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Guest Post by: Giota Kalogirou
This may not come as a surprise, but New Zealand has more than just the two islands that have very imaginatively been named “north” and “south”… shocking right?
In the far east of mainland New Zealand, lies a little complex of islands, called the Chathams. This is the very first part of the country to say hello to the new day every day! My visit here has been nothing short of amazing, and as a lover of destinations away from the touristy hustle and bustle, the Chathams has been a hidden gem in plain sight.
This part of New Zealand gives you the exhilarating feeling of being at the very edge of the Earth; you can see the most stunning scenery, wildlife, and experience a little part of the world that many others will never get to see. If you are looking for more reasons to add the Chatham Islands to your itinerary, here are a few.
The scenery
First things first! If you want to take some stunning pictures, videos and drone shots of scenery and wildlife that seems ever-changing … in peace and quiet, the Chathams is a dream destination. If photography is not your gig, even better! – you can sit and enjoy every single view with your eyes.
The biggest thing about the Chathams is how big the islands are, so hiring a car here is a must! The main island alone covers an area of 996 square kilometres, to put that into context is a little larger than the country of Luxembourg.
We spend a whole week here, and every single day we had to pack in several stops and sights to make it to all the attractions. In only a few hours, you can see gigantic waves crashing into rugged cliffsides, tranquil pastures with hail bails you will want to jump on, forests full of the weirdest rock formations and native trees, and volcanic landscapes that breed types of rock and geological formations that you didn’t even know existed. And that’s just the beginning…
For an extra special experience, plan a visit to Pitt island. The short flight over is going to leave you speechless with the stunning views from above, while the little island itself (with only 38 inhabitants) is full of sights and cottages that will leave you with your mouth open.
The culture
A question that keeps popping in my head every time I visit a remote place is…. Who came first here and why?
In the Chatham Islands, this story involves lots of intricate and lesser-known parts of New Zealand history, including the first shelters, the Moriori. This peaceful tribe of people settled in the islands more than 700 years ago. Sadly, their peace was not kept long as the influx of Maori and later European settlers in the islands brought a lot of conflicts and the demise of their peaceful way of life.
Today, you can visit the stunning Kopinga Marae, to get a first-hand experience of Moriori philosophy and culture. Shaped like an Albatross with outstretched wings, this beautiful Marae (or meeting place) overlooks a beautiful vista of hills and cliffs. For an extra immersive experience, you can request to stay in the Marae. Highly recommend you call (or email) ahead of your visit to ask if there are any cultural events during your stay.
But the culture of the Chathams doesn’t end there. The current culture you will be greeted with is welcoming and warm. Sometimes visiting less touristy places, can be a hit and miss, locals tend to be sceptical of tourists, and fairly so! That’s not what’s happening in the Chatham Islands! Every time you cross paths with someone local, they will give you a warm hello, and the few times that we looked lost or confused, it didn’t last long, because someone would stop and ask if we needed any help.
At night, the only restaurant and bar on the island based in Waitangi (the main town) is full of locals and tourists alike and it’s not uncommon for strangers to become friends by the end of the night.
Relaxation
Many times travel involves less glamorous parts… like having to wait five minutes to take a picture, or waiting in line for a ticket for what seems an eternity.
This is not what you will find in the Chathams. Around 1500 people visit the islands every year. From what we saw, the majority are large groups of tour groups from the mainland, with very few independent tourists. The only time we came close with other travellers was in the main hotel’s restaurant, while the rest of the time we had whole parks and attractions to ourselves.
Your trip here can be as slow or fast as you want it to be, with a word of caution, most sights are found on private land, and prior approval for access is a must, so preparing a schedule ahead is recommended. If you are wondering how to prepare and what to see during your stay, check out the ultimate guide to the Chatham Islands.
However, you can come here and truly relax. Make a list of the things you want to see the most, and take the rest of the time, to relax, get back to your photography, listen to music, take slow walks, or anything that your heart desires!
The best part? There is no reception on the islands, and Wifi can be choppy at best, so unless you pack some sophisticated piece of satellite phone, your trip to nature will be always a trip offline. No pinging, no notifications, and no “oh just a quick call to ask you…” from your colleagues. Make sure you are prepared for the offline time ahead of time, by setting up forwarding and letting your loved ones know.
The wildlife
One of the main reasons why I made this trip in the first place is because of a little bird. You can read the full story of my trip here, but prepare the tissues because it’s seriously cute!
Unfortunately, the most famous bird of the island, the Chatham Islands black robin, is only found in two little islands that are completely inaccessible to humans and under the care of the department of conservation (or DoC) in New Zealand. DoC controls the majority of national parks, hikes, huts and more in New Zealand so their website is a wonderful resource if you are travelling around the country in general, and a great starting point to arrange your accommodation and entry to their sights.
The Chathams are home to lots of a great white sharks. A great spot to see them from the comfort and safety of the land is just a few kilometres away from the main town, just ask the locals for directions. There are no organised diving tours in the islands or shark experiences at the moment, however, chartering a boat from Owenga Charters is a great idea if you want to get a closer look at the creatures that surround the seas around the Chathams.
In addition, lots of different types of whales also pass through the Chatham waters. The whaling industry used to be the main industry for a very long time, which sadly led to a sharp decrease in their population. Alternatively, you can visit the seal colony found on the northeastern side of the main island at Point Munning. We visited during March, and there were hundreds of adorable baby seals in the rocks. Needless to say, seals are a protected species, so don’t attempt to feed or touch them.
The most tame-life (is that a word?) of the islands, is equally adorable and worth seeing. That’s the thousands of friendly sheep and cows that you are gonna encounter, and they are truly picture-perfect, just make sure not to startle them so they strike their best pose for you. In our walks through the nature reserves, we came close to friendly and curious fantail birds, and roaming wekas (picture something between a kiwi bird and a chicken), and lots more.
Final Thoughts
The Chathams will surely take your breath away and you will get to experience one of the most truly. The best advice for anyone travelling here is to talk to the locals and try to experience this amazing destination while keeping in mind the realities of living and settling in a place as remote as this. I certainly left with a lot of beautiful pictures, memories and food for thought!
