Earthsea Gallery

On a recent sailing adventure to Abel Tasman National Park we arrived at our safe anchorage in the lee of Adele Island just before dusk. Our arrival was announced by bird song that had to be heard to be believed. The following morning we were woken before daylight and serenaded by the 'Adele Island dawn chorus' while we ate breakfast. There was definitely no chance of a sleep-in with thousands of tui, bellbirds and robins singing at full volume. NZ once sounded like this to early explorers and European settlers before extensive loss of forests and the introduction of bird predators and competing species. Our heart-felt thanks and greatest appreciation to all involved in Project Janszoon, a privately funded trust working with DoC, the Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust, the community and local iwi to facilitate the ecological restoration of the Abel Tasman National Park.