MURIWAI GANNET COLONY [Auckland day trip] /Americans in New Zealand

Are you looking for a quick Auckland day trip where you could see some of the native birds, black sands, and glorious sunsets? Join us as we head out to Muriwai Beach to catch sunset and all the antics of the magnificent gannets. Whether you are visiting New Zealand or spending a day in Auckland, the Muriwai gannet colony is a unique little adventure - especially at sunset.
Hi, my name is Deb ! I moved from the USA to Auckland, New Zealand with my hubz - Jon- in 2022. We love sharing about our adventure of leaving America to explore our dream of living in New Zealand. We're excited to share experiences we've had in that process of moving to New Zealand , getting settled, and adventures we've had since we've been here- including the good and bad along the way. This is going to be an adventure full of discovery, experiences, learning, and growth. We'd love to have you journey with us. Let's go!
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EMAIL : [e-mail]
Instagram : / debzmackey

[@bittersweet340]

That was epic watching those birds.. hope you get down the south Island and see the birds down there... thought that was funny those two birds fighting... 🤩👍

[@DebMackey1]

@BitterSweet, I agree and just love watching them. Even going through some of the videos we took, it was hard to decide on my favs to share as I find these birds to be so much fun to watch. So much drama going on at Muriwai 😁

[@marvinngawaka9091]

Your an amazing couple, always ,out & about.love those gannets, they're gorgeous.murawai is cool, black sand😲, sightseeing in NZ is gorjuss 🙏👌

[@DebMackey1]

Awww, thank you 😊

[@MarkMcLT]

Summer's nearly here...lots of great places to visit for the day when the weather warms up. Tawharanui is a favorite of mine.

[@DebMackey1]

@Mark Thomson, we’ll have to put that on our list . Thanks for the recommendation ☺️

[@ms.kayak7seas]

Hi, Deb and Jon. Black sands..Hmm..interesting. BC volcano? Wow, you can observe them really close. 10:09 OMG they are nests, 10:15 This is speechless to watch, the sunrise. 11:25 I am not sure how many they are, there are countless. 12:24 Do they migrate? They are adorable as Puffins. Thank you very much.

[@DebMackey1]

@Ms.Kayak7seas, I'm surprised we hadn't heard more about them before when we were just visiting NZ in 2019. I find this entire beach /gannet colony experience to be quite unique. I half want to spread the word and half want to keep it as a little secret so that it's not too crowded hahah :D. What we read about the black sand is ,"The black sand found on the west coast of the North Island, is made of titanomagnetite - a mixture of titanium and iron. This soft material comes from Mount Taranaki and is swept up the coast as far as North Cape - a distance of about 400 km - ground into rounder and finer grains as it goes." I was amazed that those were their nests also. I thought they were just hanging out there, and didn't realized at first those were their nests. Yeah, they migrate. What we read is ,"In summer, around December to February, you can watch how the chicks get fed. The nesting season is getting to an end in March/April; the juveniles leave the nest. You may spot fewer gannets now. Late autumn and the beginning of winter, most of the gannets migrate to Australia from May until July."

[@bendavis6530]

It’s not MUCH of a swimming beach but it is really fun if you’re a confident swimmer, massive dumping waves if the winds going to sea.

[@DebMackey1]

@Ben Davis, thanks for chiming in. Those waves have been pretty wild .

[@Andy_M986]

John, a man of few words, those birds and their domestics, the other 2 eyeing up that one bird, they soon settled down when it's partner came back. Too funny. Check Kumeu when you can, they have nice wineries out that way, and fruit farms where you can pick your own fruit,and they make it into ice cream for you, real fruit ice creams. Also Little Huia and Cornwallis are nice little spots on the coast

[@paulg3336]

They don't mind being visited by sightseers ,but don't take them for gannet The western coastline in that area is the remains of the very large Waitākere volcano ,which at its peak, rose from between 3,000 and 4,000 metres above the sea floor. Aoraki / Mt Cook is 3,724 metres You can still see the basaltic lava flows exposed in the cliff faces

[@DebMackey1]

Love the humor 😄and the info. Thanks for chiming in ☺️

[@cadifan]

That road sign means the speed limit is open road (100kph) in good weather conditions but is recommended to slow down in adverse conditions. So the speed limit is variable.

[@DebMackey1]

Thanks for chiming in 😊

[@peterclay2800]

You might want to check out the west coast beaches like Piha or some of the small hikes through the Waitakere ranges some of them lead to some great waterfalls and great sceneries

[@DebMackey1]

@Peter Clay, you’re the third person in the last week to tell me about the Waitekere Ranges. We’ll definitely need to check those out soon. Thanks for the recommendation 😊

[@kirstyhamel5465]

@@DebMackey1 They are gorgeous walks, but please make sure you clean your shoes where requested. The Council is trying to eradicate the Kauri dieback disease that is killing the trees. 🙂

[@DebMackey1]

@@kirstyhamel5465 yep, we do pay attention to doing that where it is requested.

[@kirstyhamel5465]

In summer, there are swimmers. We have swum there often. The water is too cold at the moment, unless you are brave or crazy! Brrrrr!

[@DebMackey1]

@Kristy Hamel, that’s so good to know that we’ll be able to swim there in the summer. So excited to experience summer here✨

[@johanmeischke9189]

Like many west coast beaches, swimming can be dangerous The cast majority of beaches on the west coast of both islands are defined by geologists as high energy and consequently hazardous. Unless you are a confident strong swimmer who understands longshore drift ( rips) I suggest paddling only

[@teresitababyj]

full watch me here

[@Gerwi545]

No, kiwi will pass on a curve because they're aggressive & psychotic behind the wheel and ACC pays for their hospital visits. *Sigh*. Off the wheel, we're really super dooper nice. 😉 Love, a typical kiwi.

[@DebMackey1]

@Gerwi , 😂 about your comment on the driving. We do love the Kiwi kindness and it’s one of the reasons we moved here. ❤

[@laskinov]

Its an open road sign, but you can't travel more than 100 kays.

[@DebMackey1]

Yeah, interesting and that was totally new for us😊

[@laskinov]

@@DebMackey1 Great for the guys on 2 wheels, who can carve up in the corners...yep I was one them..but I'm my 60s now, still riding and the pain....never going back to 4 wheels.

[@laskinov]

@@DebMackey1 great for bikers 👍🏻

[@DebMackey1]

@@laskinov, thanks for chiming in😊

[@daisylatu6196]

Don't forget to always go to where people are, n just be aware of your surroundings, just an advice cause u new in the country for your own safety, from Mel, AUSTRALIA.

[@teresitababyj]

hello new zealand hello my new friend im watching your video from philippenes new friend watching teresitababyj happy happy sunday

[@DebMackey1]

Hi @teresitababyj, thanks for chiming in all the way from the Philippines :)

[@teresitababyj]

hello m