Dorothy – 07/05/04
Right in the heart of Wellington the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary sited in a former reservoir catchment offers city dwellers and visitors the chance to walk in New Zealand native bush that still covers much of the Wellington hillsides. More than that because of its predator-proof fence walkers may see any of a number of rare birds which can be found mainly on protected offshore islands but can survive on the mainland in this protected environment, such as the saddleback and the little spotted kiwi. Such an environment is vital for New Zealand’s flightless birds like the kiwi and the weka which are especially vulnerable in areas where predators can attack them.
The history of the Karori Valley It is thought that Maori used the valley only for the collection of food, including bird hunting. In the 1830s Taranaki Maori controlled the area. Edward Jerningham Wakefield described a number of Maori tracks in the valley which were followed by Europeans clearing the area. They could live in the bush in the valley for days at a time. The diet of early settlers in the valley was monotonous but Maori showed them how to find different food. They caught and sold eels and the fruit of the native fuchsia (kotukutuku) which could be made into delicious pies. Maori also used snares to catch native pigeons or kaka and bartered with them for Europeans’ goods. Later Europeans farmed in the valley after burning off the bush. Farming continued until 1906. Part of the western slopes was too steep for farming and was left for the bush to regenerate. The best bush in the sanctuary is in this area.
In June 1869 gold was discovered in the Kaiwharawhara Stream and residents took up claims in the area, but the interest was short lived. Quartz mining was also tried but with little profit to be made this phase in the valley’s history was also brief.
With the growth of Wellington a dependable water supply was needed, and in 1871 the Wellington Waterworks Act designated 228 acres of farmland to be taken over for the development of a reservoir.
In 1872 the lower reservoir was built using an earth dam, the first in Wellington and possibly the first in New Zealand. In 1873 a Gothic style tower was built to control the water outlet.
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Lower reservoir and Gothic style tower Photo source Alister Hunt Click here to view a larger version |
The Governor General of the time was granted fishing rights on the lower dam and the historic shed was used to house his boat.
To cope with Wellington’s increasing water needs in 1906 building of a second dam began This gravity arch dam was finished in 1908, but in 1991 it was decommissioned because of possible earthquake risk. With the building of an enclosed water supply at Johnsonville use of the lower reservoir also ceased in 1998.
Predator-proof fencing needed in changing the area to a wildlife sanctuary Essential to the protection of the wildlife is the exclusion of predators. A perimeter fence extends for 8.6 kilometres around the area and is designed to keep out non-native mammals including possums, cats, stoats, rats and mice. Extensive testing of the predators’ ability to dig, tunnel, climb and jump was done prior to the construction of the fence.
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Predator-proof fence Photo source Alister Hunt Click here to view a larger version |
Walking inside the sanctuary There is a choice of tracks depending on visitors’ fitness and available time.
A short distance along the track inside the sanctuary there is a clear area to the left of the track where information is displayed about birds protected in the area. Each screen has a photograph of the bird, its conservation status, a description of its habits, and a button to press for a recording of its call. These recordings are beautifully clear. I could easily have believed that the bird was singing on a branch above me.
The comments are very interesting and informative. The names in brackets are the Maori names for birds often referred to by other names.
Tui “Conservation status – not threatened “Noisy in song, noisy in flight, the white-tufted tui enjoys making its presence known. Wide ranging birds, tui sometimes fly twenty to thirty kilometres for seasonal food. A notch in an outer feather of each wing gives tui a noisy, whirring flight they use as a weapon in defending their territories. They are one of New Zealand’s most vocal birds, performing an extraordinary one-bird duet of melodious clear notes, with extra various percussive clicks, grunts, and wheezes.”
Kaka “Conservation status – nationally endangered “Kaka are large for a parrot, unusually melodic, and patient hunters. A kaka will often spend hours tearing away at a branch with its large beak just for one beetle. They love to show off their flying skills, seemingly for the fun of it. As well as traditional harsh parrot screeches and ‘skraarks’ their calls include melodic whistles with gurgles, grunts and more. Kaka are often about at night calling noisily and disturbing their neighbours.”
Little spotted kiwi (pukupuku) “Conservation status – restricted range “New Zealand’s smallest but stroppiest kiwi, flightless and nocturnal. Female kiwi often duet with their males, mostly just after dark, and usually led by the more vocal male. His is a series of high-pitched rising whistles, hers a lower chirr. Kiwi call more often outside the breeding season. It is either to bond with their partner or to warn off invaders.”
Other birds featured in this series of displays include
- the North Island robin (toutouwai), perky and inquisitive
- the morepork, New Zealand’s elusive classic owl, brown with piercing eyes
- the bellbird, (korimako) small olive green bird with blazing red eyes
- the North Island saddleback (tieke), glossy black with striking chestnut saddles and orange wattles
- North Island weka, flightless, small, brown and inquisitive
- Kawau – sharp-eyed shag which dives for fish or catches them on the surface of the water
A short distance further along the track a sign points to the site of the Morning Star goldmine which operated from 1869 to 1873.
Next are cavities cut from tree trunks to hold special containers for weta to live in. Small doors can be opened to view the weta.
In a clearing a little further on, a large log cut from the trunk of a pine tree provides a great place for children to play but has additional interest as the rings visible on the cut surface have their dates recorded to indicate the rate of growth of the tree.
Kaka at play Just before the track began to climb to the upper lake we saw an impressive display of kaka feeding on ripe berries on a dogwood tree and flying exuberantly from one part of the tree to another, with loud calls to each other.
Standing on the crest of the upper dam visitors can appreciate the extent of the bush on the sides of the valley and when the light is right and the waters are still the reflections add to the beauty of the view.
Returning to the starting point the track follows the stream and a short side track takes walkers to the wetlands at the upper end of the lake. Here we saw water birds including scaup and paradise shelducks.
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Looking down the lower lake Photo source Alister Hunt Click here to view a larger version |
On our return to the visitor centre we were able to have any questions answered by the helpful and well-informed staff on duty.
On our next visit we plan to book to join one of the guided nocturnal tours to hear the bird calls at night.
Information for visitors For guided tour bookings call (04) 920 9200. For other information call the visitor infoline (04) 920 2222 or visit the website www.sanctuary.org,nz