Like a predator out of CIS ‘Archie’ the White Heron looked like butter would not melt in his mouth as he perched regally at the top of a gum tree near our home this morning. Rose on the way to work calls me to say “ get your camera down here quick”. Little did I know that the visiting White Heron was about to show his true colours. Below him in the branches were silver eyes hopping around, oblivious that they were about to be targets for Archie’s breakfast.
I will never look at a White Heron quite the same again but I guess that is the sovereignty of nature at work.
Archive for the ‘Driftwood Kayaking Tours’ Category
Gulp! It’s Archie the White Heron.
Monday, July 11th, 2011
Tree planting, environment awards and wetland observations
Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
What a fabulous year 2011 is turning out to be. Just returning from a family wedding in Florence, we have rediscovered the magic that is living in this part of the world (New Zealand) and Marlborough in particular.
After a fabulous time with family and making new friends it is back to the work I love. There are native seedlings to be planted in our wetland and existing plantings to be checked and released of weeds. We plant one native (endemic) tree for every tour we take with Driftwood Eco Tours. However thanks to the Council Environmental fund and all the help of enthusiastic people such as Nicky Eade and Paul Millen we have been able to exceed this.
The eradication of exotic crack willows is now evident and the slow work on willow seedlings will be on going.
Just prior to our travel we had the honor of attending the Marlborough Community Environment Awards as nominees. Our congratulations to all the winners and nominees whom we enjoyed meeting over a lovely meal at Dryland’s superb restaurant.
We have had enquiries from all around the world about kayaking tours as well as hiking and 4×4 tours for 2011 and 2012. We look forward to sharing our slice of paradise with these future friends. Until then we will keep the coffee hot.
Here is a picture gallery of our home and wetland.
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- The harriers like to nest in raupo or river sedges
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- This Kotuku has recently settled near our home
Meet our new friends
Sunday, January 16th, 2011Here are a few of the great people we have met this year through Driftwood Ecotours. We want to say thank you to everyone who has toured with us and if you enjoyed it please tell a friend.
Hope we will meet again soon!
Will and Rose
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- “very relaxing great fun” Thomas Awatere valley NZ
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- “fabulous best money I have spent for ages” Keith NZ
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- ” Awesome!exciting things to see; eel eating shags, skittish opossums, always something to remember” Dunedin NZ
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- “Great trip thank you” Simon and Linda NZ
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- “Most extraordinary morning, absolutely wonderful!” Connie California USA
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- Royal Spoonbill copyright C. Nelson
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- “we will be back” thanks willie
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- “well that was fantastic” Charlotte, Somerset UK
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- “magic” Nicky Kaikoura NZ
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- “words can’t express how brillant this experience was! Marcee NZ
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- “wonderful” Olwen Wellington NZ
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- “Magical atmosphere on the river & lovely company” Fiona & Francois NZ
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- “what a wonderful birthday treat” Ally Blenheim NZ
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- “kayaking doesn’t get better than this” Raylene, Stewart island NZ
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- ‘magnificent experience, highly memorable” John and Belinda NZ
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- “great trip and birdlife thanks”
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- “beautiful lagoon, birdlife & great muffins” Sue Te Anau NZ
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- “absolutely amazing”
Fully guided kayaking – fun and easy
Thursday, September 9th, 2010
Will Parsons takes fully guided tours on the Opawa River, Wairau Lagoon. Weather in New Zealand is generally fine and sunny in the period November to March. If the weather is no suitable Will can take you by vehicle to magic parts of the lagoon. All tours depart from Will and Rose’s home on the Opawa River.
Sharing my kayaking adventures.
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010
I had the great pleasure of sharing the great yet simple experience of kayaking on the Opawa River and mouth of the Wairau River with a recent visitor to our country. Carlos Urrea from Colombia was visiting Marlborough on business and a friend referred him to our kayak tours. As you will see from the photos we had a great time and some brilliant up close birding that had our cameras snapping. (Click on the gallery photos above to get an enlarged photo).
There is very good birding on the river currently with plenty of royal spoonbills, banded dotterels, white faced herons, various tern species, black shags, pied shags, little pied and black shags, spotted shags and pied stilts. There have been great numbers of kingfishers up and down the river. The ‘good omen’ the Kotuku or white heron has been seen. Also we are pleased to report that the glossy ibis vagrant now has a mate and the pair can bee seen flying into our wetland at dusk.
