they have wingspans of more than three metres across. While these wings are great for gliding over the sea, they tend to get in the way on land, where the birds find it difficult to flap them enough to get lift-off. So instead they launch into the air using strong winds and high cliffs. Taiaroa Head has plenty of both.
Each year hundreds of thousands of people visit the Royal Albatross Centre, because it’s the most accessible place in the world to see these wonderful birds. These people also come to eat, which is how our family is involved in the place. Mum relieves at the café whenever anyone needs some time off, which, in the days around Christmas, means almost every day.
Nick and I rode out there the afternoon following the visit to Murph’s. We were hoping for some free food and a cheap guided tour. The first part was easy as Mum was working the desk. The guided tour was trickier, as the tour buses were pouring in. We had to put our names on a waiting list and hope; they promised to phone Nick when there were a couple of spaces. In the meantime we went exploring.
There were birds everywhere. Thousands of them, and they all looked very healthy, even the sparrows begging food from the tourists. We saw shags nesting on the cliffs, gulls on the slopes, and blue penguins in boxes around the shore. In the air, juvenile albatrosses were clocking up some flying time in preparation for their departure in a few weeks’ time.
We also saw seals. They have breeding colonies on the rocky platforms at the bottom of the cliffs. At one place we could look down and see them lazing around in big pools between the rocks. Others were playing in the kelp that was waving slowly back and forth in the gentle swell.
We’d pretty well explored everything when the phone call came saying there was room for us on the four o’clock tour.
After being ushered into the information centre, we sat and watched a video about the albatrosses. Sitting down was notwhat Nick needed, and straight away he started fidgeting. I sat beside him, hoping that the video would soon finish so we could get moving, as that might calm him down.
It did a bit. Our guide was called Jenny. She led us out of the centre into a fenced area. First stop was to look at a trap used to catch the stoats which prey on the albatross chicks. It was baited with an egg.
‘What sort of egg is that?’ asked Nick.
Jenny smiled. ‘Just an ordinary hen’s egg,’ she said. ‘Stoats love them.’
‘Hope it’s not a Peco egg,’ said Nick.
She looked anxious for a moment. ‘Oh dear, I hope so, too.’ Then she brightened. ‘No, it won’t be. We buy only free-range ones. Bryce Shreeves can’t call his eggs that.’
‘Wouldn’t surprise me if he did,’ said Nick with feeling. ‘He’s a killer!’
Jenny looked a little startled for a moment, before turning and leading us towards a gate into a fenced security area. After she’d let us all through, she shut and locked it again. No sooner had she done so than Nick launched himself at the gate, climbing halfway up the netting.
‘Help! Help! Let me out!’ he screamed. ‘Let me out!’
The tourists turned and looked at him in horror.
‘Stop it, Nick!’ I yelled.
He turned his head and grinned at me. ‘All right,’ he said, leaping down to the path.
Jenny was not impressed. Yet she held her tongue and led us up the sloping path towards the top of the hill. Part-way up,the footpath split in two directions. Jenny took the left branch, expecting everyone to follow. They all did; except for Nick, who took the right one.
‘This way,’ she called to Nick, trying hard to sound friendly.
But Nick was almost running now, and he certainly wasn’t listening. It was just the same as when he had rushed into the lupins at Allans Beach. He was on another one of his missions.
‘I’ll get him,’ I said.
‘Be quick, will you,’ said Jenny. ‘We’ve got to stick to time or we’ll get mixed up with the next
Each year hundreds of thousands of people visit the Royal Albatross Centre, because it’s the most accessible place in the world to see these wonderful birds. These people also come to eat, which is how our family is involved in the place. Mum relieves at the café whenever anyone needs some time off, which, in the days around Christmas, means almost every day.
Nick and I rode out there the afternoon following the visit to Murph’s. We were hoping for some free food and a cheap guided tour. The first part was easy as Mum was working the desk. The guided tour was trickier, as the tour buses were pouring in. We had to put our names on a waiting list and hope; they promised to phone Nick when there were a couple of spaces. In the meantime we went exploring.
There were birds everywhere. Thousands of them, and they all looked very healthy, even the sparrows begging food from the tourists. We saw shags nesting on the cliffs, gulls on the slopes, and blue penguins in boxes around the shore. In the air, juvenile albatrosses were clocking up some flying time in preparation for their departure in a few weeks’ time.
We also saw seals. They have breeding colonies on the rocky platforms at the bottom of the cliffs. At one place we could look down and see them lazing around in big pools between the rocks. Others were playing in the kelp that was waving slowly back and forth in the gentle swell.
We’d pretty well explored everything when the phone call came saying there was room for us on the four o’clock tour.
After being ushered into the information centre, we sat and watched a video about the albatrosses. Sitting down was notwhat Nick needed, and straight away he started fidgeting. I sat beside him, hoping that the video would soon finish so we could get moving, as that might calm him down.
It did a bit. Our guide was called Jenny. She led us out of the centre into a fenced area. First stop was to look at a trap used to catch the stoats which prey on the albatross chicks. It was baited with an egg.
‘What sort of egg is that?’ asked Nick.
Jenny smiled. ‘Just an ordinary hen’s egg,’ she said. ‘Stoats love them.’
‘Hope it’s not a Peco egg,’ said Nick.
She looked anxious for a moment. ‘Oh dear, I hope so, too.’ Then she brightened. ‘No, it won’t be. We buy only free-range ones. Bryce Shreeves can’t call his eggs that.’
‘Wouldn’t surprise me if he did,’ said Nick with feeling. ‘He’s a killer!’
Jenny looked a little startled for a moment, before turning and leading us towards a gate into a fenced security area. After she’d let us all through, she shut and locked it again. No sooner had she done so than Nick launched himself at the gate, climbing halfway up the netting.
‘Help! Help! Let me out!’ he screamed. ‘Let me out!’
The tourists turned and looked at him in horror.
‘Stop it, Nick!’ I yelled.
He turned his head and grinned at me. ‘All right,’ he said, leaping down to the path.
Jenny was not impressed. Yet she held her tongue and led us up the sloping path towards the top of the hill. Part-way up,the footpath split in two directions. Jenny took the left branch, expecting everyone to follow. They all did; except for Nick, who took the right one.
‘This way,’ she called to Nick, trying hard to sound friendly.
But Nick was almost running now, and he certainly wasn’t listening. It was just the same as when he had rushed into the lupins at Allans Beach. He was on another one of his missions.
‘I’ll get him,’ I said.
‘Be quick, will you,’ said Jenny. ‘We’ve got to stick to time or we’ll get mixed up with the next
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