The stop in New Zealand was novel as I had not been to the islands before and we flew over Cape Reinga and south to Auckland. While taxiing and in the airport we recorded Northern Red-breasted Dotteral, Starling, House Sparrow, Sky Lark, Black-shouldered Lapwing and Black-winged Stilt – the first species on my New Zealand list. Our flight departed on time and we flew in over the spectacular reefs spotted with islands and parched land of New Caledonia arriving on schedule at 15:10.
We collected our cars from Hertz and after a quick stop for drinks birded a gravelled road lined with scrub extending east from the main highway along a river valley to the south of Toro. We recorded our first species for New Caledonia including Streaked Fantail, Rufous Whistler, Green-backed White-eye, White-breasted Woodswallow, Fan-tailed Gerygone and Grey-eared Honeyeater. At around 17:00 we headed south to our hotel in the capital Noumea and after AD deftly navigated the streets of the city we arrived at our hotel on the seafront, the Nouvata Park Hotel a massive tourist complex and quite alien in comparison to our previous accommodation. We popped out to a local grill, being provided with raw fish to cook on a hot slate and enjoyed cold beers while planning our now reduced time in New Caledonia. We had arranged a pelagic trip from Noumea and a charter flight to Lifou and Ouvea, islands to the east of the main island Grand Terre, these islands support a small number of endemics that we were keen to see. However, due to the lost day we had to drop one of these days and put to the vote the island trip was axed.
Fiji Parrotbill - Nouvata Hotel, Nadi, Viti Levu
Fiji Parrotbill - Nouvata Hotel, Nadi, Viti Levu
Cape Reinga, the northern tip of North Island, New Zealand
The west coast of New Caledonia
River valley south of Toro, New Caledonia
Rufous Whistler (male) of race xanthetraea - New Caledonia
Rufous Whistler (female) of race xanthetraea - New Caledonia
Green-backed White-eye - New Caledonia
Grey Fantail of race bulgeri - New Caledonia
Dinner in Noumea, New Caledonia
Links to other days of the trip
