Diary Page

February 2005

Kaka Day – Saturday 5 February 2005


Kaka Pair

Come along to the Sanctuary on Saturday 5 February 2005 and learn all about the kaka (forest parrot) that lives in the Sanctuary. There will be informative talks between 11am and 2.30pm and the opportunity to see Harold the kaka from Wellington Zoo up close. It's going to be a great day out so pack a picnic, round up the whole family and come along. Open 10am to 8pm (last entry 7pm).

For entry fees and other visiting information.

There’s no place like home

Sanctuary staff were surprised when one of our youngest kaka found its way more than 130 kilometres to the National Wildlife Centre, at Mt Bruce in the Wairarapa last year. But the smart native parrot proved it was no fluke when it made the return trip to the Sanctuary eight months later, in January this year.

Full press release.

Fringe Festival comes to the Sanctuary


	Sophie Dingemans in Edensong Photo © Penni Bousfield

On the evenings of 11, 12, 13 February a theatrical performance called 'Edensong' is taking place in the Sanctuary.

Penni Bousfield, a New Zealand Drama School masters student, is organising the performances as part of her final masters project. Edensong is one of the first performances of the Fringe Festival programme.

Edensong will involve a mix of theatrics, music and costuming with an environmental theme and is based on the history of the Sanctuary valley.

Each performance will last for approximately an hour, during that time the audience will walk between four different sites in the Sanctuary. There will be four performances each night at 7:45pm, 8pm, 8:15pm and 8:30pm. The route involves one short uphill walk. Participants can bring a torch. If the weather is wet, performances may be cancelled.

Tickets will be on sale from 31 January. Prices are $15 adults, $12 concession and $10 fringe card holders. Bookings can be made at the Sanctuary Visitor Centre, phone 04 920 9213 or email bookings@sanctuary.org.nz. Subject to availability, there will also be door sales on the night.

Full press release.

Due to the performances, there will be no Sanctuary by Night tours taking place on these evenings and the closing time for Sanctuary twilight hours will be bought forward to 7pm (last entry 6pm).


	Stitchbird (hihi)

Hihi (Stitchbird) back on New Zealand mainland after 120 years

The endangered bird hihi (stitchbird) was brought back to its natural environment on the mainland of New Zealand for the first time in over 120 years.

30 birds were released in the Sanctuary by Chris Carter, Minister of Conservation and Marian Hobbs, Minister for the Environment, on 17 February 2005.

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