Arthurs Pass
January 14, 2022On the 3rd & 4th of January I was privileged to be in Arthurs Pass doing photography. The weather was very sunny and warm (Not the best conditions for bird photography) and birds abounded. The Arthurs Pass Track was first up and it gave me a beautiful entrance back into the world of birds. Tomtits, Robins, and Riflemans constantly darted around me, supplemented by Bellbirds, Brown Creepers, and Fantails. The Devils Punchbowl track followed soon after.
During the day we checked the Kea lookout twice but sadly no Kea. After a delicious dinner I was looking forward to relaxing at the motel but suddenly an iconic call rang out. The Kea had arrived! Relax time looked like it was going in the bin. After a mad dash to the motel to grab my camera me and my dad arrived at a clearing where at least 10 Kea were hanging out. What luck!
After about 45 minutes of watching kea play around and try dismantle a hut it was time for bed, ready for the next day.
The morning started off with a morning stroll around the village that yielded lots of small, adorable birds.
And with a hearty breakfast in our stomachs we were off to Otira Valley to look for Rock Wren. Sadly, none were seen, but a bunch of cool alpine grasshoppers were everywhere.
Once we had finished the Otira track, we realised we had time for one more track so we chose the Arthurs Pass Track for its stunning performance yesterday. It did not disappoint.
And that summed up my incredible trip.