dingy to the bigger boat
find the silhouette of the sleeping old man
sleeping young man - if I let him that is
on our way home
sunset - the end - GA
