Enjoying the night life

Not being a pubs and clubs person, I am usually ready for a quiet evening in, especially after a busy day. Occasionally something will get me out at night.

The lake in the Zealandia sanctuary valley. 

Most recently it was Zealandia in New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington. Zealandia is an environmental project with a mission to restore part of the central city as closely as possible to conditions before human arrival some 700 years ago. 

Shags or cormorants at Zealandia.

In a 225 hectare sanctuary valley cleared of introduced predators, native birds have been released. At Zealandia one of the main attractions is the Little spotted kiwi, one of 5 species of New Zealand’s iconic, flightless bird. As kiwis are nocturnal, a night tour is the way to see them – if you are lucky.

Little spotted kiwi by Jim the Photographer, Delaware Museum of Natural History

Wilmington DE July 6, 2013 http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcapaldi/9249951024/ Licensed under Creative Commons.

On a 2 ½ hour guided walk carrying torches (flashlights) with red filters, our small group watched a kiwi at very close range (it almost ran into us) and saw many other New Zealand birds and insects including the weta. 

Weta, a unique New Zealand insect; this one a female & likely a tree weta. I photographed it next day in the  Museum of Wellington City & Sea.  http://www.museumswellington.org.nz/museum-of-wellington-city-and-sea/ 

We also encountered tuataras, only remaining representatives of an order of reptiles that was plentiful in the age of dinosaurs, plus glow worms, eels and other fish. Under a full moon we listened to the bird calls and appreciated the fresh and otherwise quiet air.

Learn more on the Zealandia site:
http://www.visitzealandia.com/

Other night walks I recall with pleasure years later include a fairy penguin tour in Tasmania and an overnight hike in Lamington National Park, Queensland. On the historic side were ghost tours in St. John’s, Newfoundland and at Port Arthur, site of a penal colony in Tasmania. The top photo is my son on our 2005 ghost tour of Port Arthur.