Gannets at Muriwai

The Gannet Colony at Muriwai is quite well known. Many Aucklanders will make the day trip out here for the beach and to visit the gannets. It’s one of the few mainland colonies in NZ (ie. not on an island) which means you don’t need to get on a boat tour, people can walk to the viewing platforms to watch the birds doing their mating rituals and building their nests. There is a larger colony on Bonaventure Island in the Gaspe which we visited many years ago; we have a photo of that colony on our kitchen wall.