After spending two years indoors over the course of the pandemic, when the opportunity to travel arose at the end of 2022, I didn’t need to think twice.
I wanted to visit my Mum’s home country, New Zealand (Aotearoa). This is a long journey that I have been lucky enough to do a handful of times. While there, we wanted to catch up with family and spend two months immersed in a different culture. Travelling would also allow me to indulge one of my latest passions – bird watching!
My partner and I travelled 12,000 miles and thanks to lots of support from family, we were able to explore the entire North Island, discovering the natural wonders and learning more about the local culture, flora and fauna.
By far, my favourite activity was bushwalking. Many of their beautiful forests are rich in tree-ferns and appear like the perfect ecosystem for prehistoric dinosaurs. The vegetation is dense and teaming with life – most frequently – birdlife.
The islands are a haven for birds and boast many vibrant native and endemic species, not just kiwis. Many of the birds also possess a Māori name that is onomatopoeic of their birdcalls, which makes it helpful for recognising their sounds.
I began my trip equipped with a little pocket guide of New Zealand birds, and with almost no knowledge of the native species. I surprised myself at how quickly I could learn to identify new species and the thrill of spotting something new for the first time. 2 months later, I could easily visually or aurally identify them and had spotted 90 species.
I captured hundreds, if not thousands, of photos and videos of species of birds I hadn’t seen before. These images allow me to create accurate illustrations and create videos to share my research and experiences with others on social media.
Spending this time exploring nature on the other side of the planet has only fuelled my excitement for travelling and encountering new bird species. I can’t wait to see where my adventures take me next!
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If you’re heading to New Zealand and are a keen birdwatcher, I’d definitely recommend visiting:
Zealandia, Wellington
National Kiwi Hatchery, Rotorua
Gabriella Carr 
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