White Island

rom Kukumoa, State Highway 2 travels along Waiotahi Beach before turning inland again just after crossing the Waiotahi River. The beach road passes through some particularly fine examples of pohutukawa, and on clear days White Island can be seen in the distance, with its plume of white steam. White Island, despite its threatening appearance, is home to large numbers of nesting petrels as well as one of the largest colonies of the Australasian gannet. These seabirds must be rugged individuals as land birds which stray to the island often succumb to the toxic fumes.

After crossing the Waiotahi bridge a sharp turn right will take you to the Ohiwa Harbour. The harbour, beautifully situated amid rolling bush and farm-covered hills, is of recent geological origin and only 5000 years ago it was a bay facing the ocean. Because of the mild climate, mangroves are found here, and three lonely trees near the entrance of the harbour are the most southerly mangroves in the world.

Each year thousands of eastern bar-tailed godwits fly here from their nesting grounds in Siberia 12,000 kilometres away, arriving in a large flock around October and heading off again in April or May. At low tide they scatter around the harbour to feed, but at high tide they congregate together on the islands in the middle of the harbour where they can rest undisturbed. Other waders can also be seen here; indeed, the second recorded sighting in New Zealand of an American whirnbrel was made at Ohiwa Harbour in 1949 when a bird spent the summer in the company of godwits.

From the harbour the more scenic route north is along State Highway 2 which loops through Waimana to Whakatane. A detour of some 20 kilometres before you reach Waimana will take you to Tanatana and Matahi and the northern boundary of the Urewera National Park. The road follows the Waimana River flowing from the Huiarau Range and good stands of trees, particularly kahikatea, can be seen along the river flats. Huiarau means 'many huia’, a sad reminder of this now extinct bird.

Another extinct bird that seems to have occurred here until fairly recently was the piopio, once called the native thrush. Arthur Taylor, a park ranger who is familiar with the birds of the park, recalls that while he was working on the 'Six-foot Track near Te Panea in 1968 a 'stocky dark-brown bird came to within a couple of metres of him. He is sure that this was a piopio and his description fits both its appearance and its trusting nature.

Back on State Highway 2, the road takes you through Waimana, Taneatua and on to Whakatane. After the farmland near Waimana township the road moves through scrub and both native and exotic forest. Introduced birds seem to like this area and in autumn and winter large flocks of finches, including goldfinches, redpolls, yellowhammers, chaffinches and greenfinches can be seen.

Greenfinches are often called linnets, which they are not. The linnet was introduced here, but being a migratory bird probably disappeared towards Japan when the first winter came. Its scientific name translates as 'cannabis eater' and, judging by the enthusiasm with which this crop is being cultivated, the police might have been able to follow the feeding flocks, and so dispense with helicopters when trying to locate illegal horticulturists.

My grandfather, who lived in Whakatane, once told me that in the part of England he came from the yellowhammer was called the master scribbler. A glance at the enchanting pattern on their eggs shows where this name originated. A poem by John Clare describes this:

Five eggs, pen scribbled o'er with ink their shells,

Resembling writing scrolls, which Fancy reads

As Nature's poesy and pastoral spells -

They are the yellowhammer's and she dwells

Most poet like, 'mid brooks and flowery weeds.

From Whakatane it is possible to charter a helicopter to White Island, and the local information and tourist centre will provide a timetable. Also, from Whakatane's foreshore good views can be had of Whale Island to the north-east.

Among the 'muttonbirds' that nest on Whale Island are the sooty shearwater, the fluttering shearwater, the grey-faced petrel and Buller’s shearwater. These were all traditionally harvested by the Ngati-Awa of Whakatane but falling numbers caused a rahui, or tribal protection, to be placed on the remaining birds.