Kōtuku of Ōkarito Lagoon - Roadside Stories

A Manatū Taonga audio guide to the Ōkarito Lagoon and kōtuku. Check out the Ministry for Culture and Heritage's audio guide in the image carousel above.

New Zealand’s largest unmodified wetland, Ōkarito Lagoon is the feeding-ground for a nearby breeding colony of kōtuku (white herons). Long prized by Māori for their beauty and their white feathers, these graceful birds have been threatened by vandals, introduced predators and storms. Today their colony is protected.

Ross to Ōkarito,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/west-coast-places/13

Ōkarito Lagoon,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/west-coast-places/13/4

White herons – kōtuku,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/herons/1

Breeding white herons,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/herons/1/4

Ngā manu – birds: symbols of status,
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/nga-manu-birds/1

Archival audio sourced from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives, http://www.soundarchives.co.nz/. Sound files may not be reused without permission from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives (Reference number 147839).

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Roadside Stories is a series of audio guides that follow major road trips in New Zealand. The stories cover the places you’ll pass along the way – their people, their history, their cultural and natural significance. For more information about Roadside Stories visit http://www.mch.govt.nz/roadside/