I was lucky enough to go with the Forest & Bird group to Auckland Zoo last weekend, to see the new 14 million addition called Te Wao Nui. 
Video here

Here are some of the special locals

Campbell Island teal : These little birds are the one of the world’s smallest ducks. For thousands of years the birds lived in a world without predators. Even birds with tiny wings could breed successfully. Eventually, they evolved into this unique species of flightless teal found nowhere else on Earth.

Hows this for a snoz!

Blue duck (whio) (below) (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos) – ENDANGERED

Habitat: Rivers in the South Island and lower half of the North Island of New Zealand.

The blue duck is the only duck found up in the high country’s turbulent streams. It is a strong swimmer and capable diver. Males make a distinct whistling call (hence the Maori name ‘whio’ pron FIO) while females sound more like a rattle. A fleshy edged bill is used for catching insects, grubs and caddis fly larvae around boulders in the rapids. Mum is the one who looks after the four to eight eggs and chicks but Dad helps with the chicks.

Some facts about ours:  The blue duck is a threatened NZ species. Auckland Zoo is involved in a co-ordinated Department of Conservation breeding programme to provide young for release programmes. You’ll find our blue ducks living in The High Country habitat in Te Wao Nui.  (photo taken there but from a huge distance with 300mm lens)

New Zealand dotterel (below) (Tūturiwhatu)(Charadrius obscurus)

Habitat: The New Zealand dotterel is an endangered bird that is found only in New Zealand. NZ dotterels are shorebirds, usually found on sandy beaches and sandspits or feeding on tidal estuaries.

Once common, there are only about 1700 birds left. This serious decline in numbers is due to a combination of habitat loss, disturbance during breeding and introduced pests including cats, stoats and hedgehogs. NZ dotterels can be hard to see, because their colouring merges effectively with the background of sand, shells and dune vegetation in their environment. Because they are so hard to see, their nests can be crushed by people, vehicles and animals. Their distinctive ‘chip-chip’ call is often heard before the birds are seen. Two or three well-camouflaged eggs are laid in a scrape in the sand, commonly among shells and driftwood just above the high tide mark.

Burma the gorgeous Asian elephant

Major manicure & dust bath just after getting out the spa!

Orangutan

Spider monkey

New Zealand fur seals

This below is NUMBAWAN (pronounced “number one”) a very popular bar and restaurant on the waterfront in Port Vila.

You get free internet, ice cold beers made in the local factory down the road (Tusker) in chilled glasses, and friendly service.  Popular with visitors, its in all the guide books.  It also has sea sand floors and a coconut palm growing through the thatch roof!  A perfect spot to rest ones weary, hot body and enjoy a beer while watching the local kids swim and the boats go by.

 Annie and Annie, two of the wonderful staff members we got to know.  They were in charge of the food, so very important
Happy to be here with my sis  on our first evening after our sunset beach swim and on the way for our first cocktail!A picturesque shot of the shower at sunrise….just because

Some Curlews. For those who know me, no story is ever complete without the birds in it.  I had to stealthily  stalk these very timid ones with my long lens on and sneak behind the palm trees.  Finally I got a shot, and I hope nobody was watching.  It was just around sunrise and I was up at the crack of dawn, a timing mistake that Cheryl will never let me forget, sorry sis, poor long suffering sister of mine!  Anyway, it was a fab mistake for me as I got some lovely shots.

See?  just me and the coconuts

And then we went on on another trip that I forgot to mention before, to the Secret garden,  Mele village and Cascades, a real treat

The village shopping center

The cascades, which was quite a long, hot walk worth every step.  Sadly the little Panasonic didnt do the pools justice, no
matter what tricks I tried, but on the walk, we followed the river cascade after cascade until we go to the waterfall.
It was stunning

At the secret gardenA fruit bat eating papaya, and a massive coconut crab.  They had to safe guard this one as they make beautiful eating

Some underwater shots

Ok so there are still heaps of photos I cant put up but I am sure you get the gist of it….

 I headed off to Vanuatu for the last week in October, to meet up with my sister Cheryl from Perth for a girls week holiday.  We stayed at Erakor island.   I took a brand new Panasonic Lumix underwater point and shoot camera as I have always wanted to do underwater, also to avoid carrying around my heavy Canon gear.  So bear in mind these are mostly photos from that camera, some good, some not so good.  All in all, it worked very well.

Located just off the mainland of Port Vila, Efate, Vanuatu’s capital, Erakor has easy access to town via a free ferry ride with the friendliest staff.  Less than 3 hours flight from Australia and New Zealand, the Island is 16 acres of unspoilt tropical paradise perfectly positioned in the crystal blue waters of Erakor lagoon which flows to Pacific Ocean and beyond.
These are some not very good photos through the plane window.

Arriving at Erakor on the ferry, the restaurant is the main building you see and on the right is the ferry drop and pickup.  If you want the ferry and its on the other side you hit the gong, the language is Bislama which is like a pidgin English, so the message on the sign says “Sipos yu wantem ferry yu kilem gong”  or turn on the red light if its dark.  It runs24/7 and only takes a few minutes to get to you.

Photos just don’t show how beautiful it is, but this is the approach to the island.

We got to Erakor island late afternoon and went exploring with a glass of wine in hand.  We found the lovely sunset beach as its called and that became our favorite place.  Here we are having our first swim.  It was simply heaven!  This was the first dip for my new underwater camera, what fun!

Here are some views of around Erakor, and Port Vila and surrounds. It was so hard to choose which to show you.

When you arrive, most times you will be met with a hand up off the ferry by Brian or Iman as he told us.  He is excellent at cards and knows a trick or two, which is very entertaining at breakfast.  The view over the crystal clear lagoon is lovely.  On the left he is checking out the ferry on the other side with binoculars.

Its great to take a seat and relax while you wait for the ferry
Donald on left and Matteus on the right, always smiling and asking “hey what you been up to?”

I was amused to see and hear fierce support for the All Blacks

Some of the local women fishing in an outrigger, she was throwing a line here.
This man was bringing in his nets with the little fish caught.

Those hammocks, so picturesque!  This is our cottage and hammock.  I loved them but didn’t ever get to relax in one at all!
More fishing, there are two guys with snorkels there, setting the nets

We had this huge tide, it comes up every Oct/November and some of the staff were having a swim & so much fun
More net setting

Local kids swimming

We visited the local markets, it was hot, noisy, colourful and so much fun, I could have spent much longer there!

The one on left is for my friend Ann Martin, Pimentoes!  On the right below, wild raspberries.

The ladies on the left make lap lap and sell it, people buy it wrapped in a type of banana leaf.  The guy on the right cooked us a delicious lunch for NZ$4.ooTrip to Hideaway island – awesome snorkeling

We spent our last day doing a very special cruise called the Congoola cruise.  Congoola is a 23 meter timber sailing ketch with twin diesel back up power, dinghies, snorkeling gear… and very friendly and efficient staff who took care of our every need, I was blown away by the whole slick operation.  She is a previous world cruiser and mothership to the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. More recently used by both the American and Australian “Survivor” TV series. It was the highlight of our trip.  See pics below.

The snorkelling was amazing

Feeding the fish and taking photos – multitasking and only one came out

And that is a fraction of a glimpse of Vanuatu!

You can see why they need our protection, unfortunately this nest was lost in the king tide a week after this, Waiwera, end of Jan 2011

Does my bum look big in this?