GO NZ: Conservation Week - where to connect with nature

Okarito Lagoon, on the West Coast. Photo / Lizzy Sutcliffe, Supplied

Connecting with nature and the outdoors gives our mind a reprieve. This year's focus for Conservation Week/Te Wiki Tiaki Ao Tūroa (September 4-12) is about taking a moment to help nature, and in turn help your own wellbeing. As lockdowns continue to teach us, being able to get outside and breathe in some fresh air plays a crucial role in us being able to function and flourish.

Take a mindful breather by listening to the native birds tweeting or enjoy the visuals of a walk in your local park or reserve. When alert levels allow, plant a tree, join an event, and do something good for your environment while reaping the benefits yourself. Here are five of the best post-lockdown places to connect with nature.

Taiaroa Head Nature Reserve, Otago

If you want to see the only mainland colony of albatross in the Southern Hemisphere, head to Taiaroa Head/Pukekura. Once an important site for Māori and European settlers, the albatross - the world's largest seabird - have made their home on the end of this peninsula. They're incredible birds due to their size, and visiting the colony should be on every New Zealander's bucket list.

An albatross chick at the Taiaroa albatross colony. Photo / L Hoffman, Supplied

There are around 10,000 seabirds there including Otago shags, little penguins, spotted shags, royal spoonbills and red-billed gulls. You can also see New Zealand fur seals and sea lions in the area.

You can see albatross nearly all year round, as they have a breeding cycle of 11 months. The colony has had more than 650 albatross chicks hatch since the 1930s.

At home, you can also view the live stream 'Royal Cam' on the DoC website - it's is a 24-hour live stream of an albatross nest during the breeding season.

Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara, Rakiura Stewart Island

Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara on Stewart Island is a stunning pest-free island sanctuary open to the public. The pristine island, which is part of Rakiura National Park, spans across 269 hectares, with 11 kilometres of coastline and has been pest-free since 1997.

Stewart Island Brown Kiwi can be found on nearby Ulva Island and are often active during the daytime. Photo / Great South

It's a bird lover's dream where kiwi, tīeke (saddleback) and mōhua (yellowhead) flourish, alongside a number of other threatened native species in this stunning podocarp forest. There are well-formed walking tracks through the island, but always allow extra time for birdwatching.

Tiritiri Mātangi Island, Auckland

A perfect day trip for families, Tiritiri Mātangi is just a 75-minute ferry ride from Auckland. This wildlife sanctuary is rich in history and a haven for rare native birds thanks to efforts to successfully eradicate unwanted predators. The same volunteers who helped get rid of pests from the island are the same ones who helped plant 300,000 native trees in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Takahe wandering freely at Tiritiri Matangi. Photo / Darren Markin, Supplied

There are beautiful walks and the water is lovely during the summer months for a swim in the bays lined with pōhutukawa trees. Walks can range from 20 minutes to four hours.

Being close to Auckland CBD, it's a perfect day trip from the city, with something for everyone from families to birdwatchers.

Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve, Auckland

A little over an hour's drive north of central Auckland is the Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve, known more commonly as Goat Island. Here is where New Zealand's first marine reserve was established, allowing wildlife to replenish and now flourish.

As a result, Goat Island is now a popular place for swimming and snorkelling, with clear waters and plenty of fish that come quite close to the shore. Many scuba divers take beginners out into the water here for the various certification tests. It's also ideal for kayaking thanks to the relatively calm and gentle waters. The Goat Island Walkway is a fairly easy walking trail that takes around 45 minutes to an hour to complete.

Goat Island, Auckland. Photo / Laura Honey, Supplied

The island itself, Goat Island, is a small 9-hectare scientific reserve. While you can visit the island, you must stick to the rock platform as there are no tracks through due to nesting seabirds and plantings. Do your bit to keep the area pristine by taking all rubbish with you, picking up any other rubbish you might see, and report anyone taking fish from the area.

Ōkārito, West Coast

This coastal settlement will get you right up close with the wonders of nature, as visiting this area means you'll see everything from the ocean and sea cliffs, the estuary and the forest to the mighty Southern Alps. The lagoon here is also home to more than 70 species of native birds, such as the kōtuku/white heron and royal spoonbills.

Okarito Lagoon, on the West Coast. Photo / Lizzy Sutcliffe, Supplied

Originally a mining town back in the West Coast's gold heyday, now about 30 residents call it home. There are several walks, ranging in duration from 30 minutes to three and a half hours.

For more ways to let nature in, head to doc.govt.nz/get-involved/conservation-activities/let-nature-in/

Check alert level restrictions and Ministry of Health advice before travel. covid19.govt.nz