Whio (Blue Duck)
Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos
Whio, which are only found in NZ, live all year round on clean, fast flowing streams in forested river catchments which provide them with the high water quality, low sediment and abundant invertebrate species they require. The presence of Whio is a key indicator of a river system's health. Whio are territorial and individual pairs occupy the same stretch of river year after year. Numbers have declined and populations tend to be fragmented and isolated, have low reproductive success and are increasingly dominated by males. It is estimated that only about 1340 pairs remain in the North and South Islands. Nests consist of twigs, grass and down and are built in shallow scrapes in caves, under rivers' edge vegetation or debris and are prone to spring floods and predators.
Enjoy a short stroll from the trailhead waypoint, and you may be lucky enough to encounter a whio 🤞 ( a bit further downstream, I have quite often heard them in the evenings...) OK, it's not really a Trail, per se, but unless it's flooding, you can pick your way among the gravel & boulders ... At the upstream end, you should find a small path to exit back out to the road, right in front of the Forest & Bird lodge 😁 You do not need to bush bash! And should be able to easily grab the cache on your way up.
Please leave the lid , containing cache guardian tethered in place. Simply unscrew the multichambered cache from the lid to access the log & contents.Please replace as found & cover well. Thanks!