Orokonui Ecosanctuary

Orokonui encloses about three hundred hectares of a coastal valley behind nine kilometres of predator-proof fence, completed in 2007, and it is the South Island's mainland island - the equivalent of Zealandia or Maungatautari for the southern half of the country. Inside are takahe, kaka, South Island robin, kakariki, jewelled gecko and tuatara, the last of these establishing the only wild tuatara population in the South Island, well outside their natural historic range in the north. The valley holds the tallest tree in New Zealand, a eucalypt of over eighty metres planted in the 1860s, which sits awkwardly with the native restoration and is kept for its own sake. Tracks run from a short loop near the visitor centre down through regenerating forest to the valley floor, and the descent is easier than the climb back. Guided tours substantially improve the odds of seeing the harder species.

History

The idea of a sanctuary near Dunedin was first discussed in 1982 by the cartoonist Burton Silver and friends, who formed the Otago Natural History Trust in August 1983. Work on the 9-kilometre pest-exclusion fence began in December 2006 and it was completed on 3 July 2007; four South Island kākā, the first animals, arrived that month, and fifteen tuatara followed in March 2009 (Wikipedia, Orokonui Ecosanctuary).

What you'll find

• Takahe and kaka - at close range in a fenced valley.
• Tuatara - the only wild population in the South Island.
• The tallest tree - an eighty-metre eucalypt from the 1860s.
• The nine-kilometre fence - the boundary the whole thing rests on.

When to go

October to April; spring for birdsong and breeding. Guided tours are worth the extra for finding tuatara and geckos. Closed on some public holidays.

Practical notes

Ticketed, with tours extra. The valley tracks descend steeply and the return is a real climb. Tuatara and geckos are cryptic - many visitors do not see them without a guide.

Nearby

Dunedin is south; the Otago Peninsula and Taiaroa Head are beyond the city.

Key facts