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Muriwai Beach, New Zealand
Trip Day Twenty-five: Wednesday, October 17, 2007
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Takapu Refuge
— Australasian Gannet Morus serrator —
A Rare Gannet Colony
This colony is so rare because it is one of only two mainland colonies in the world.
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Living on the EDGE of the Wind
It can't be seen or touched, and yet we see its effect,
we hear its breath and we feel its caress. Wind is one of the dominant features of this area,
and a major influence on the gannet's life. Its noise and force can be formidable.
The gannet (Morus serrator) or takapu lives on the edge of the wind.
The birds choose this rock stack as their home, where wind meets land providing a strong updraft for easy takeoff. Each year they return to it, brought back by the wind patterns. Their life is risky — from the first journey they make as a young juvenile to Australia — they live their lives on the edge.
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