Tiritiri Matangi Recount

Last week on Wednesday the year 7 and 8 Extension group went to Tiritiri Matangi Island to look at Biodiversity and the animals that live on the island. We had to get up early to get to school for the trip because we had to leave at 8:00am. My alarm woke me up at 6:25 but it took me 5 minutes to get out of bed as I was so cozy. After Breakfast I packed my lunch and got dressed in mufti.

My mum  and I got in the car and drove to Khaia's house to pick her up and take her to school with me. We got to school around 7:30 and walked to the creative space  where Taimana and Mrs Lagitupu were. Mrs Lagitupu told us to take a water bottle and put our names at the bottom.

We got on the shuttle bus at 8:00am and went to Auckland city and got on the ferry to Tiritiri Matangi island. After 1 hour and ten minutes on the ferry we got on the Island and split up into our groups and went with a tour guide.

First we went to see the Little Penguins or Blue Penguins and they lived in little burrows made of rocks. Then we went on a walking track through the forest. The second bird we saw was a little FanTail or in maori ‘Piwakawaka’. It followed us and the Tour Guide said the fantails like humans because when we walk we make vibrations in the ground which make the insects come out and the fantail loves to eat insects.

Five Facts I learnt about Tiritiri Matangi

1. Birds like to drink raw sugar and water mixed together
2. Tiritiri Matangi used to be a farm
3. There is a thing called a Weta Motel
4. That there are no pests/predators on the whole island
5. The Takahe is  an endangered species (looks like a Pukeko)

We saw lots of different kinds of birds and plants like the Bellbird and StitchBird and when we got to the end of the track we saw the light house. We went to the courtyard to have lunch, then we all went up to see the light house and the view was amazing and we also saw a Family of Takahe.

I really enjoyed the trip and learnt lots of things about the Island and what lives on it. I will never forget the trip.