cape kidnappers

8/13/2019 Cape Kidnappers

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Cape KidnappersGannet Reserve

Cover photo: Steffi Ismar.

Published by

Department of Conservation

Wellington Hawkes Bay Conservancy

P.O. Box 5086, Wellington 6145.

November 2009.

Further information

DOC offices

Hawkes Bay Area Office

59 Marine Parade, P.O. Box 644, Napier 4140

Phone: 06 834 3111 Fax: 06 834 4869

E-mail: [email protected]

Wellington Hawkes Bay Conservancy Office

181 Thorndon Quay, P.O. Box 5086, Wellington 6145Phone 04 472 5821 Fax: 04 499 0077


www.doc.govt.nz

Tourist information

Napier i-SITE Visitor Centre

100 Marine Parade, P.O. Box 722, Napier 4140

Phone: 06 834 1911 Fax: 06 835 7219


Web: www.hawkesbaynz.com

DOC Wellington Visitor CentreConservation House, 1832 Manners St,

P.O. Box 10-420, Wellington 6143

Phone: 04 384 7770 Fax: 04 384 7773


Further reading

Topographical maps are available from DOC. Topo50

sheet BK 40 and the old NZMS 260 sheets V21 and W21

cover this area.

Te Kauae o Maui The tip of the hookof Maui

The fish hook shape of the Hawke Bay coastline adds to

the imaginative legend of Cape Kidnappers origin.

Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga, a famous mythical hero, was

fishing with his brothers and decided to show them his

supernatural powers.

He chanted his prayer, broke his nose and smeared the

blood onto a magical jawbone. With it, he fished up theNorth Island, or as the Mori name it, Te-Ika-a-Maui, the

fish of Maui. After Maui departed, his brothers attacked

the fish with their weapons, hacking it to pieces and

helping to form the mountainous terrain of the North

Island. The sacred jawbone used as the hook was left to

form what is now known as Hawkes Bay.

Black Reef from the Cape colony. Photo: Barbara Curtis.

Mutual preening. Photo: Steffi Ismar. 9 4 2 10 0 5 1 7 19 8 3 >

If you think there is

a safety hazard in aconservation area, call

DOC HOTline or the

nearest DOC office.
mailto:napierao%40doc.govt.nz?subject=mailto:wellingtonco%40doc.govt.nz?subject=http://www.doc.govt.nz/mailto:info%40napiervic.co.nz?subject=http://www.hawkesbaynz.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.hawkesbaynz.com/mailto:info%40napiervic.co.nz?subject=http://www.doc.govt.nz/mailto:wellingtonco%40doc.govt.nz?subject=mailto:napierao%40doc.govt.nz?subject=


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Cape Kidnappers Gannet Reserve

The Cape Kidnappers Gannet Reserve is managed

by the Department of Conservation for the purpose of

protecting the gannet nesting sites.

The 13 hectare reserve includes the Saddle and Black

Reef gannet colonies. Both are closed to public access,

however, the Black Reef colony can be viewed from the

beach.

The Plateau colony is the main place for viewing thenesting gannets. There are also good panoramic views

from this elevated headland.

This colony is located on private land. Please co-operate

with the landowners by keeping to the defined track and

not disturbing stock.

Saddle Colony. Photo: Barbara Curtis.

By walking

From Scotmans Point at Clifton allow at least fivehours for a comfortable return walk along the

beach. This can only be done at low tide; the best

times of departure being no sooner than 3 hours

after high tide and departing the Cape no later

than 1 hours after low tide.

There is an information board and carpark at the

Clifton departure point. An information shelter,

toilets and picnic facilities, including water, are

located just below the Cape colonies.

When to visit

The best times to view the gannets is from earlyNovember to late February. Nesting commences

in mid-September and continues through to

mid-December. The first chicks hatch in the first

week of November and the last chicks depart the

colony during May on their migration to Australia.

Public access to the Plateau colony is closedbetween 1 July and Labour Weekend (October).

This is to prevent disturbance to the birds during

their early nesting phase.

Respecting the gannets

Treat this reserve as the gannets home. Becauseit is one of the most easily accessed gannet

colonies, special care is needed to ensure their

continued presence here.

Nesting birds dont like disturbances such as

loud noise and fast movement

Keep behind the barriers at all times

At Black Reef, maintain a minimum distance of

5 metres from nesting gannets

Dogs and horses are not permitted

Motorbikes and vehicles are not permitted off

the beach into the reserve

Fires and camping are not permitted

Keep to the track through private land

It is illegal to take firearms into the reserve

Litter can be harmful to wildlife

Leave only your footprints in the sand...

Viewing the Plateau colony. Photo: Catherine Tiffen.

How to get there

Getting to the Cape is half the fun. You can either

walk via the beach at times of low tide or use

commercial transport along the beach.


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The Australasian gannet

The Australasian gannet (takapu) is one of three species

of gannet which belong to the booby family. They are

usually found in large colonies on offshore islands

around New Zealand and southern Australia and have

been nesting at Cape Kidnappers since the 1870s.

Nesting gannets. Photo: Chris Smuts-Kennedy.

Numbers have steadily

increased to 8,000 pairs,

which makes it the largest

and most accessible

mainland population in the

world.

Gannet chick.

Photo: Richard Veitch.

Photo: John Adams.

The gannets, which have an average lifespan

of 25 to 40 years, have a remarkable start. At 16

weeks old, the chicks take on a 2,800 kilometre

Tasman Sea crossing despite having never been

airborne before. Two to three years later, the young

birds return from Australia to undertake tentative mating.

However, it is not until they are five years old that they

nest in earnest, after which most spend their life around

the coastal New Zealand seas.

Take care

The cliffs along the beach are unstable and slips

may sometimes occur. If resting or picnicking, do

so away from the cliffs.

Tide times

Information on the tide t imes can be obtained

either from local newspapers or at the information

centres listed overleaf.

Adult gannet. Photo: Catherine Tiffen.


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Coastal conservation

The coast, cliffs and dunes of the Cape provide

habitats for distinctive vegetation and wildlife.

Some not so common birds that can be seen

are the white-fronted tern (tara), variable

oystercatcher (torea pango) and reef heron

(matuku-moana).

The offshore reefs are also rich in marine life

including the unusual sandmason tube worms

which construct sand tubes on the rocks.

Although the original coastal vegatation has

been depleted, the Department of Conservation,

helped by volunteers, is progressively restoring

the natural vegetation in some fenced-off areas

by the planting of trees and shrubs and the native

sedge pingao.

Kidnapped 1769

When Captain Cook visited the area in 1769 a

group of Mori in canoes came out to the ship

Endeavourto trade. When leaving they kidnapped

a Tahitian boy. Shots were fired at the retreating

canoes, resulting in some Mori being killed

and the boy swimming back to the ship. Cape

Kidnappers was named by Cook after this.

Tracing earthquakes in theCapes cliffs

On the beach journey to the Cape, visitors can see

towering cliffs which expose the many rock types and

fault lines which underlie Hawkes Bay.

The cliffs are made up of sandstone, river gravel, pumice

and silt, originally deposited between 300,000 to 1 million

years ago.

Look for the fragmented fault and tilt lines along the cliffs,they tell the story of many earthquake upheavals and

movements.

Photos: Barbara Curtis.

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