Download - Cape Kidnappers
-
8/13/2019 Cape Kidnappers
1/4
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
E-mail: [email protected]
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
E-mail: [email protected]
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
E-mail: [email protected]
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= -
8/13/2019 Cape Kidnappers
2/4
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.
-
8/13/2019 Cape Kidnappers
3/4
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.
-
8/13/2019 Cape Kidnappers
4/4
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.